2078- Shadow of a Doubt Read online

  'Tonight we bring you a special report looking back at the personal life and rise to leadership of the man who 'brought Britain back'. But first, Linden Rush takes us a little further into the past with a brief look at the history that made the man, before exploring just a few of the many accomplishments and feats of political genius that earned Jonathan Myers the title 'Britain's Saviour.'

  The female news reader is reduced to a small bubble in the background as Linden Rush, our best known political correspondent appears before us.

  'Thanks Anna. 'Britain's Saviour' is how Jon Myers was described by the former Minister for Education and long term friend, Oliver Wells, on the eve of what promises to be as always, a very public ceremony. He will always be remembered as 'The man who put health at the heart of the nation's well being' and 'The man whose rational policies pulled Britain back from the brink of economic disaster.'

  'In 2041 the country was in a slump, the result of the failed Prohibition Act of the mid 2030’s. In an interview many years later, Myers would describe how he, at the time an MP for the South, had cautioned against the Act. However in 2036, in a bid to improve the nation's health and to save health services from collapse under the weight of unprecedented demand, the government commissioned a report into foods that offer little or no nutritional value and contain harmful quantities of sugars, salts and other additives. The result was a long list of foods and beverages that in the same year became illegal to produce or sell in this country.’

  ‘The aim was to increase demand for fresh and whole foods as well as to take the strain off general practitioners and hospitals by lowering the number of victims of self neglect and overindulgence. Mounting evidence of the link between poor diets, obesity, disease and associated minor to chronic health conditions forced the government to take direct and radical action where individuals showed a lack of self control and unwillingness to change. It had become clear that despite having all the information, many people continued to lead unhealthy lives at unsustainable cost, hence the deduction that people are not capable of making the right choices.’

  ‘However the immediate loss of jobs in the confectionary, soft drinks and alcohol industries from production to retail, gave rise to poverty on a scale unseen for many years. A black market soon emerged for these prohibited consumables. The illegal confectionary and soft drink trade known as ‘The Candy Trade’ was a response to what many believed to be an absurd ban on relatively harmless products. After all, many of the ingredients including salt and syrups were still available; albeit rationed. Many complained that the ban was unfair on those who had always eaten well, or had recently made significant diet and lifestyle changes.’

  ‘The consequences of dealing in candy were severe leading many to believe that the government had lost all sense. The Prohibition, backed by the findings in the Food and Beverage report, had caused chaos and the policing of prohibited products cost the government millions. After almost three years of protests, riots and related convictions, the government was forced to lift the ban which in turn resulted in a national junk food binge.’

  ‘I was at the Battle of London Bridge.’ pipes up Dad.

  ‘Yes, I know.’

  ‘It was meant to be a peaceful protest. But the police tried to barricade us in. We were herded like cattle on the bridge. Some jumped in the Thames; they wanted them to drown. It was a scandal.’

  I’ve heard the story more times than I care to count. But he always tells me like it’s the first time. ‘Dad?’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Shall we just watch the programme?’

  ‘In the years following the end of Prohibition, economic recovery was slow, and with poverty and long term unemployment ironically, came increased demand for healthcare, as the Historian Jonah Ike explains:

  ‘The evidence suggests that alongside the predictable consequences of poverty, people developed a strong mistrust of the government and rebelled by consuming vast quantities of those very foods, and I use the term loosely, unavailable during the ban. It was effectively protest eating and of course, they were as cheap and readily available as they had been previously. This collective effort might not have been a conscious one and certainly it was financially beneficial to those on low incomes to eat rubbish, but it also sent a clear message to the government; depriving people of choice is harmful to the economy and demoralising to a nation.’

  ‘In 2042, after five years serving as an MP and frustrated by the ineffectiveness of administrators within the opposition, the former Olympic Gold medallist middle distance runner formed his own party. Jon Myers knew that the only way to ensure the wellbeing of the nation and to re-establish trust and order was to find a way to get people to change their bad habits almost instantly but without further damage to the economy and crucially, without removing choice.’

  ‘Myers was a well respected, charismatic Member of Parliament. But what he said in his first campaign speech shocked Britain of the time. Here are the highlights of that presentation.’

  As we watch, Myers appears on a platform at the opening of his most famous speech.

  ‘There is culture of risk-taking in our country that is crippling our fragile social and economic systems. It is this behaviour, failure on the part of so many to make the right choices, which led to the Prohibition Act in the first place...

  ‘This nation has become a spoilt, greedy and reckless child, turning on its authority when measures are taken to protect it from self harm; smoking, drinking and overeating. We as individuals can no longer look elsewhere to lay blame when the evidence of our actions and our inactions is to be seen in the damage done to ourselves and to our services...’

  ‘If elected, my government will never eliminate freedom of choice. However, in the notion of a model society set out in our action manifesto, individuals who take responsibility for themselves and who make the right choices will be rewarded. Those who do not will personally pay the price. The State would no longer be held responsible for those whose behaviours carry known, unnecessary risks….’

  ‘Risk would therefore be calculated and assessed in every area of life to ensure that the right choice is the easiest one to make…..’

  ‘It is not in the nation’s best interest for the government or the taxpayer to make allowances for the weak willed, or to bail out the bone idle. These people are not victims. Collective duty therefore, would be replaced by personal accountability….’

  ‘We should no longer strive to wealthy but to be healthy, as this is the true meaning of prosperity. Health is Wealth. Sport, fitness and nutrition would be integral to daily life, vital to the preservation of mind, body, the economy, and our nation state.’

  ‘....and those who succeed in life do so on their own merits, through hard work and perseverance. This is the true meaning of success. Acting in this way as individuals, will bring about the best outcomes for society as a whole. If everyone takes care of themselves, then society will take care of itself.'

  ‘My party has no colour because its policies are transparent. My party has no name because it is quite simply the way forward; the party of the future…..’

  Linden Rush returns.

  ‘In 2043, The Future party as it had come to be known, won the general election. It was a landslide victory. The action manifesto contained details of proposed policies backed by hard evidence from experts in the fields of nutrition, medicine and agriculture. The manifesto was eventually adapted to create ‘The Manual’ - instructions for life, for all.'

  ‘The reward that Myers described in his speech, and arguably the proposal that won him the election, is the Health Points system, now referred to simply as 'Points'. It is the greatest achievement of his government. Let us examine the healthcare model in more detail:’

  A list of bullet points and a three dimensional chart appears to the left of Linden Rush.

  ‘2045: all basic medical consultations, assessments, screening and diagnosis including dental are free of charge to every child and a
dult citizen.’

  ‘In the same year, reward ‘Points’ are now awarded to adults following sustained period of good health, calculated according to weeks without visiting a doctor, dentist or Accident and Emergency. Points can be collected for a range of specific health statuses such as having low cholesterol or normal blood pressure.’

  ‘All adult citizens must now pay the full cost of prescriptions, hospital stays, surgery etc, subsided by, or paid in full by Points. Points are designed to be used towards the cost of prescriptions and treatment, if and when necessary, so for many become a form of health care insurance.’

  ‘In the twelve months from January 2045 to 2046, the number of minor operations and surgical procedures is cut by half and there’s a drastic decline in alcohol related injuries.’

  In 2047, ‘Accident and Emergency’ is renamed ‘Incident and Emergency.’ because there is no such thing as an accident.

  ‘Injuries are divided into two types: Sports - free of charge or ‘non Points deductible’ and all other trauma. Treatment of injuries caused by carelessness or resulting from the actions of another, to be paid in full by the person or persons responsible. Myers’ aim was to encourage sport and fitness and to increase activity in general. As a world class athlete, he understood that there was ‘no gain without the occasional sprain’ but negligence comes at a cost.

  ‘By 2048, six monthly health checks had become mandatory. The monitoring process, which has almost completely eliminated the need for General Practitioners, is the same one that exists today; a simple body scan at the self service ‘scan and reward’ machines that identify injury and disease. The scanners were also key in the detection of physical abuse which in turn led to thousands of prosecutions spanning almost a decade.’

  ‘What transpired very early on is that, in making major positive lifestyle changes, the nation’s health and social behaviour improved, so Points built up. Five years later, parliament passed a Bill that allowed Health Points to be put towards the cost of other things such as higher education and housing upgrades - though many continued to save them to cover the cost of care in old age. Myers created a whole new currency by rewarding people for doing what they're supposed to do anyway. There had, and never will be a greater incentive to be good. '

  ‘One year following his election victory, his wife Lauren Myers, died whist giving birth to their second child and our current Prime Minister, Jonathan Myers II. She’d been appointed Health Secretary by her husband and her legacy continues in the Manual. Dubbed ‘The Natural Health and Beauty Queen’ Lauren Myers was a self made millionaire from the sale of nutritional supplements and organic skin care products. She was also a lifestyle and fitness guru who like Myers, was part of a growing minority who believed that a clean diet can heal the body. Her formula for healthy living was adopted by the Future Party for inclusion in the Manual, alongside Myers’ very own athletic regime. A close friend of the couple speaking shortly after her death:’

  ‘Myers' aim was to empower all with lifestyle changes that would increase well being and boost the economy, and Lauren provided a great deal of the instruction in the Manual. It was a refreshingly positive agenda and once the British public had got their heads around it, they realised that it gave them exactly what they wanted; the freedom to choose the right way forward. When Myers talks about respect for the body in the Manual, he’s basically providing us with the tools for our own personal harm reduction strategies that have positive repercussions throughout society. The Manual is a combination of his experience and training as an athlete, and Lauren’s nutritional expertise. She was an inspiration to him, indeed, to the nation. As a result of the Manual, interest and participation in all sports increased and the demand for sports equipment, personal trainers, and related professions rocketed. Within a few years, a new generation of sporting superstars had emerged; real celebrity role models driving our young to aim high, to compete, and to achieve in all areas of life. Lauren always said that people cannot be forced to change, and she was right. It wasn’t as though Myers was banning doughnuts like during the Prohibition or telling people they couldn’t sit around all day. Those options were and still are available. But if you choose to be inactive or to do things that might make you ill long term, you will have to pick up the bill, if and when your Points run out. The idea of taking personal responsibility was not a new one, but it had never been quite this personal. That’s the key to Myers’ success. Lauren, his closest advisor and my dear friend, will be sadly missed.’

  Linden Rush returns.

  ‘The effects of the new clean living nation were far reaching as the country entered a period of rapid transformation. Within ten years, four immense sports stadiums; Saturn, Jupiter, Venus and Neptune had been built, reflecting not only Britain's continuing Olympic success, but also a country revolutionised. The stadiums created thousands of new jobs in addition to those that had emerged out of the reformed Britain.’

  ‘Healthy choices had another impact on the landscape too. The demand for red meat drastically declined and by 2061, 89% of the population were either vegetarian or vegan - just like the Prime family. Early on, Myers knew that this was key to reducing climate change and waste, and land formerly used for cattle farming was purchased by the government to create green spaces such as parks and sporting facilities, and for new sustainable housing developments, in turn boosting the building trade.

  The early investment in new build from freed up farmland made the government one of the largest proprietors of residential property today, as well as funding the ID chips in our palms, now implanted from birth, that are crucial to our safety and protection, and of course to monitoring our health. Everything from activity levels, stress, white blood cell count, body mass and intoxication is constantly tracked, giving us up to date and instant access to our condition. Our health is quite literally, in our hands.’

  ‘By the early 2060’s crime rates had fallen by over 70%. The reduction in criminal behaviour was initially attributed to newly created jobs, the transparency of our lives thanks to ID chips and twenty-four hour lit streets. But further research by criminal psychologists of the time pointed also to the increase in endorphins caused by good diets and regular exercise. ’

  ‘In 2048, Myers set up the Life Institute for investigation into Fallibility and Extension; 'LIFE’. His hope was to unlock the secret to longevity and to test the limits of mortality through combined research initiatives into nutrition, medicine and technology. LIFE is the epicentre of medical research that has drastically altered the practice of medicine in the last thirty years. The Institute is also responsible for the drug of the same name, which we will return to later in the programme.’

  ‘Despite the new happy nation, in the early years Myers’ Manual came under scrutiny and fire from human rights defenders. Some believed that his new policies put the most vulnerable members of society at further disadvantage, and was an attack on overweight people. Myers responded with a statement to the nation.’

  Once more, Dad and I watch as the former Prime Minister appears before us on a platform.

  ‘Those who lack the capacity to take full responsibility for their health will never be expected to. However, where treatment is proved to be effective, individuals must engage fully. This is the aim of the One Chance programme, a free initiative to motivate, and to restore the health of those on the brink of failure or death. One chance. One opportunity to make that change.’

  ‘We must expect some losses however, as not all will find the strength and determination to change. This is regrettable. But we must never support those who are not committed to supporting themselves. Standing alone must be the goal. Charity must start and end with oneself. We help others by putting ourselves first. We help society by being well in mind and body in order to prevent us from becoming a burden to our loved ones.’

  ‘And to all those who still doubt the Future Party’s motives; the Manual is not a handout on how to be thin. A toned, athletic body is something
to be proud of. However, weight loss for its own sake is at best vanity, at worst a symptom of poor mental health and therefore not an idea that the Future Party promotes.’

  ‘The manifesto did not originally contain proposed taxes on some of the foods banned during the prohibition but were later introduced when foods were given a nutritional and production standard ‘star’ rating from one to five, and then priced accordingly. Foods with a five star rating such as oats and raw vegetables remained at low prices. Others with one star or less were heavily taxed. This angered many whose trades depended on the availability of these goods or ‘bads’ as they are now known. They argued that making basic food ingredients such as white flour, butter and chocolate unaffordable amounted to pretty much the same as removing choice; the one thing Myers had promised never to do. The aim of taxing ‘bads’ as Myers explained, was ‘to make making the right choice easy.’ Taxation resulted in these foods including sweets and biscuits being classified as luxury goods, afforded by a very few.’

  ‘A group of chefs, food critics and farmers who had originally formed during the Prohibition, re-formed the protest group; the Ministry for the Defence of British Food (MDBF). For a short time they revived the Candy Trade, illegally importing essential ingredients in attempt to provide a variety of ‘classics’ at affordable prices such as stew and dumplings and Victoria sponge. They justified their actions by arguing that these, alongside breads and puddings and other cakes, were staples that should not be allowed to expire or be replaced. The Ministry was urged to modify traditional recipes and to leave out the harmful ingredients - a fair compromise on the government's part. Sugars and simple carbs had been weighing the nation down for far too long. But the audaciously self declared ‘Ministers’ argued that authenticity demands that no changes be made whatsoever. They upheld that moderation is all that was required and accused the government of tipping the scales in favour of the rich; the only people now in a position to eat cake.