Health and Those Who Govern

The health of government leaders is a latent concern in politics. The government finding a way to carry out its primary functions, including maintaining order, defense and providing services, while the chief decision maker is unwell or incapacitated is a serious challenge. Any government on the international stage would want to downplay the seriousness of the health of a leader hoping to keep rivals guessing about the extent of vulnerabilities. In the United States, consider how information about the serious health concerns of the president, especially in times of political conflict and high tensions, have been obscured or hidden: Roosevelt during World War II, Kennedy and Reagan during the Cold War.

Seemingly, the Twenty-fifth Amendment in the United States settles the question of Presidential succession. Although, I understand, there are situations and problems that are left unclear. (I will leave that for my colleagues) In the United Kingdom, where Constitutional Law is premised more on practice and tradition than in other countries, who would takeover for an incapacitated prime minister is more complicated. With Prime Minister Boris Johnson currently in intensive care in a London hospital, thinking about who is to make substantive decisions is matter of urgency in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While this is not the first time serious health concerns for the British prime minister has occurred, prime ministers Lloyd George, Winston Churchill, and Anthony Eden all face serious health challenges in the 20th century, the current pandemic poses a different sort of challenges. The Foreign Minister, Dominic Raab, has been deputised by the Prime Minister Johnson, effectively standing for him in key situations. But Raab has only limited authority to carry out the cabinet’s plans and cannot make substantive decisions.

What would happen, in any country, if the top layer of government were to be afflicted with COVID-19? While it may appear that it might be far-reaching speculation to consider such a scenario, keep in mind that, by my count, at least three other members of the 22-member British Cabinet might be at risk from COVID-19.  Scottish Secretary Alister Jack and Business Secretary Alok Sharma are both displaying symptoms, and Michael Gove, the Minister for the Cabinet, is self-isolating because family members started displaying symptoms. The high rate of contagion of COVID-19 creates new challenges for world governments.

Shortly after I originally posted, the New York Times ran a story about how the virus was spreading among members of the Royal Family in Saudi Arabia.