Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to use
the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst to build a
stronger Britain led by private enterprise, and took
aim at “potshot, snipeshot” opponents who want
to prolong government bailout programs forever.
In a sometimes combative speech to his
Conservative Party, Johnson said simply defeating
the virus wasn’t enough, because history has
shown that “events of this magnitude” often lead
to social and economic change.
“We see these moments as the time to learn,
and to improve on the world that went before,
and that’s why this government will build back
better,” Johnson said in a video address to the
annual party conference, which is being held
online this year due to the pandemic.