Coatbridge and Bellshill MP Frank McNally used Commons speech to reflect on lasting impact of COVID pandemic
Mr McNally highlighted the profound challenges faced by local schoolchildren, carers and key workers during one of the most difficult periods in recent history.
Coatbridge and Bellshill's MP used a powerful speech in the House of Commons to reflect on the lasting impact of the COVID pandemic.
Speaking during a parliamentary debate marking five years since the pandemic began, Frank McNally highlighted the profound challenges faced by local schoolchildren, carers and key workers during one of the most difficult periods in recent history.
Drawing on his time as North Lanarkshire Council's education convener during the 2020 school closures, Mr McNally paid tribute to the 'resilience' shown by pupils, teachers and families who rapidly adapted to remote learning.
However, he warned that the long-term effects of nearly two years of disrupted education were still being felt today.
Mr McNally said: "For children transitioning from early years to primary, or from primary to secondary, it must have felt like entering an alternative universe.
"Sadly, despite the best efforts of those on the frontline, young people lost learning."
Mr McNally also paid tribute to carers and frontline workers - from refuse collectors and police officers to nurses, retail staff and volunteers - many of whom risked their own health with limited PPE, low pay, and underprepared systems.
"While there is rightly attention on Downing Street parties and deleted WhatsApps, our main focus must always be on the victims, the thousands still living with long COVID, and the frontline workers who risked their health to help others," he added.
Mr McNally concluded by urging all levels of government to commit to meaningful investment in recovery - particularly for young people - and to ensure that the failures of the past are never repeated, saying: "The resilience and sacrifice of our communities must be the true legacy of this pandemic."
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