The small, dust-covered face of a child emerged from the concrete and twisted steel of a collapsed Caracas apartment block. Rescuers, working by torchlight, pulled out a three-year-old girl, alive but alone. Her parents are lost, presumed dead.
Now, in an unprecedented move, the British government has offered her refuge and will provide specialist maternal care. It is a decision that speaks to a deeper, more compassionate instinct: a nation built on solidarity opening its doors to a single, vulnerable survivor. But for those of us who watch the real economy, this story is more than a headline.
It is a reminder of the fractures that run through our own society. The offer of care for this child is generous, but it comes at a time when the cost of living crisis is biting families on low incomes, when maternity services in some regions are stretched to breaking point, and when the rhetoric of national compassion can feel hollow if it is not matched by action at home. The girl will receive the best possible start.
But as union leaders often remind me, a safety net must be for all, not just for one. The government must ensure that this act of kindness does not become a distraction from the real struggles of working families, from the need for decent wages and affordable housing. The offer is a symbol, but symbols must be backed by substance.
For now, a child sleeps in safety. The hope is that Britain can find the resources to care for her, and for all its children, with equal resolve.
