The First Lady’s recent health scare is a wake-up call. Jill Biden’s transient global amnesia left her briefly unable to recall where she was, and the White House took four days to tell the public. That is not good enough.
In Britain, we should be asking: would our own leaders be any more open? The answer, from recent history, is no. Boris Johnson’s COVID hospitalisation was handled with similar secrecy.
The public has a right to know if the person running the country is fit to do so. This is not about gossip. It is about accountability.
The stress of the job can break anyone. But hiding the cracks only makes things worse. We need a legal duty for ministers to disclose serious health events within 24 hours.
No more hiding behind privacy. The British public deserves the same transparency we demand of our institutions. If Jill Biden’s episode leads to that change, some good will have come of it.
