Message from the President

Writing at the end of March 2021 for publication in June, it would be foolish for me to offer any predictions about the weeks and months ahead at least in terms of the pandemic. The various vaccines have had a major impact, and hopes for a more settled future have grown as the spring flowers begin to appear. But even if optimism reigns over the summer— and even that is uncertain—it may be torpedoed by winter. We shall struggle on, and I still believe, as I wrote on this page a year ago, that in the longer term we shall prevail. I believe also that international trade and even travel, and our economies, will recover to a large extent, again perhaps in the longer term.

Over the last year it has however become clearer that Britain has moved significantly away from its former partners in the European Union. Deals are still made, quarrels flare up but are apparently resolved, we are all still talking to each other; but we in the UK are clearly now outsiders, and shall remain so at least during the present phase of our common history. Sadly, a mood of intolerance is growing in some quarters in this country towards anybody seen as less than purely British. The manifestations of this mood are sometimes violent and always unpleasant. Surely, we would all say, this can’t affect relations with our Nordic friends and citizens of those countries resident here. Nevertheless the mood exists, and must be countered with all our energy, in common with all forms of discrimination.

It is in this area that CoScan has an important part to play. With the Nordic Embassies, we can offer advice and assistance to individuals and groups affected by Brexit. We can and must continue to reinforce the cultural and social links which unite us. This magazine, and the CoScan website and our presence on other social media, are important tools. Your Executive Committee has over the past year developed effective ways of managing them and other collective activities, even during lockdown. We have flexible plans for the months ahead. The support of our members, both corporate and individual, is vital. In return we offer continued and dedicated commitment to our members and to the ideals we all share.

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Mark Elliott