Yep. I dont have any sympathy for Boris for all the obvious reasons. What I did really dislike at the time was all the graphs we used to get on the evening updates. I might not be the sharpest but I used to say to my wife they were just terrible ways to present data. I asked some of the data analysts who work at my place and they said they were poor ways to paint the picture - fine for people working in that world day in day out, but not for me. No sympathy vote for Boris like, he should have demanded something more interpretable.
Entirely deliberate mate, I said so at the time ... just more flannel like repeating 'we're just following the science' over and over. What really angered me, watching the news, just now, is how he kept saying 'we should've twigged' as if there was a fleeting clue that was missed. At the time he should've twigged people, in Spain and Italy, were dropping like flies ... ... yet this clown was going out deliberately shaking hands to prove a point and allowing thousands to travel to a racehorse meeting, mix and go back to their various communities. He's just a septic tank, one half shyte and the other hot air ... good riddance.
Me and a bunch old fellas played 5 a side on a Saturday night. Then out for a couple of pints. This is 5 a side in a hall, off the walls, no ventilation. I distinctly remember playing and in the pub afterwards the conversation was all about the state of it in Italy. We all said how are we still allowed to play footy and drink in pubs. It was ridiculous. Mind you, my choice to play footy and go to the pub I know. They were way too slow on the lockdown. Mind you, I dont mind admitting, I wouldnt want to see another lockdown if the same happened again, I am convinced the long term costs and impact of them will be history lessona 40 years from now. Doesnt excuse the govt decision making process mind.
No government could've done much better or worse imo, we were just totally ill prepared and with an NHS already decimated by underfunding, mismanagement and horrendous waiting lists. Our PPE cupboard was bare so it was chaos from the start, we had far too few hospital beds and no real contingency plans for a pandemic. As an island, free from Covid at the time, we should've stopped flights to Italy and Spain in particular ... ... know nowts like me were screaming out for the flights to stop but they just carried on, madness.
I agree. The world seemed unprepared. Question is will we learn and get better as a global community. It did feel a bit like everyone for themselves at times...
I think you're right although our record, during the pandemic, was very poor compared to many other countries ... ... to hear him continually boasting about his performance, describing everything as world class and claiming the UK was 'winning the race' was sickening tbh. It was like he was putting himself forward as a 'Churchill' to bring us through the crisis based almost entirely on his charisma. In reality Churchill was a poor PM in general but incredible during a terrible time ... ... Boris was a disaster just when we needed him most.
I have said this before. Boris was a PM who probably needed a crisis to be anything like effective. The problem was this was entirely the wrong sort of crisis for him, way to complex and complicated for him and he appointed idiots close to him. We needed a really balanced, thoughtful and inclusive PM who could bring experts together and give them the space to advise. He was too self centred I suspect. He showed flashes of statesmanship when Russia invaded Ukraine, in my opinion anyway, but his leadership ship had long since sailed.
I hope the enquiry actually ends up giving some guidelines and ways to go for any future need. Like - lockdown or herd immunity? Have they looked at what happened to the poor countries who couldn’t vaccinate? Did they get herd , or are they all dead now, or did it just fade away ?
Spot on marra. I believe in free enterprise and so I've voted Conservative all my life. But,the last 13 years represent the worst ever. I'm well into retirement age now,so I myself don't have a future,but I have kids and Grandkids,and I really feel for them. I despise this Govt.,this Parliament and all its' Members. Has there ever been such a continuity bunch of self-interested people,so lacking in their own intelligence,integrity and a fundamental committment to public service? I never thought it was possible.
I don’t think anyone did, the most shocking government we’ve had in my life time but I’m probably just old enough to see another government put these to shame. Let’s hope not though.
Under the current system...not a hope in hell. What these people need to realise is that the provision of basic public services shouldn't need to be the subject of political debate. Healthcare,Education,Housing,Policing and Employment must be the subject of a coherent,25 year revolving policy,which is plain and simple common sense,not a matter for party politics. The only sensible debate between parties to take place is how to fund it. We don't need different Govt. policies every 5 years to undo what's gone before to replace with something else which is just as flawed. This country is broken....the wellbeing of its' people is broken. The shame is that we have no leaders.