Coronavirus

[Cockney Sparrow]

When the inevitable second wave comes the Government can blame.......
........If only Johnson had called an enforceable lockdown in early March we could well have been out of it by now and saved thousands of unnecessary deaths.

Its scant comfort, but here is an article about the prompt actions of the Greek government, and how they are emerging from lockdown. After all their tribulations in recent years, and with a weakened health system, what has made the difference is Leadership the results of which has given rise to confidence in their government.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/10/greeks-marvel-at-britains-covid-chaos-as-their-lockdown-lifts-after-150-deaths

Matthew Parris in his Times columns attracts shedloads of opprobrium from Brexit/UKIP/ERG types (to stereotype them, I admit) . In his article yesterday he posed the question whether Johnson is "in charge" : "A national leader cannot always tell us what’s happening or what’s coming — there may be reasons....but we need to be persuaded that the leader is leading: in charge, across his brief, able to bang heads together and when key decisions loom, equipped and ready to take them"

What I found interesting - and unusual - is that the readers' comments were almost overwhelmingly and heavily damning of Johnson and the government he has formed.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Can posters please suggest some aspect of coronavirus that the government has handled correctly. (The NHS doesn't really count.)

I've followed The Times, The Guardian and BBC (PM, Radio 4 and Newsnight in particular) - I'm still trying to think of one thing they've handled well - not too late, not too little, not incompetently (even given the circumstances) and with straightforward honesty.

[teamsaint]

They have managed to have enough ventilators and ICU beds . Although whether they would have if all the people who really needed them were admitted is another thing. Unfortunately, the focus on this one aspect, which is pretty much to save the goverments skin, has come at the cost of other health care provision, people being afraid to call for help for possible heart attacks etc. So only a qualified success on this one, even though it has been the key objective.

[johnb]

What I found interesting - and unusual - is that the readers' comments were almost overwhelmingly and heavily damning of Johnson and the government he has formed.

That reminded me of this snippet from an article in today's Observer *:

"... the lack of substance at the heart of a remarkably low-calibre cabinet"

The article looks at the UK's increasingly isolated position and the damage done to it's global reputation over the last few years.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/commentisfree/2020/may/10/covid-19-isolated-and-alone-britain-has-become-the-sick-man-of-europe

[* I do miss the times when The Observer was had its own independent character. Now it might as well be called "The Guardan on Sunday".]

[LMcD]

That reminded me of this snippet from an article in today's Observer *:

"... the lack of substance at the heart of a remarkably low-calibre cabinet"

The article looks at the UK's increasingly isolated position and the damage done to it's global reputation over the last few years.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/commentisfree/2020/may/10/covid-19-isolated-and-alone-britain-has-become-the-sick-man-of-europe

[* I do miss the times when The Observer was had its own independent character. Now it might as well be called "The Guardan on Sunday".]

Sadly, Simon Tisdall's article is spot-on. However, we've got 2 LOVELY new aircraft carriers, so the deluded amongst us can carry on pretending we're still a major world power.

[MrGongGong]

Can posters please suggest some aspect of coronavirus that the government has handled correctly. (The NHS doesn't really count.)

This is a genuine request.

Please.

More "anti-Tory" propaganda ?

[eighthobstruction]

More "anti-Tory" propaganda ?

....can't be bothering with this.....I'm waiting for the roll out of Covid20....(the queue has started).....

[johnb]

Sadly, Simon Tisdall's article is spot-on. However, we've got 2 LOVELY new aircraft carriers, so the deluded amongst us can carry on pretending we're still a major world power.

Can someone give us some planes to go on the carriers please ... they would look so much nicer with them.

Oh, and can someone else give us some support vessels - just in case (God forbid) we ever need to use the carriers in conflict.

[LMcD]

Can someone give us some planes to go on the carriers please ... they would look so much nicer with them.

Oh, and can someone else give us some support vessels - just in case (God forbid) we ever need to use the carriers in conflict.

Apparently we've ordered some planes from the Turkish branch of Arthur Daley Enterprises. A consignment of support vessels from the same source had to be quarantined when they turned out to be recycled bras of the wrong cup sizes.

[teamsaint]

Sadly, Simon Tisdall's article is spot-on. However, we've got 2 LOVELY new aircraft carriers, so the deluded amongst us can carry on pretending we're still a major world power.

Honest question, who does still think this? Not sure I have met anybody recently, other than possibly a few high up naval top brass.

( We do still have the sixth largest economy in the world . And we have ( somehow) second biggest net overseas aid budget , one thing we can be proud of , I think).

[ardcarp]

Can posters please suggest some aspect of coronavirus that the government has handled correctly. (The NHS doesn't really count.)

This is a genuine request.

Please.

I guess the continued supply of food and essential products (so far...OK there were a few shortages) has been pretty well-managed. That could have been a disaster and would have caused much panic and rioting. No doubt our Civil Service has had much to do behind the scenes to achieve this, and presumably it would have been done whatever stripe the politicians bore.

[Pulcinella]

I guess the continued supply of food and essential products (so far...OK there were a few shortages) has been pretty well-managed. That could have been a disaster and would have caused much panic and rioting. No doubt our Civil Service has had much to do behind the scenes to achieve this, and presumably it would have been done whatever stripe the politicians bore.

But there was no panic buying in Italy, I understand, though I can't say how their supply chains stood up.
I think that it was simply announced one evening that from 10:00 the following morning (delaying opening time and giving shops two hours to prepare their social distancing arrangements) the numbers of people allowed in a shop and the numbers of items they could buy would be limited.
The Italians apparently adapted to this new regime very well.
This was yet another situation in which our government's dithering created a problem that need not have existed.

[johnb]

.... and I think that the likes of Sainsbury's, Tesco, etc, etc might have had something to do with the continued supply of food and essential products. Just a thought.

[eighthobstruction]

Apparently we've ordered some planes from the Turkish branch of Arthur Daley Enterprises. A consignment of support vessels from the same source had to be quarantined when they turned out to be recycled bras of the wrong cup sizes.

....yes but we have to keep them so we can be tied up by lawyers for the next 20 years....

[eighthobstruction]

Honest question, who does still think this? Not sure I have met anybody recently, other than possibly a few high up naval top brass.

( We do still have the sixth largest economy in the world . And we have ( somehow) second biggest net overseas aid budget , one thing we can be proud of , I think).