To think this situation shows up the divisions in the UK

[Ihatecurtaintwitchers]

England's leaders seems to have responded with early denialism and delay, closely followed by a lockdown, constant constant WW2 references and a new and slightly disturbing deification of the NHS. Johnson's illness caused even critical press to become sycophantic cheerleaders, & the political focus seems to be on constantly harping on about how magnificent the government are, how they are leading the fight, how now is not the time to let up and a total inability to acknowledge the obvious flaws that have led to increased deaths.
I don't know much about Wales, but it seems to be Scotland and Northern Ireland have taken a far more pragmatic, scientific, European approach. Obviously the Republic of Ireland is outside the UK but it seems their approach in terms of politics and communication has been far closer to Scotland than to England. I can just see the English tabloids splashing a cigar chomping Johnson and partner and new baby on the front cover wirh headlines like "Britain's baby bounce" and ubiquitous WW2 imagery. Obviously England and Scotland already differed widely on Brexit, now it seems that public policy and the general way of thinking of the people and their leaders is further apart than ever. I

Define a 'European' approach. Some of my family and friends are in lockdown in Europe, where you can only shop at your nearest supermarket; have to take proof of address with you and can be fined €200 for not using the nearest shop. My family have to return to the UK for medical procedures which cannot be done where they are (HM Forces) and to get the paperwork to travel is a huge faff, given you need permission from two separate countries authorities to travel.

In Spain, there are police and military on the streets stopping and questioning those outside. France has riots going on, in some places. I am quite glad from that perspective that we aren't being more 'European' about it.

What the papers do is down to them; but the UK government has been very clear they are following the science. Afaik, there isn't an English government, unless I missed something; Scotland, Wales and N Ireland have devolved legislatures, England doesn't.

Ihatecurtaintwitchers do tell us how you would have arranged for fewer deaths. Do you have a vaccine in your pocket or perhaps you were planning to appeal to Santa Claus to help?

Lots of people on here can do better have you not heard that. Sue from the local Asda would have had 7 billion pieces of PPE delivered and everyone cured by now.

What is Scotland doing differently to England? I though that it was pretty much the same, except Nicola Sturgeon has her news conference earlier in the day so everyone hears it from her first.

What is Scotland doing differently to England?

Absolutely nothing.

Scotland has one single NHS not the patchwork of Trusts that make up NHS England so PPE procurement has been more straightforward.

Scotland set up a network of dedicated coronavirus clinics along the lines of those used in Asian countries so that anyone with suspected Coronavirus didn’t have to go to their regular GP and risk infecting people there.

The lockdown in the Highlands and Islands is very stringent - you cannot get a ferry ticket on CalMac ferries unless you are an island resident or have essential business

An example was (eventually) made of the senior advisor who flouted the lockdown rules and visited her second home.

Scotland reports deaths in care homes as well as deaths in hospitals which is more honest.

There’s a few for starters.

Scotland banned large gatherings from 16 March; England didn’t follow suit until 21st.

The Wales v Scotland 6 Nations game was cancelled. Boris Johnson’s attendance at England’s 6 Nations game was given by the organisers of Cheltenham Festival as one of the reasons they went ahead with the event, at which numerous people became infected.

What is Scotland doing differently to England?
Absolutely nothing.
I am so so so SICK of reading this complete and utter drivel motivated by small minded people just trying to get one over on someone else. If you just want to make stuff up (see Thethinice's first class rebuttal for why) then bloody well go back to your Pinot Grigio and writing complaining emails to your children's teachers about why aren't they setting more homework for your little darlings. I'd forgotten what a sewer of a place MN has become.

Rep of Ireland introduced initial restrictions including closing schools before Boris Johnson's government did. The Irish Prime Minister didn't boast of attending rugby matches while the virus was already circulating nor did Sturgeon. The herd immunity drivel seemed to be an English phenomenon as well.

Big deal they closed two days before england!!! U make it sound like a month.

a long post full of nothing, at least put out clearly outlined differences in ur views for discussion.

I am so so so SICK of reading this complete and utter drivel motivated by small minded people just trying to get one over on someone else.

I wasn't trying to get one over on anyone. I was wrong. I just came back, read further posts and realised I had posted I correctly. Scrolled down to say so and saw this

If you just want to make stuff up (see Thethinice's first class rebuttal for why)

I wasn't exactly making stuff up. I said they hadn't done anything different, I mean I was wrong but I didn't make up a bunch of stuff that wasn't true fgs.

then bloody well go back to your Pinot Grigio

I don't drink. Thanks.

and writing complaining emails to your children's teachers about why aren't they setting more homework for your little darlings.

Eh? What's this even supposed to mean? Mine haven't don't a bit of work since the week before the schools closed and I took them out early. I certainly wouldn't be emailing a teacher, they have enough to do right now. My kids are definitely darlings though.

I'd forgotten what a sewer of a place MN has become.

Indeed. You have been quite vile to me for my error.

What's the population of Scotland compared to England of course they can report more stupid comparison to make really

Also wales v Scotland game was cancelled by wales rfu the day before at about 30pm after half of Scotland and others had troubled . I know as I was there and had travelled also by the time they announced it and that had nothing g to do with welsh politicians was a decision taken by welsh rfu

3.30 pm

The good thing In Wales is that some doctors have teamed up and are asking the Welsh assembly to ban people visiting second homes
Let’s hope they succeed ( not anti English at all , that will include Welsh people visiting their homes on the coast too )
Mark Drakeford also announced the continuation of lockdown before Westminster did
The Wales rugby game was only cancelled the day before , after all the Scots had travelled here , and all the Irish still travelled through Wales to get to Cheltenham

It’s likely the U.K. has 41,000 deaths from Coronavirus according to the FT today. Obviously our government has done somewhere between Poor -> Catastrophic, depending on how you want to argue it.
Trouble is a FPTP system coupled with a divided opposition means we’ve had and will continue to have a virtual uninterrupted stream of incompetent Tory governments.
Sure, a few of the right wing papers are rightly highly critical of the government at the moment, but when push comes to shove the billionaire owners will back them again in 2025 because the 0.1% needs their ittle worker bees in power protecting the queen.

Other than large gatherings and running a small nhs so can do very different to England ( is they have free prescriptions normally) what are Scotland doing so differently or wales ?
Please enlighten us

@Thethiniceofanewday
Scotland did not cancel the six Nations rugby against Wales. The decision to cancel was fuck all to do with Scotland. The CEO of the Welsh Rugby Union took the decision to cancel the match. If you want to make a point about how much more responsible Scotland are over this crisis, get your facts right.

Science and data from previous epidemics show that the earlier lockdown happened and the longer it went on for, directly corresponded with far fewer deaths.

Ok another leader might not have been able to source more PPE or find a vaccine, but they may not have allowed concerts and massive sporting events to go ahead when science, data, and basic fucking common sense from looking at how it had hit other EU countries, clearly showed the path we were headed down. Oh and the countries who have followed WHO advice on testing have had a much lower death rate but the idiots in charge in the UK don't trust experts

Must be true then if in the FT forget the ONS figures

Totally not what you were asking g but in response to the 'oh you'd have done so much better would you're posters. Yes, I would have

Scotland are recording care home deaths in the official figures, I don't think England and are. I think the main difference is the Covid Assessment Units set up in Scotland, as far as I'm aware England don't have these.

@Ihatecurtaintwitchers
I’m still just picking my jaw up of the floor at the herd immunity plan, which was still being followed by the British government as late as March 13th (ie after Cheltenham). See Patrick Vallance on BBC radio on March 13th, speaking of “60% of the population infected” and the plan to “slow” (not stop), the spread of the virus. Apparently 500k dead and bodies on the streets was a price worth paying to keep the economy chugging along. How anyone could ever vote for these fucktards again is beyond me.

Also wasn't one of England's big events before Scotland's lockdown as well ?