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Original poster

to think Matt Hancock looks knackered

206 replies

chomalungma · 20/12/2020 10:26

Just watched Marr show
Tetchy, knackered
Obvious why - he must have an enormous workload and responsibility

But being knackered and tetchy can't be good for decision making.

OP posts:
StormzyinaTCup · 21/12/2020 09:21

The whole of the EU, all member countries, are rolling out vaccinations on 27th December. Our 350,000 that we've done so far is tiddly squat in the big scheme of things but we do like a photo op showing us to be the first

In the big scheme of things it's not many but, it's 350,000 more than the EU have managed and we haven't been hacked (yet) for our vaccine trial info.

whiterabbitsweets · 21/12/2020 09:34

@TheGreatWave

Whilst I think they have all generally done quite a bad job handling this, I do not envy them. Everything they touch is turning to dust at the moment, I even feel sorry for Boris Johnson, Brexit's gone to shit, pandemic is completely out of control, recipe for an absolute breakdown. He might be a prize idiot but I still wouldn't want to wish ill on him.
Sympathy is misplaced imo.

This article sums it up nicely and is based on Boris but is equally applicable to Mancock.

to think Matt Hancock looks knackered
StormzyinaTCup · 21/12/2020 09:47

As far as pricing, I care. £10 more per vaccine is a helluva lot of money when the country is on its knees

All countries are on their knees, it's a price worth paying if it means we can get our economy up and running again as quickly as possible and this is a start. I would rather pay higher taxes to cover the extra cost of the vaccine than some of the other things my higher taxes will be paying for (ie the huge number of fraudulent claims for furlough).

Roussette · 21/12/2020 10:10

so it's worth losing £578M for the sake of week or two of vaccinating and a photo op?
I don't agree
Vaccinating 350,000 before any country in the EU will not make a blind bit of difference to how our economy recovers compaed to others.

@whiterabbitsweets
I could not agree more with that link of yours. Throughout all of this the Government have applied knee jerk reactions to everything, ignored the science when it suited them, and usually closed the stable door after the horse has bolted.
I can find more analogies if required Grin

CeeceeBloomingdale · 21/12/2020 10:15

@emilyfrost

Of course he is, because people are dicks and find it easy to blame him for having to deal with an unprecedented pandemic rather than seeing he’s just trying his best and you can’t please everyone.

The population are like children: nobody realises and understands that their parents have to do what’s best for them and make the hard decisions, especially when they can’t be trusted to be responsible themselves.

Trying your best is a phrase that applies to small children, it doesn't cut it in the real world. He's not up the job and knows it. It's no wonder he looks like he can't sleep at night, his decisions have cost lives.
NatARG · 21/12/2020 10:19

I detest the argument that this is unprecedented and the government are trying their best. They are incompetent, corrupt and care more about pleasing their rich friends than protecting the masses. Matt H should be tetchy; he with the rest of the useless party are responsible for the death of thousands. Everything has been delayed, they have bullied schools, there has been poor implementation of everything and the NHS who should be vaccinated and get a pay rise, get nothing. Disgusted by them and Hancock does not deserve our sympathy. Going to Oxford does not qualify you for a government post, just a life of future privilege.

Roussette · 21/12/2020 10:21

Yes, agree.

BoJo knew he would have to cancel Christmas but he chose to wait until Parliament had broken up so that he wouldn't face any questioning or vote and of course little Matty Hancock had to go along with all of this obviously.

TheBuffster · 21/12/2020 10:21

Couldn't agree more @CeeceeBloomingdale. Incidentally to it's what teachers preface telling parents a child is failing on parents evening.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 21/12/2020 10:24

And to add I doubt he's worrying about how to pay his mortgage or feed his children or afford christmas presents which millions of others are doing as well as working damn hard. I have no sympathy, hes his own worse enemy. People who ham themselves up then don't live up to it deserve harsh criticism.

CrotchetyQuaver · 21/12/2020 10:25

I feel sorry for him, he gets to take all the flak whilst the advisers slink back into the shadows. I wouldn't want his job.

tsmainsqueeze · 21/12/2020 10:27

@FoxyTheFox

he’s just trying his best

Given that the government have displayed failure upon failure upon u-turn upon failure, at which point was it that he was "just trying his best"? His best clearly isn't good enough, the level of incompetence right now is astounding.

Agree - i would not want their jobs , but have no sympathy either . I can't believe that there was /is no clear template in place to deal with a pandemic . How dare they blame us , the majority of public comply , but for how much longer ? Matt Hancock has looked like an imposter throughout , god help us if he is the best person for the job .
TheBuffster · 21/12/2020 10:31

@CrotchetyQuaver no, and presumably you're intelligent enough to not apply for a job you are unwilling and incapable of. Regardless of advisors etc when you opt for the most powerful job in the UK the buck stops with you.
Incidentally, if a teacher was absolutely useless and teaching your child in GCSE year would you be as sympathetic? How about a surgeon if they needed surgery?

oneglassandpuzzled · 21/12/2020 10:32

Unfortunately as the cabinet was packed with loyal Brexiteers all the ministers in important jobs were chosen for that reason rather than ability.

That said, I do get the feeling that he cares about what is happening, that he is basically a decent man. But with a leader who flipflops.

In a parallel universe where Theresa May won her commons votes or didn't call an election she would have led us through this. Jeremy Hunt would be health secretary.

I think lockdown would have happened earlier and there wouldn't have been over-promising at Christmas.

But who knows.

TheBuffster · 21/12/2020 10:33

And Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea all have robust protocol for dealing with pandemics. I notice no one bothered asking their leaders for guidance.

NotBrigitteBardot · 21/12/2020 10:38

Of course he looks worn out, he has been promoted way above his ability and must be under a huge amount of stress as a result

Backbee · 21/12/2020 10:46

Of course he looks worn out, he has been promoted way above his ability and must be under a huge amount of stress as a result

They all are really though, it always baffles me that there isn't more of a push for someone with experience in say education, health, defence etc along with political that gets these roles. I know they have advisors etc which will include those professionals, but it's frustrating.

DontStopThinkingAboutTomorrow · 21/12/2020 11:02

I don't like him (or Boris) as politicians, or think they have done a wonderful job or are wonderfully competent at dealing with this or anything.

I wouldn't want their jobs, though. I doubt they do at the moment, either!

SufferingFromLongLockdown · 21/12/2020 11:09

@starrynight19

Well he did point out he has been up since 5 this morning , what a trooper Hmm
Hmm And if he hadn't left his homework to the last minute , decided to rush out a last minute change to the law it wouldn't have been necessary to have such an early start.
EnPoinsettia · 21/12/2020 11:14

I don’t really think he’d have been up to the job at the best of times, never mind now.

It does seem he has been trying his best for a while, as he has been shocked and sobered by events. Sadly, that doesn’t amount to much but he’s not blatantly cavalier about the ensuing shitshow unlike e.g. Jacob Rees-Mogg and his comments on UNICEF. Low bar that.

Can’t help that Boris uses him for fagging though.

Yohoheaveho · 21/12/2020 12:01

I think Matt Hancock is basically a decent person who wants to do the right thing, I agree that he's out of his depth
(but who wouldn't be out of their depth in this situation?👀)
I think Boris is a combination of flippant, lazy and Machiavellian

looseddaughter · 21/12/2020 12:16

Any member of the cabinet who was willing to work under Johnson is not, by definition. a decent person. He put career above principles when he took a job in the cabinet and as such I bloody hope he is suffering. Sadly I think he's started to believe his own lies. He's fucked.

Changechangychange · 23/12/2020 21:01

Even if you are trying your best, if your best is killing people, you should be removed from your post.

I know people who worked alongside Rodney Ledward. They say he was “trying his best” too, but was just a spectacularly shit technical surgeon. Apparently fine at the non-surgical bits of his job (clinics, teaching, management, research). Which was why he got away with it for so long - he was “nice”, so patients didn’t complain, and his colleagues didn’t want to wreck this lovely man’s career. Should he have been allowed to carry on maiming people? No of course not.

There are times when competence matters more than how lovely and hardworking you are, or how well-intentioned you are. I’m sure Matt Hancock is a perfectly nice man, and feel terrible about all the deaths. He still needs to go.

ListeningQuietly · 23/12/2020 21:15

Matt Hancock is morally bankrupt and utterly corrupt

It will be interesting to see how long he ends up in prison for
as he's broken UK and International law multiple times
by giving HUGE contracts to unqualified mates

Boris Johnson is stupid

AlohaMolly · 23/12/2020 21:16

@tsmainsqueeze the U.K. did a pandemic run through a few years ago and it was clear then that we were inadequately prepared - not enough PPE etc. The ministers at the time dismissed it.

I realise that’s vague, I’ll have a google later and try and link but they definitely knew and have had proof that the U.K. would not cope well with a pandemic scenario.