Worst in Living Memory?

[ElephantWhaleRabbit]

Maybe it’s because we’re all caught up in everything right now, but AIBU to think Boris Johnson the worst Prime Minister in living memory? I mean, which of the former PMs, wouldn’t you swap in for him? Or is he just a victim of a bad set of circumstances?

I agree op

Very glad we have Jacinda Adhern here ...
Boris lacked courage to make difficult decisions early which would have saved a lot of this - he wants to be liked and in that job you have to be prepared not to.
The worst leader anywhere in modern history is Donald Trump

He had a difficult enough job with brexit

That was, I'm afraid, entirely of his own creation. This is something he wanted and had a major part in causing, it didn't just happen to him.

Think the guardian article is spot on

[quote Kendodd]Here he is in his own words, the lying, cheating, racist, misogynist his voters love.

johnsondossier.com/[/quote]
Yes, @Kendodd
He really is an appalling specimen of a 'man'.
Is he the 'worst PM'.
Yes, I think so.
A bad set of circs re Covid but my God they've made it far worse by ineptitude, cronyism, and sheer stupidity.
Brexit was his ticket to become PM = all he ever cared about. Whether you agreed with it or not, no one voted for this utter Shambles.
He is an AWFUL PM. Really bad. Nearly as bad as Trump as POTUS.

I agree with others. He hasn’t handled it great but, tbh, everything has been thrown at him this year, from Brexit to all the trials and issues of covid. Bit stupid to ask us to say he’s the worst PM, when we literally have no-one to compare him to in recent years. No prime minister in my lifetime has had to deal with anything clearly we to what’s happened in 2020.

close. Not clearly.

Yanbu

His insincerity, racism, sexism and homophobia and the way he panders to fascists and strong men while smirking throughout means I have no pity for him going down in history as the barely competent, scruffy self maximiser who cancelled Christmas.

Him and his party treat the public like we’re contemptible idiots, as hard as the job of pm is, whether time of crisis or not, he’s actively made life harder for all of the U.K. citizens and brokered deals that leave kids starving while his mates get paid over the odds in lucrative contracts. Who can honestly say they respect that kind of man let alone that kind of leader?

If it hasn't already been said: he is the product of a particularly bad set of circumstances: his father's romantic enthusiasm and his mothers lack of a headache.

He is an embarrassment. He cannot even deliver serious news without a smirk. He lets down a nation who deserve so much better. I was lucky enough to live in England in the 90's for 5 years. I had a fantastic experience. By and large I was welcomed, benefited hugely from so many great experiences, met a few Boris types (ex Etonians as it happened though I'm sure it's not limited to that educational experience) but the vast majority of people I met were lovely, warm and intelligent and accepting. Nothing like Boris and his ilk portray.

I am so sorry for the lovely people I know he doesn't represent.

Btw almost every country is dealing abysmally with Covid. Very few are pleased with how their government are handling things. Boris is a buffoon but more serious and intelligent leaders are struggling too.

@Livelovebehappy

I agree with others. He hasn’t handled it great but, tbh, everything has been thrown at him this year, from Brexit to all the trials and issues of covid. Bit stupid to ask us to say he’s the worst PM, when we literally have no-one to compare him to in recent years. No prime minister in my lifetime has had to deal with anything clearly we to what’s happened in 2020.

I disagree. This government has been beyond incompetent. Look at the shit show that is the track and trace app, the conflicting rules, the awarding of contracts to mates.m how can you defend this? Shame on you.

No PM in my living memory has had to deal with such momentous problems affecting the UK. I do not believe for 1 second that another political party would have done a better job.

I'm not sure many of us could have done a good job in these circumstances tbh. He's not great but at least he's stuck it out, he's too soft I think but there are worse qualities in a leader of a country.

Quick reminder that pandemic has been number one on the threat list as identified by national experts for years now. Why the fuck did that always not have a plan for it?

God help us if May was still PM.

*the Tories

Speak for yourself @Nottherealslimshady. I would have loved our CEO (of massive company) to have a go, she would have been a brilliant leader.

@notafanoftheman

Quick reminder that pandemic has been number one on the threat list as identified by national experts for years now. Why the fuck did that always not have a plan for it?

We did have a pandemic committee. Boris cancelled it six months before Covid struck. A pandemic has been on the cards for years and the government was told to expect one imminently. In 2010 we were the best prepared nation in the world.

It’s not a disaster that has come out of nowhere. Johnson made very deliberate choices that have meant we were woefully unprepared. And then he gave billions to his pals who haven’t the first clue about PPE, and he allowed Cheltenham races to go ahead.

I cannot agree with those who try to claim anyone else would have done as badly.

@SparkleClaws his sister and brother seem reasonably well adjusted though.

Ask some Iraqi mothers for an opinion

Yes. He is the worst. He has made lying acceptable and no longer shocking. He is a disgrace.

Italy begged us to lock down in February. Boris refused and said we were going to “take it on the chin” (look up the video) and go for herd immunity. Changed his mind later. Too late. This isn’t hindsight, he was told at the time, I was yelling at the tv as he spoke. I wasn’t happy about the direct flights coming to UK from Wuhan either. 🤦‍♀️

Missed a load of Cobra meetings during crucial phase of pandemic as on holiday. 🤦‍♀️

Walked around hospital boasting that he had shaken hands of covid victims. Caught covid. Went on sick leave. 🤦‍♀️

European PPE rejected, contracts given to cronies instead. Didn’t work out 🤦‍♀️

Illegally prorogued Parliament, had to get stopped by the Courts. Then said the law has changed, which was nonsense. 🤦‍♀️

Told us to clap for nhs to distract us from the fact that he doesn’t pay or staff it properly. 🤬

Went on holiday again. Caught trespassing. 🤦‍♀️

Exam results fiasco. Changed mind. Too late for many uni places. 🤦‍♀️

School meals in holiday fiasco. Changed mind again. 🤦‍♀️

Locked down Manchester hours before Eid started. Might have been nice to do it a day or two earlier before they bought all the festive food 🤦‍♀️

Defended Priti Patel in the bullying fiasco. 🤦‍♀️

Cummings’ Barnard Castle fiasco that overnight changed the government’s message from ‘stay home’ to ‘rules are for suckers’, round here people stopped social distancing overnight. Refused to criticise or fire Cummings. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Alienated all our allies, instead sucked up to Trump. 🤦‍♀️

Threatened legal action against schools to force them to stay open when they do not feel it wise or safe. 😱

Said he was following the science until the scientists said that that family parties for xmas aren’t ok in a deadly pandemic. Insisted all was fine with his stupid plan until last minute, then locked down south England days before xmas, blaming a predictable and predicted mutation. Again, would have been nice to know before we did the food orders Boris. 🤦‍♀️

Changes the law more often than a petty dictator, with criminal offences now so confusing mumsnet is crammed with threads of people trying to work out what is illegal.

Vaccine top priority group is those least likely to survive the next decade. Fyi China did the military first and Russia is doing medical and school staff first. 🤔

I do judge him, yes. We should all judge him, and his colleagues, and then we should fire the lot. I all not saying Corbyn would have been better, I suspect that would have been a fiasco too. But OP YANBU I have been saying all day that this is the worst Government Britain has had since medieval times.

Disagree? Then tell me which was worse? Who would have done an even worse job than these incompetent clowns? When in England has there been a worse PM and what was their name? Give me Maggie Thatcher or Tony Blair any day. At least they were leaders. Boris is a follower. A ditherer. And it is killing people.

Oh yeah and remember that bus he printed lies all over to scare people into electing him?

James Callaghan was the PM at that point and was useless

Useless because he was leading a minority government. Boris doesn't have that excuse.

@ClareBlue

Ask some Iraqi mothers for an opinion

That’s as valid as asking the residents of Dresden what they thought of Churchill.

Nicola sturgeon. I'd like to see her in no 10

@Yohoheaveho

I had a lot of very intelligent people tell me that BoJo plays the buffoon but has clear strategy behind the facade a clear strategy to take the piss and keep his wealthy mates sweet

He plays the buffoon to hide the fact he's an empty vessel.