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 think the laughing stock is not so much a problem as being perceived as lesser. Britain has preserved and enhanced its power (and exported its values) by using international arrangements and systems. Our retreat from that makes us less significant and yes, politically it is embarrassing to be perceived to be so inept.

Johnson makes silly decisions with political deadlines; in the end that just makes us look foolish to other countries who take all the advantages and time they need. He is painting us and himself into a corner. That’s embarrassing and yes people do laugh at it because it’s amateur.

Yes but he looks good in front of the camera

Does he buggery!

He looks like Fred Tuttle

He looks a disgrace in front of the camera. I remember how Corbyn and before him Michael Foot were criticised for what they were wearing. Johnson looks as though he's slept in his clothes for a week, and it passes without comment.

Yes, he’s a disgrace to the institution.

The electorate chose the Tories in the last GE.
The MPs voted Boris as PM.
The ERG rubbed their hands together. He is their puppet.
FPTP is an undemocratic voting system.
Johnson is a caricature of himself, he hides behind his pudding bowl chopped salad hair. And yes he is an idiot too.
Covid will be a cover for Brexit
But I think some agreement will be reached to get em back to Benidorm soon!
In vino veritas lol. Hic lol

@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?

David Cameron basically gave us Brexit because he was so arrogant.

Boris is amazingly useless and dodgy but he didn't cause the virus.

Case closef

A skillful politician would work with the circumstances given. Johnson may not have caused the virus, but he is responsible for how it was handled. How come other highly populated countries like Taiwan and Vietnam have been able to get on top of it?

Yes but Cameron got us stuck with Brexit. Then rather than clean up his own mess stepped down. Leaving us with a Tory leadership that can't lead.

Oh and labour destroyed their own party by trying to give us Jez. That meant people could only consciously vote clown Boris or a random or not at all.

Boris is responsible for surrounding himself with inexperienced yes men rather than the horrible but hard core old Tories. I will give you that.

However Brexit and the ultermate handing of the party to Boris is Cameron's fault.

You can't hand a five year old an open pot of paint and expect a clean room

I'd rather have Boris than Cameron. I don't really want any Tory PM, but having said that, no PM could have dealt with this last year and come out of it looking good.

@cologne4711 I speak French with a Belgian accent, my Dutch sounds as if I am a French Belgian making the effort (or people think I am German), and my German is with a northern German accent. So people don't immediately associate me with the UK.

Two grandparents were native French speakers, an aunt lives in Paris.

people don't immediately associate me with the UK.

You lucky bugger, noss.

I don't really want any Tory PM, but having said that, no PM could have dealt with this last year and come out of it looking good.

I don't know - Jacinda Adern has come out of the Covid crisis looking pretty good.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

Yes but Cameron got us stuck with Brexit. Then rather than clean up his own mess stepped down. Leaving us with a Tory leadership that can't lead.

Oh and labour destroyed their own party by trying to give us Jez. That meant people could only consciously vote clown Boris or a random or not at all.

Boris is responsible for surrounding himself with inexperienced yes men rather than the horrible but hard core old Tories. I will give you that.

However Brexit and the ultermate handing of the party to Boris is Cameron's fault.

You can't hand a five year old an open pot of paint and expect a clean room

If only we could clone Adern.

Damn! I meant to quote Scarlett1251! Sorry.

Taiwan and Vietnam went into much stricter lockdowns but they also acted sooner

They have been tested before which we haven’t so compliance with facemasks isn’t an issue where it has been here. Also different society I believe track and trace is compulsory Can you imagine if it was here the uproar

Our government certainly acted to slowly on more than one occasion. We live in a country where we are not used to over involvement from the state I think it harder for governments in such countries to manage a pandemic

Also different society I believe track and trace is compulsory Can you imagine if it was here the uproar

I would question that. Initial compliance with lockdown back in March and April was good. If we had a reliable track and trace system I suspect only a small minority would object.

I doubt very much track and trace could ever be effective in a Western country where the virus has already become endemic. The mistake is in allowing the public to believe it could be otherwise.

I am not so sure it would be a small minority but regardless it’s too late and too late for it to be effective once it was launched

Yes agree far too many empty promises made

I doubt very much track and trace could ever be effective in a Western country where the virus has already become endemic.

Maybe we should put this another way - the next time a pandemic hits, the public would be willing to comply, if they knew that the results were more certain.

But this is a digression from the subject of the thread.

He’s now just shat all over Erasmus. I absolutely fucking loathe him.

@Peregrina

I don't really want any Tory PM, but having said that, no PM could have dealt with this last year and come out of it looking good.

I don't know - Jacinda Adern has come out of the Covid crisis looking pretty good.

She still has had criticism from her own people. No one can keep a whole country happy in a pandemic it seems.

Boris just is world beating at keeping no one happy

Theresa May the worse, and best, Boris, just think about it , he`s sorted brexit for us and had to deal with an all consuming pandemic , whichever PM was in charge would have made cock ups. you have to learn as you go along because it has never happened before on such a scale , fed up with hearing all the anti boris brigade, surely we should try to work together instead of battling against each other

Christ on a bike

I can't stand him but Thatcher was worse.

@Spidey66 Thatcher would have been better in reacting to Covid 19. Much quicker, as indeed so would Michael Gove or Jeremy Hunt had they been Prime Minister. I expect part of Matt Hancock's mood is in part because he has been overruled at times when he has wanted quicker action.