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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think Matt Hancock is the best cabinet minister by a very long way

49 replies

josieorange · 17/02/2021 19:33

I'm no fan of him and he can come across as a bit of a wally, but when you look at what he's been doing he's miles ahead of all the others, he seems to be the only one really doing anything. It does actually seem like he's working hard. AIBU?

OP posts:

AuraofDora · 17/02/2021 20:22

Mancock, Secretary of Death?

StrangerHereMyself · 17/02/2021 20:30

Have you seen this video of him talking to this Tory candidate at the last election? It was pre-Covid but even so he’s standing unsettlingly close.
mobile.twitter.com/WendyMaisey/status/1202997513327919104

But his personal characteristics aside, I do suspect that he’s been fighting Sunak and Johnson all year to stop them opening everything up instantly and throwing a multinational trade fair and/or foam party and it’s taken it out of him.

JaneNorman · 17/02/2021 20:32

@hgaj

Hmm to me Hancock is better than Sunak. Sunak has always been behind the curve. Eat out to help out was also a mistake.

I disagree. Without a couple of months of still below capacity trading last summer many more bars/restaurants/pubs would have already shut down by now.

There was no clear link between reopening hospitality and a big increase in cases. That was all driven by schools from September (and dickheads returning from holidays and not quarantining when they should have done).

Cases continued to rise in many areas after pubs and restaurants closed.

AlohaMolly · 17/02/2021 20:35

@ilovesooty

I think Sunak is positively dangerous and has no humanity whatsoever.

@ilovesooty please could you elaborate? I really want to like him but can’t and I don’t know why...

Iooselipssinkships · 17/02/2021 20:39

I think lockdown must be really getting to some people. Attractive? He looks like a demonic toddler.

freckles20 · 17/02/2021 20:45

@JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil

Rishi Sunak currently has the easiest job. Giving away taxpayers money is easy and makes you popular. He’ll ensure he’s in a new job when it’s time to implement austerity on steroids to pay for it all.

This.

emmylousings · 17/02/2021 20:57

I voted YANBU, because although I have never voted Tory and never would, I have felt that Hancock was working his arse off, constantly communicating with people, in quite a skilled way. Yes Tories constantly (historically) abuse the NHS and they messed up massively with care homes in the 1st wave. But, out of all the cabinet he's the one I respect the most as a result of how he has handled things, given the party and government he is in. I think he has tried his best.

HopelessBlue192 · 17/02/2021 21:01

I'm calling government bot!

user1471443411 · 17/02/2021 21:09

I don't know about 'by a very long way' but I agree with Heyha, he is growing on me slightly. He does seem to be working hard and, he looks a lot more attractive when he is pictured in normal clothes, playing football with his children.

Eskarina1 · 17/02/2021 21:26

I think Matt Hancock has been promoted waaay beyond his competence but he's probably closest to my views on how the pandemic should be handled.

Whereas Rishi Sunak is clearly very competent and capable, with probably a reasonable degree of genuine compassion but ideologically he is very much not the chancellor I want.

They are the two ministers I least want to throw things at / make wards against. But I'm actually agreeing with most things Jeremy Hunt says these days and having worked in the NHS during his tenure he has always been the former "hulture secretary" to me (best bbc misspeak ever).

Guylan · 17/02/2021 21:26

Rishi Sunak currently has the easiest job. Giving away taxpayers money is easy and makes you popular.

CoVid has been financed mainly from quantitative easing which is not without problems. www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15198789

Guylan · 17/02/2021 21:30

Sunak has always been behind the curve

Agree. Sunak also for a while resisted pressure for a retightening when cases picked up again in the autumn.

Original poster

josieorange · 17/02/2021 21:31

I'm calling government bot!

Can see why you'd think that but I'm not and I'm not a Tory voter. I think though he's the only one who seems to be doing anything, which goes to show how truly bad the others are.

Never known a cabinet so useless, and now it's got the unelected Lord Frost in there as well!

OP posts:

speakout · 17/02/2021 21:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

emmylousings · 17/02/2021 21:38

I'm not trying to be arsey, and I know we all need a laugh, but surely when we have been asking for journalists to shut up about female appearances, for ages, we have to - at some point - just stop dissing male politicians on their appearance?

speakout · 17/02/2021 21:40

emmylousings a fair point.

Babyroobs · 17/02/2021 21:46

@emmylousings

Agreed it's awful. There's no need to be picking on anyone for the way they look. Just rude.

WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants · 17/02/2021 21:47

@speakout

He looks like he has had a face transplant.

He should ask for his money back!

WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants · 17/02/2021 21:48

I hadn't read the posts after the post with the photo.

ladyvimes · 17/02/2021 21:50

I feel the phrase ‘people rise to the level of their own incompetence’ applies very well to our current government in general!

MercyBooth · 17/02/2021 21:51

Cant stand him. All his blaming the public and "dont blow it now" bollocks.

HopelessBlue192 · 17/02/2021 22:58

@ladyvimes

I feel the phrase ‘people rise to the level of their own incompetence’ applies very well to our current government in general!

And maybe for them all, the qualification of 'failing upwards' as well?

I think it's the smug look on his face every time he announces new restrictions that gets me riled up. Yes Matt, we get it, these rules won't affect you, you could at least look a little bit disappointed for everyone that is impacted!

DianaT1969 · 17/02/2021 23:11

I disagree that Eat out to Help Out was a mistake. Cases didn't rise in London as a result and we had a few weeks of normality and (dare I say) fun. It was the one bright month of the year.
Matt Hancock thought it was a good idea to lead the nation into the 2nd wave and winter of a pandemic while the majority were deficient in vitamin D. For that he gets nil point.

hgaj · 18/02/2021 10:07

I don't necessarily think that eat out to help out directly led to a huge increase in cases but think it was a poorly targeted economic measure and led to mixed messaging. Yes support the hospitality industry but don't spend money to encourage indoor (completely unmasked at the time) eating. That £0.85bn could have been better spent.

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