@BlueCupOrangeCup I very much doubt it I don't think they're that organised! I think they delayed lockdown due to pressure from big businesses fearful of the financial impact but I think that's as far as any forward planning went at that stage. Of course this was also stupid as delaying lockdown will have made matters worse than they need have been on that score anyway.
@Onlinedilema totally agree on the press/journalism angle but to be fair that's not the journalist level at fault. As you say right wing press/media (at ownership/management level) so journalists of the type who DO question and challenge the govt aren't employed/can't get their news across. It's terrifying. The briefings only sympathetic "well behaved" journalists were ALLOWED in, that's how a Fucking dictatorship works!
Agree also I am a mere lay person and saw the way things were going in jan 20, I have no particular expertise in pandemic management save a little knowledge on healthcare side as an ex hcp. I was saying to friends/family back then govt weren't acting fast enough.
@Pottedpalm "but corbyn" is not only a pathetically weak argument, if corbyn HAD got in one of the first things he and that labour potential govt planned to do was increase nhs resources. That alone would have made handling of the pandemic better under a corbyn/labour govt. I follow Corbyn and a number of other politicians on Twitter, I also follow certain experts like economists, healthcare managers etc - politicians of all parties - the labour and Lib Dem's (who I'm definitely not generally a fan of) politicians very early on were calling for closing of borders etc, as were many scientists and even economists and were completely ignored!
In addition "corbyn wasn't electable" - look at the press he got! Again I'm not a particular fan personally but he got absolutely hammered by the msm during the election - which isn't even legal! During an election the msm is SUPPPOSED to be equally critical of those standing, is SUPPOSED to be unbiased, purdah was not even superficially properly observed! It was a disgrace!
Things could be so much worse
That's also a pathetically weak argument which I don't actually believe!
For whom?
And to answer your questions
You got paid, did you not? no! I like many other disabled people am on legacy benefits. We got zero increase despite costs rising significantly
Got a vaccine? again no. I'm housebound I'm still waiting on 1st vaccine been chasing since March and even my gp and therapist have been chasing on my behalf too
A roof over your head? just! Plenty of others have become homeless as a result of this inept govts decisions in the last year.
Just out of interest op, who do you think would have done a better job?
Pretty much anyone actually!
I can only think of one who would definitely be worse, Mr Grayling.
Agreed. But his cock ups costing around £3bn have been allowed to happen too
What a lot of people supportive of Johnson are also ignoring is if this country DOESN'T get a handle on COVID long term we will be a pariah of a country which will impact on trade, tourism and political power worldwide generally. Disastrous
@ImmyMc sadly I think many Johnson supporters/voters have little experience of or interest in the world outside the Uk. They don't have family/friends that have emigrated and are telling them how the country they are in is handling things, they've often not lived overseas themselves and lived under a different political system, they haven't lived experience of cultures other than the British one.
And, as pps have pointed out numerous past Tory leaders would have been light years better, even Thatcher who I despised with every fibre of my being.
Exactly! I also despised thatcher, but as a scientist she would have understood it all better, and as a no nonsense type she would have locked down and but good! There'd have been no pissing about over what lockdown meant and those flouting the rules would have been dealt with firmly and quickly. She was a lot of negative things but wishy washy was NEVER one of them, and that was the kind of leadership we actually needed at that time.
Whatever he’ll be doing I just wish he’d piss off and do it so we can have a grown up in charge.
A grown up in charge - sums it up perfectly! He has behaved throughout more like a teenager more interested in "likes" than doing what was needed!
@Streamingbannersofdawn genuine question - are you independently wealthy? What policies that the Tory party advertised during the election were you supportive of? What policies of the other parties were you against?
@Carrysymons I'm old enough to remember cronyism causing the downfall of the last Tory govt. it's shocking the corrupt shite they're getting away with!
We can see what’s possible by looking at the rest of the world. Other countries are doing infinitely better.
Exactly
Some of us have lived in other countries during the pandemic and have seen first hand what’s possible.
Yes. Plus some of us are hearing from friends/family/non Uk news sources what's been possible elsewhere too. Not everywhere has done better of course I have a cousin in Italy where it's also been a shit show, but the majority of developed countries have done a damn sight better!
One thing he has accomplished - leading many of us to see thatcher in a new light! That's quite an achievement! 
People here in Germany keep asking me what Brits are thinking having an idiot like that in charge - and i simply can't answer it.
This is what I hear too from the people I know in other countries and also other non Uk news sources are frequently basically like "wtf were brits thinking elevating this idiot?"
I don't get the Sunak love either, he looks a bit too smarmy and full of himself.
When there was a lot of sunak love when he was doing the briefings I was pointing out to people his history and voting record, to try and counter that "he's just a nice young man who happens to be Tory" shite - no! He's a dyed in the wool modern Tory, corrupt piece of crap just like the rest. I did similar with Rory stewart - I would urge you to look more critically at him, his history and voting record also.
Boris takes a advice from the advisors does he fuck! He barely listens to them!
and I worry what he and his government are doing behind the scenes
Yes! Considering what we DO know I dread to think what's going on that we DON'T know about
and as I keep on saying the 4 nations plus neighbouring comparable countries have had very similar experiences.
They really haven't. I've friends and family in germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium and other parts of Europe and they definitely haven't had a closely similar experience!
Brevit & covid an unfortunate double bubble
One of which needn't have happened at all!
For me there's been no worse PM in my lifetime.
I'm struggling to think of a worse pm overall! But yes definitely worst in my lifetime and I'm nearly 50!
He makes an excellent case for Scottish Independence
He really does! Far more people up here are going over to thinking that inc me