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Original poster

To feel sorry for Boris Johnson

325 replies

LonerGirl · 28/03/2020 21:13

I know people didn’t have a high opinion of him, tbf neither did I before this, but he’s doing his best. He’s doing what experts are advising him to do. He’s ordered temporary hospitals to be built & thousands of ventilators, asked for help through NHS volunteering.

I think he’s coping okay despite his wife being pregnant too, now he’s unwell himself.

What are your opinions?

I don’t want any fights or arguments I’m
Just curious to what others are thinking

OP posts:
Bearbehind · 29/03/2020 19:46

If Cheltenham has been a mass spreader of the virus it would have been headline news by now

People are already going stir crazy after 1 week of restrictions - it seems every second person is a special snowflake with circumstances which mean they’re exempted.

Good luck in thinking complete lock down will work here (even though I’m appalled that it actually wouldn’t)

AuldAlliance · 29/03/2020 19:49

bear
Would you mind answering my question about why the UK gvmt didn't take part in EU procurement if it wasn't either Brexit-related or a cock-up?
I am aware I may be blinkered by my analysis of the PM and gvmt and would like to see things from another perspective.

Bearbehind · 29/03/2020 19:53

auld do we have any actual evidence that it was an option to us and one which we actively declined?

As I understand it, it’s something the EU are doing and we aren’t?

Do you have a verified source which explains exactly what the circumstances around that are other than it’s a good story to say we didn’t because of Brexit and Boris not reading his emails?

Brookeinabook · 29/03/2020 20:00

bear do you not watch or follow the news? failure to join the EU scheme has been well documented.

If Cheltenham has been a mass spreader of the virus it would have been headline news by now

To early to say and how would they pinpoint that specifically since they're not even testing? The point is at that time there were many high profile figures eg Rory Stewart, saying we shouldn't be having these mass gatherings. Italy was telling us. The PM was still saying he was shaking hands with people, which again wasn't necessary and many think was not the right thing to do.

It's a fair criticism to say leadership was wishy washy and not good enough.

Bearbehind · 29/03/2020 20:05

Us not joining the EU scheme has been well documented - but it’s you who is assuming it is a failure?

We have Dyson, Ford, Airbus and Rolls Royce making ventilators.

Why is that so much worse than being ‘part’ of an EU scheme?

Other than it suits your narrative to state it is

KenDodd · 29/03/2020 20:06

Bearbehind
As I understand it, we could do both?

heidihigh · 29/03/2020 20:07

I've never voted Tory in my life. However, I do believe BJ is handling all this quite well.

Inniu · 29/03/2020 20:07

The U.K. governments decision to abandon mass testing early on is in explicable. It goes against all expert, international advice.
There was time to build up testing capacity. And there was time to buy more time by give strong, clear advice on social distancing. The most senior politicians and medical advisers were openly ignoring their own advice on TV only days ago.

I don’t understand why so many British people are so accepting of the government not doing this. Is it denial? If you realise your government made serious mistakes that will cost lives?

In Ireland a lot of people complain about the health service and there is a lot to criticise but we are testing at more than 4 times the rate the U.K. is. And people in Ireland are saying it is too slow!

Bearbehind · 29/03/2020 20:10

As I understand it, we could do both?

Ah, so we’ll stockpile ventilators then - rather than use our own resources and allow those in a worse situation to take up other offers.

This situation is fucking shite, yet it seems there are rafts of people determined to make it worse by insisting they know better about everything.

jasjas1973 · 29/03/2020 20:13

The point I’m trying to make is that none of us know what could have been done differently and to better effect, right now so whinging about things, while actually having no practical solutions, only ideal world scenarios, is pointless

Whinging fair enough but i don't believe i have, i ve a DD who is helping with social care, whilst her Uni course is in go-slo and she is not getting the PPE, testing, SFA support from HMG... so i have "skin in the game" so to speak.
When a govt minister comes on TV and tells me that ain't happening, i feeling like throwing a good glass of Red at the TV.

In January/Feb, we were bombarded with Hancock et al telling us the NHS is prepared, we are admired throughout the world for our Pandemic plans etc etc blah blah blah and it turns out we were not at all.

This is what is pissing me off, not some point scoring over whether BJ is better than JC or not, it is they that have played the political games and not governing properly!!! grrrrrrr

AuldAlliance · 29/03/2020 20:14

I see we've moved on, though...

Next episode will be: all those links just prove what I said about it being a good story.

Bearbehind · 29/03/2020 20:17

auld, even if it’s true, and it’s not the usual 1 journalist copying a story to their paper, what does moaning about it achieve?

We have multiple companies making ventilators now so they’ve found a solution

Can we not focus on the positives instead of slagging off people that are trying to do their best in unprecedented times?

jasjas1973 · 29/03/2020 20:18

We have Dyson, Ford, Airbus and Rolls Royce making ventilators

Jeez.... do you research what you post????

NO we do not, there is plans to make such ventilators but none have made it into production, the talks started on Friday, March 13th

Dysons contribution hasn't even been approved for use yet!!!

Regardless, this should have been sorted out early feb, not mid march.

Bearbehind · 29/03/2020 20:20

And that ‘offer’ for ventilators as part of an EU deal was based on equipment already produced was it? 🤔

Brookeinabook · 29/03/2020 20:23

We have multiple companies making ventilators now so they’ve found a solution

The concern is that the ventilators won't be with us in time. It has been left too late and they will be too late. This is bad planning.

Can we not focus on the positives instead of slagging off people that are trying to do their best in unprecedented times?

It's the government and lives are at stake so they do deserve scrutiny

Bearbehind · 29/03/2020 20:25

brooke, how much quicker would we have got any ventilators as part of any EU scheme?

Do you not see my point here?

This is an horrific situation but there are no miraculous answers, regardless of your country, your PM or your views on Brexit.

jasjas1973 · 29/03/2020 20:25

Bear, we should be designing building AND accepting offers of procurement from ALL sources, not declining offers because of ideology, which is what Gove said this morning when he said UK is an independent country and can get its own ventilators... prat! these are lives he is playing with.

Imagine the outrage if the EU had surplus supplies of a vaccine and said the UK can't have them because the UK is an inde...... etc?

Bearbehind · 29/03/2020 20:29

jas if it suits you and others to blame all this on the Tories then I guess you just have to get on with that

The fact is, we’ve got the Tories now because the opposition was unthinkable

Let’s just hope we get to the other side of this with the least worst outcome

Brookeinabook · 29/03/2020 20:33

It doesn't mean the Tories are immune to criticism though. We all want the least worst outcome. Certain steps taken haven't helped, that's what people are saying. There's no reason why we couldn't have been in the EU scheme apart from pigheadedness over Brexit. This would not have stopped us taking any other additional measures.

Bearbehind · 29/03/2020 20:36

So in some accounts we didn't see the e-mail but in others it was that we deliberately opted out because of Brexit.

So which was it?

itsgettingweird · 29/03/2020 20:39

I've been thinking "where was Rushi during the election for a new leader?"

And also "I hope he stands for the next leader of the Tories"

He's a bit like Blair was in reverse from what I've seen and think he's clear, concise, intelligent, realistic very reassuring he's in control.

AuldAlliance · 29/03/2020 20:39

Which suits you better?
Both are equally irresponsible.
Both are excuses put forward by members of the gvmt.

Peregrina · 29/03/2020 20:42

Which was it? The first story was that we had opted out because of Brexit. Then when they realised that this pig-headedness wasn't going down too well, they decided that they didn't see the email.

Bearbehind · 29/03/2020 20:42

Doesn’t the fact there are 2 entirely different explanations make you stop for a single second and realise you’ll never know the truth here?

You are being played by MSM to draw conclusions based on your own prejudices.

And you’re doing great with that!

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