To feel sorry for Boris Johnson

[LonerGirl]

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

If he does have it, he has the celeb version - immediate access to testing (unlike NHS frontline medical professionals) and mild symptoms.

^^ This

If he does have it, he has the celeb version - immediate access to testing (unlike NHS frontline medical professionals) and mild symptoms.

A particularly dim comment. There is no proven treatment for this disease - if it takes a serious turn, he’ll be taken to ICU and have exactly the same chances of recovery as anyone else.

I somehow think that his access to ICU would be quicker than it was for an ordinary bloke.

I somehow think that his access to ICU would be quicker than it was for an ordinary bloke.

Of course it would be - he’s the Prime Minister, FFS! But if there’s no effective treatment, then the doctors can’t create one out of thin air, no matter who the patient is.

A pity then that he can't act like a Prime Minister.

severalboxes

He's a million times better than your friend Jeremy.

Seems I'm not in the minority either ( well, except for those on MN) as your darling Jeremy, Diane, John and co lost 80 plus seats at the last general election!

This is a disgraceful thread and should be taken down but because it's Tory bashing it will stay up.

I find it curious that people presume anyone who doesn't approve of BJ must necessarily be a JC fan.
That is v limited thinking.
It's also irrelevant as JC is out.
And the binary distinction was always irrelevant in various parts of rUK, which have other choices, didn't vote for BJ and are nonetheless suffering from his indecision, unclear instructions (sedulously?? FFS), irresponsible hand-shaking bravado BS and total hypocrisy over the NHS that apparently now needs protection.

How is it a Tory bashing thread when the OP is all about feeling sorry for Boris Johnson.

And those of us who are critical of him and the way his government let so much time pass before starting to act to deal with this crisis, do not necessarily think that Labour would have done better or voted for Labour.

Surely anyone can see that this government was very slow to act and also blindly followed the herd immunity line for a while when no one else in the world was doing so? This will cost lives.

Wtf ..

I have reported this thread and asked for it to be removed because some of the comments are absolutely disgusting.

Being critical of Boris Johnson and his government and the choices they have made / not made, does not mean not wishing him well health wise.

I have reported this thread and asked for it to be removed because some of the comments are absolutely disgusting.

That is the most pearl clutchingly over the top thing I've ever seen on mumsnet. We're allowed to have an opinion about our own PM. There are plenty of fans here and everyone pretty much has wished him well health wise, but there is plenty of room for debate about how the current premiership and government is going.

I also find it satisfying that the Tories have to make provisions they'd never dream of

They have pretty much implemented most of the Labour Manifesto.

Why is it disgraceful to say that we don't respect a man who is known to have lied and cheated his way through life; is a serial adulterer who seems incapable of saying how many children he has, and when faced with a crisis runs away? Where was he back in January as the crisis started to unfold? Getting stuck in making provision to deal with the crisis or swanning around on holiday?

At one time Tory voters would have expected better.

There's no arguing with stupid.

Nor, indeed, bots...

In the medium term, this is a politically dangerous time to be in government, in any country
Damned if you do etc

In a real emergency, support for a leader almost always rises in the short term,
what the USA calls "rallying around the flag"

People place their faith & hope in their current leader, because what other choice is there, until it is over
It's not the time to play musical chairs at the top.

Most governments around the world are getting a massive increase in support, whether they are left, right, centre or whatever

Afterwards, there will be time for analysis & comparisons;
those governments that have made too many mistakes will be hammered

However, even those that made good decisions about CV may still get hammered by a public that is angry at the following years of economic recession / depression

A pity then that he can't act like a Prime Minister.

All the polls would seem to indicate that your view is in the minority amongst the public. Much as it was in the General Election, when Boris was handsomely returned in a landslide as, er, Prime Minister!

Only due to FPTP.

In a real emergency, support for a leader almost always rises in the short term, what the USA calls "rallying around the flag"

Except at the beginning of the last war where Neville Chamberlain was quickly shown the door. Until then, he had been a perfectly competent Minister and would probably have gone down in history with a reputation as such.

Only due to FPTP.

Indeed. Boris Johnson's name wasn't on my ballot paper.

Only due to FPTP.

Ah, of course - if you can’t win the game, blame the rules! Very mature.

And ignore the fact that under Boris the Conservatives won a higher share of the vote than any party leader has since Margaret Thatcher in 1979

And what happened to Maggie Thatcher? Her own party stabbed her in the back.

Except at the beginning of the last war where Neville Chamberlain was quickly shown the door. Until then, he had been a perfectly competent Minister and would probably have gone down in history with a reputation as such.

He bought the UK precious months of peace in which to begin rearming once it was clear the trajectory Hitler was pursuing. If you wargame the UK entering the war in 1938, things are much less rosy. Bearing in mind Dunkirk was hardly our greatest moment.

Interesting that this thread has several posters from the Brexit threads basically making the same old arguments and slagging of the government

The fact is we’re stuck with Johnson because the alternative, ie Corbyn was much worse hence his party lost

You can moan about the Tories and Johnson all you like but it doesn’t change the fact they were and still are, the least worst option

I can’t begin to imagine how much worse this would be if Corbyn, McDonnell and Abbott were leading us

I agree OP. He's trying his best and for some people that will never be enough. No government could have been prepared for this.

DGR you should know by now that it's heresy in certain parts of MN to say that Dunkirk was not our finest moment! Hot coals will be heaped on your head when you say that militarily it was a rout. Obviously getting the personnel involved back was a huge achievement.