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

In the cons leadership contest, I would have voted for the dark haired fella. I think he's ok. I would prefer someone like Ken Clarke or Michael Heseltine, Gordon Brown, Angela Merkel, Nicola Sturgeon, Ruth Davison, I hope Keir Stamner gets in.

Someone who's done something good for once in their life, instead of just lying and cheating and fucking over people. That's all Boris has ever done and it shocks me that people think he cares for the people.

irresponsible hand-shaking bravado That's it exactly - I mean, there's everyone isolating and there's old Boris shaking everyone he meets hands, in hospital, and in parliament, brilliant. Good old Boris. What a hero. He couldn't have predicted this? Actually, yes, it was clear which way this was going even from fecking watching the news in January! - he could have and should have.

Boris would not have been my first choice. But he does seem to be listening to scientists and medics.

Shame he didn't act on what he heard when he heard it though.

www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30727-3/fulltext?utm_campaign=tlcoronavirus20&utm_content=123399631&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-27013292&fbclid=IwAR2VZqxf7VBgJk5NPGeLXSqMCC9XwFl7gS-Zm3dKz-bmHKdBCapacz0Wkwg#.Xn8xQDfgyf0.facebook

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-

52052694www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ventilator-crunch-looms-after-snubbing-eu-action-6s7tg3vnw?fbclid=IwAR3Vs8Hy-TtoTbyXtVNQzJJGpqQLdtRNjQ3I1RyiLc5Mfiwhfb28kT4U43c

Which bit do you think I made up and embellished?

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coronavirus-ventilators-boris-johnson-email-nhs-testing-kits-a9432296.html

The UK have one of the most generous support packages in the world and even that’s not enough for the Tory bashers

Is that pre or post CV19 ? Post i would agree the 80% of pay is generous but most of europe offered something like this long before CV19 within a contributory benefits system.

What about the multitude of zero hours workers, forced to rely on UC if they are ill? even if they can get through to claim it in the first place....

Regardless, it is lamentable that SSP is so low, it has attributed to a culture where its consider "weak" to stay home when ill.

On my FB TODAY care homes are asking for the public to supply wipes, masks, gloves... so its a fucking load of lies what Robert Jefferies said on TV just a few minutes ago plus my DD care agency got a delivery of 30 masks... its enough for a day.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/27/advice-on-protective-gear-for-nhs-staff-was-rejected-owing-to-cost

The above is about Cons strategy rather than Boris. A strategy that has the NHS operating on minimal protection, only 4000 ICU beds and a staff shortage of 100000. Still if we all clap nicely...

www.facebook.com/scientistsforeu/videos/2801872196600349/?q=scientists%20for%20eu&epa=SEARCH_BOX

The above scientist is brilliant. (And very handsome.)

No idea what you mean by ‘cons leadership’ nor by that ‘dark haired fella’.

The question was who in an ideal world would you like to be Prime Minister.

I think you are effectively illustrating the problem. There are so many competing views and opinions, and no clear right and wrong. You may be content that your sources are immaculate, but I doubt things are so clear.

I think it’s pretty clear that people on here are putting a slant on stories which suits their own narrative

We have no idea if the UK really did miss out on those ventilators or if we’d already planned for Dyson etc to provide them

And despite the huge support the majority are being offered, the naysayers are still just focusing on those who are currently falling through the cracks

They can’t do everything at once, they need to deal with the majority first then look at the ones who’ve been missed

Oh I see.

Ok, in the Conservative Leadership contest, I would have prefered Rory Stewart to have won. I just looked up his name.

What problem am I illustrating?

Because I was responding to the idea that Boris Johnson is doing a good job. I don't believe he is for many reasons. Some I've linked to here.

Are you suggesting that we can't say that Boris is not doing a good job?

Just saying 'I doubt things are so clear' doesn't really shed any light at all, does it?

Missing out the 10s of 1000s of zero hour care workers who are by their very nature, likely to spread CV19, is incompetent at best.

Its also negligent not to test NHS frontline workers, risks their lives and puts others at risk too... just stupid.

For myself, if this were a Labour govt i'd be as equally scathing.

For myself, if this were a Labour govt I’d be as equally scathing.

What is the point in being ‘scathing’ about any of them?

This whole situation was unimaginable a few months ago

No one really knows what’s best - it’s all estimations based on the modelling of a new virus with incomplete and incomparable data

I don’t think anyone could be doing much better under the circumstances, and there’s plenty who’d be or are doing a whole lot worse - would you rather have Trump?

We have no idea if the UK really did miss out on those ventilators or if we’d already planned for Dyson etc to provide them

I suppose it doesn't fit your narrative does it, that the order was only placed 12 days ago?

12 days is currently a lifetime ago

yeah, lets hope none of our family will need them.

No one really knows what’s best

They do. They know that mass testing is 'best'. That adequate protection of frontline NHS staff is 'best'. That effective leadership and clear messaging is 'best'.

would you rather have Trump?
Totally irrelevant

You were remarking on people always being critical of the Tories....

All i'm saying is that in order to improve, we all need to learn from our mistakes and the first step is recognising them.

So, of course its a totally new crisis BUT it wasn't unimaginable at all, Pandemics have swept through the world with alarming regularity but despite this we have run an NHS at or around 100% capacity over the winter period, with glaring levels of under staffing, Cons added to this by removing bursaries.
We should have at all times tried to stick to our very own guidelines of 83% capacity, that would now have given us more head room, the lack of ICU beds & ventilators is shocking too.

This whole situation was unimaginable a few months ago

It wasn't. People have been predicting pandemics for a few years now.

So, given we have limited resources, would you rather NHS resource was spent on mass testing at this stage, or actually treating those who have it?

This virus is clearly hugely contagious - if you’ve been exposed to it you are probably going to get it

But testing positive and actually needing serious treatment aren’t automatically linked

Plenty of people appear to have mild or no symptoms

What is really wrong with accepting most people will get it and focusing on those who are most seriously affected by it?

What does mass testing at this stage actually achieve?

Pandemics have swept through the world with alarming regularity

And they are saying that countries like South Korea are dealing with it better because they have learnt the lessons from SARS. I assume the information was written up, so that we could have learnt it too?

It wasn't. People have been predicting pandemics for a few years now.

Maybe but doesn’t mean anyone could possibly have a plan to robustly deal with one if it occurred

This virus requires huge quantities of ventilators - are you seriously
saying you think we should have had enormous stocks, just in case?

What if it wasn’t ventilators but something else that was needed?

Some people really need to put aside their prior prejudices and think about what was and is actually possible in practice

Maybe it was written in foreign?

Well, they don’t seem to have gotten the memo in Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, the USA, etc etc. Clearly they must all be hostile to foreign advice too, right?

Some people really need to put aside their prior prejudices and think about what was and is actually possible in practice

Will never happen - a mindless bash, bash, bash is the only priority.