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There must be a public inquiry

221 replies

Haplap · 08/04/2020 09:25

And criminal charges. This government will have been responsible for so many avoidable deaths:

UK is projected to have over 3 times as many deaths as Italy by August (66 000 V 20 000):

covid19.healthdata.org/united-kingdom

They took all the wrong decisions despite the scientific advice:

www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-path-speci-idUSKBN21P1VF

Stop clapping, start scrutinising!

OP posts:
User7764217 · 09/04/2020 00:01

@excitedmumtobe87

Good point!

DroppedBoxxedRuth · 09/04/2020 00:10

So disappointing to read some of these replies.

Of course there needs to be an inquiring into how the UK handled this pandemic. Every country should do one and have a lessons learned section.

The fact that BJ bragged about shaking hands when it was well known and recommend by the WHO not to.

But BJ is paying a very high price for his arrogance and I do hope he's ok.

I also hope he apologises to the British public when this is all over.

FatAlbert · 09/04/2020 00:42

In the last week loads of fb pages have sprung up for those volunteering to sew masks for key workers (including GP surgeries, community nurses) and now they are urgently seeking volunteers to sew scrubs for hospital workers.

The effort on the volunteers parts is amazing. The coordination in those freely giving time and materials is outstanding.

The inaction from the government has been terrifying. The UK’s first covid case was at the end of January. So much time wasted, so many more lives at risk than needed to be.

I’ve been told that the UK is the 6th biggest economy in the world. Why have our leaders got this so wrong? I know this is new, but even in January it was evident where this was going. Why didn’t they act?

I’m 100% sure that this government will get away with this. Like a previous poster said, they are Teflon. Couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery.

Sosadandempty · 09/04/2020 00:49

Why didn’t they act?

Laziness, incompetence, British exceptionalism.

Sosadandempty · 09/04/2020 00:55

I’m 100% sure that this government will get away with this.

Me too. They are well practised at repeating slogans which then somehow become the accepted truth.

Easilyanxious · 09/04/2020 01:06

Let's fight the battle first , no one can predict who will have more deaths etc and obviously different counties have different populations . Counties haven't all followed exactly the same in regards to timing of lockdown , type of lockdown etc only time will tell which may have been more effective or what lessons can be learnt . I hate reports like this in papers full of lots of might , could etc

ineedaholidaynow · 09/04/2020 01:13

But people chose to still go to Crufts, Cheltenham. If they knew better than the Government, why did they still go?

People on here only a few weeks ago were determined that they were still going on holiday.

As individuals we also need to take some responsibility

BlackCatSleeping · 09/04/2020 01:35

In those crucial few weeks before things deteriorated in the UK, many people were warning that mass events were a bad idea and these things should be stopped. I often heard the same answer: “It must be fine to go as the government would have shut it down if it wasn’t safe.” People put too much faith in the government and that has cost us dearly. The government didn’t even want to close schools. It only did so because of the immense pressure that was put on it.

PowerslidePanda · 09/04/2020 08:10

As individuals we also need to take some responsibility

I agree, but there's also a middle ground of people who couldn't take more responsibility without endorsement from the government. My family started self isolating a week before social distancing was introduced, because we felt it was necessary at that time and we were in the fortunate position to do so. My Dad was commuting in and out of London at the time, but had the ability to work from home and I urged him to do so as much as possible. He said, "I can't do more than one day a week at home - my boss doesn't like it." By the time the government stepped up and told people to work from home, my Dad had already been infected.

GhostofFrankGrimes · 09/04/2020 08:13

But people chose to still go to Crufts, Cheltenham. If they knew better than the Government, why did they still go?

People who knew better probably didnt go. People that look for direction from their government probably did go.

1forsorrow · 09/04/2020 08:23

I didn't say I thought he dealt with it well. I said I didn't think anyone would have known how to deal with it.

He made a hell of a lot of mistakes, but whoever had been in charge, if it hadn't been him, would have got it wrong.

Somethings were hard to call, stopping things like Cheltenham and Crufts? No, loads of people were saying stop them, as I said the top football clubs called off matches that weekend. That wasn't one of those things. It is 4 weeks since all that, look at the information about inclubation, sick at home, transfer to hospital, death or discharge and that is where we are so the high deaths yesterday fit with people spreading it at Cheltenham. That wasn't excusable.

As for what others might have done, well we can't investigate that can we, we can't prosecute someone because they might have committed a crime if circumstances had been different. Johnson wanted the power and the buck stops with him.

1forsorrow · 09/04/2020 08:28

But people chose to still go to Crufts, Cheltenham. If they knew better than the Government, why did they still go? Presumably the people who did know better didn't go but I don't think you can blame the people who went - they trusted their govt. Now we are supposed to follow all govt advice and instructions, on here every action is analysed to nth degree but 4 weeks ago everyone should have been ignoring the govt? No that isn't a get out of jail free card.

There is lots they got wrong, the dismissing worries about PPE, the replies to questions that there was enough weeks ago, that it was being distributed, it was all OK and yet front line workers are still reporting they don't have it or don't have enough. Bad decisions about testing, the late start, the arrogance but for me it is the actions of the week ending the 15th of March that is criminal and it certainly should be examined and certain people should be held to account.

itispersonal · 09/04/2020 08:35

Yes, I want the government held to account. Almost a 1000 people die today and the media is running with the pm sitting up in bed. The government has failed its people! Boris saw it as a joke- I've shook hands with everyone! Even my 7yo said yesterday he didn't follow his own advice.

15?? bus drivers have died
Many drs and nurses have died and will continue to die.
Shop workers will probably be the next group as no ppe and customers aren't adhering to social distancing to staff.

Testing station are up but you are only allowed a test if your nhs boss gives you authorisation and they appear reluctant to do this. A hq which is near our city's hospital is set up for testing but is empty. Paramedic friend has gone to site for a test but they won't do it as they need authorisation which they can't get.

Our top scientists reading of the data was wrong ... herd immunity, deaths were sacrifices for the rest! We were too slow to react, people returning from Italy and other places unchecked and not advised to self isolate for 2 weeks.
The number of deaths can be far fewer like Germany, New Zealand etc have shown, if you lock down and test, test, test.

Those 2 measures happening sooner would have saved lives. The 1000s who went to Cheltenham, the Liverpool football match and allowing Spanish fans to freely fly to the U.K. when their own country was in lockdown. In my eyes are criminally negligent offences, when they knew it was coming and was in the country.

When this is all over the cabinet should get down on their knees and apologise profusely for the deaths they have caused due to the misinformation, negligence and lack of planning and then resign.

Cornettoninja · 09/04/2020 08:43

You’ll have inquiries and reports coming out of your ears for years to come, don’t worry about that.

At the moment there’s more pressing issues and the very important point that we don’t have all the facts and won’t until we’ve dealt with the immediate crisis and had time to regroup.

The world pretty much is in chaos at the moment with millions of voices proclaiming supposition as fact. A clearer picture will emerge in the aftermath. Take comfort from the fact that information travels much further and quicker than ever before. It’ll be much harder to erase any unsavoury facts from people’s memories and hard drives so the chances are much higher it’ll be accounted for officially if it’s true.

LandOfAThousandJumpers · 09/04/2020 08:46

@SquishySquirmy

Hear hear

Sosadandempty · 09/04/2020 09:05

I agree with all your post @itispersonal.

It’ll be much harder to erase any unsavoury facts from people’s memories and hard drives so the chances are much higher it’ll be accounted for officially if it’s true.

I wish this were true, but already they are telling lies about things which we know to be true. For example, Matt Hancock angrily telling Andrew Marr that there never was a herd immunity policy, and yesterday Rishi Sunak trying to deny that Germany’s lower death rate is due to increased testing. Despite Chris Witty having said exactly that on Tuesday.

I don’t hold out much hope of anyone being held to account.

Clavinova · 09/04/2020 09:27

The fact that BJ bragged about shaking hands when it was well known and recommend by the WHO not to.

When did the WHO make an official recommendation not to shake hands?

Boris Johnson made his hand shaking comment on March 3rd. A week later, the Dutch PM announces his country's no-handshaking policy on live TV - he then turns to the health official standing next to him and shakes his hand! Everyone laughs.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-51820520/coronavirus-dutch-pm-tells-nation-not-to-shake-hands-then-does

On the 2nd March (the day before Johnson's comment) Angela Merkel is also caught on camera confidently striding up to one of her ministers with her hand out.The minister rejects her handshake but the room erupts into laughter as well.

www.itv.com/news/2020-03-02/angela-merkel-handshake-rejected-as-coronavirus-cases-reach-150-in-germany/

In France, doctors have already filed complaints against their prime minister and former Minister of Health;

"Doctors in France sue their prime minister for 'government lie'"

"22 March Gathered in a collective called C 19, more than 600 doctors filed a complaint Thursday, 19 March against the former Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn and Prime Minister Édouard Philippe whom they accuse of "government lie" in their management of the coronavirus epidemic crisis."

europost.eu/en/a/view/doctors-in-france-sue-their-prime-
minister-for-government-lie-27633

BasinHaircut · 09/04/2020 09:27

Regarding herd immunity - you do realise that it’s the only solution no? Herd immunity is why we let people stick needles in our 8 week old babies, and again at 12 weeks etc etc. It is our only defence against infectious disease, whether that is through vaccination or naturally acquired.

Do people really think that pandemic planning isn’t a thing in central government? Of course it is. Only thing is, you can’t plan adequately for every scenario. The most likely pandemic was always going to be a flu one, which we have recent experience of in 2009/10. The entire world has been caught completely on the back foot with this and it seems to be that everyone is making it up as they go along to some extent. Because they are. This is unprecedented in living memory, no one has experience of something of this magnitude.

It’s very easy to sit at your keyboard or smart phone and criticise - and I’m not saying that our officials- elected or otherwise - are not accountable, but why do you all assume that they are not making decisions in the best interests of the population? You don’t have access to all of the information they do and never will, so just accept that you are very u likely to know better just because of something you read in an online newspaper or similar.

Clavinova · 09/04/2020 09:34

Rishi Sunak trying to deny that Germany’s lower death rate is due to increased testing.

I thought he said it was one aspect but there were other things to take into account as well.

GhostofFrankGrimes · 09/04/2020 09:38

In terms of planning probably a good opportunity to remind people of exercise cygnus..

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/03/28/exercise-cygnus-uncovered-pandemic-warnings-buried-government/

Sosadandempty · 09/04/2020 09:58

Regarding herd immunity - you do realise that it’s the only solution no? Herd immunity is why we let people stick needles in our 8 week old babies, and again at 12 weeks etc etc. It is our only defence against infectious disease, whether that is through vaccination or naturally acquired.

In this case it will have to be largely acquired through vaccination. It was when they realised that their herd immunity plan would lead to 100s of thousands of deaths that they u-turned. But why did they ever think that this was a viable proposition when the rest of the world was doing the opposite?

Ferfooksek · 09/04/2020 10:02

There never was a herd immunity strategy from the goverment

PowerslidePanda · 09/04/2020 10:09

Regarding herd immunity - you do realise that it’s the only solution no?

I'm sick of reading this! Did the swine flu epidemic end because everyone got herd immunity? What about Zika, bird flu, SARS, etc? No - they ended because the replication rate was lowered enough that they eventually fizzled out.

Sosadandempty · 09/04/2020 10:30

There never was a herd immunity strategy from the goverment

We must all have dreamt Patrick Vallance talking about it at Downing Street?

Here he is being interviewed by a Sky journalist.

BasinHaircut · 09/04/2020 10:36

Of course there was never a herd immunity strategy. I’m just saying that herd immunity is the only thing that will stop something this infectious. You can’t stop it by telling people to stay indoors, only slow it.

@PowerslidePanda you can’t compare all of these things for various reasons including:

Swine/Bird flu - we have both vaccines and treatments available for flu

Zika - spread primarily by mosquitoes

SARS - not as easily transmittable - no reported cases of transmission before development of symptoms meaning much easier to control.

COVID-19 will not die out because we have prevented transmission by any other means than by immunity.