What could have a different party done differently??

[iOnlyWearBlack]

Just that really? Fb and twitter is full of how badly the Tories have handled this but what could say, Labour, have done differently?? Ok, they could have put us in to lock down earlier? But how could they have got more PPE in to hospitals / carers? *This isn't a for / against the Tories post, I'm just genuinely curious...
I don't feel we have the police numbers to be able to control the lock down. I work in retail and people are just shopping as normal imo...

I don’t think labour would have done better at all. It’s fairly easy to critique and see what might have helped in hindsight. We are where we are. We are NOT changing government in the middle of lockdown so how does this constant critique and “if only”ing help anyone?
Everyone has worked on a project with people who they feel aren’t ideal. Does it really help to bleat that continuously? Those who survive this can change things, the job now is for as many of us as possible to get through.

Nb voted labour all my life

I find it frankly staggering that people on this thread can't imagine what a different administration could have done differently! You only have to look at the starkly different results of the Irish government or the New Zealand government to see how different decisions and messaging produce very different results. Here's a list for 10 of things a different administration could have done differently:

• Earlier shutdown (in line with Ireland)
• Large events eg Cheltenham cancelled
• Closer collaboration with EU re ventilators and supplying PPE
• Closing borders/airports, quarantining new arrivals from hot zones
• shutting businesses earlier so that businesses didn't have to make that call themselves and lose thousands by invalidating business insurances
• Clear, friendly messaging about purpose and mindset of lockdown (see Jacinta Arden of NZ for a masterclass in how to get public to cooperate with firm, fair, friendly approach)
• Maintaining governmental capacity and scrutiny by keeping parliament open and allowing proper press conferences so we aren't all being gaslit
• fair and honest reporting of actual numbers of deaths (including care homes)
• alternative approach to compensating workers eg a version universal basic income which doesn't penalise self employed, those who've been on mat leave, those who've recently switched jobs etc etc who've now fallen through the safety net

All of these are basic practical things that could have been done with a measurably different outcome.

In addition to this, let's think about the different place we'd be in if we had a government which had actually VALUED the role of carers and caring, valued essential workers and made some movement on banning zero hours, which had genuinely reinvested in our NHS at an earlier point, which had the trust of the medical profession and the teachers instead of this lot who've prioritised the economy and championed the survival of the fittest for over decade. We could be in an entirely different place.

The NHS isn't badly funded, it's just badly run. You can chuck as much money at is as you want but it won't get better until people stop expecting it to save their lives when they don't take responsibility for their own health, when idiots are put in charge of negotiations and budgets.

As for Labour doing better, we would never know. Thank God. One thing that would be different is that the economy would be in a far worse state before any of this started so the economic rescue package would not be as far reaching. But on the plus side we'd all have great fibre optic broadband and railways and utility companies run by the same calibre of people who run the NHS now.

Any halfway competent government wouldn't have 'missed' multiple emails about bulk procuring PPE.

The idea that Labour would have done better is laughable. Corbyn couldn’t find his own arse with both hands and a search party, so God help us if he was in charge of pandemic response...

They could have joined the EU procurement scheme for ventilators/PPE, they could have introduced screening at airports and quarantine for those arriving from overseas, they could have asked universities and research labs for PCR testing equipment sooner which would have enabled testing and contact tracing in the community. We could have had a PM who didn't go on TV and say 60-80% of people need to catch it, making those at low risk (but not no risk) think the restrictions don't really apply to them. We could have had a PM who actually took it seriously rather than boasting of shaking hands with covid patients. Not saying a labour govt would have been any better, but we have definitely been let down by this one....

One thing that would be different is that the economy would be in a far worse state before any of this started so the economic rescue package would not be as far reaching.

The Tories have pissed millions up the wall on their brexit project. A project that saw massive reduction in applications for nursing from EU citizens. The Tories axed bursaries which led to a reduction in applications from British students. The rail networks have been nationalised something that was supposedly dangerously Marxist just 4 months ago. Its a shame Tory apologists are too blind to see this.

What’s your evidence base Bloomburger?

What percentage of GDP do you think a rich nation should spend on health and social care?

How many beds per capita should a rich nation have?
How long should nurse pay be frozen for?
What is a reasonable waiting time for a scan for a potential bone cancer because of a lack of machines?
How often is it acceptable for a building to flood because they’ve not had capital funding for replacements?

I'm quite annoyed with the posters saying 'oh people know in hindsight'. It's not hindsight. We have been on threads for months saying the same thing. Just because you and the government didn't take it seriously doesn't mean no-one else did.
We cancelled our Feb holiday because we decided it wasn't worth the risk of going through an airport. All the information was available. No hindsight required. All that was required was following the news from China and Italy, and following the WHO advice.
Most of the U deaths are the responsibility of the Conservatives. And what's truly sickening is the people trying to make excuses for them, so they can continue voting for a party that has been completely negligent but, hey, they might not increase taxes so who cares about the people dying, the NHS workers suffering trauma.

We wouldn’t have left the EU in January so could have taken part in their arrangements to source PPE.