So are the incompetent Tories being too lax and putting the economy first because they hate us, or are they locking us up too tight because they hate us?

[Asterion]

I've read a few threads in the Mumsnet Coronavirus section and am confused.

On the one hand a lot of people state that the Tories are incompetent greedy fools who are being too lax and not following scientific advice because they hate the general public and put money first.

On the other hand, the Tories are incompetent malicious fools who are being too strict and not following scientific advice because they hate the general public and have an ulterior motive of control and coercion.

Which is it?

It’s just as you said in the title incompetence.

What people need to remember is that there must be a balance. Without an economy that pays there’s no NHS or other public services, police, fire, school, benefits, bin collections etc etc anyway as there’s no way to fund any of it.

People will he along shortly to say I’m wrong and that we should lock down and save every life from Covid but that ignores those who needs other NHS treatments and will die anyway.

Once cuts are made then what’s lost will never come back. The Tory/LibDem austerity cuts from 2010 show that.

The incompetence is around track and trace and testing. Whichever side of the lockdown/let us out debate you are on, it would be easier or have more impact if they'd got this stuff right.

I agree about Track and Trace. But the UK is certainly not the only country to be having problems with that.

No, but we have the right base - science and technology plus public health teams and expertise to get it right. The ideologically driven decisions made around the set up of track and trace have been a clear failure. Why bypass local public health teams in favour of call centres run by private sector companies without relevant experience?

These days, when people give billion dollar contracts to their mates, just because they're their mates, we don't even bat an eyelid. We've come to expect it and think it's normal.

Just incompetence with no ulterior motives in my view. The approach to testing, tracking and tracing has been shambolic. This was essential in order to open up safely.

It’s somewhere in the middle. There’s a balance to be struck with how we deal with covid. The government have gotten some stuff right and some stuff wrong.

In amongst it all there is an impatience amongst both the public and leadership to have policies that have impact right now. It’s ignored or forgotten that this covid is an unknown quantity in many respects and solid plans just aren’t possible in many scenarios. Too many people are clinging to notions that we can just do x,y,z and a,b,c will follow. It doesn’t work like that, the best we have are informed guesses which have to balance what everyone wants. In that there will be people who feel they have an unfair burden and imho this is where the government needs to address some issues. Even if it’s just to clearly say ‘sorry but this is what it is’.

My two personal main areas of concern is that the government seem to be wilfully ignoring that employment is one of the biggest barriers to isolation having an impact. People simply can’t risk their jobs to isolate at the level the government want without some protection from their employers or for financial support for the self employed. That and properly effective track and trace which ties in with that. I’d also like to see a more assertive leadership right now, advice and wishy washy language just leads to people thinking it’s fine for them to make up their own narrative. I fear that by the time they realise this and actually attempt to ‘put their foot down’ it will be cack handed and met with resistance.

Neither.

Stop listening to twats.

Mumsnet is very left wing so whatever the government do it will be wrong ,the government have sent out some confusing messages ,but IME I live in Bolton people are not taking responsibility for their own actions hence our ridiculously high infection rates.

I disagree with it being left wing

Mumsnet is very Daily Mail/Express type sensationalist - look at how many hysterical type posts there are - and those papers are right leaning. A lot of posters are middle class centre righters.

They are incompetent because they are trying to please everyone and pleasing no one. Work out a plan based on facts and evidence from more than two people, then stick with it.
The government are currently firm sat on the fence with no idea how to lead.

@Rushjob

I disagree with it being left wing

Mumsnet is very Daily Mail/Express type sensationalist - look at how many hysterical type posts there are - and those papers are right leaning. A lot of posters are middle class centre righters.

I would agree with this except a lot of MNetters either don’t like to admit or don’t realise what side their gut instinct lies on. They’re left wing until it requires something from them.

The Tories are being incompetent and neither protecting lives nor the economy. The economies that have done "best" are those that have protected lives and controlled the virus.

Because we locked down late the virus took hold and caused more deaths than should have happened. Because the economy was opened up incompetently (e.g. keeping garden centres and outdoor places closed) there is more economic damage than there should be. Because isolation after holidays was not policed and testing at airports was not promoted the country was reseeded with virus. Because staff in hospitality were not required to wear masks the virus was spread. Because test and trace was handed over to the incompetent Dido Harding, a chum with a track record of failure at talk talk, it didnt work and even those trying to do the right thing were failed.

@Itsabeautifuldayheyhey

Neither.

Stop listening to twats.

Okay

They are incompetent because they are trying to please everyone and pleasing no one. Work out a plan based on facts and evidence from more than two people, then stick with it.
The government are currently firm sat on the fence with no idea how to lead.

This.

I don't think they have much of a goal or agenda even. Maybe once. But not now. Now they're just fighting fire. They're just incompetent.

A lot of people seem intent on painting the government as Machiavellian masters of manipulation. Personally, I don't think they could organise a p* up in a brewery.

"I disagree with it being left wing. Mumsnet is very Daily Mail/Express type sensationalist - look at how many hysterical type posts there are - and those papers are right leaning. A lot of posters are middle class centre righters*

There are a huge number of people on MN. It looks like very different people hang out in its different parts. There are certainly a group of angry left wing teachers on some threads.

Neither, I think they want a balance between health and economy which is beyond difficult. As above poster said don’t listen to twats. People let their hatred of the Torys skew their rational thinking, Johnson isn’t a despot, he doesn’t like taking people’s rights away.