If not Boris then who.....?

[ChristmasinJune]

Would you have chosen as a PM to lead us through the pandemic? I voted labour but I'm not sure Jeremy Corbin would have done any better. Kier Starmer perhaps. But I keep going back to Rory Stewart and wondering if he would have done a good job. I really liked him at the time.

So, who do you think would have made the best PM through the pandemic?

Corbyn. There'd be actual support for the NHS not just clapping, he would be helping people and not going on holiday when the country needs leadership.

I cringe at all the people saying Thatcher, people would be abandoned and left to starve.

Thatcher and Johnson are 2 sides of the same coin, she wanted power and most importantly to suck up to the bankers and was a cast iron cold human no matter how she got it. The decimation of the NHS and those young and old who were vulnerable would have been the first to die under her leadership

Johnson on the other hand is a proven lying (cheating on his wife when she had cancer) scumbag.

And a repulsive egotist.
He wanted to be PM from the day he was born, he doesn't give a fuck about anyone or thing, except himself.
He looks like a deflated blancmange every time he has to face PMQ lead by Starmer, he couldn't even be bothered to stand up and address an important question about Covid, the Death Rates and why the Test and Trace system is not working. He is lazy and bored, wanted the title without the work.

He will go down as the worst PM in history and that’s about the only thing in his sordid grubby life he deserves.

Thatcher and Johnson are 2 sides of the same coin, she wanted power and most importantly to suck up to the bankers and was a cast iron cold human no matter how she got it.

I don't agree at all! Thatcher was an ideologue. She wanted power so she could do things that she believed needed doing. One doesn't have to agree with any of her principles to see that they were very clearly in evidence. Whereas Johnson saw being PM as the goal in itself, and he's supremely pragmatic, frighteningly so. I'm not sure he actually believes anything much. We saw that with the Brexit referendum where he waited until the final minute to pick a side, and chose Leave because he thought it would best place him for a leadership campaign.

@HesterShaw1

Gordon Brown would have been infinitely better than Johnson. And better in this situation, I think, than Blair.

Gordon Brown would have been level headed and understood about the economic impact.

Some interesting and diverse opinions here. Still not convinced by Thatcher although she was strong and would have been decisive and make tough decisions, still 😬😬😬

Nigel Farage would have done a far better job. At least he actually listens to people and makes us aware of all the cover ups.

I'm not saying Thatcher because I liked her politics. I grew up in the 80s in a staunchly Labour family. I detest her. But that's her politics. I believe she was competent, which at this stage is all I bloody want. She wouldn't be my first choice, I'm merely using her to show how much I dislike Boris.

I mentioned to an Irish friend that I'd seen really positive reports of what their Teoseich was doing. She loathes his politics, but acknowledges his competence.

I think if I could pick anyone it would be Blair at his peak, for the relationship he had with the press. I know Cherie would probably have driven to Bernard Castle.

@nicky7654

Nigel Farage would have done a far better job. At least he actually listens to people and makes us aware of all the cover ups.

Even if Farage were any less incompetent than Boris, which is doubtful, he's even more bone idle.

@nicky7654 , you do know that being in government is more than jerking off in public, right? You actually have to work.

If some bizarre turn of events had led to Nige being PM in March 2020, he would absolutely have had a strop and fucked it off by now. 100%.

If there’s one person that’d be worse.... Nigel

All these people saying Thatcher!!!😲l lived under Thatcher. She was evil.

She would have put the economy first absolutely, and ignored the north of England.

Gordon brown. He'd have saved the economy too.
Alot of the mess of the response is because the tories have fucked over the public sector and benefit system so much in the last 10 years so there's been no capacity in the system when it was needed.
They don't listen to scientists and have taken an approach to make sure we're all blaming each other rather than them fir the mess.

Corbyn would have locked us down so hard and fast and used this as a quick way to turn the country into a Marxist utopia though that I'm glad it's not him dealing with it.
Keir starmer would have been competent though.

I'm very leftwing but I could see the benefits of Thatcher in this situation. She was a professional scientist before politics. I really think she wouldn't have been blindsided by this in March, she would have understood the implications of exponential increase, and been able to make a timely, scientifically-literate plan.

Would be interesting to see how she'd choose to handle it, anyway.

Corbyn? You have to be joking. He would be changing his mind HOURLY and if you think the economy is fucked now....

Plus he's the man having dinner with 8 other people.

Without pulling up the dead, I honestly cannot think of anyone I'd prefer than Nicola Sturgeon. At least she is clear & competent.

MJM,

Any of the female leaders across the world would be my vote.

Merkel
Jacinda

Thatchers long dead so not an option, thankfully.

Labours not in power, so the only thing that could have changed is the tory party leader....

I'd have Rory Stuart, he has real world experience and wouldn't have saddled himself with Cummings, brexit would have been put on hold, freeing up so much Govt time to focus on this Pandemic.

Slightly off-topic but seems too good to waste. One of Johnsons's many mistresses dishes the dirt on his filthy eating habits. Quite a revolting character all round. So anybody but him. My cat for instance...

www.spectator.co.uk/article/petronella-wyatt-my-food-fights-with-boris

I sympathise with Boris’s gripes about the cost of food at Chequers. On the occasions I have dined there, I have been reminded of the muck that is called ‘nursery food’: blackened beef, stewed cabbage and the sort of suet pudding with custard that leads to an early coronary. But cost aside, this is just up Boris’s taste buds. Some of our most rancorous arguments were about food. I remember scolding him for lunching on bacon butties and Mars Bars before gorging on sausages and processed cheese. His idea of fine dining was Pizza Express.

One of the worst crises of our friendship came when I cooked him a seafood risotto. The preparation had taken me hours, the ingredients a good deal of money. As always he was late, and my risotto sat on the stove coagulating. Finally, its potential recipient arrived only to gaze upon it as one might gaze upon a dish of beetles. ‘I can’t eat that. Do you have any crisps?’ This enraged me more than any of his sexual delinquencies. As Colette said: ‘Food has ruined more relationships than infidelity.’

Petronella Wyatt seems very weird. She speaks of "races" as if she's from the 18th century.

But then, I guess you'd have to be odd to want a relationship with Johnson.

If we had to have a Tory, Ruth Davidson? Even Nicola Sturgeon has come out of this better than BJ.

It was strange to see Blair and Major join forces to criticise BJohnson recently. I guess either of them, particularly Blair. Blair does seem to be very good at international and health issues these days.

For those (joking, I hope) about Piers Morgan - I used to boycott GMTV because of him for years. Then DC had GMTV on during lockdown and I couldn't believe my ears. His was the only voice telling the truth and expressing how things really were. All the other TV news were being fed info by the government and broadcasting endless weak interviews with government ministers by way of news. Only GMTV had the guts to stand up and criticise. Never thought I'd have praise for PMorgan, but he was the sole voice of reason at some points.

Jeremy Corbyn. He might not have got everything right (what country or world leader has) but I think he would've been more proactive and concerned for peoples welfare, offered more support which ironically would've probably ended up damaging the economy less. BJ and co constantly seem to be reacting 'to' events. Led by the virus, the public or Nicola Sturgeon. I mean, 'eat out to help out', to supposedly help the economy has probably 'helped' spread the virus and resulted in stricter lockdowns which will hammer the economy and people's businesses again. Obviously the press and JC's opponents would whinge he was 'bankrupting the country'. But I still think he'd do it better than BJ.

Don't forget JC is not even relevant any more, Sir Keir Starmer is there now and at some point (soon hopefully) we will get the chance to choose again.

I get the impression Ruth Davidson wants to steer as far clear of Westminster as possible.

Yes, shame, those who would be good for politics and good for the country leave politics because it is a nasty game (cf. David Miliband)

Ruth Davidson

Thatcher was competent but uncaring. She'd have no doubt gone for the herd immunity option.
Corbyn would have no way got away with what Boris has got away with. Most of the media has given him a very easy ride.
Unfortunately, Cummings got rid of all the competent Tories from the cabinet after the last election, so I'm not sure who would be suitable, but anyone but Boris would do.