Prime Minister to make an announcement tonight at 5 p.m.

[Calmandmeasured1]

The Express reports:
"No indication has been given as to why the briefing has suddenly been called, however, it comes less than 24 hours after false reports in the German media caused alarm by claiming the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was ineffective among over-65s."

It could also be to make the announcement about hotel quarantining for those entering the country. I would imagine both subjects.

Totally agree so many thinking they are experts and could do better

Sadly, IM(long)E of politicians, you don't need to be an expert to do the job ... all you need is an ability to lie, ruthlessness, huge ambition, colossal self interest and a complete lack of integrity

@MaxNormal

What exactly was the point of that update?

For Johnson to explain that 'he truly did everything he could'

Too little, too late, too many people have lost their lives and continue to do so.

I would not compare Mr Johnson to vermin. That is unkind to vermin, they know what they are doing.

@adeleh, yes well phrased.

I'm sorry to seem petty bit if you are going to play the grief card, for the love of God, get a suit that fits and a decent haircut.

Can you imagine a woman pitching up with an inch of root regrowth and a shabby suit? She would be annhilated.

@JiminyLeeCricket

Jesus. Our PM is incoherent.

Worse than usual I thought. All the grief Joe Biden was given about the occasional verbal stumble: and he's 20 years older than Johnson and a hell of a lot more coherent

@MNnicknameforCVthreads

I also think it was one of the most pointless briefings, other than that he needed to be seen to be acknowledging the 100k milestone. And it did give the journos to ask questions.

Unfortunately he never answers them and , unlike other people, he never asks for a follow up or a 'Does that answer your question?'.

@adeleh

I could have done a better job than Johnson. I'm not saying I'd have done a brilliant job, or even a good one, but it would have been better.

I'd have cancelled Cheltenham races last March.
I'd have cancelled the concerts that saw people flying in from Madrid, a known Covid hotspot last Feb/ March. I remember at the time saying he should cancel them.

I would not have wasted billions on appointing people with no experience, such as Dido Harding, to manage Track and Trace or given the contracts for PPE to people with no experience.

I would not have defended Dominic Cummings and let people think that breaking the rules was OK.

I would not have shaken hands with Covid patients and bragged about it.

I would not have made jokes about 'Operation Last Gasp.'

It's really not very difficult to see ways in which most of us would have done a better job.

It's very difficult indeed to see why people want to defend this. The UK deserves better.

I think you have summed it up for many of us.

I am increasingly concerned about the lack of planning beyond Covid. How the hell are we going to rebuild our economy, bridge the inequalities in our society, help all those kids who have lost a year of education to catch up, create jobs for two years of unemployed graduates, train new doctirs and nurses, address the Social Care issue?

Let alone deal with climate change and it's impacts on our very small island.

These vile creatures chould have had the backbone to call together a cross party group of the best brains, the experienced brains, the forces and fucking deal with it. Bastards.

@peak2021

No announcement at all.

I wish Mr Johnson would follow the example of the Dutch and Italian government and resign. I'd prefer him to be in prison for a very long time if not for the rest of his life, but that is not going to happen at present.

The number is twice that killed in the UK in the Blitz.

Who should take over? Serious question. Who is there?

@randomer, do you follow Indie SAGE ? Some great people there too.

That was weird.
There’s seems to be none of the confidence of before..at all

Who should take over? Serious question. Who is there?
that's the real reason he's not resigning, no one else wants to fill his shoes, which gives him carte blanche.....

I could have done a better job than Johnson. I'm not saying I'd have done a brilliant job, or even a good one, but it would have been better.

I'd have cancelled Cheltenham races last March.
I'd have cancelled the concerts that saw people flying in from Madrid, a known Covid hotspot last Feb/ March. I remember at the time saying he should cancel them.

I would not have wasted billions on appointing people with no experience, such as Dido Harding, to manage Track and Trace or given the contracts for PPE to people with no experience.

I would not have defended Dominic Cummings and let people think that breaking the rules was OK.

I would not have shaken hands with Covid patients and bragged about it.

I would not have made jokes about 'Operation Last Gasp.'

It's really not very difficult to see ways in which most of us would have done a better job.

It's very difficult indeed to see why people want to defend this. The UK deserves better.

Great post. Sums things up perfectly

@Goldieloxx

I thought it was about hotel quarrantine.

Was there anything about it? Sorry to be asking but totally missed it.

I don't think there was anything changing other than the 100,000 milestone. I think he was just marking that.

yes stealth i thought they were reviewing but i guess theres nothing to add because the numbers are still too high

Well... I’m glad I decided to miss it. It sounds like it would have given me rage.

[quote Travelledtheworld]@adelah spot on.
Thanks for the summary.

Add: Not wasted £££ on Eat out to help out.
Locked down the UK on boxing day when schools were on holiday and many people were already off work.[/quote]
Yes - absolutely.
Oh and - not sent schools back for one day on January 4th, just to ensure that everyone is able to mix, before deciding that, on reflection, Labour was right and the schools should be shut.

@BonnieDundee

I could have done a better job than Johnson. I'm not saying I'd have done a brilliant job, or even a good one, but it would have been better.

I'd have cancelled Cheltenham races last March.
I'd have cancelled the concerts that saw people flying in from Madrid, a known Covid hotspot last Feb/ March. I remember at the time saying he should cancel them.

I would not have wasted billions on appointing people with no experience, such as Dido Harding, to manage Track and Trace or given the contracts for PPE to people with no experience.

I would not have defended Dominic Cummings and let people think that breaking the rules was OK.

I would not have shaken hands with Covid patients and bragged about it.

I would not have made jokes about 'Operation Last Gasp.'

It's really not very difficult to see ways in which most of us would have done a better job.

It's very difficult indeed to see why people want to defend this. The UK deserves better.

Great post. Sums things up perfectly

Everything here ...!!

He seems to have lost all his blister and confident “give me this Churchill moment” presentation (or so he likes to think).
I find that quite worrying actually.
If Boris is that unsettled and worried, and he’s in charge of getting us out of this and forward planning... well...

Those of you who use every opportunity to vent personal opinions against The Prime Minister.
If we had voted Labour. We would have Corbyn and his Momentum gang organising vaccine delivery.

Would it have had to been handled by members of an approved Trade Union at every step?
Would the scientists been replaced by Milne and McClusky?

Bluster not blister

To be fair, while it might have been without substance, I think it was right for him to be the one to announce 100,000 deaths. What would we all be saying if he'd have left it to someone else, not not held a briefing at all.

No Boris Johnson fan but he couldnt not have spoken tonight.

@dottiedaisee I cant take the credit. I was quoting pp