Do you feel sorry for Boris?

[User133847]

Seeing the headlines in the papers today and there seems a lot of sympathy for him. The front pages see him looking really forlorn and sorrow regarding the death toll.

When you think a year ago he was planning on ushering in what he deemed as a golden age of Britain. Now 12 months later it's in tatters.

I can understand the sympathy, but wonder whether a Labour PM would be offered the same.

@PurpleRainDancer

Yes I do. I think Boris is doing the best anyone could in the most extreme circumstances imagineable.

Well clearly this isn't accurate, because other leaders in other countries right now are doing better

Thank god my aunt Fanny isn’t at the helm. I can rope in other real or imaginary persons. FFS.

@PurpleRainDancer

Yes I do. I think Boris is doing the best anyone could in the most extreme circumstances imagineable.

Tell that to Jacinda Ardem.

How many lives are the Tory party going to sacrifice before they force him to stand down?

They're so gutless leaving him in place, knowing he hasn't got a clue what he's doing, just so they don't have to take any of the blame.

No. He should be held accountable for the decisions he's made.

@Hawkins001

TheOneLeggedJockey when writing essays , dissertations, ect one of the points was that when we form the question, we then do the research as detailed as possible to answer the question, rather than just jumping to a conclusion based on a small amount of research, therefore, a detailed analysis of various factors would be required to provide a detailed analysis.

You realise that some countries are COVID-free right now, don’t you?

Check this out. twitter.com/Sagartron/status/1260245922585489408?s=19

TheOneLeggedJockey then a detailed analysis of comparing various factors, that different methods that different countries have used, would be needed to be carried out, to determine how that result has been achieved.

@Hawkins001

TheOneLeggedJockey then a detailed analysis of comparing various factors, that different methods that different countries have used, would be needed to be carried out, to determine how that result has been achieved.

You didn’t ask how the result was achieved.

You asked if anyone could have done better.

The answer to that is - yes, other countries’ leaders have done better.

I feel sorry for anyone trying to make such tough decisions. However, most of that sympathy has now made way for anger and despair at how he keeps doing too little, too late and the longer, harsher impact of that on lives, health (mental and physical) and the economy. That and the fucking gaslighting.

But - if you need some high level ideas in terms of how those results were achieved

• taking it seriously
• listening to, and being guided by, scientists and other experts
• clear, honest, trustworthy communications
• closing borders
• quarantining new arrivals, with support from the military
• mask mandates
• lockdowns that actually require people to be locked down.

...off when top of my head.

TheOneLeggedJockey fair point I should of worded my question more specific.

As for those points you list, they seem good staring points to research more in-depth.

@User133847 The factors that have contributed to our 100000 death toll : densely populated, diverse, ageing population, higher levels of obesity, higher levels of international travel. A few months ago Boris was being slated for pushing us into lockdown, and it turns out we should have done this sooner. A lot of people have flouted rules and - as a country - we have not acted coherently. I don’t feel sorry for Boris, I don’t blame him solely though. I think there are so many factors that have contributed to our high death toll. I think we need to support him, and support each other - and work together for the good of the whole. The time for voting will come later if we strongly disagree with how the conservatives have handled the pandemic.

@Ihopeyourcakeisshit

While I don't disagree with the most of the criticism already mentioned in this thread, I do feel a bit sorry for him. I've always thought he was a self serving dick, but he does appear quite beaten. He's the poster boy for be careful what you wish for.

This is how I feel exactly.

Nope.

I'm sure he will be overjoyed when he stands down after the next election.
This has been a crap time to be PM.

No.
He is a crook, a born liar and a snake oil salesman.
As PM, he is completely incompetent, inherently lazy and a disgrace.
Even worse, he is racist and sexist.
He should be in prison.

No, I don't. Which is saying something, as I often do feel sorry for 'baddies', even serious criminals, if they've been badly damaged by early life experiences or whatever. I always try to understand the psychology of people. Nobody is born bad after all.
But, Boris Johnson & co are a different case. I'm afraid they're just spectacularly unpleasant people. Apparently he burnt a load of £20 notes in front of a homeless man as part of a repulsive ritual for a posh boys society he was a part of at the time. Can you get more revolting than that?
Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn has devoted his life to helping people, and trying to end homelessness and poverty. What did this media-deceived nation do, voting for BJ, and rejecting JC? It's unfathomable to me

Sorry, it was a £50 note, not £20. Even worse

@Hawkins001

TheOneLeggedJockey I would be intrigued to read the detailed analysis that lead you to your conclusion and all referenced with detailed source information etc.

I'd be more interested in @Hawkins001's detailed analysis of how Boris hasn't done infinitely worse that most Western world leaders bar Trump.

Your acting like Boris is a dictator.
There are many people who advise and are experts, on schools , health, the economy and transport to name but a few.
No matter who was at the helm this same experts would really be in charge.
Boris just gives people someone to scream at.
We are all part of the problem.

Nope

As a teacher I’m sick of hearing him say ‘schools are safe’ and failing to listen to the education sector the whole way through - or consider any sensible options for keeping education open safely. We could have had Rotas for secondary schools all year and kept them going safely as a result.

I’m angry that he let 100’s of children mix in schools just days before xmas, then tried to blame families for mixing for the massive spike we are now seeing.

As the partner of a nurse I’m sick of hearing him ‘thanking our wonderful NHS’ whilst failing to give them proper PPE from the start and leaving so many to lose their lives as a result. And not acknowledging what underfunding has done and the mess we’re in as a result. And that people are dying because of huge shortages in care at no fault of staff right now.

It’s nonsense to say he’s doing the best he can in difficult circumstances. Just about every country in the world has managed it better than us.

He is incompetent and looks run down and haggard because he knows he is but hasn’t got the balls to admit it. He’s a disgrace.

@Whythesadface the thing is though, that BJ has frequently ignored the advice given. He locked down too late back in March. He shook hands with Covid patients. There was the Christmas fiasco, and on & on. As for the rest of us being part of the problem - we're not being advised by experts daily. We're not paid to be leaders. We're generally doing our best with the info we have.
That said, anyone who voted for the Tories in the last election, is part of the problem, yes. The rest of us, not so much

@Whythesadface

Your acting like Boris is a dictator. There are many people who advise and are experts, on schools , health, the economy and transport to name but a few. No matter who was at the helm this same experts would really be in charge. Boris just gives people someone to scream at. We are all part of the problem.

Come on.

What good is the expert advice, if you’re not prepared to make the hard decisions, that the expert advice deems necessary?