Westminstenders: Political vacuums are very bad things

[RedToothBrush]

Johnson has been notible (once again) but his absence.

Whilst we appreciate he has been ill and has a new baby, we are in the midst of a national crisis and a sense of leadership and guidance from our prime minister has been lacking.

And its not gone unnoticed.

Not just by the press. And not just by opposition. Nor NHS and care managers. But on the ground where it matters.

The lack of the sense of seriousness has dissipated. The sense of duty to country to behave. The idea that it will some how be all over this week when it doesn't appear to be the government strategy. The total lack of policy for a week whilst it's become clear bit by bit that these things have been under discussion and decided upon prior to the supposed key meeting on Thursday from the announcements from the regional assemblies. All in favour of a TV stunt tomorrow night.

Let's see how that goes.

The grandstanding isn't a substitute for detail and substance in a crisis. And we still have the looming show down at the end of June over extension of transition. More optics. More lack of practicality at a time when things will really be on the brink.

The next month will be telling and we hit the wall of economic reality which will bring the whole world crashing in on the lives of so many people.

This is the calm before the storm. Enough the sunshine. Enjoy the time with families. Before this is over everything will have changed for so many.

This is just the start of things unravelling and it needs someone to take control and draw up solid blueprints for all our futures. Is a man who is so frequently awol from where he is supposed to be and doesn't take commitments and responsibilities seriously, really the man for that?

Churchill had a vision for the country that cited housing as our second social service, the NHS being our first.

Will Johnson manage to some how forge out so grand new venture which gives the resource and rewards it deserves to the NHS (beyond lipservice and empty platitudes and clapping, that recognises the importance of social care and can stop the almost inevitable coming wave of homelessness and unemployment

And can he do it without selling us off as a basement bargain to the us?

Pmk

Enjoying the sun.

Early PMK for once. Thanks for the new thread. The worry is that selling us off to the US is the easy option for Johnson - it’s clearly the plan of many around him. Even if he doesn’t necessarily agree with it, past form shows he’s unlikely to put the effort in to come up with something else.

Thanks red

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Thank-you to all for keeping the lifeline going

PMK with thanks for the continued insight & analysis.

pmk

PMK - thanks, Red

'The grandstanding isn't a substitute for detail and substance in a crisis'

Ain't that the truth, sadly.

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Thank you, real life has made it difficult recently but this is real life www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/05/finally-virus-got-me-scientist-who-fought-ebola-and-hiv-reflects-facing-death-covid-19#

PMKing

Thanks, red 💐

It's never a good time to have a workshy incompetent as PM and a Cabinet of mostly mediocrities

but the most serious post-war crisis is surely the worst time

and if BJ really doesn't ask for an extension of Brexit transition, he'll have found yet another way to screw up

The fact that they have started trade talks with the US tells me all.
I just have to hope that the strong Irish lobby in the US scuppers them.

Thanks Red. Interesting scene setter.

We have had the media screaming day after day for detail about plans to end lockdown and when the roadmap does begin to emerge later today it seems likely to me that the criticism will switch back to saying that there is too little change.

A further reinforcement of the “Stay At Home” message before the Bank Holiday weekend would have been helpful and I’m dissapointed that, apart from Raab in the 5pm briefing on Thursday, little more was said on this. I haven’t seen the Saturday one.

I kind of think that if the leaders of the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments want to jump the gun then that’s up to them. Doing so reflects rather poorly on them IMO but since I can’t vote in elections to either body who cares?

Not sure what you are all expecting but I would expect the statement to be confined to the coveying continued gratitude, some small changes to the lockdown in the short term and some rhetoric about getting back to normality

As well as “Stay At Home, Save Lives, Protect the NHS” we might hear...well, what actually? This could be a good distraction....

“Beat The Virus, Release the Lockdown, Open for Business”
“Beat The Virus, Restart Our Economy, Fire Up Britain”
“Bid good COVIDance to this virus”
“Beat the virus, Unlock the lockdown, Lay out our plan, Live normally”

I’d be waiting until a week after Italy or the USA had started releasing their lockdowns to gauge the impact of doing this on virus transmission if it were up to me.

PMK

I remember wondering what was going to be the catalyst after Brexit to turn Britain into 'Argentina', none of us would ever have thought that Brexit will be the catalyst after the economic damage of the pandemic

Pmk and thanks red and morning to all.

Pmk.

Thanks Red.
It’ll be interesting in years to come to compare how different governments acted, and the consequences.
This was posted on the last thread, and puts countries in 3 categories: Winning, Nearly There and Need Action.

Guess which section UK, US, Brazil, Hungary, Belarus, India, Philippines and Russia are all in? Amongst others. Quite telling. Something to do with leadership attitude?

www.endcoronavirus.org/countries?itemId=q7zi2updap20svfe1d7zysxao808c5

PMK

I wonder if BJ will change the slogan the govt have floated:

"stay alert, control the virus, save lives"

since it seems a Boris piffle slogan that doesn't actually say what to do.
At least the "stay home" slogan was clear

Coronavirus: 50,000 tests sent to the US due to lab 'issues'

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-50-000-tests-sent-to-the-us-due-to-lab-issues-11985900

It comes as the government was shown to have missed its testing target for the seventh consecutive day.

Around 50,000 coronavirus test samples had to be sent to the US due to "operational issues" in the UK.....

The samples were flown to the US on chartered flights from Stansted airport,
according to a report in The Sunday Telegraph.

Louise - I found it hard to get upset with Scotland and Wales announcing what's happening. There has needed to be leadership - around me, there is quite a proportion of the community who have been acting like lockdown is going to end...... where the numbers tell you if it does , it's going to be carnage. Those countries leaders are showing leadership- something we desperately need

PMK thanks once again

PMK with a cat dreaming about making a better speech than BJ...

If tests have been sent to the states - it's just political grandstanding....../ and I would say outrageously unpatriotic when there are (as I understand it) uk university that could do those tests - and who will need all the support that can get......

The testing debacle continues.....