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

He didn't have to or want to mention Churchill. He wanted to channel him with an emphatic tone, pounding hand gestures, and fluid speech (in contrast to his PMQ '...ums and...ers'). Bullsh*t Boris saying nothing much, but by god didn't he say it well. No wonder his ratings are so high. 🙄

Robert Koch Institute for disease control said in a daily bulletin on Sunday the number of people each carrier was infecting in the country – known as the reproduction rate, or R – had risen to 1.1.

Is it true that numbers are going back up in Germany BigChoc?

That's why it had to be pre-recorded rather than live

And definitely, definitely no live questions.

Good analysis from Scientists for EU of the nudge department thinking behind "the Government's bizarre new slogan"

Spoiler alert: the ambiguity and lack of clarity is no accident

https://www.facebook.com/scientistsforeu/videos/2664289803816535/?d=n

That was great link prettybird thanks!

Wuhan has now confirmed new cases.

So we move out of lockdown today here in France. It will be very nice to set foot out of the house without filling in a piece of paper. It will be very nice to go out in the car with DH and walk somewhere that is more than 1km from home. I am looking forward to getting my hair cut on Wednesday. Apart from that, we will keep doing click and collect shopping and keep everything else to the absolute minimum. After nine weeks of isolation it all feels a bit scary, but at least here we know what the rules are.

I suspect the waffle is so that the blame will be put on us for not understanding vague instructions.
Every "team leading/management " course I ever went in said "be clear in your instructions as a leader or subsequent fuck ups are your fault". Without the swearing.

Raab explaining on breakfast television that you can go somewhere you are fond of, cross borders if you like (as long as you follow the rules there) for any reason at all. Looks like all of the Tory mistresses will be busy today!

Oh huzzah!

Prettybird- thanks for the link - it's Exactly what DH and I were talking about over the weekend.

It's quite sinister...... and awful now waiting for the peak

@missclimpson very jealous of your haircut, nothing here til at least 4th July. As the owner of a fringe, that is not good! My boys will be getting corona cuts this week now I've sourced some clippers!

Oh this is a car crash

Dan Bloom @danbloom1
Dominic Raab has just told Today you CAN meet two relatives at the same time in the park, if you're two metres apart - this is the opposite of what we've been told so far. We've been told it has to just be one person from each household, no more.

Natasha Clark @natashac
Dominic Raab tells R4 one person can meet two members of their family (if in those two are in same household) in park at 2m distance. We were told it was just one other last night?

Cj Mckinney @mckinneytweets
Dominic Raab tells #r4today that the encouragement to go back to work if you can't work from home applies from "this Wednesday", not today as people assumed from the PM's speech last night.

Raab says that the onus is on employers to provide a "covid-secure" workplace. #r4today

Raab confirms that compulsory quarantine will come in for "anyone arriving in the UK, subject to a series of exemptions" which include "the short straits with France, the Common Travel Area". #r4today

Ed Miliband @ed_miliband
The PM didn’t say workplace changes applied from Wednesday. He said “And the first step is a change of emphasis that we hope that people will act on this week.” Wednesday was only mentioned in relation to other changes. Words matter. Clarity is essential. This is shambolic.

Do you think Raab has looked up Calais on the map again?

More seriously, the French exception rule was after a long telephone call with Macron and a bilateral agreement.

There is obviously a large concern about the UK being cut off from imports. And that has ramifications for Brexit...

Raab was unable to answer the question about quarantine for arrivals via Paris clearly. Anyone travelling from further afield and wanting to get round quarantine rules just needs to fly into Paris and then on to the UK. Also, in line with RTB’s point, does this mean HGV drivers bringing fruit/veg up from Spain just need to travel via a French ferry port?

Jonathan Freedland @freedland
Keep remembering the words of one senior figure who’d attended Cobra meetings and who told me a month ago that Johnson and the Gov’t were “winging it"

Hands up, who is surprised.

“Treating people like adults” seems by my calculation to have broken down within a couple of hours. God damn, people are seemingly incapable of listening

Re France, the EU has already said there will be free travel within the Schengen area and the U.K. So anyone coming from the U.K. (where the infection is the highest) can go in europe wo a quarantine.
But somehow, the uk wants to restrict arrivals from the eu minus France, even though infection rates are much lower than the U.K. AND they’ve agreed to let brits coming in wo quarantine.

How is that making sense???

And yes that’s wo talking about the issue of actually getting food (half of our food) from Europe through the borders....

It's universal, Louise
Every country has stupid people that bugger it up for everyone else

In Germany, the anti-vaxxers twats and the AfD yobbos have been joining together to protest against lockdown in our own "it's just flu" idiocy
Two groups of knuckle-draggers well suited to each other - and of course not maintaining distance from anyone. The police being coughed on

As an aside, I’m wondering how many people are now scratching their heads wondering if they can or should go back to work.
I know that in my area if work, we were all left wondering....

But then this came up this morning.
Hairdressers not to reopen until 4th July alongside pubs et....

“Treating people like adults” seems by my calculation to have broken down within a couple of hours. God damn, people are seemingly incapable of listening

This is exactly what the govt want. Blame the thickos, not the people in charge who still haven't managed a basic and clear Public Health strategy that includes proper testing. We are outliers in our lack of testing, loose lockdown, lack of quarantine and unclear messaging from our PM. People may do stupid things, they always will, but the lack of anyone stopping them (and even actively encouraging them in some instances), speaks louder to me.

We do need to be treated like adults - but you need to communicate clearly...... something that seems impossible for this government.
Last night was same bullshit from Johnson - with Raab clarifying points this morning - and in some cases contradicting what was said last night.

I want an adult in charge - like Sturgeon or Jacinda. You may not agree with there politics or what they are doing. But it's crystal clear what needs to happen.

On another note - heard today from someone who has a large glazing business(big high rise buildings). They were threatened with being sued last week , if they did re-start today. So has had to take staff off furlough. They will all drive into London separately. Can't imagine that can maintain social distance once they are onsite....

They surely can’t be planning on trashing import/export chains now so when Brexit happens they can shift blame onto the virus?