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?

So, I was completely clueless after watching the speech.

What seems to be the case is that tomorrow a 50page document with the detail will be unveiled in parliament. We will also get details of how furlough is ended on Tuesday.

Nothing goes into effect (in principle until WED) but no one knows what the fuck is going on after that speech.

Peston seems to think that the idea is based on localised 'weather reports' on the R value in an area, which will decide localised decision making and be available for the public to look up.

So you'd be able to look up the R rate for somewhere you want to visit and your local school will only reopen if the R is low enough.

In theory.

High schools won't be returning until September.

You will be able to go and drive for unlimited exercise - as long as you don't go to Wales or Scotland. (Lucky Lake District) - tennis, golf and angling all to be allowed.

Its utter chaos tonight though. No one really understand what the fuck is going on.

Why only primary school going back?
I'm guessing that's because of the childcare issue - secondary students in theory can look after themselves at home.

I found some of what he said quite clear - you can play sports outside but only with your household for example. But other stuff has left massive questions in it. Like if you're a construction or manufacturing worker, are your maybe only primary aged children now ok to go to school like the previous key workers? It hasn't helped tbh.

Yes, after BJ's speech, we do need a 50-page document to explain what he actually meant

I understand his "stay a lert" bit, but it's not clear what you guys are supposed to be a Lert for ...
or what to do if the wind changes and your face stays a Lert

iirc he didn't mention childcare / school for the additional workers who are supposed to go out to work

Or is school now for kids of all workers who can't WFH ?

Maybe they hadn't thought that through ?

.

Friends in France have expressed astonishment at BJ's popularity ratings.
The only way I can get my head around it is by presuming people are so worried that they cling onto the idea those in charge are doing a good job, because the alternative is too fucking scary to contemplate. Especially if you voted for the people in charge.

Ds has pointed out that BJ said that this could have been a catastrophe.

32,000 official deaths.

32,000

Could have been a catastrophe

Could have

prettybird of course, he mentioned that it could have been 500,000
so, really, it could have been worse, huh, peeps? Ugh, he is horrible, with his fake 'every death is a catastrophe' line. I thought the presentation was quite good, but the content was awful, including the above.

I don't understand really how any of it will work.
I know you guys have said it's back to work on Wednesday- but I thought he implied people should be back to work tomorrow.......and I would have thought I had it wrong- but Keir seems to be saying many people took that implication.

I saw somewhere saying people could have cleaners back from last Wednesday...... but surely having someone going from house to house is a bad idea......

There seemed to be so many contradictions.... but that's maybe the point? Don't make it clear..... then you can't pin it in the government.

Also the BBC said after he spoke that they were talking about the kids who were going into GCSE's and A levels would go back to school sooner...... but then the bbc also noted on their website that what was supposed to be said in the speech seemed to have changed. 😳

On the flip side it has made me quite stressed and anxious- not knowing what we are supposed to be doing. I know what I think I should be doing, but it's trying to maintain that while everyone else around us thinks it's back to normal😱

Louise that video was brill. Laugh out loud funny. Thank you.

DS1 watching Boris’ talk: “He looks so tired!“
Me: “He’s got a newborn baby at home. Yep, that’d do it.”

I don't understand really how any of it will work.

My suspicion is that you aren't alone. There are a bunch of people in the civil service currently doing their Theresa May style homework and writing the document (complete with 2am timestamp) for the morning. And it will still be missing hugely important details that they forgot in their cramming session before their looming deadline.

Reminder: the time he paid for being silly ...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/05/boris-johnson-boasted-of-shaking-hands-on-day-sage-warned-not-to

No 10’s scientific advisers warned that the government should tell people not to shake hands
on the same day that Boris Johnson boasted about doing so “with everybody” at a hospital where there were confirmed coronavirus patients.

Advice from a sub-group of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said on 3 March
that the government should “advise against greetings such as shaking hands and hugging, given existing evidence about the importance of hand hygiene”.

“A public message against shaking hands has additional value as a signal about the importance of hand hygiene,”

< and his message was to carry on shaking >

I know Oldlace - and I'm ashamed to say that I got manipulated by his presentation to only notice the "could have been 500,000" statement rather than his callous eliding over the uncomfortable and unforgivable truth that 32,000 so far have died (in fact, Chris Giles at the FT has estimated that by Friday the excess deaths were around 55,000 ).

It's not like we didn't see it coming

I'm proud of ds for noticing it.

Grinchly I agree. I was nearly crying with laughter 😂. I’ve watched it about 5 times there are more as well.

Agree he did look a bit shattered, not surprising really. Wasn’t quite what I’d expected. No historical references, no Churchill, fewer material changes than I’d anticipated and very few beginning immediately (pleased about that personally but then I can wfh with relatively little difficulty)

By saying it could have been 500k - it makes the 30k (really 50k) seems like a win.....
And it could be viewed at that - if we weren't running at around 35000 new infections a week.....: out of the -?- 500k (is it that high?) we are testing...... and you need to account for the false negatives..... which what ? Run at 30%.... so yes it's all ffffiiiiinnnnneeeee

Seems appropriate for Mumsnet

Funny, I was just thinking that at least with the seriously draconian measures in place (penitentiary is the term used by friends), at least DS2 won't get headlice when he goes back on Tues.
We've dug up an ancient skipping rope for his solitary playground activity. The nursery school round the corner has painted lines on the ground to show where to go in and out and there are boxes for the DC to stand in while they queue waiting for the gates to open.

Tonight's classic typo in the Grauniad;

Switzerland
Foof shops, garden centres, and hairdressers already open.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/10/global-report-covid-19-cases-rise-in-germany-as-wuhan-reports-first-infection-in-weeks

I do not watch the broadcasts
as I cannot afford a new telly each week
but would remind everybody that work that cannot be done at home has always been allowed
both in the UK and France and Germany and Spain and Italy and everywhere else

this strange idea that everybody is staying home but the internet and delivery and utility systems are still magically working is
INCREDIBLY DAMAGING
Tens of thousands of people are going into offices every day managing computer systems
with no credit or thanks at all

they do not get a clap on a Thursday night
but without them
the lights would not work

Remember that please

• when you put your bin out
• when you pay a bill online

etc ad nauseam

Check out the editorial line on the front page of the ToryGraph.

The Prime Minister's employers don't seem too impressed with his performance tonight!

A lesson in good communication, it was not.

It's also only c50,000 32,000 so far

Still plenty being added to that total on a daily basis

PMK

I realise that listening- really I do..... I bake and was wondering if my bin men would accept a cake.....(they are often here when I am getting my daughter in the car to get her to school and we have a little bit of a laugh)

But I also know people who can work from home, but bosses would prefer them to travel into London....they were pressured to not work from home , to keep in travelling in ( that thing where if I can't see you, you can't be working). They have no option but to travel in by public transport - they will have huge pressure to travel in now (never mind there are childcare issues).....

Cleaners will have pressure to go back to work - even if they are shielding as in my sisters cleaners case - and she is happy to have the status quo(of cleaners not coming but she is still Paying her). And they are going house to house.

They have maybe slowed the rate of infection - it maybe flat- but it can easily go back up ...... and this governments message is so unclear