How do you think Boris has handled it so far ?

Sorrel · Mar 21, 2020

Listening to advice, changing plans when that advice changes, providing a clear set of daily updates, caring about civil liberties and yet taking action when it is needed. I don't think the government response could be much better from the time this has started.

There's much more that could have been done in preparation, though, and it would have been better if we had started from a different place and faster. Hopefully, after this, things can be put in place to make sure that next time (there will always be a next time) things will be on the right track faster.

stingray · Mar 21, 2020

Boris is a salesman. Incapable of dealing with detail. Very slow off the mark

Self employed treated as second class citizens, which as a taxpayer and NI payer, I'm furious about.

vegster · Mar 21, 2020

spence said:
Love the man and his assembled sidekicks. Really proud of our current British government. Certainly the best group of politicians in my lifetime.

Doing what is expected of this flu virus.

That is truly Trumpian bollocks. I'm hoping that post was an attempted wind up, if not, it shows how absolutely gullible people can be.

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 21, 2020

Badly. His speeches are often confused, and contradictory. But above all, he lent on Patrick Valance for advice, bonkers and flawed advice, which has pretty much been dispensed with a few days later.

As an aside, do you remember when folk used to suggest his bumbling speeches were an act...clearly it isn’t.

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 21, 2020

Uncle Spielberg said:
Boris is following his " experts " Cannot see what the bloke could have done more tbh

Vallance is out of his depth though. He should not be following his advice.

PILTDOWN MAN · Mar 21, 2020

Uncle Spielberg said:
I think Boris has done really well. We need a fella with an upbeat attitude in all this. Dread to think what it would have been like with Corbyn or May. Sunak has been a bloody inspiration though. He has been amazing. Considering the absolute shitstorm he has been thrown into and being a novice the bloke has been superb

Agree wholeheartedly

warmleyseagull · Mar 21, 2020

In a sense, what does it matter? I worry rather when we concern ourselves about the messenger, not the message. They can stick Attila the Hun in the middle of a trio at press conference for all I care.

The only important thing is whether he is getting good advice, and whether he is following it. It seems he is. Frankly I worry that we are underestimating the Unintended Consequences of the other two reasons while people will die early: because they have other illnesses that are not treated due to CV; and from the effects of lockdown on well being, diet and lack of exercise.

The speed of new cases meant herd immunity was ditched; that was a mistake IMO and I hope will be incorporated again (as in Netherlands) soon, albeit in as relatively a controlled way as possible. If not, this thing will be like daisies (South Korea today). I would expect BJ to be alert to the longer term consequences and the horrible trade-off that might have to be made against shorter-term issues. I am not sure he is.

Horses Arse · Mar 21, 2020

Frightening thread. Very worrying reading.

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

clapham_gull · Mar 21, 2020

Beach Hut said:
So far he has done extremely well and has assembled a team of experts who between them are very re-assuring.

The responses from Professor Whitty are clear, concise and more importantly explained very clearly the model used to give the answer. The Chancellor has been outstanding in his actions and also the rhetoric on the lines of we said we would etc seems to have ceased so I suspect this is a very much more cross party driven response as clearly some opposition MPs can make valid contributions as well.

The team of experts were already there.

What's fascinating to me is how other MPs such as our lovely caring Home Secretary are being kept out of the public eye.

Clearly the response is being lead by the civil service and the treasury, not the cabinet. Where Boris deserves a little respect is that he obviously pushed aside those clearly our of their depth in a moment of crises.

PILTDOWN MAN · Mar 21, 2020

His upbeat ways is what is needed. Better than a somber May or Corbyn. In such times the country needs to hear it.

I've listened/watched all his briefings and never felt they have been confusing. Some of the press have tried to make up confusion and frankly ask some stupid questions, he hasn't risen to their pathetic crap.

Steve Foster · Mar 21, 2020

Party politics aside - but superb.

The government have acted swiftly, supportingly & decisively whilst ensuring there is no meltdown by the public.

Superb in very very testing times.

Wozza · Mar 21, 2020

Uncle Spielberg said:
I will say again. Boris has made 0 decisions he has listened to the the advice of his experts

Nonsense. He's had to decide which experts to listen to, for starters.

The government will be receiving a wide range of information and opinions from a multitude of experts. The Imperial College said as much last Monday. They're just one advisory body.

Last weekend, the government was widely condemned by WHO and many others for talk of 'herd immunity'.

Others nations were shocked by the slowness of the UK response - the fact that mass gatherings (Cheltenham; huge concerts) were still taking place last week/end.

Many bodies, including the Premier League, shut down events before being advised to by the government.

And while there was still no clear advice from the government, businesses were starting to send staff to work from home. Some companies in the City sent staff home for a month minimum. This is the week before last!

Then, of course, government changed course on Monday 16th.

We finally got daily press conferences. Boris was flanked by experts (currently back in vogue it seems). The government looked and sounded positive (action at last!) for a couple of days.

But Boris soon started looking bored. Basically asking journos in front of the nation, "Do we really need to do this every day?".

Then his ad libs ("12 weeks") started making the headlines. And he sent out dangerous, mixed messages regarding Mother's Day.

As everyone knows, he's been completely outshone by the coherent professional Rishi Sunak (probably a future PM himself).

Then schools were finally shut down in the UK - the last country in Europe. The last!

And... well look, history will ultimately decide how good "Boris has handled this". I truly hope it's a good outcome, and he's lauded - although I have no idea what 'good' will look like.

But we all know that it it's not a good outcome, blame will be deflected.

Anyway, way more important than the rating of a PM right now, is the fact that the UK is still not in lockdown.

And we've already had more deaths here than when China, Spain and France locked down...

portslade seagull · Mar 21, 2020

Raleigh Chopper said:
I agree, it's more or less what I said.
It's the general public that are starting to piss me off because it seems that they won't do the right thing for the sake of everyone.
Not all of course, but enough.

Sadly it's the I'm alright Jack attitude to both the pandemic and panic buying. Only care about themselves. Weren't some countries looking at finding people if they were out without a good reason. Maybe they should look at that ( the government that is )

Dick Knights Mumm · Mar 21, 2020

He needs to buck his ideas up. Drop the act. We need leadership. If he can't provide it - ship out.

Wozza · Mar 21, 2020

Further reading: https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/10-days-that-changed-britains-coronavirus-approach

Rogero · Mar 21, 2020

Very pleased so far . What a terrible situation for a new government. I predict they will close down Youtube ,Netflix etc to allow homeworkers to work. About 3 more days before a complete lock down.

Moshe Gariani · Mar 21, 2020

Blue Valkyrie said:
We are following and mirroring 14 days behind Italy.

I'll give him another 2 weeks and then see if he could have done things better.

Simple articulation of what could be a horrendous truth. I don’t think we could have done much very differently though. Striking exactly the right tone in every second of every press conference is definitely impossible. (The Maybot would have been consistently pretty awful at this.)

Dick Knights Mumm · Mar 21, 2020

Uncle Spielberg said:
Let us be clear. Boris had made no decisions he has followed the advice of his " experts "

That's bollocks. All these decisions have been political. You choose which experts to believe. Do you really think that Herd Immunity where we took a different approach from the rest of Europe, and most of the world wasn't a political decision to suit our current political standing. Get real. But no amount of political posturing faces down reality.

I say that as someone who thought that herd immunity sounded plausible. But was worried it was out of step with Europe. Because that is what it was all about.

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 21, 2020

Steve Foster said:
Party politics aside - but superb..

But he initially made the wrong call, dangerously delaying proper action. How is that superb?

giveusfalmerplease · Mar 21, 2020

Rogero said:
Very pleased so far . What a terrible situation for a new government. I predict they will close down Youtube ,Netflix etc to allow homeworkers to work. About 3 more days before a complete lock down.

what a load of b*lls. so what about the 70% of people who have either lost (or not with a bit of luck) their jobs and are staying at home. dont you think these streaming sites HELP people - mums and dads helping their kids to get some education (YT has videos on just about anything - fancy learning about goat herding - theres a video for that, how about DIY whilst you look for something to do - only about 5 million videos to choose from) and when you get bored at least a 1000 kids movies on Netflix to occupy them if the parents do have to work from home.

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