Perhaps Boris is not the best person........

Yes, an emergency coalition government would be an answer to how to get through this crisis without making it a party political issue. However, it would need a leader who could choose able people from all shades of the political spectrum and then manage them effectively and without bias into a coherent unit to make decisions for the benefit of all sections of the population and for the country as a whole, and prepared to do that without favouring his/her own party's future.

That takes real statesmanship.

History has shown that after the war, Churchill, (Boris's hero, and the arch-typal leader in a war crisis) and his party were rejected by voters in favour of the opposition. This was partly because they wanted a change from the years of enforced austerity, and associated them with that.

With that example in front of them, no-one is likely to want to take up the challenge. It could be political and career suicide.

So the self employed are to get money but not until June. Until then they are expected to claim Universal Credit if they have no income. Unfortunately the queue for UC is enoormous and of course there has always been a 6 week wait. Really how can anyone think this is efficient managing? Just introducing a standard basic income would solve all the problems for workers . 150 MPs from all parties have asked the Chancellor to do this twitter.com/ApsanaBegumMP/status/1240946706054893568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Fcoronavirus-why-the-uk-needs-a-basic-income-for-all-workers-134257

The question will be whether the population will tolerate returning to austerity, after understanding that there is an alternative.

I'm not sure that the public will understand that there is an alternative to austerity. They will be assiduously fed the 'it's all got to be paid back' myth and take it all on the chin (to borrow a phrase).

I have yet to find anyone who can tell me just who we're supposedly 'borrowing' it from

GracesGranMK3 my post is how I feel about the situation, trying to score political points over this virus whether it be on GN, MSM or Social Media in my opinion is not helpful to anyone or organisation.

They had more sense 75 years ago!

maizie

Boris will soon be the right person - he has "mild symptoms" and has tested positive.

So Boris Johnson has tested positive, with mild symptoms. My son has asthma and has more than mild symptoms but cannot be tested. Why? Front line NHS staff can't be tested, tests are for the general populace are only carried out on hospital admitted patients, why?

too many "are"s in that, sorry.

You can't compare now to 75 years ago, the world was a totally different place just after the war, with few opportunities, few goods, few cars, few holidays, few everything! I was alive then and the few toys you had had to be looked after as you weren't getting any more any time soon!!

Firecracker

Well janipat I imagine it might be something to do with the fact that he's where the buck stops in running the country during this crisis. I for one hope he makes a good recovery.

... my post is how I feel about the situation, trying to score political points over this virus whether it be on GN, MSM or Social Media in my opinion is not helpful to anyone or organisation.

And my post was simply pointing out that there are some who do not seem to agree with you GrannyGravy13.

Front line NHS staff can't be tested, tests are for the general populace are only carried out on hospital admitted patients, why?

Because the virus has outrun the pace at which things can be organised. It's not great but things are being done at a pace - just not yesterday - and it will fall into place. Until then "stay at home" is the best and only thing we can do.

I think we all wish it was different - perhaps like South Korea. However, they were in that position because they had seen virus eruption in the past. I'm not sure I would wish us to have been through that.

trisher one thing I hope this situation will highlight is the bureaucracy around Universal Credit, not to mention the wait and the advance payment that has to be paid back.

God only knows how the DWP is coping with this. They've been understaffed for years as it is!