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

I think that is the potential problem. He is a discredited "medium".

People are not always rational in their response to these sort of diktats - there are idiots out there who are deliberately spitting on policemen.

BBC had a very clear graph yesterday showing the exponential spread that results from just one person infecting another. I think that the CMO showing these things himself and explaining the science might hit home.

One of my DDs has a FIL who thinks it is all rubbish, and is behaving accordingly. Anything that might make people like him listen is to be welcomed.

If the "medium" of BJ is not hitting the spot - which seems to be the case for many - then a serious scientist needs to front the campaign.

......... just this........

He is doing better than I thought.
Imagine Corbyn in control; you'd need your extra toilet rolls then methinks as we would all be in the shit.

And the BBC is an eminently trustworthy source of course.

If people are too bigoted to separate the message from the messenger that says more about them than it does about Boris. Crass and idiotic. It’s never been more important that people cooperate that people work together but some parts don’t like Boris? Tough! There are far worse alternatives.

Would you prefer Corbin who thinks the Argentinian president didn’t murder enough dissidents?

Hard to believe how crass some people can be or is it more desperate attention seeking?

Whether he is the best person for the job is not relevant right now - he is the one we've got, and the middle of a global health crisis is not the time to try to change him. Try to focus on ther message, not the messenger.

Suziewoozie
Maw many find it impossible to separate the message from the messenger

Might I respectfully suggest that is their problem..

Quite right, we do need to heed the message. Unfortunately, Boris has nurtured the persona of being a bit of a lad ever ready with the witty quip. He needs to work on his gravitas now if he is to be taken seriously and listened to or people will still be waiting for him to start bumbling about naysayers and poppycock. He can pull it off if enough people give him the benefit of the doubt.

To be fair, he knows as much as we do and has to follow advice from the medics/scientists. I have never been a Tory supporter, but we need to support him at this time. He is doing his best and Id rather have him than another person from across the Atlantic. We need to all support each other and do away with petty cr*p.

The problem is that Boris was elected on a single statement. He wasn't elected for his statemanship or his honesty and there will be those who don't believe a word he says. He is good at being amusing and light hearted, he isn't good at being serious and concerned. Put all the factors together and you get a man out of his depth struggling to convince the British public to change their behaviour. It doesn't bode well. I hope he can change but I doubt it and it might well be better to let someone else give details of the virus whilst limiting his own speeches to the government actions.

Can what he said yesterday evening not be taken seriously ?

Well we will see wont we

May7
Not all experts sing from the same sheet.

It’s a good job we are all different as good to hear differing views. I think he has really stepped up to the mark during these unprecedented times and I have every confidence in him!
It’s the idiots who are not listening and not heeding the warnings that are my major cause for concern!!

When he 'asked' people to do social distancing last week he also said it was important that people could still 'enjoy themselves'. What sort of message was that. Hmm; perhaps one that meant lets all descend on the seaside/NT properties and have a good time, especially as none of the takeaway food services have been made to close down. He started off by telling people to 'wash their hands'; moved on to saying he was still shaking peoples hands. Told people not to go to the pubs that he wasn't closing down [his dad said he would continue going]. Told everyone that it would all be over in 12 weeks time. Says there are plenty of ventilators [there aren't]. Says NHS staff are adequately protected [they're not]. Reduces the number of trains so that those who do still have to use them are packed in like sardines. Yes; he's doing a great job .

These are unprecedented times. Bojo is flying by the seat of his pants. Personally - and I'm no fan - I think he's doing a good job under the circumstances.

Last night's message was pretty unequivocal imho. Not much room for doubt in what he said. There'll always be some who think they know better though.

Oh come on. Now is not the right time to be starting a thread like this.
Personally I think he is coping very well in completely unprecedented circumstances.

We all need to forget about whether we like Boris or not, and just listen carefully to what he is telling us in his daily broadcast. This is no time for politics.

This is a pointless thread. Does anyone agree with me?

Labaik - your points are valid I feel. He also said he would be seeing his Mum on Mothers' Day!

I fully accept that those who are not listening to the message are complete idiots; but we have to accept that there are people like that and do all we can to change their minds.

I am absolutely NOT suggesting a change of PM - just that we need a new tactic and that might be to have a respected scientist who understands epidemics fronting the campaign.

Those who cannot separate the message from the medium do indeed have a problem - but in the current circumstances it becomes our problem too. This is not about politics, but about finding the right person to ram the message home to both idiots and the sane.

I hate him less than I did now he is taking it a bit more seriously.

BUT no, he's not the best person for the job. I accept he's our PM (WHAT a time to get stuck with a puppet leading the country, but he's not quite as bad as Trump) but he COULD give a brief intro, bring on an expert and then do a brief summing up. That way, he'd have less of a disastrous effect on the covidiots.

It is only a pointless thread if the message was getting through. It isn't for many. That is a challenge - and any new tactic has to be considered.

GagaJo - that is my point - thank you for expressing it so succinctly.

Boris hasn't reduced the number of trains that honour goes to Sadiq Khan, he does like to blame Boris for everything but lets give him the credit for his actions.

I have no trouble separating the message from the messenger. The message is LOUD AND CLEAR to those of us intelligent enough to heed it rather than criticising the PM for looking a bit dishevelled, sounding too posh, or whatever else you care to throw at him.

luckygirl well posted -voice of reason. The OP is not about politics but about whether our PM is best placed to deliver the announcements.
Listen to the experts every time for me

I’m no fan of Boris or his government, but I reluctantly admit that I think he’s doing a good job in unprecedented circumstances. He’s been handed a poisoned chalice with this, and whatever he does or says will be roundly criticised by the armchair experts. There are no easy answers to this.