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

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!

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.

... 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.

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.

Firecracker

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!!

too many "are"s in that, sorry.

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?

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

maizie

They had more sense 75 years ago!

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

Yes Lemongrove I remember before the last election a poster laughed at me when I said Labour would be wiped out in the North West and Midlands and she said she was saving my post to prove me wrong, she disappeared without a trace lol strange that. I think some who support Labour, the Lib Dems and Greens live on a different planet so out of touch are they with the real world and normal people.

Regardless if you like BJ or not he has a job to do and is doing it as best as he can.
If he didn`t deliver the important message over this Pandemic killer most of you would be up in arms.
I for one applaud him as he could have passed the job on to someone else with ease.
Seems to me he can`t do right for doing wrong.

vegan I read this morning that he is 18 but looks younger than his age?????

Now is not the time for political point scoring or Covid-19 bingo!!!!

I presume that was in reply to LemonGroves post.

Dishy Rishi should take over. BJ is unable to do his wifflewaffle, lies and obfuscations, not as bad as Trump, but that’s not saying much.

Really Whitewavemark? He certainly seems to be less in evidence at the moment.

In my opinion, the answer to this crisis would be a wartime type of coalition government with everyone working together in the country's best interests.

We have excellent people in all parties. How you choose exactly which people to include I wouldn't know however.

I imagine that Boris fervently wishes he could be "gone" from this nightmare. Personally, I'm surprised at how many across all political persuasions recognise that he is doing a good job in unprecedented times. Apart from those who are offended by haircuts or style of presentation or a fluid and pragmatic response to a rapidly evolving situation.

Agreed GG, it doesn't help our mindset one bit.

I have to hope that there are decent, honourable people in charge.