Are you watching the Prime Minister speaking live on news channels?

'Democracy demands that the entire nation is represented in this undertaking'
..especially as the government is going to have unbelieveable powers soon [akin to a dictatorship] which they intend to have for 2 years. And [sorry to bring up the 'b' word] they are still planning to Brexit and negotiate all those new trade deals. Labour must have a new leader asap. We need one party the has wise, experienced politicians in it. The Conservative Party has become, in general, one of wet behind the ears yes men and women.

Interesting post, Whitewave. I will read and digest. No, the government has not developed a social conscience. Expediency has always and only been their watchword.

Be in no doubt that the package of measures does not mean that this government has suddenly developed a social conscience but it is entirely about saving the economy - as posters are beginning to understand Sunak’s plan, does nothing for a large majority who are self employed etc.

It would have made so much more sense for Sunak to have introduced a fully comprehensive national Income Guarantee Scheme, which would sit alongside the existing proposals by the government.

“Any Government loan would be tied into an agreement with individual businesses about job protection. This week’s package of loans and grants for businesses was an essential first step, but by choosing not to put any conditions on this support, ministers provided very little protection for workers during this crisis.
A Danish-style wage subsidy initiative would be introduced that provides businesses facing coronavirus-related job losses with direct Government subsidies to help them cover wages.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) would be increased and made available to all. The SSP would be trebled from £94.25 a week to match the Real Living Wage. The lower earnings limit requirement would be scrapped and SSP would be extended to be available to everyone who needs it, including the self-employed.
Ministers should look to strengthen and expand the social security system at the earliest opportunity”

If this crises becomes long term -which I suspect t will be the case - rather than the short sharp shock our PM is suggesting, then I think those measures outlined above will be absolutely necessary to prevent social unrest from spreading throughout U.K. society.

Further, once the opposition parties have elected their leaders, it is time that a government of national unity was formed. The government is on a war footing and had taken in vast powers for at least two years. Democracy demands that the entire nation is represented in this undertaking.

It's a good first step and I imagine there has been a lot of long hours going on to get to this stage. However, more is still to be done and there are groups who have yet to feel the pressure lift.

I think you are asking too much Eloethan if you expect a reversal of the "austerity" measures - always a political choice rather than a necessity - at this time. Hopefully, once we are through this we will realise the idea of "front-line workers" should not include the excessive protection of those who have risen to in some peoples eyes since the Thatcher era and have been protected within the tax system.

I agree that we need more testing. Germany's deaths are a far smaller proportion than most other countries. Their level of testing is much higher. Now, of course, correlation is not causation but if that is the only correlation it does beg the question about why we are not testing more. There is some thought that by keeping their testing high they are treating people earlier. We don't know if that's the reason for fewer deaths but personally, I would like to try it and see if it makes a difference.

Iam64 UC hasn't actually been increased by £20 a week for those who have lost £100s in income. The devil is in the detail.

It's a bad package for the self-employed, zero hours workers and renters. I have already lost a considerable percentage of my income, but I've been looking at the details and I'm not eligible for anything. The Chancellor was right to prioritise trying to keep businesses afloat and prevent redundancies. Nevertheless, at least one in six of the working population stand to be compensated very little or nothing, certainly in comparison with employees and mortgage holders.

I think it was a pretty good package too. However, from what commentators have said on various news channels, the rest of Europe is providing similar, and in some cases better, funding.

It does not cancel out the fact that the austerity regime has undermined all our public services - the services that we so desperately need to function properly now. In the case of the NHS, as doctors have been warning for years, the lack of sufficient staff, equipment and beds, all done in the name of cost-cutting, is already having a profoundly negative effect on the physical and mental health, and the morale, of those stressed and exhausted people working in the service.

It is only sensible to try and retain businesses and their workers, in an attempt to ward off a dreadful recession. It does not indicate that this government is suddenly developing a conscience but that it is an economic necessity, which may also be necessary to ward off the inevitable public unrest that would arise if people were left without financial support in a situation which is not of their making and over which they have had no control.

POGS You mean raise the tone of the debate a bit by making a jolly comment, something akin to the "last gasp" remark, or have your father demonstrate how seriously he takes your stern-faced request that "vulnerable and older people" maintain social distance by announcing he is off down the pub?

This is very much a political matter. NHS doctors, including consultants, and nurses and other staff have been warning for the last ten years that the NHS is so under-resourced it would find it almost impossible to cope if there was some sort of pandemic. Politicians chose to ignore it.

To my mind, one of the major issues in this crisis is that there has been hardly any testing. It appears that in the UK only people who are seriously ill and who receive treatment in hospital are tested and form part of the figures. So we have no idea of the true figure of those who have had the virus and who are, experts think, likely to now be immune. Surely, when planning strategy, it is important to know this sort of information? And it means that other contacts can be identified and tested. Other countries have been far more pro-active in testing.

In the same way that I didn't give a damn what Corbyn wore, I couldn't care less what Johnson wears. Yet there was much ridicule relating to Corbyn's mode of dress from the very same people who are now saying what a PM wears doesn't matter.

The closure of pubs etc should have been with immediate effect. I dread to think how many people will contract the virus because of a last hurrah night out. And every one of those people will infect many others.

It's all delayed, far too little and too late to prevent a catastrophe. What's happening now should have been done two weeks ago.

The virus is out there, free to infect a frightening number of people. With no testing, though, we have no idea how many.

There won't be enough capacity at hospitals, funeral homes or crematoriums. Emergency burial powers will come into force.

Well whatever he says some people will think is wonderful, I haven’t criticised his appearance btw. He didn’t close pubs- that was the right thing according to the fan club. Now he’s closed them a couple of days later and that’s marvellous despite the fact we’ve said he should have closed them to start with. Ditto schools. Expecting people to “do the right thing” when we know a lot won’t is too trusting. In the middle of next week it will be London lockdown when it should be now. It’s covering up for the inadequacies in the health and social care system. Drip feeding the masses.

Hear hear Iam64 I think the package announced this evening sounds very good too.Does anyone disagree with what was said I wonder, and if so, why??
Continuous politicising of this health crisis ( a crisis such that we haven’t seen in our long lifetimes) by castigating everything that BJ says or does, is frankly ridiculous and juvenile.

Well said craftyone!

He reminds me of my first boss who was bumbling and vague.
However he ran a very successful business because he employed the best people and listened to what they said!

So now you are running the show? Ok .

BJ is doing a grand job, he is a good leader and is giving us the right messages, not too much at once. He is keeping our spirits afloat during the most torrid scary time. There are always moaners, negative people and tbh we really don`t need or want them right now. The same few posters over and over ad nauseam

Won't it be wonderful if Mr J's conservative government continues to wrestle with the negative impact on all our public services, including the NHS of 9 years of austerity imposed, by the Conservative party. Also, the way the increasing need to unity social and health care for older people and other vulnerable groups has continued to be talked about but no action taken.
Having set my stall out, confirming I'm no conservative voter, can we please focus on something more significant than Mr J's rather unkempt, exhausted presentation. I didn't like it when Michael Foot was castigated for his warm donkey jacket. Focus on policy and the responses to the crisis we're living in please.
I wish we didn't have a run down health service, with not enough ventilators or staff. However, we still have a fantastic NHS with wonderful staff. Mr J and his chancellor seem to have put together a positive package to support industries and the self employed, increased UC by £20 a week. Yes, we would all want more but what they have done so far seems positive.

uncaps his pen? For the Love of God.

Ah Corbyn! At last. Nobody said they were pro Corbyn.

Please keep her north of the border to look after her tiny flock, is it 5.4 million? in comparison to UK population of 66.44 million.
She doesn't have that much to do, does she? But gets an inordinate amount of air time, media attention, disproportionate in comparison to Wales with 3.2 million people.

I like Boris. He is calm, defers to the experts on either side, uncaps his pen to make a note & refers back, inspires us with his attention to detail.

Comets the hour, cometh the man.

He isn’t old, weedy and whiny like Corbyn. He is on top of his brief, erudite and sincere.

He’ll do for me in this crisis. I trust him.

Well said Labaik - and now it is going to cost lives. There will be unnecessary deaths due to a lack of ventilators, ICU beds and medical staff.

There could well be crime and public disorder due to an overstretched police force. Many of you voted for this!

He is leader of a party that has ran our health service and police into the ground. And now they are the ones responsible for saving our lives/keeping us safe. Not him. Don't expect me to suddenly respect him.

What is left to do....is now to be seen to support health workers. More of them , more equipment, more pay.

Police supermarkets ( as in the verb)

Ask away......I don't wish to answer and please don't lump me together with a whole band of other people.

I think the leader of the country at any time and especially at this time should look and sound professional. We all present ourselves and adopt a personna for work. I see a counsellor and she is presented in a professional manner, I greatly appreciate this as it makes me feel valued and worthwhile. She has clear professional bondaries and instils confidence.

BJ has none of these qualities.

Labaik/Greymar/trisher/paddyanne/varian/vegansrock/Whitewave

I understand you collectively share the same opinion of Boris Johnson, hardly breaking news, I accept you do not like his appearance and decry what he wears, his hair, his posture etc, all things personally aimed at the man with regular comments/posts. Your perogative.

Trying to raise the debate a tad, ' What in the Media Briefing today did the PM/Chancellor do that you find so upsetting that does not apply to appearance? What measures that were announced do you disagree with?

What constructive measures do you want the government to take, what further measures can you think of for the government to exercise.

You have all been '' noticeably ' asking for the government to take action and have mentioned measures you wanted to see taken by the government. Having read your many posts I am interested to understand what you think is left to do that the PM and the Chancellor did not enact over the last few days that were not mentioned by you on other threads.

I don' t mean get a hair cut or wear a different tie, or move quicker you have repeatedly made that point over the forums. I am asking for constructive criticism of the measures put forward thus far.

Thank you.