Boris Broadcast to the Country

Jaxjacky

Oops wrong topic, note to self, pay attention woman.

I did wonder . Hope the veg is going well. I've been pulling out weeds, its very therapeutic.

toadinthehole there are plenty of leaders who have done a better job- Angela Merkel, Jacinda Ahern to name but two. So to say no-one could do better is plainly wrong.

“ If someone spoke the rubbish that he does in a broad local accent such as my own, it would be a different kettle of fish.”

Never thought of that, but I think you have a point! Especially if a Labour PM !!

Should I duck behind the parapet ?

CalendarGirl Margaret Thatcher would have been on top of the job like a dose of salts and knock her team into shape at the same time. I didn't always agree with her but by golly she would certainly have been up to the job.

I have a certain amount of sympathy for the present Prime Minister since he has no experience of hard knocks in his life. My father reared his children to understand privilege had a price - and the price a social conscience. How it is interpreted is according to the individual's experience of the reality of life for the majority.

but that does go for everyone ( and all political leaders) including the sainted Sturgeon! I once criticised her choice of clothes, a few years ago and all hell broke loose on the thread

I liked the blue suit she wore yesterday.
(How shallow of me)

As DH said: She has nothing better to report than Johnson, it's just that she's a lawyer and he was a Classics scholar. It's all the same rubbish, but presented differently.

She’s clear, concise and informative, that’s the different. And also her empathy is believable, unlike a Johnson’s.

Yes, but still the same rubbish.

Some people like clear and concise, others prefer a more human approach.

I do prefer clear and concise myself, that's why I would listen to the scientists.

vegansrock, I didn’t say “ no one could do better”. I said it would be hard for anyone. I don’t know who Jacinda Aherne is, but Angela Merkel has an easier task simply because she is governing German people, who by definition, are much more disciplined than the British, and before anyone tells me I’m wrong, my husband spent many years working alongside Germans. Their whole outlook is far better than ours, and they are much more likely to obey the law.

Remember reading a book about 'direct translations' which just do not work in practice- applied to business where mis-understandings are often caused in this way.

One example was about 'yes, it can be done in 6 months'

meaning for the Germans 'we are sure it can be done, and 6 months if the maximum limit, probably be done long before'

and the UK meaning 'well it can be done, in a month of sunday with several blue moons, and you'd be very very lucky if we have started in 6 months time.

or words to that effect.

The fact that the UK Government can sign international agreements aka contracts, and then totally renege on them- will not help perception.

Toadinthehole

*vegansrock*, I didn’t say “ no one could do better”. I said it would be hard for anyone. I don’t know who Jacinda Aherne is, but Angela Merkel has an easier task simply because she is governing German people, who by definition, are much more disciplined than the British, and before anyone tells me I’m wrong, my husband spent many years working alongside Germans. Their whole outlook is far better than ours, and they are much more likely to obey the law.

I think it is Jacinda Ardern Toad the New Zealand prime minister.
Yes Germans are far more disciplined when it comes to rules! And they are better set up for testing. In Germany each Land has more individual powers to govern as they choose, so I'm guessing each area can act quickly in the interests of its folk.

Centrialisation of power and disabling the public sector are key factors in the Cummings ideology.

Local authorities, who would have been best placed to respond well to a local rise in infection, have been starved of funds and sidelined, whilst megabucks contracts have been handed out to private companies (often with no track record in public health) without proper competitive tendering on the basis of "who you know".

That is why we are now in such a parlous state compared with the strong European democracies. All part of the process of destroying the UK.

Germany also spends twice as much on health services which has helped.

vegansrock

Germany also spends twice as much on health services which has helped.

Yes, for example Germany has nearly 3,000 ct scanners we have about 630.

It’s also misleading to say Merkel has “an easier job” as Germans are somehow more likely to obey laws. Brits are Just as willing to follow rules and obey laws when they make sense and are not woolly and confusing. The early message of “stay home” was pretty much adhered to up until the Cummings debacle and the chopping and changing of the message. That was one area where Johnson could have easily done better but chose not to.

For me, the message was clear in two important areas.
1. People could die from my infection if I were not careful.
2. We are in for 6 months of this upheaval.

That all makes sense to me, not woolly or confusing. The rest I can sort through.

The first we knew already. The second I had already figured out for myself, as I’m sure most of those on here had too.

What matters to me and others I’ve spoken to is that there is no point in new rules if they are not
1) adhered to by the public
2) policed

Nothing like a soldier in full camouflage gear, clutching an AK47 for enforcing the mask ruling in Tesco!

SueDonim this information appeared on the BBC news site this morning. I hope it will be of some comfort to your very ill friend and his family.
Covid in Scotland: Terminally ill assured they can have home visits www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-54266225

Thank you Grannynannywanny. I had seen that and it will be a great relief to our friends.

Nice one Boris.

“ Johnson suggested Tuesday that coronavirus infections were higher in Britain than in Italy or Germany because it was a "freedom-loving country" -- a barb that sparked great offence in Rome.

Asked in parliament if "the reason Germany and Italy have far lower Covid rates than us" is because their contact tracing systems work better, he said there was "a very important difference... our country is a freedom-loving country".

He claimed that made it very difficult to ask the British population uniformly to obey guidelines.

Asked about the comment, Mattarella said: "We Italians also love freedom, but we also care about seriousness".

Italy was the first country outside China to face a major coronavirus outbreak, but has managed to keep infection rates relatively low compared to Spain, France and Britain.

What a load of garbage he spouts

Usual incoherent populist garbage from Johnson

Snap???

I must remember any time I am hauled up in court for not obeying some law, that I can use the defense of being a "freedom-loving" Briton.

I watched the video of the PM saying this as I could not quite believe it. I would love to be free of him. He is an embarrassment.

I just watched it too Parsley3. He didn't seem to see the irony in saying that we are a freedom loving country and then ending by saying we all have to follow the rules or it will be all our fault. The rest of the world must think we've all gone mad.