Indian variant - Is anyone else incredulous at Boris yet again having shut the stable door after the horse has bolted?!

I feel incredibly sad about all this. We have all had to make sacrifices during the past 14 months, some more than others. The vaccine programme has been such a success and has raised our hopes that the light at the end of the tunnel was beginning to burn brightly and normality could gradually resume. How reckless of Boris & Co to give notice about flights from India, resulting in all aircraft jam packed with people. One question. Why were they there? It was illegal to book a trip abroad, but hordes of them arrived back in the UK. India sent a delegation to the G7 summit. Again why? They are not even members. Clearly, nobody here had the common sense not to invite them and nobody there thought it prudent to decline the invitation. So over they come, quickly testing positive. How many poor sods did they come into contact with, in the airport, on the plane, in cars, in hotels and the summit itself? It is beyond thoughtless and irresponsible but Boris smells a trade deal, so that makes everything all right.

varian

He wanted to be PM for the status, to massage and confirm his vanity, his view of himself as an aspiring "king of the world"

Yet he has no interest in actually doing the job.

He is lazy, negligent and doesn't really care how much damage he does as long as he is still lauded by the Sun and the Express and the Daily Mail as "good old Boris"

Toally agree.

He's wanted this forever. Trouble is (for him) he's not had a normal time has he?
Covid/Brexit
Ironic really, he's picked the worst time to be PM. Poor old Boris. Not sympathetic.

A man shows his strength of character in difficult times. He hasn't.

He wanted to be PM for the status, to massage and confirm his vanity, his view of himself as an aspiring "king of the world"

Yet he has no interest in actually doing the job.

He is lazy, negligent and doesn't really care how much damage he does as long as he is still lauded by the Sun and the Express and the Daily Mail as "good old Boris"

He could have more control over the situation just by obeying the rules he set for himself

The trouble is, I am dubious. For instance, his Dad flying to Greece last year to 'prepare his apartment' when everyone else was locked down, so let's see if Greece suddenly becomes green!

We cannot blame it all on those who flout the rules I don't think.
Mixed messages, changes at the last minute, knee jerk reactions have all contributed to this. (As well of course those who do break the rules!)

Kittye

PippaZ the people who flout the rules would do so whether Boris abided by them or not. There’s always people who think rules don’t apply to them ( and maybe Boris is one of them)
But if the rest of us blame the PM for this appalling behaviour they think it lets them off the hook.

That wasn't quite what I said Kittye. But never mind.

PippaZ the people who flout the rules would do so whether Boris abided by them or not. There’s always people who think rules don’t apply to them ( and maybe Boris is one of them)
But if the rest of us blame the PM for this appalling behaviour they think it lets them off the hook.

Kittye

I’m amazed at the selfishness of these stupid people. But hey they can carry on behaving as they do cos everyone can blame Boris. Don’t these people have minds of their own?

He wanted to be PM and that is his job. He could have more control over the situation just by obeying the rules he set for himself.

JustMe

I am absolutely furious at this. Yet again Boris has the kneejerk reaction and is late doing what he should be doing.

Why haven't the Government learnt??

This article is really worth a read. It sets out the timelines, it sets out the reasons Boris didn't do it, it sets out the implications of that.. and it all boils down to THREE days when he dithered.
It's not damning, it's not biaised, it is factual.
And I am so cross about it.

He had the advice, he was being urged to do it quicker. But he didn't.
I just hope this is his hill to die on.

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-the-three-days-in-april-that-may-have-fuelled-uk-outbreak-of-indian-coronavirus-variant-12306393

Thanks for the link, Justme. You sum it up well. Johnson has a real problem with his post Brexit negotiations which are not going anywhere near as well as they would have us believe.

There are figures beginning to emerge about the damage to the service sector, continued threats to supply disruptions due to a shortage of drivers and a scandal looming about the detention of EU nationals at the UK border which will not smooth any paths to a re-organised system with the EU. Add to this the fact that we could run out of construction materials just as we need to build and that businesses are furious with them, not because of the paperwork but because of the additional costs which were never put upfront when the picture of the rainbow was painted.

Because of this he has tried to open up to India and waffled and prevaricated - yet again - about doing the right thing.

And yet, and yet with all this and even more disclosures of handouts - and Johnson constantly refusing to accept the outcomes of enquiries into this he is still the blue-eyed boy. I wonder just what he has to do?

It’s still indoors. It’s still not safe. How long before we see pictures of brawls outside pubs etc

MayBee70 pubs and restaurants are opening up on Monday but under very strict conditions. Table service only, no
standing at the bar, masks to be worn walking to table and toilets.

I’m amazed at the selfishness of these stupid people. But hey they can carry on behaving as they do cos everyone can blame Boris. Don’t these people have minds of their own?

And, on top of that, pubs etc are opening up their doors next week and will be filled with the very people that haven’t been vaccinated. You’d almost question if they were still aiming for herd immunity wouldn’t you. I have been saying for two weeks now that we still need to be cautious but have been accused of being a killjoy. Of course, Johnson has asked people ‘to behave sensibly’. As if....

So far today:- mass brawl at Luton Airport,
protests in London against BBC, pro Hamas march and apparently huge crowds gathered in Glasgow (St.George’s Sq?)

Whilst folks continue to exercise their right to protest/gather despite being against all Covid regulations there is no hope unless everyone is vaccinated and begin to take personal responsibility.

I am absolutely furious at this. Yet again Boris has the kneejerk reaction and is late doing what he should be doing.

Why haven't the Government learnt??

This article is really worth a read. It sets out the timelines, it sets out the reasons Boris didn't do it, it sets out the implications of that.. and it all boils down to THREE days when he dithered.
It's not damning, it's not biaised, it is factual.
And I am so cross about it.

He had the advice, he was being urged to do it quicker. But he didn't.
I just hope this is his hill to die on.

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-the-three-days-in-april-that-may-have-fuelled-uk-outbreak-of-indian-coronavirus-variant-12306393

Atqui. I think the comment came across as wishing we hadn’t done as we were told, which you didn’t mean given that we did so because we wanted to protect ourselves and others. I think we’re all a bit tired and stressed by it all aren’t we. I know I’ve recently been replying quickly to Facebook comments and haven’t been reading them through properly beforehand. It’s so frustrating that we seem to be nearing the end of our covid journey but then find the goalposts have been moved.

PippaZ

Atqui

Haven’t we discussed this on another couple of threads? But my reaction is still the same: “Why did WE bloody bother ( doing as we were told)”

Because we are adults? Although I may have got that wrong. May I ask how old you are?

PippaZ I find your post uneccessarily rude. Mine was perhaps a little too facetious for a serious thread- I was merely trying to make the point that most of us have been diligent in sticking to the rules to prevent transmission of the virus, while our government has behaved recklessly in giving people travelling from India time to beat the quarantine rules. You may ask how old I am , but I shall not be telling you because it is irrelevant.

I live in Bolton and I believe everyone now in Bolton, no matter what age, can have the vaccine. There are massive queues at the vaccination centres. My 32 year old son is having his tomorrow hopefully. I am just hoping that this big vaccination drive will be successful. Bolton has been in lockdown for virtually 12 months now. Everyone I know has followed the rules and been extremely careful. It's so disheartening to be in this position now.

I do think the borders should have been shut much earlier but I also think people should take more personal responsibility and they should have isolated upon return to the UK.

Doodledog

*I think that the risk is exaggerated because the PM and his scientific advisers are terrified at losing their hold over the public.*
What do you mean by this, please? I may be misunderstanding your post, but are you saying that the government is enjoying having us under their control? I have heard this before, and don't really understand why they would want to have us all locked away, particularly when it is 'costing them' money, and so on.

Clearly, a compliant population is easier to deal with than a free-thinking one, and I do hope that some of the emergency legislation introduced on the back of the pandemic is repealed ASAP, but 'terrified of losing their hold' seems a step (or three) too far.

I think you are a conspiracy theorist with an axe to grind.

There’s a picture of Priti Patel having her first COVID vaccine this morning on the BBC news webpage. She met ministers from India last week when the delegation was in the UK - and she’s 49- odd.

Who are you quoting here? Not that I agree with it in any way.

Some random bloke on Twitter who calls himself Otto English and describes himself as a Professional Irritant. I'd call him something else. Oh, and he's got a book out.

IMO, there's no place for hyperbole on either side of an argument.

EllanVannin

I'm soooo annoyed---selfishly, because I'm thinking of myself for once, in that having only had the one vaccination which made me so ill, and because of rank carelessness over our non-closure of borders/ airports etc, I'm torn between having/risking being ill again for a month by having a second jab or being " confined to barracks " for weeks to come.

I'm not a person to be forced to do anything I don't want to do but it annoys me that because of someone else's carelessness in not looking far enough ahead or studying pandemics that were all told to vaccinate vaccinate vaccinate.
It's not my fault that the virus entered the country !
Sorry, but I'm furious and would have closed off this small island of ours for 12 months !!

Think you have to thank all the travellers too, no way would I travel overseas during a pandemic.

eazybee

No, I am incredulous at all the criminally stupid people who thought it was all right to fly to India knowing the pandemic was raging there, and then considered it was equally all right to return to Britain with a good chance of carrying the disease.
I am also incredulous at the number of people in the Bolton area who have steadfastly refused to take the vaccine, and are having to be persuaded to accept it.

My thoughts exactly, plus must agree the PM should have made India a red zone at the same time as Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Am sure that somebody somewhere on a forum has already said that Lin ?

Whitewavemark2

“So in short the Indian variant might mean we don't return to normal for a much longer time. And the Indian variant is here because of Brexit and Boris Johnson's determination to make an eye catching trade deal with India. Well done everyone. Great job.”

What, nothing whatsoever to do with Brexit, for goodness sake, next you’ll be saying Brexit caused COVID-19.

Because it would have been classed as essential travel presumably, especially for funerals of family members.