Government is lying about lack of availability of CV testing chemicals

In 2001, the newly formed Civil Contingencies Secretariat took over emergency planning/response from the Home office. There's been so much time since to prepare.

The Coronavirus Act is based upon the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 - that's 16 years ago.

Just when we so desperately need the services of the NHS and police force, we are in a situation where they have been systematically underfunded and shrunk for decades.

Robert Peston is a self publicising idiot.

Notanan and Joelsnan good posts.??

It appears that some people want everything done not only perfectly but right this second, and if it doesn’t happen start shrieking about ‘government lies’......quite ridiculous.
And as for China! The least said the better.

We must be critical? where we see problems/issues.

We aren’t China or Russia

Do you have a link to that please Eglantine?

Germany's health service is actually not that different from the NHS. It's compulsory for nearly all employees to pay into one of a number of "Krankenkassen", which are quasi-independent health providers. The big difference is that Germans pay more. The UK health service is also funded by "top ups" from people who choose private care and other services not provided by the NHS.

I'm not looking for the negative in everything, but I won't accept the arguments of people who won't question anything the UK does.

I can’t understand why the government continuously lies. They invariably get found out

twitter.com/JenniferMerode/status/1244705014834233345

Preston

Hmmm, apparently Justin O’Grady from Quadram has confirmed there is a shortage. And the originator of the claim, Robert Oreston has back tracked.

So who was it that lied?

But that’s not as sensational as the original journalistic article so I don’t suppose many people will hear about it.

Germany has a health service which is predominantly privately funded by insurance and “top-ups” as is most of Europe.

We are not comparing like for like look at all the calls for help from Italian and Spanish Health Care Providers, Portugal has the least ratio of ICU beds/ventilators per capita in Southern Europe.
Time to stop looking for the negative in everything, when this is over then there will be discussions, now we need to do the best we can.

Joelsnan It is the civil service who are doing all the really hard work - as ever. They really do have people who know what they're talking about and know how to organise things. It's a shame that Cummings & Co decided to wage war on them.

Michael Gove lied. The chemical industry has stated that he didn't even ask and there is no national shortage.

Gove has form. I don't trust a word he says.

Why is comparing the UK with Germany like comparing oranges and grapefruits? There are some in the UK who really need to wake up to the fact that some countries do things better.

Hetty58
I too am a-political, I try to look at issues with impartiality.
What has struck me is that people forget that this cabinet has only been in place since the General election in December, most ministers were new in post then and some ministers have been in post less than this i.e. Rishi Sunak. No employee would be expected to be fully conversant with a normal job in such a short space of time never mind learn what is required in the normal scope of the job then be hit with dealing with this epidemic disaster. Yes, most countries do have disaster policies and processes in place, but if you are new into a job apart from a quick run through at induction, how well would you be prepared.
I think everyone in this government is probably working their socks off to try and get things right. It is an absolutely mammoth task yet everyone expects everything to have been done yesterday.
All I see is criticism and people being called liars. The journalist (Robert Peston), who called Michael Gove a liar yesterday has today put a PPS at the bottom of his article stating that ‘well yes, actually there is a global shortage of reagent’. No retraction, no apology so to most still think its true.
Based on the global progress of this virus and reports from other countries we are doing okay. However instead of saying this, the media always seems to try and portray us doing worse than other places like Germany etc. When its like comparing oranges with grapefruits.

Being neither a Conservative or Labour voter, I'm very disappointed with how the pandemic has been managed so far.

The government have dragged their feet, ignored WHO advice and been found lacking in providing a prompt and logical response.

We've had emergency planning for decades. We knew it would be coming. We are the fifth richest country in the world. Still - we were unprepared. It's utterly unforgiveable!

I haven't commented on this issue because I haven't in fact researched it paddyanne.

As for the pro-China rhetoric, it has been evident on many threads.

Paddyanne
Herd immunity is the only way to overcome any virus. Until an effective CV-19 vaccination is developed to enable total herd immunity (unless the anti vaxxers still exist), the virus will make its way through the population like a bush fire. Most will get it at some stage, the lock down can only slow its progression not stop it. At some stage we will reach a point where more people have had the virus and recovered than have not and those who have recovered are the start of the building of herd immunity. It is hoped that by that stage the vaccination will have been developed so those who have avoided the infection through isolation can be vaccinated to complete the herd immunity.
As it is anticipated there will be no vaccine for a year, lock down will be slowly eased, this means that the virus will still infect but at a controlled rate.
Sadly it is not known who will get the virus lightly or who will succumb to a fatal dose.

Before I leave this thread can I just add WW that China were talking through Sharma’s earpiece tonight telling him how not to answer questions. ?

The posters who deliberately and with malice aforethought in an attempt to derail this thread probably did so because they couldn’t understand the points bring made which required a certain degree of an ability to think and construct an argument. You know like children who steal the ball to spoil a game they can’t play. We should pity them really but I think I’ll just leave them. to it and find a thread with grown ups on it. Safer bet on MN

It would assist the governments cause greatly if they actually produced a minister that answered the questions put to them. Sharma failed miserably tonight on questions relating to testing as did Gove.

The conclusion by those watching will be that they have no control over either testing or protective clothing.

Will anti China rhetoric solve anything? Btw there are plenty of protests against the Chinese government - there was a big one a few years ago when the president of China came on a state visit.

Because the Tory government here is SO much better ....lol .A lot of folk on here appear to be sharing a brain ,sadly the brain isn't working !
Bojo wanted the herd immunity route

people disagreed with him so he's simply doing it by stealth,he'll still mange to get rid of the uneconomic people in society .Toby Young was quite blunt about it yesterday ,Bojo is wasting billions on supporting people when this will lead to economic disater ,losing a few hundred THOUSAND mainly elderly people a bit earlier than expected is the price that should be paid to keep the economy safe.Or words to that effect.Hence BOJO ;s supposed CV ,he 's in HIDING ,the same way he does when anything comes up he doesn't like to deal with .

@Jabberwok
LOL! As I was washing my hands for the umpteenth time and disinfecting this that and the other this morning, I was mentally preparing my bill for disinfection materials and attendant stress to send to the Chinese gvt after this calamity is all done! On the same page as you, J.

I know from friends abroad, that criticism is running high in a number of Western areas at least. It seems that there's also much privately-voiced criticism directed their way here at home. Not just for COVID19 but all their predatory economic activities which are damaging/making weak, client states of the nations they prey on. COVID19 is tip of the iceberg really.

Last week I had a mini-breakdown about running out of toilet paper, dishwasher tabs, sundry special dietary products (not been able to get any deliveries of anything for 3 weeks and as a vulnerable SI I never got a chance to even think about hoarding!).

So I declared the next day "I hate China" Day! (Well, not the people per se, nor the land itself - but the gvt and the way they do things.)

I might have to do that more frequently if all this mayhem carries on too long.

Perhaps this poster is suggesting that this virus didn't come from China and we've all been misled. Perhaps China's record on human rights and animal welfare is a myth too. Perhaps climate change is another myth hence Greta's clearly ridiculous obsession! Wow all these myths! what gullible people we all are to be taken in particularly by Greta!

Well I absolutely blame China for the Governments inadequate ( to say the least) communication strategy.

It’s interesting isn’t it how some posters have absolutely nothing at all to contribute to the thread but post anyway .At leat not is up for a discussion.