The Sunday Times article. Can anyone defend Johnson after reading this?

Tigger didn't have a little brain, It was Pooh who was ' A bear of very little brain '!
firecracker, just ignore the leftie jibes, they're honestly not worth rising to still less arguing over!

Oh dear jabberwok I think that you can assume we know about Pooh. I’m not jibing at the Tories on here - no point- I am jibing at this wretched Tory government.

It looks like you don't know about Pooh though...

it's the usual left jibing and moaning, bound to happen since The Marx brothers [also known as the Chuckle Brothers] failed dismally to get into power last year. Everything the government does will get the same treatment for the next five (possibly ten!) years...….not worth worrying about.

A few weeks ago government advisors crassly stated that fewer than 20000 deaths would be a very good result for the U.K..

We are way beyond that figure already. And it is thought that the U.K. will come out of this with the worst record than any other European country.

We have the report in The Times to explain why.

When Andrew Marr spoke to Michael grove he admitted that Boris hadn’t attended the five meetings of cobra was quick to move on. Don’t think I’ll believe anything now just like everyone wish it was over and I was back to work earning my living. So sad foe all these unnecessary deaths if we’d acted sooner.

Urmstongran So if there is any shortage of of anything it is due to the NHS procurement department
Much has been made on GN over time about how the government had to run on a budget like anyone's household. If you use the same analogy it isn't possible to purchase something if you don't have the cash and the NHS has been starved of funds by this Tory government.So whichever way you look at it long term cuts and short term planning for a pandemic have all led to this disaster and are the fault of Tory governments.

Anybody want to have a bash at my quiz?

Firecracker “. I see the usual sarcastic left leaning posters are out in force now a joint effort it seems to try and make fun of other GN posters who you don't agree with how childish and pathetic. Some posters must have sad lives.“

This works both ways Firecracker.

Alex Wickham at Buzzfeed says that article is bollocks*. The link is to a thread explaining why.

* My choice of words not his.

I am not at all surprised (although, disgusted) with the increasng popularity if Johnson and co. In times of crisis, so many adults desperately need to feel that SOMEONE is in charge AND knows what they are doing. No matter how much proof is shown that nobody is in charge, and advice on all matters seem to change weekly.
However, when this crisis starts to pass, with many tens of thousands of people having lost their lives, and more evidence comes out as to the crass incompetence of the government, people may then start to query their slavish following of the govenment (who has totally failed to govern).
what I have learned on here is that the Sunday Times is a wing of the Labour Party - wow!! never knew that, sure the Labour Party does not know that either. Or is it that any journalist that actually writes and newspapers that print articles giving facts and figures are now part of the opposition.
Dreadful that this country was even trying to get three days supply of PPE from Turkey, even more dreadful that the lies that it was on the way to be here today (Sunday), now we know they really have no idea if and when this will get here, In the meantime what are the front line nurses and doctors supposed to do.
UKis likely to be finish with the worst death figures both percent of the population and in actual numbers in Europe - how could anyone defend any government that has led us into this?

Alex Wickham is hardly neutral and non-partisan.

This reminds me of the recent 800+ page report leak which had Grandad1945 spitting feathers, in that I read a variety of opinions about it (including one in the Morning Star!) and there couldn’t have been a wider spectrum of who thought what and who was at fault. My point is that everyone does have some sort of bias - eg one of the authors of the Times piece is described as a ‘disgruntled civil servant’ and although I haven’t seen it, it was dismissed by Michael Gove on TV. There is no black and white in this.

Sorry Grandad 1943, not 1945. I did read the report, I didn’t see MG on tv is what I meant.

I think that what gives this report relative credence is that is confirms what we believe to be true.

I will have a go at your quiz coggie just for fun.
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1. Why do people refer to him by his first name as if he was some sort of cuddly toy?

A. Boris is very popular. He uplifts us with his optimism. We love him for it.
Remember the digger crashing through the polystyrene bricks?
‘Get Brexit Done’ ?
He’s our man.
Eat your heart out Starmer.

2. Why did he fail to attend 5 Cobra meetings?
A. Erm... because the PM has Ministers of departments who attend and report back?
I think it’s called delegating.

3. Why did he become ill?
A. Because he mixed with other Cabinet members and scientists who were brewing the virus?
Don’t say he shook the hands of people in hospital.
I give you more credit than that!

Voters like you, Ug are one of the reasons why I don't want an elected second chamber.

Ah well MaizieD.
I suppose I Have to say in return I’m so glad that we didn’t get Corbyn, thanks to voters like you.
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Alex Wickham is hardly neutral and non-partisan

Perhaps not. I wouldn't know. But other sources that I've seen since that one have corroborated what he's saying in that thread.

The ST article is just accusation, not, it appears, based on actual knowledge of how Cobras work.

No ‘perhaps’ about it.

Did he say why BJ felt it appropriate to miss 5 Cobra meetings during a pandemic? Although it’s normal for PMs not to attend every one these as far from normal times - I’d have thought that he would have insist on being present, even if he wasn’t actually chairing for some reason.

During the last swine epidemic in the U.K. which happened to be during 2009/10 Gordon Brown PM attended every single Cobra meeting.

Swine flu obvs

The ST article is not just abut missing COBRA meetings. That's the Independent article.

Further back on this thread someone chose to praise Michael Gove who appeared on this morning's Andrew Marr Show.

I watched the show and was appalled at Gove's pathetic performance. He was by far the weakest of the contributors.

Just check out BBC i-player and listen to Professor Sarah Gilbert of Oxford University explaining how vaccines are developed, then watch Sir David Attenburgh and LP shadow chancellor Annelise Dodds, They all talked in a straightforward way about the truth of our situation.

Then we heard Gove spout meaningless propaganda, enough to make any thinking viewer despair. Anyone who voted for this appallingly incompetent government should be ashamed.

Gove is someone I would wish to see a long way from the corridors of power after watching what he did to education.

trisher - I absolutely agree that austerity left us poorly prepared (apart from all the other dreadful results) and "long term cuts and short term planning" have led to this situation.

I do however disagree about the idea that national budgets can be likened to household budgets - this is what triggered the austerity measures in the first place. Economists argue a lot about this, but borrowing and investing in infrastructure and preparation and prevention creates jobs and stimulates the economy - this is a sound economic policy embraced by many.

In the interest of balance, folk may like to read this rebuttal of the Sunday Times article discussed here yesterday

healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04/19/response-to-sunday-times-insight-article/