Missing in-action

Can very hot weather lasting just a couple of days really be called a national emergency, requiring the PM’s undivided attention?
Honestly?
According to my weather app the temperature is due to drop by about 15 degrees on Wednesday at home in the south east and by Tuesday here in the south west where we are on holiday.
In fact rain is forecast Tuesday.

If managing one part of his role requires his undivided attention full time, he's in the wrong job. If he is not able or willing to attend to the duties he is paid for, he's in the wrong job. If he prioritises his personal life over checking whether there needs to be a national response to a situation that falls within his remit, he's in the wrong job.

JenniferEccles

Can very hot weather lasting just a couple of days really be called a national emergency, requiring the PM’s undivided attention?
Honestly?
According to my weather app the temperature is due to drop by about 15 degrees on Wednesday at home in the south east and by Tuesday here in the south west where we are on holiday.
In fact rain is forecast Tuesday.

Do you think you know better than the experts who constitute COBRA and their advisory bodies what constitutes a national emergency JenniferEccles? Obviously so.

Baggs

Iam64

Johnson decided to stay in his role as PM till September. He’s drawing a salary and should be earning it. His contempt for Cobra meetings is clear.
The Uk infrastructure isn’t set up for extreme weather because we get little of it. This Cobra was focussed on managing and protecting the infra structure. Eg our rail lines may buckle in the kind of temps predicted, train times to be doubled in the hope slowing the trains protects the infrastructure and people using it.
CEO ‘s of large organisations get sacked for avoiding stuff they find boring.

Why are buckling rails and doubling train times the government's responsibility? Why aren't they the responsibility of rail makers and train-running companies?

Hot countries, like India, have railways. How do they manage their extremely hot temperatures?

I suppose ministers, including the PM, could put rescue operations in place when they hear about buckling rails and stuck trains full of stuck people. But I daresay they will do that.

Unless multiple rails and multiple trains and hordesof people are affected, it's still not a national emergency.

BUt it needs to be discussed ! Options considered etc, And if there is a Cobra meeting (whether you think it necessary or not) then the PM should attend.

Several of us pointed out our infrastructure isn’t designed for extreme weather because it’s been uncommon

bitumen is melting on roads in some parts of country!
copied and pasted.

Gritters are being taken out of hibernation to save the nation's melting roads some county councils
have been using sand to 'dust' several routes, to prevent bitumen from melting.

Oh if only Boris could have attended that meeting none of this would be happening...oh wait...

What do you think Prime Ministers are for Aveline? Here's a hint: Leadership. Taking ownership. Making things happen. Taking accountability.

Baggs

Just seen your latest post, casdon. If roads melt that much there will certainly be problems but, again, what exactly is government supposed to do about that right now?

I've recently seen stuff about road-making in India where they have used waste plastic in road surfaces. Apparently the surfaces last much longer and are less likely to get pot-holey, etc. India's a hot country. We, that is our government, could perhaps pay attention to such innovations, learn a thing or two, and act upon this new knowledge for future reference.

Meanwhile, what is the news about melting roads? No telly and it's not hot here. I have doubts that road melting will be such an issue that it's a national emergency but am happy to be better informed.

Those roads may be ok in a hot country but they probably wouldn’t cope with rain snow and ice.

Pity you aren’t in government Baggs, simple solutions to com-lex problems - job done

volver good leaders delegate. Presenteeism isn't always necessary. It would be more useful to have Baggs there by the sound of it!

Aveline

volver good leaders delegate. Presenteeism isn't always necessary. It would be more useful to have Baggs there by the sound of it!

Why does have to delegate ? Couldn’t he just turn up for once ?

Aveline

volver good leaders delegate. Presenteeism isn't always necessary. It would be more useful to have Baggs there by the sound of it!

What a ridiculous excuse. Presenteeism, for goodness sake. Good leaders lead.

Good leaders know when others are better informed and more appropriate to attend.
I don't know why I'm arguing on his behalf! None of you have any faith in him so why would you want him there? You all just want another excuse to slag him off. Look. He's history. Yesterday's man. Look to the future. Who will you be hating next? It's so exciting!

He’s not, of course, a good leader..

And neither, for as long as the lazy toad is being paid to be Prime Minister, is he history.

Don't think you can tell me about how good leaders behave Aveline. Just don't presume to do that. Especially when we're talking about Johnson.

The man who thinks he should stay on as PM out of duty but goes to a party instead of confronting the problems of tomorrow.

Aveline

Good leaders know when others are better informed and more appropriate to attend.
I don't know why I'm arguing on his behalf! None of you have any faith in him so why would you want him there? You all just want another excuse to slag him off. Look. He's history. Yesterday's man. Look to the future. Who will you be hating next? It's so exciting!

Aveline

You all just want another excuse to slag him off. Look. He's history. Yesterday's man. Look to the future. Who will you be hating next? It's so exciting!

If you're convinced that this is all about "hating" and think there's no justification in holding Johnson to account - then any rational debate is impossible. And the idea that we (who are critical of Johnson) are automatically going to 'hate' the next incumbent indicates that you are just annoyed that the consensus of opinion goes against him.

This is not a hate-fest. The country is facing some real problems, and we need a PM who takes these problems to heart and takes them seriously enough to fulfil the role that he was elected to do. The very least he could've done was to make an appearance at the COBRA meeting - he possibly didn't need to even sit through the whole session, simply assure himself that everything was in hand - and then he could have left. It really doesn't look like he cares, and that is what is annoying and aggravating people.

But you can't see it can you? Would you be so forgiving if this was a Labour party we were talking about, and Starmer had excused himself on so many occasions from such meetings?

JenniferEccles

Can very hot weather lasting just a couple of days really be called a national emergency, requiring the PM’s undivided attention?
Honestly?
According to my weather app the temperature is due to drop by about 15 degrees on Wednesday at home in the south east and by Tuesday here in the south west where we are on holiday.
In fact rain is forecast Tuesday.

Look at the weather map. The south west, Wales, and even the south east are not the hot spots. It's the centre of the country, London northwards which are going to get the high temperatures.

Yes I did see where the hottest weather is expected to be Chestnut, but my point was that it’s only predicted to last a couple of days, so doesn’t necessitate the PM to say or do anything as the Met office has already given out all the necessary warnings.

But COBRA’s role is not to issue warnings. It is to decide on actions at a national level.

Zonne

But COBRA’s role is not to issue warnings. It is to decide on actions at a national level.

Indeed.

I don't know if people are missing the point or just determined to defend Johnson even in the face of such an obvious snub to the people of the country he's supposed to be leading.

Quite. I’m baffled by the idea that people think shirking and skiving are okay.

My point yet again is what do think he'd actually contribute to this meeting? It's a meeting. Waffly words like 'leadership' aren't specific enough. Do you mean he should chair the meeting? Do you think he'd be a good chair? I don't. Do you want a photo op showing his attendance? If he had attended most of you would scoff and say, 'What good would that fat buffoon contribute?'

Aveline

My point yet again is what do think he'd actually contribute to this meeting? It's a meeting. Waffly words like 'leadership' aren't specific enough. Do you mean he should chair the meeting? Do you think he'd be a good chair? I don't. Do you want a photo op showing his attendance? If he had attended most of you would scoff and say, 'What good would that fat buffoon contribute?'

Perhaps you’d like to explain what exactly you think his role is in this interim period if you don’t think it’s to attend meetings about an unprecedented emergency serious enough to warrant an urgent COBRA meeting and make the necessary decisions for the country *Aveline? Is that less important than his Chequers party?

He’s still PM. Aveline, do you think he should get to just do nothing ? What could he contribute to cobra meeting ? I don’t know any more than I know what the other participants could contribute, but he should attend.