Covid Inquiry

Nobody is jeering.

Is the Kangaroo Court the same one that the Johnson fan club were talking about when he last faced questions about his lies, misleading the HoC regarding the Downing Street parties?

paddyann54 you do know that Ms Sturgeon is not a saint?

I'm sure you realise the Nike conference/convention was in February when checks weren't being made ..ONE person was found to have had covid ...almost a month later on 13th March Cheltenham went ahead unlike the Nike event which wasn't massive Cheltenham was .oh and we WERE going into lockdown not long after
I can also point out that we in Scotland have no control over who enters the country especially by AIR as we dont have control of the airways only Westminster could have stopped those delegates .
Dont you wish SCOTLAND had full control of our borders? We sure did during Covid ,it showed why we needed control .Unlike your own dear Boris .Ms Sturgeon WAS following scientific advice as pointed out by Patrick Vallance and today in questioning of Bojo ,we should have had that option from day 1

Opal

And before any of you pile on - my husband was in intensive care with the virus. I don't blame the Government of the day - I blame China.

China started it's lockdowns on 23 January when it stopped all transport in Wuhan, followed over the newt few days with cities and towns in the same province.

Whilst China was the source of this particular pandemic it cannot be blamed for some of the idiotic thinking in other countries which resulted in delays and many unnecessary deaths.

We, the taxpayers, are paying for Johnson's hugely expensive barristers.

Opal

Maybe we should change the title of the thread to "let's all jump on the "we hate Boris" bandwagon" - this enquiry is just a blame game by any other standards. Trial by media .......

Rather than blame the Government for how it handled the pandemic - and let's be honest, none of us know what the outcomes would have been had it been handled differently, because we haven't got a bloody crystal ball, how about blaming bloody China for releasing the virus onto the world in the first place? I wonder how many of you who are so critical of those who had to handle the pandemic have actually still been visiting China, buying chinese goods and generally supporting the Chinese economy since it happened? Put the blame where it belongs - in China!

Have you forgotten the news from Italy at the end of Feb/beginning March? Some friends skiing in Italy in February managed to get out just before lockdown. I remember seeing vans (not just ambulance) piled up with coffins awaiting burial.
Movement between towns was banned and the caribineri were manning the roads in and out of the towns.

Much of the information obtained from the inquiry, especially concerning the science, shows how people were trying to persuade the govt to take covid more seriously than they were.

I don't think many people hate Johnson. We just think that he's an idiot and a buffoon and unfit to govern the country. I think we deserve better in our PMs - not someone who misses 5 Cobra meetings and swans off to Chevening to sort out his divorce and write his book on Shakespeare.

All of the news reports are saying how he became quite emotional and was fighting back the tears. I don’t believe that. It was a calculated, measured performance.

Opal

I'm amazed at people's willingness to jump on the bandwagon and "the message of the day" from the media. I prefer to watch, listen and think for myself.

Good lord, people were criticising his inept handling from very early on, and the more that has become apparent over the intervening years the worse it looks for Johnson and his 'team'.

As the media were right behind him at the time and are only now changing their stance, I'm not sure where this 'message of the day' is being promulgated.

Opal

I'm amazed at people's willingness to jump on the bandwagon and "the message of the day" from the media. I prefer to watch, listen and think for myself.

So Opal, are you suggesting the majority here who don’t share your views are incapable of thinking for ourselves ?

Iam64

MaizieD 👍🏻👏
I’m amazed that his ability to groom and seduce some people is still effective

He seems to have charmed everyone, made them laugh ( even though the enquiry was about so many people dying) and ended it with diverting all of the thought to the origins of the virus. I think he was given a much easier time of it than previous people have and showed his talent for answering questions by not answering them. Nothing seems to stick to him.

I'm amazed at people's willingness to jump on the bandwagon and "the message of the day" from the media. I prefer to watch, listen and think for myself.

Opal

MayBee70

He’s still got police protection and a massive pension. Plus the money he gets for his public speaking. How much has his new house cost?

Yep, in line with every other ex-PM! Your point is ....?

He left in disgrace didn’t he. Wasn’t it Thatcher that introduced the massive pension? Maybe that’s why MP’s s these days fight over the chance to be PM even if only for a few weeks and to the detriment of the country.

MaizieD 👍🏻👏
I’m amazed that his ability to groom and seduce some people is still effective

Opal

growstuff

Opal

Maybe we should change the title of the thread to "let's all jump on the "we hate Boris" bandwagon" - this enquiry is just a blame game by any other standards. Trial by media .......

Rather than blame the Government for how it handled the pandemic - and let's be honest, none of us know what the outcomes would have been had it been handled differently, because we haven't got a bloody crystal ball, how about blaming bloody China for releasing the virus onto the world in the first place? I wonder how many of you who are so critical of those who had to handle the pandemic have actually still been visiting China, buying chinese goods and generally supporting the Chinese economy since it happened? Put the blame where it belongs - in China!

I'm sure we'll all feel better once the gods and goddesses of Revenge have been unleashed on China!

Personally, I'd rather find out how to deal with such allegedly malign forces in future.

Well, it seems that most people on here will feel better once the Gods and Goddesses of Revenge have been unleashed on Boris! What's the difference?

Possibly none! I tried to eliminate "blame" from my vocabulary years ago. I don't understand the desire for revenge.

People died and others lost their health or lively hoods. Its a serious matter and should be taken seriously not an opportunity to jeer, tell lies or score political points.

It is precisely because so many people died, or have suffered long term consequences, and that covid is still with us and still killing people or leaving life changing consequences, that I am so angry that firstly, tory austerity and privatisation over the years since 2010 left the NHS in no fit state to deal with a pandemic and secondly, that we had a totally inept government in place to deal with it, 'led' by a lazy, self absorbed,mendacious, incompetent PM..

I expect a government's duty, whatever 'colour' it might be, is to keep the populace as safe as possible during an emergency, be it war, natural disaster or disease. Emergency planning and preparation is part of their duty. Tories have failed to do their duty.

MayBee70

He’s still got police protection and a massive pension. Plus the money he gets for his public speaking. How much has his new house cost?

Yep, in line with every other ex-PM! Your point is ....?

Urmstongran

Iam64

I’ve been listening to the questions from the barrister representing families. Mr Johnson soon became irritated when asked to answer the question rather than deflect.
His fan club may reject this inquiry as a waste of money - it isn’t.

I certainly don’t think ‘an inquiry’ is a waste of money Iam.
Just ‘ours’!
Yes we need to work out where we went wrong and where things could have been done better etc but our UK inquiry seems inferior to that of Sweden’s.

Well - most of what we do seems inferior to Sweden and other scandi countries, sadly. They have better social and health care, education and their criminal justice system isn’t just lock em up and throw away the key.

I get drawn in to listening to the forensic approach of the KCs. Johnson doesn’t like being challenged but he’s bringing his best deflect, obfuscate, make clever jokes (aka be a smart a**se) approach, just as he always has.

I don’t know enough about the aims and limits of this inquiry but it’s got a great chair in Baroness Hallet.

HousePlantQueen

MayBee70

Opal

Do you mean Cygnus? Yes, I'm aware. I'm not sure of the point you are making though?
Thanks, yes he made a good recovery.

The fact is that the government didn’t act on the findings of Operation Cygnus and that the PPE that was stored away was out of date when the pandemic started and had to be thrown out.

Apologies for referring to Cygnus, as Cygnet. My point was that the findings of the study were filed away as 'too difficult, too expensive', and no efforts were made to ensure reliable sources of PPE etc. The rest is history. I have had to turn the TV off. It was on while I unpacked the shopping, but listening to Johnson blathering, obfuscating and blaming everyone for his inadequacies was too much. My only hope is that is his public and political career is finished, but given the British public's appetite for anyone who promises them what they want to hear (Tice, Farage etc), I am not holding my breath.

I've had the Inquiry on all afternoon. Your take on what he is saying is completely different to mine. I agree his speaking manner should be more direct and concise - we could say that about a lot of politicians - but he is not blaming everyone else. Some of the questions have been ridiculous, unhelpful and blatantly trying to point the finger, rather than being designed to "learn lessons". Kangaroo court.

He’s still got police protection and a massive pension. Plus the money he gets for his public speaking. How much has his new house cost?

Its right there is an enquiry to learn from this pandemic so that our government and public support systems ( Health/ economy/ laws/ freedoms and responsibilities ) are better prepared and managed in the future .
What upsets me is how vindictive and/ or sensationalist the press and some people are are. People died and others lost their health or lively hoods. Its a serious matter and should be taken seriously not an opportunity to jeer, tell lies or score political points.

growstuff

Opal

Maybe we should change the title of the thread to "let's all jump on the "we hate Boris" bandwagon" - this enquiry is just a blame game by any other standards. Trial by media .......

Rather than blame the Government for how it handled the pandemic - and let's be honest, none of us know what the outcomes would have been had it been handled differently, because we haven't got a bloody crystal ball, how about blaming bloody China for releasing the virus onto the world in the first place? I wonder how many of you who are so critical of those who had to handle the pandemic have actually still been visiting China, buying chinese goods and generally supporting the Chinese economy since it happened? Put the blame where it belongs - in China!

I'm sure we'll all feel better once the gods and goddesses of Revenge have been unleashed on China!

Personally, I'd rather find out how to deal with such allegedly malign forces in future.

Well, it seems that most people on here will feel better once the Gods and Goddesses of Revenge have been unleashed on Boris! What's the difference?

MayBee70

Opal

Do you mean Cygnus? Yes, I'm aware. I'm not sure of the point you are making though?
Thanks, yes he made a good recovery.

The fact is that the government didn’t act on the findings of Operation Cygnus and that the PPE that was stored away was out of date when the pandemic started and had to be thrown out.

Apologies for referring to Cygnus, as Cygnet. My point was that the findings of the study were filed away as 'too difficult, too expensive', and no efforts were made to ensure reliable sources of PPE etc. The rest is history. I have had to turn the TV off. It was on while I unpacked the shopping, but listening to Johnson blathering, obfuscating and blaming everyone for his inadequacies was too much. My only hope is that is his public and political career is finished, but given the British public's appetite for anyone who promises them what they want to hear (Tice, Farage etc), I am not holding my breath.

Opal

Do you mean Cygnus? Yes, I'm aware. I'm not sure of the point you are making though?
Thanks, yes he made a good recovery.

The fact is that the government didn’t act on the findings of Operation Cygnus and that the PPE that was stored away was out of date when the pandemic started and had to be thrown out.

Opal

Maybe we should change the title of the thread to "let's all jump on the "we hate Boris" bandwagon" - this enquiry is just a blame game by any other standards. Trial by media .......

Rather than blame the Government for how it handled the pandemic - and let's be honest, none of us know what the outcomes would have been had it been handled differently, because we haven't got a bloody crystal ball, how about blaming bloody China for releasing the virus onto the world in the first place? I wonder how many of you who are so critical of those who had to handle the pandemic have actually still been visiting China, buying chinese goods and generally supporting the Chinese economy since it happened? Put the blame where it belongs - in China!

I'm sure we'll all feel better once the gods and goddesses of Revenge have been unleashed on China!

Personally, I'd rather find out how to deal with such allegedly malign forces in future.

Do you mean Cygnus? Yes, I'm aware. I'm not sure of the point you are making though?
Thanks, yes he made a good recovery.