Quote Originally Posted by swaledale View Post
We have very high death rates from a global pandemic and the government’s handling of that pandemic shares the same marks of ignoring the science, promising big and delivering late and small. What is saving us at the moment is that when the scientists dig in their heels even this government does the right thing (late), that UK science (not under government guidance or leadership) has delivered vaccines and that the NHS has been too strong and wonderful an institution to allow us to die in even greater numbers. The bright spots in the pandemic are the areas where government has been unable to cock it up and where public service has remained the bedrock of how the system works despite this government’s incompetence.
I think that’s fair comment Swale. Just as Churchill can’t be personally credited with the success of the Normandy landings, so Johnson can’t be personally credited with the success of the vaccination programme or personally held to account for the emergence of the British/Kent variant.
The job of any PM, particularly at a time of crisis, is to be a figurehead, a leader and first rate communicator. Unfortunately he seems to have failed on all those counts hence MA’s alleged 25/75% approximate success/failure rate in terms of the Government’s handling of Covid.
The other main job of a leader, and I appreciate that this was done with only Brexit - and not Covid - on the immediate horizon, is to choose a good team/Cabinet to implement strategies.
Looking at the current bunch it seems likely that only Hancock and Sunak might emerge with any eventual credit. Words fail me as far as the child like Williamson, the rabbit in the headlights Gove, ‘Cruella’ Patel and ‘Arthur Daley’ Jenrick are concerned. Not good choices at all imo.