The Corona Virus

[sinkov]

That's the best conspiracy theory I have heard yet sinkov!

I'm just playing silly buggers this morning BT, but it would not surprise me in the least if some Remoaner fruitcake wasn't seriously hinting at it before the transition period ends. I shouldn't really be putting ideas into LibDem heads should I, after all this is the party that thinks it's perfectly acceptable to overturn a referendum result on a whim, if you don't like the result.

[sinkov]

According to the Independent, "Boris Johnson is facing growing pressure to launch an independent public inquiry into the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus pandemic on people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds in the UK."

Looks like we are targeting "others" too.

There was some Muslim on the Muppet Show last week, I think he was possibly one of the first 'independent' members of the public given the chance to ask a question, I think he might have been a doctor, or maybe he was a journo, not sure, but he was implying it was racism that was the problem.

Not quite sure what he was implying, that the virus itself was racist, that it was racism which resulted in so many front line NHS staff being BAMEs, that all BAME staff should have been withdrawn from front line work and sent home, but racism prevented this from happening, who knows, but he seemed quite convinced that this peculiar liking Covid 19 has for BAMEs had it's roots in racism.

What I haven't seen, maybe the info is out there and I just haven't read it, is whether this is the case in other countries, or just the UK.

[1959_60]

Yes, but he is not the Government, he does not run Public Health England nor the NHS. In a recent post for BT I listed the Directors of Bolton NHS Trust, there were 12 of them, under them there are other levels of management, god knows how many managers, just to run one hospital, multiply this by the number of hospitals in the NHS and sack the lot. If it's Hancock who runs the NHS and not them, then bingo, NHS funding problem resolved at a stroke and the NHS carries on just as before.

But that's nonsense isn't it, it's not going to happen, it won't happen, it can't happen, because the NHS needs those managers, or a lot of them anyway, because they run the NHS, not Matt Hancock. Why I am having to explain something so self evident to an intelligent person such as your good self 59, I have no idea, perhaps it's BDS, I can think of no other explanation.

Blinking 'eck Sinkov!

You have just given every cabinet member, and every other Government that we have had, a free pass to bugger things up and get away with it.

The NHS, PHE need a management structure but Hancock is the head of things.

The Armed Forces need a management structure but Ben Wallace is the head.

Education needs a structure but Gavin Williamson is the head.

Etc etc.

Are you saying that, if any of these services are failing, then it is not the Governments fault, it is the fault of the management structure of that service?

That would let this Government off scot free, and every other Government. What would be the point of even having a Government if they were not to be held to account on public services etc?

Of course, all these services are instructed what to do by the Government, funded by the Government, and the structures of how it is run decided by the Government.

[sinkov]

"You have just given every cabinet member, and every other Government that we have had, a free pass to bugger things up and get away with it."

And conversely you have just given every manager employed in the NHS and PHE, and there are thousands of them on good money at my and your expense, a free pass to bugger things up and get away with it.

When I worked in private industry 59, if I buggered something up, I got the sack not the works manager, when I worked for the bookies, if I got the field book wrong and cost the firm money, I might have got a 2nd chance, but if I did it again, I'd have been sacked, not the Area Manager, if I buggered up at a fire, me and my OIC would be in the Divisional Commander's office the following morning, not the Chief Fire Officer or the Home Secretary. If the captain of a warship runs his ship aground, he's court-martialled, not his Admiral or the Defence Minister. Everyone has a job to do, a responsibility, and they should be held to account for their failings, I have no idea why you think it should be different in this case.

[1959_60]

So you are saying that the Cabinet Minister for Health should not be held responsible if their department has obvious failings? The buck stops with him.

How can you criticise any Governments performance if you don't scrutinise it and hold it to account? Are you truly suggesting that the Government is not responsible for how our public services are performing?

That all the previous Governments should not be judged by how they provided public services?

Is that what you are actually saying?

[sinkov]

There have been failings in the NHS and PHE, those in charge should have to account for those failings. If it turns out that it's the overall structure of our health care system that is the cause of those failings then the government is responsible. At the moment it's clear that the Testing and PPE issues were caused by inter-deparmental problems in PHE and the NHS, in other words it appears that some people in those departments got it wrong and they are the ones who should be held accountable.

I really do not understand why you have a problem with this, it just seems basic common sense to me.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

You two could argue until the cows come home on just about anything.

Let's try another outlook?

Boris has a majority which is not going to go away for another four years plus, in the meantime he can pull off virtually anything he wants.

The eejit running the Labour Party now thinks we should form some sort of coalition to deal with this pandemic.

A bit like your lot 59er, hanging on to coat tails will get you nowhere.

Starmer needs to come to terms with the fact Johnson has a huge working majority and he is not going to shrivel up and go away.

Now is the time for the Opposition parties to play the long game, regroup and rebuild.

When this pandemic is finally under control, that would be the time to hold our government to account and scrutinise just where we are going wrong?

For God's sake Starmer, provide some proper opposition and get some answers for 59er on just who is supposed to be sorting this sh-itfest!

[sinkov]

"When this pandemic is finally under control, that would be the time to hold our government to account and scrutinise just where we are going wrong?"

Exactly BT, demanding that Hancock be sacked right now or should resign is infantile and futile, and playing games with people's lives.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Pictures emanating from London and Liverpool yesterday sinkov, suggests to me that an awful lot of people think that Hancock really is playing games with people's lives.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Looks like Boris is sharpening the knives anyway sinkov...

Hancock's asking Boris to, "give him a break?"

Back benches beckon my son.