At a time of crisis this Government is FAILING

WeeGord

Well-known member
During the biggest global crisis since the Second World War this Government has been sitting on its hands and trying to protect the economy more than the lives of its citizens. We had a head start on the likes of China, Italy and Spain and we did NOT heed their warnings; if this had been tackled head on then the number of deaths would no doubt be significantly less.

Boris Johnson has dithered around trying to keep big business and the markets happy (who just so happen to be the main source of funds for the Tory party) and only acted when he was left with no other choice.

It was suggested in the media that he only enforced the closure of pubs, restaurants, cinemas etc when given an ultimatum by President Macron that he would close the French border to the UK effectively damaging our supply lines. Then, he only enforced a sort of lockdown when senior members of his Cabinet threatened a revolt.

He promised help for the self-employed, of which there are over 5m people in the UK. None has been forthcoming. Workers in many industries are still being made to go to work despite their concerns, and all because he hasn't enforced a strict lockdown. Likewise, the tube trains are rammed and 500 police officers are 'advising' travellers on the trains to only travel where essential.

It's an absolute mess and this Government's decisions (or lack thereof) over recent weeks will sadly sound the death knell for countless people.
 
In the words of Alan Johnson there is little appetite for politicising this trajedy.
Criticising the response isn't politicising and its a dangerous position to take.

The government is and always should be accountable to the people it governs - thats democracy we have and is especially relevant when the response could be costing lives.

Globally the big nations need to take a long hard look at themselves - a pandemic of this size has been likely and entirely predictable; we got a taste of it with SARS, but chose not to put proper plans in place for this eventuality.
 
its entirely a numbers game.

There will no doubt be a mortality rate that is deemed acceptable to protect the performance of the stock market and the political careers of some, as well as the costs of keeping the NHS equipped and staffed where we all know it needs to be kept.
 
Have you seen how the markets have reacted Billy. Please explain how you determine a mortality rate acceptable to protect the stock market.
 
It doesn't seem like the government has done as well as it could have, but we will only really know when this is over and a thorough independent review is carried out, not just here but around the world.
 
It may or may not be applicable here but it does boil my 9iss the amount of people that blame government or councils for everything.
Boro123 no one is blaming the government for the virus, but it is right and proper to hold the government to account if they handle the situation poorly. It is absoloutely correct to blame Johnson for his wishy washy approach to containment.

Whilst in an ideal world we would wait and see how everything pans out, then have an accounting, as someone above says, however when lives are at risk and the number of people going to die is directly effected by Johnsons governing, we should question everything and we should question it now, not when we are counting the cost in human lives. This is not a game.

Our trajectory of infection rate and mortality rate today and over the preceding weeks has mirrored Italy in their early stages. This is simply not acceptable. We had prior information that was not available to Spain and Italy as we were 2 weeks behind them.

My colleagues in Poland told me yesterday that Poland has gone into limited lockdown, my Indian colleagues tell me that India is in lockdown. They have a fraction of the cases and deaths that the UK has.

Whilst I can understand people reluctance to politicise this, to me, and most of the other posters outraged by the governments handling of this crisis, we are not interested in party allegiance only in effective containment by the incumbent government regardless of the rosette.
 
I have little empathy or sympathy with most political figures. But the responsibility for decisions that will mean people living or dying must be sapping on the mind and body. Hancock looks like he is feeling the strain.

Not many people could handle the stress of this. If it had been Corbyn and co I would have felt the same,

According to Alan Johnson there was a strategy that was written down that he inherited for handling a pandemic and for the most part thats what he said the government was carrying out now.
 
Have you seen how the markets have reacted Billy. Please explain how you determine a mortality rate acceptable to protect the stock market.

I certainly don't say that I agree with it, but I am absolutely sure that all governments and large companies regularly review the risk of doing nothing versus the cost of doing something, and there will be a point where its cheaper to do nothing and manage the consequences.

its inhumane, but the world we definitely live in.
 
It may or may not be applicable here but it does boil my 9iss the amount of people that blame government or councils for everything.

Could this government have handled things better or sooner? absolutely yes. Would a labour government, although maybe different, have handled it any better, almost certainly not.
 
In the words of Alan Johnson there is little appetite for politicising this trajedy.

It is NOT politicising it at all - the Government are elected to run the country and its primary objective should be the welfare of its citizens. How is criticising the response of the Government politicising it? Who do you want me to have a go at, Bob next door? The dinner lady? Or perhaps the people who's response has been completely shambolic?

Those trying to suggest the Government shouldn't be held to account are part of the problem. It's not even a Tory v Labour thing, its not a Johnson v Corbyn thing, its simply a catastrophic failure of Government to protect the interests of its citizens above protecting business.
 
It's far too early to judge how they have done.
In my opinion we do not look at the facts available to us and then formulate an opinion, we already have our opinion and find the facts to fit into it.

I think when we come out of this the biggest critiscms will be - did we waste February? Probably yes. But I didn't see too many calls from the opposition to ramp up preparations. I tend to see this as a collective issue as a country.

There will also be critisicm of the running down of the NHS over the preceding 10 years. A running down that was voted for by Joe public. But then we will see.
 
Wee Gord - re-read your paragraph 2 of your first posT

it’s completely relevant? Fact is we are being failed by the Government in regards to this crisis, they have literally dithered over every aspect of this.

They have failed us, it’s citizens, and had a Labour, Liberal or even Monster Raving Loony Party Government been incumbent I’d have been equally scathing and rightly so.
 
Being scathing is one thing but referring to Tories dithering and using the crisis to feather their friends nests as those friends fund their party is politicising it. You are inferring they have done this for political gain ie we allow you to make money from this if you keep funding our party.
I’m no Tory apologist by the way.
 
Being scathing is one thing but referring to Tories dithering and using the crisis to feather their friends nests as those friends fund their party is politicising it.
I’m no Tory apologist by the way.

It’s a fact though isn’t it? Tories are funded almost entirely by big business.

It’s also a fact that said donors would suffer if the Tories has taken a strong, decisive stance from the outset.

In this instance that particular conflict of interest appears to suggest the Government value business and the economy above the health of the nations citizens.
 
Back
Top