Chat about Novel Coronavirus - 2019-nCoV - COVID-19

No, I’ve been to get food, very much social distancing though.

That is highly unlikely if you're living with other people

The main problem I think is that he’s a serial liar and people don’t take him seriously. So when sensible commentary is smuggled into the shaggy, bumbling Poo Bear PM persona nobody bloody notices. And that’s not a partisan observation either, I fully believe Corbyn’s deliberate assumption of listener maturity and insistence on cautious nuance would have fucked us over too.

Do you mean confusing arrogance with disagreement?

Well yeah, it’s impossible isn’t it, what’s your point?

They should get Sunak to lead the press conferences. So much clearer and articulate than Boris.

I’m wavering on the Gov response as I’m taking steps beyond their recommendations. Although I do think it’s easy to criticise and the accelerated moves suggested, don’t have an exit strategy...

Yes!

RISHI FOR PM!

Jesus this epidemic really is moving fast!

If you're co-habiting with someone who isn't self-isolating, then you aren't self-isolating either. And thus, you're really doing fuck all like everyone else, whilst complaining the goverment isn't doing enough.

Already 4/1!!

Why this govt is a farce in simple terms:

• There should only have been a single face to communicate everything, it should have been Chris Whitty.
  
  

A govt in charge of a divided country after years of Brexit talk and a 50/50 split through the people, doesn't possess the authority to unite and lead... which is what we're seeing by so many people ignoring advice.

Labour couldn't have done better unless they put Chris Whitty in front of Corbyn and not behind. Likewise Tories can't do better because Johnson is trying to treat this as a Churchill moment when he is no Churchill. The Tories treated it as a political moment when it was a health moment.

We're fucked because of the ego of a fraud.

The NHS is the thing that can unite this country, saving loved ones is the thing that can unite this country... everything else falls short.

Where this govt has led us... things will now only change when the deaths have stacked up enough to bring it home to those who disbelieve in the situation (and after years of 24hr "breaking news" and constant catastrophe, to a lot this will sound like the boy crying wolf again and is part of why they're ignoring advice).

In short... we fucked it up. Now it has to get a lot worse before it gets better. But arguing about that on the internet is just a form of passing time until someone close dies. It's a tragedy, it was avoidable.

Well it’s still better than getting smashed down the pub with all the laaaaads.

Two things can be true. Government didn’t do enough whilst he also tried to self isolate but situation meant otherwise.

^I agree, I think Dr Fauci should be the man leading the response in America for the same reasons.

Instead, Trump has sidelined him and is using the daily briefing as a replacement for his rallies - I think America is going to be the worst hit of all the developed world countries as they try to fight the pandemic as another part of the culture war.

In some alternate reality where Tony Blair is PM he would have had a good go at this - if he expended the kind of political capital and conviction he did on getting us into Iraq.

I reckon we have learned that just saying 'don't go to the pub' doesn't work as well as actually shutting the pub.

Plus echo a lot of what Velocio is saying.

You're right, it is better. Sorry @jimm for my overreaction.

But I take exception to people saying "I'm self isolating...but my wife/partner/housemate isn't"

Both of those sounds pretty isolating. Unless you play tennis and cricket very differently over here?

There should only have been a single face to communicate everything, it should have been Chris Whitty.

Chris is an academic and doctor and probably operating on 3 hours or sleep a night. He's also shy and private. He's the best mind for the job, but not the best mouthpiece for the policy. It stinks of Boris deferring to experts but wanting to maintain a safe distance if things don't work out.

FWIW I agree.

There is also the assumption that the desired outcome of saying don’t go the pub is people not going to the pub.

I agree about Chris Whitty, but that's to not give him some credit... he didn't become CMO by also not being ambitious and political too... that may be driven by bolstering and strengthening health and an introspective ambition and leadership rather than a personal ambition and extroversion... but he's definitely a skilled, calm-headed, clear communicator.

Of the people there are, he's the single best person for that role.

Yeah agreed, seems to be always referring to scientific advice.

Yep. It was prep for the pubs to be shit a few days later.

Honestly not sure if we are still doing the managed spread, flat curve thing or have changed to some kind of quicker eradicate current spread thing. The worst would be to be caught between both approaches perhaps? Anyway I'm guessing you are hinting at 'if we don't order it we can at least say "we did tell them", if shit hits the fan'...?

“take it on the chin”

Same point made here, in reference to the various other comments about not being a Churchill and Blair likely having tackled things a little more articulately.

https://alastaircampbell.org/2020/03/time-for-johnson-to-get-serious-about-crisis-management-skills-my-twenty-check-points-for-his-briefing-team/