Category: Politics

In WW2 the coalition government was planing for the freedom to follow. NHS was created, a new education system, new towns, national parks to name the ones I am aware of. I doubt that Johnson and his skylarks will have planned anything beyond their own summer holidays.

It is becoming increasingly obvious that many major and avoidable decisions were made. Hancock should be the first to go. However it seems there is no honour left in government. Having sacked anyone who was competent and trustworthy if they were pro-remain in the Brexit debate (and where did Cummings stand on their dismissals? – was he responsible?), those who are left have been beyond any normal levels of competence!

He has given evidence to a committee. Johnson not fit to be Prime Minister, Hancock incompetent.

And has said that in retrospect the Government was too slow to react, and basically the whole system was failing. And fundamental mistakes were made in just about every aspect. He has claimed that Hancock is incompetent and should have been fired.

Cummings role is interesting. He was basically Mr.Brexit (I think?), he made a dreadful error with Barnard Castle, and seems like a total Pratt. But he was supported by Johnson, so criticism of Cummings is also a criticism of Johnson. Is he believable? it certainly sounded like he had evidence of some sort for many of his claims.

There seems to be a feeling (at the moment) that non of this matters as long as the vaccine rollout continues and there is no new surge. However there are too many deaths and problems for the NHS to cope with for years to come, to brush it under the carpet. Whilst some leeway can be allowed for the early days of the pandemic (but really not much) – it was not you or me making the decisions but a government with access to all the statistics, to evidence from other places around the world, to advice from experts. Except that following Brexit experts have been discredited, and politics and personal ratings were more important than the lives of the old, the ill, the poor, the non-white.

However he did also praise Rishi Sunak for the furlough scheme and financial management, and also Dominic Robb at the Foreign Office.

The only surpriseI have was that the accusation of incompetence was limited to Johnson and Hancock. At least Cummings had the balls to say sorry for his own mistakes and lack of meaningful action. Oh for a political at the moment to come clean and admit they got it, not a bit wrong, but disastrously wrong. And they are still doing it – can no one advise them on public relations? Is it too much to hope for a judgement day regarding the management of this virus will be held, individuals will be held responsible and sacked if necessary. Financial fraud should be criminally prosecuted.

And Hancock to speak to Parliament this morning – my guess is total denial, praise of vaccine and stop harping on!

And a further issue. A nurse was refused access to the plane to visit her mother in Dublin. She works for the NHS and had been tested with the correct test – but the government requires the test to have been carried out by a private company (at great cost). Evil and corrupt.

This word has been used to defend the Governments lack of action regarding lockdowns and other measures. I see the relevance of this argument, but dismiss it.

Governments are elected to make informed decisions, especially during emergencies. They enact laws such as those regarding seat belts, drink driving and speed limits BECAUSE the public cannot be relied upon to make the correct decisions. Ignoring the first lockdown for now we must look at the second one. By studying the data issued on the BBC it was obvious that a lockdown was imperative over Xmas. Politicians are not there to be liked. Respected one would hope. So by ignoring what I could see plainly the deserves to be neither liked or respected.

And it is still playing the same game of mixed messages and indecision. Allowing travel to and from India, for the sake of a Brexit induced trade deal is abhorrent. The latest comments asking people to be sensible, etc. is an advoidance of responsibility. Even when there are laws against the activities mentioned above, many people chose to ignore them.

If the situation warrants a lockdown – do it, and compensate the poor. There does seem to be a positive correlation between poverty and the impact of the virus. Does it suit the government to be able to lay the blame for outbreaks on BAME communities (and in the case of North Tyneside in particular), poverty.

And to ensure that these people do not vote them out lets introduce a multimillion £ scheme to introduce ID cards for voting. After all there was one person who tried to vote twice in the last election. Is this democratic? Just as the Brexit vote was not a carte blanche for everything the Brexiteers proposed, democracy is not a defined fact.

More concerning is having a government that panders to populist ideas in times of crisis. And I am not referring to Covid – but global climate change. A Government elected for 4/5 years needs strong decisive leadership to make the decisions necessary to meet a 20-50 year disaster. Will Johnson ask us ‘please do not use your car so much, and do you really need to fly as much as us rich people).

Think they have already shown their colours with coal mines in Cumbria and trade deals with Australia. It takes a man or woman of integrity and intelligence, charisma and clarity to lead a nation through a crisis. Johnson is not this man, neither ~Starmer. Sturgeon possibly, if the press could be called off her back. And I am not being sexist, but she is a woman, and this country does still have misogyny deeply ingrained in some areas. Maybe Burnham – rejected at least twice by Labour, but will his position between Corbyn and Starmer be seen as a potentially winning position. He did get 67% of the vote for Mayor of Greater Manchester against just under 20% for the nasty party.

I am sure the media will find people to object to the continued placing of restrictions in parts of Scotland, but from down here, it seems like she has explained and justified rapid action to try and contain the virus, in a way that Johnson could only aspire to in his dreams! Oh and going back to democracy – without PR the non SNP parties would have had, what 6 seats was it? Mr.Johnson’s populism is not so popular north of the border, or for that matter to the west in Wales. Nor in many cities.

So now he has a problem – will country bumpkins and lords of the manner types still support him if the government reduces planning application restrictions and gives the go ahead for 400000 new homes in rural areas? And the traffic created? Will farmers see it as a way to make a quick buck, or reject the dessicration of the countryside.