Alas and alack, it really does look as though Boris is a bumbling, 'Wooster'-like twerp of the first order! It wasn't quite so apparent when the leader of the Labour party was a quaint, old, 1960's caricature of a Leninist 'Leftie' but now they appear to have an exceedingly sharp and ruthless lawyer leading the attack and, as the Telegraph reports today, he is slicing Boris into bits!
Labour’s new leader is calm, polite, and utterly merciless. He doesn’t rant or shout putdowns. Instead he asks factual questions designed to establish whether or not the Prime Minister knows what his own Government is doing.
The latest figures, began Sir Keir today, showed that at least 40 per cent of deaths from the virus had come in care homes. Yet according to the Government’s advice in March, it was “very unlikely” that people in care homes would become infected.
Mr Johnson protested. “No, Mr Speaker,” be blurted, “it wasn’t true that the advice said that!” But it was. Sir Keir was quoting the advice word for word, from a sheet of paper in front of him.
Cue: more verbal 'huffin' 'n' puffin' from Boris but hard facts came there none! This will not do, Boris, dammit, you are supposed to be the Prime Minister and part of your job requires you to have the fundamental stats at your fingertips. You may or may not draw the right conclusions and thus may or may not take the right actions but at least it would indicate an informed guiding intelligence and thus give us a modicum of confidence in your leadership.
At the moment there is none!
A long time ago, we had a cat named Tigger. We called him that because he bounced all over the place. Then, he reached the required weight and age and had his balls disconnected. Overnight all his bounce vanished and he became sober and bad tempered. I think that the Chinese BatFlu has had the same effect on Boris. Pity.
Posted by: Backofanenvelope | Thursday, 14 May 2020 at 09:53
Starmer's undoubted intelligence is easily countered. Boris just needs to make sure he is properly briefed, and he can carry on bumbling. People like him, whereas Starmer is distinctly unlikeable and a nonentity.
He has so far landed just one telling blow, and Team Boris should work to block any more.
Posted by: Whyaxye | Thursday, 14 May 2020 at 10:55
Just don't call him "Bertie". Boris has enough problems.
Posted by: Whitewall | Thursday, 14 May 2020 at 12:02
Someone alluded to this the other day, I don't remember where or who:
"It's terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hung today.
The men whom the people ought to choose to represent them are too busy to take the jobs. But the politician is waiting for it. He's the pestilence of modern times. What we should try to do is make politics as local as possible. Keep the politicians near enough to kick them. The villagers who met under the village tree could also hang their politicians to the tree."
GK Chesterton
Posted by: Whitewall | Thursday, 14 May 2020 at 14:32
BBC Newsnight had a look at the wording of the official document and the conclusion was that anyone can play with words. The fact is is that no matter who was in government we would be in the same position as we are today.
On another note we were unable to provide in an emergency protective clothing to our services. This is because we have destroyed manufacturing in the UK and have to depend on overseas provision.
And how ironic is it that China is providing us with PPE.
My mother worked in a pickle factory before WW2 and it was quickly converted into making munitions.
Posted by: Glesga | Thursday, 14 May 2020 at 19:34
BoJo is shite. They're all shite. Been telling you for years.
The EU single market rules and regs flattered to deceive you by keeping them all under control and limited in what they could do so we didn't have to find out what they could do - as evidenced by this shambles.
Dave Cam, and to a certain extent Tony Blair, had the good sense to "Don't do something, just stand there". Ronnie and Maggie institutionalised that, and Maggie planted it in Brussels so it shone back on Blighty eviscerating the murderous harm of post-war Brit pols, left, right, and centre.
You tore the torch down and let loose the negligence, incompetence and chaos again.
In your heart of hearts you know it. You just keep deluding yourself. And so your country that you purport to be fond of (you always said you don't do "Love") slides into oblivion.
YOU. DID. THIS.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Thursday, 14 May 2020 at 21:15
Calm down, dear, and get used to the idea that the world, including this small fragment of it, is complex!
Posted by: David Duff | Thursday, 14 May 2020 at 21:25
Obviously not too complex for a South Korean, a Taiwanese, a Singaporean, and just about everyone else in fact.
50 thou excess deaths in 2 months.
Complex, my arse.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Thursday, 14 May 2020 at 21:31
Boris is a likeable buffoon.
Posted by: Andra | Thursday, 14 May 2020 at 22:08
Loz, your da is right, keep calm, stay Alert, keep safe. No son should go before his parents. I hope your da leaves his Long John's to you in his will. We will make a soldier of you yet.
Posted by: Glesga | Friday, 15 May 2020 at 00:53
Am I right in thinking that the Government does not run care homes ?Neither does it run the NHS.Since it is not desirable or practicable that the Government is hands on in running either, how can it be their responsibility when things go wrong?
Yes, set up mechanisms to oversee and correct faults,but to hold Ministers personally responsible for failings in procurement and hygiene is just plain stupid.
The fact that someone is in a care home implies that they are old and vulnerable. Any infection getting among the inmates will run amok. I wonder how much longer a lot of them would have had anyway.I don't want to sound callous but at 82 years old I am aware that I don't have long to go.
Posted by: johnd2008 | Friday, 15 May 2020 at 03:54
Jimmy, good advice but I don't think we need to 'make a soldier' of 'SoD'. He 'did time' with 10 Para which indicates that he was just as dumb as his Dad!
Posted by: David Duff | Friday, 15 May 2020 at 09:13