Boris Johnson 8pm televised address - official match thread

[DavidinSouthampton]

Thanks.

I find it beyond frustrating that people focus in on what Boris was saying 48 hours ago and not what he did tonight. Surely if he opposed their view then, and changed his mind now, then they won and the right thing has been done.

Yes, he has done the right thing tonight in my view, but he should have done it and announced it earlier - 48 hours ago!

That doesn’t mean that I have won. It means that the rate of people dying at 500 per day or more will take longer to come down, it means more people will catch it. We’re all losing.

 

[BN41Albion]

The only people still supporting a pig an a particular coloured rosette at the moment seem to be the Boris supporters. Suggesting 'whatabout people preferring Starmer just because he has a red rosette' is crass. I support Starmer but I never supported the wanker Corbyn Tories opposed to Boris, however, are thin on the ground. I can't see Bozza et al cutting Corbyn any slack if he were (heaven forfend) in charge now. Rightly so. But I can't see them cutting Starmer any slack either. Fancy that

Bottom line, Boris has failed, failed and failed again over Covid, while enriching his pals, and that's why we are top of the charts in the race to disease and death.

This 100%

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

It is ironic that libertarian at heart BJ has lost the anti Lockdown and Covid-deniers on NSC.

Indeed. And it is ironic that someone who undoubtedly agrees with your perspective (a post up above and not from me!) has misunderstood your perspective. Oh well

Best wishes, as always :thumbsup

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

We had issues with child wellbeing in Lockdown 1 and its aftermath. Despite their preference for home life, it was awful for their mental health.

I also found out that local CAMHS departments since March 23rd operate at a much lower level. Not sure why ... staff sickness? furlough? Leaving poor kids without help for ADHD and other conditions, whilst kids with severe depression now join a far longer waiting list.

Side effects of the pandemic and Lockdowns, not to be underestimated.

You’re so right, it is very worrying. I’m sorry to hear about the issues your children have had WS.

The vaccine is not going to necessarily be the light at the end of this tunnel either. Most parents and teachers are not trained to know how to deal with mental health issues and unfortunately, having to pay back the Covid debt, I can only see spending in areas like this being cut.

My boys have generally dealt with it pretty well, at 6 and 4 it is probably easier for them than older children. But we have noticed ups and downs and no doubt it has changed their social habits and at that age you wonder what the long term effect will be.

 

[GT49er]

You may be right - but watching Boris followed by Keir Starmer was interesting. One came across as a clown who can't even be bothered to comb his hair. The other looked and sounded like a leader. I'd pretty much guarantee we'd be in a much better place with Starmer at the helm. At least we wouldn't have channelled billions to all BoJo's mates running dodgy PPE firms, etc.

So one political leader changes his mind and now supports the government line looks and sounds like a leader, whilst another politician who changes his mind following expert scientific and medical advice looks like he needs to comb his hair? Well, at least I'm sure you're not allowing your personal hates and dislikes to affect your astute political analysis...................


............. and even if things had turned pout differently, I'm pretty sure you'd find that Starmer had some 'mates' with fingers keen to insert into the pie too!

 

[The Clamp]

People seriously don't think anyone could have done a better job than Boris Johnson? That's a whole new level of stupidity
Even Johnson knows he's ****ing it up.

Why else do you think he comes out with "dog ate my homework" excuses like "We delayed closing schools because we know every day of education counts".
Nobody would have done a better job? Oh do **** off

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

You’ve always been a thoughtful poster.

As are you.......

 

[Notters]

Also worth bearing in mind this will only be the most at risk so 15m of the 25m priority people for vaccinations. I believe this first 15m could cut up to 90% of the deaths. After these first immunisations they will all have to be immunised again 12 weeks following which will probably mean a slowdown in the next 10m getting their first jabs, and I don't believe the government will significantly release restrictions (hospitality reopening, households mixing indoors, social distancing measures eased and heavy restrictions on audiences at sport/cultural events) until after all of these 25m have had their first jabs and the data shows the effectiveness of the immunisation programme.

No, well they didn't significantly release hospitality measures at all last summer did they? Oh hang on a minute, yes they were paying us to go to pubs.

 

[Weststander]

[MENTION=33649]darkwolf666[/MENTION] didn't say that. He simply thinks the dispersal could and should be improved. I agree with him.

The head of MHRA and also the Oxford scientists who developed their vaccine gave separate long interviews on R5 and I think LBC today. They said there are no stocks or dispensing issues of these vaccines, that they are being sent out and administered immediately after manufacture and vetting. The MHRA boss when asked if eg the army should be trained to administer them, said that they have more than enough capacity to use the vaccines as soon as the two pharma companies deliver them.

The consensus was that it now simply boils down to supply.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I don’t think the Government has a clue what it’s doing.

They have let this nightmare get out of control and I think the suffering they are causing is completely lost on them.

I don’t just mean COVID. I mean the mental health and untreated illnesses which will have a much longer impact than anything we are experiencing at the moment. The closed businesses, the lost livelihoods. So many people are going to have to rebuild their lives after this.

I am in no way a lockdown sceptic - it is needed because of the pressure on the NHS. But there has to be balance and debate on this. Where are Whitty’s slides on any of the above? It’s fine to follow the science but that is only focusing on one thing and the Government has dug a massive hole for itself both through their utter incompetence and the lack of any challenge to the course of action they are taking. Who is speaking up for those suffering who have less than a 0.5% chance of being hospitalised?

I strongly believe that in the long term more people will die because of COVID rather through the illness. Both my kids aged 23 and 21 are getting counselling at the moment because of the massive impact this has had on their lives and as a family we are under massive pressure whilst still having to conduct our daily lives.

My partner is an NHS nurse who has had to close her ward because of an outbreak so I really get it - I’ve heard too many sad stories. But this whole thing has been handled so badly by so many people, it defies belief.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

My condolences and best wishes. People are being hit left right and centre, whether it be distressed kids, dead relatives, or death itself.

We are not pulling together as a country owing to dithering, venal, spiv leadership. It is a disgrace.

The next GE is a long way away; where are the Tory Grandees, now, the ones who told Maggie her game was up? Have they all been replaced by spivs? Judging by the pathetic weaselry exemplified by the likes of our NSC 'pig in a blue rosette is great by me' contingent, I fear the answer is yes

 

[darkwolf666]

you wanted the vaccine released before it was approved? Oxford was only last week, Pfizer a month ago and is limited due to the storage constraints, army cant help that.

Am I not typing very well or are you deliberately misunderstanding me?

My suggestion is a full March 2020 style lockdown, once all the necessary vaccines are available!

I hold out little hope of Boris delivering on his promise of extremely vulnerable vaccinated by mid February...

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

The head of MHRA and also the Oxford scientists who developed their vaccine gave separate long interviews on R5 and I think LBC today. They said there are no stocks or dispensing issues of these vaccines, that they are being sent out and administered immediately after manufacture and vetting. The MHRA boss when asked if such as the army should be trained to administer them, said that they have more than enough capacity to use the vaccines as soon as the two pharma companies deliver them.

The consensus was that it now simply boils down to supply.

Fair enough. Thanks for that

 

[golddene]

In the real lockdown “shielders” we’re told not to go outdoors, excepting medical appointments. That advice didn’t change until August 1st when things overnight became magically different.

As a family we have continued to shield, excepting a daily one hour walk, since mid-March...!

Yes, this Is how it was and this morning my wife received a letter from DHSC reinstating her previous advice of shielding I.E. stay at home as much as possible, allowed out only for health visits or exercise, work from home or no work at all etc. This was dated 23rd Dec and was for tier 4 so maybe different now we are in another lock down.

 

[Weststander]

You’re so right, it is very worrying. I’m sorry to hear about the issues your children have had WS.

The vaccine is not going to necessarily be the light at the end of this tunnel either. Most parents and teachers are not trained to know how to deal with mental health issues and unfortunately, having to pay back the Covid debt, I can only see spending in areas like this being cut.

My boys have generally dealt with it pretty well, at 6 and 4 it is probably easier for them than older children. But we have noticed ups and downs and no doubt it has changed their social habits and at that age you wonder what the long term effect will be.

I already pre-CV19 believed that the public budget for children’s and adult mental health services should be much greater. The effects of this pandemic has only made the backlog and the number of those suffering far worse. I’d gladly pay more income tax hopefully targeted to areas such as this, as well as the NHS. It’s a real eye opener when you need them!

 

[Bodian]

So one political leader changes his mind and now supports the government line looks and sounds like a leader, whilst another politician who changes his mind following expert scientific and medical advice looks like he needs to comb his hair? Well, at least I'm sure you're not allowing your personal hates and dislikes to affect your astute political analysis...................


............. and even if things had turned pout differently, I'm pretty sure you'd find that Starmer had some 'mates' with fingers keen to insert into the pie too!

?? - I thought he was 'supporting the government line', because the government has changed it's mind and now agrees with him?

 

[Bry Nylon]

Until mid-February.

Absolute ****ing joke.

Agree.

I think it was always known that the winter months would bring a surge but we'd have been out of this MONTHS ago if people in this country weren't so ****ing thick and selfish.

Loads of people play fast and loose with this concept of 'support bubbles' to basically carry on exactly as they were this time last year, seeing exactly who they want, when and where they want, then just attaching the glib phrase "it's my bubble" to justify their selfishness. Nobody likes living with restrictions but it seems there is a critical mass that believe they shouldn't have to- and don't - which is just going to drag this thing on forever.

I agree that almost anybody could have done a similar or better job than they current administration in so many regards, but when a large number of people are just going to do what they want anyway, what does it matter? And before people say "well he should have sacked Cummings then" that is just a pointless smokescreen. Selfish, ignorant people are selfish ignorant people whatever. Welcome to many, many more months of this. Everyone wants it to end - but seemingly not quite enough to actually make the sacrifices necessary to break transmission.

 

[jessiejames]

Army were on M20 this morning, administrating vaccine to Lorry drivers going to France. Unfortunately I was in the wrong lane. 2 lorries waiting and 1 driving down to the vaccination point.

Sorry it was testing.

 

[Insel affe]

Ah well, full lockdown damages the children and vulnerable again, who do or should we really blame really...
Politician’s for getting it wrong ?
Ignorant people who couldn’t be bothered following the social distancing rules ?
Jive bunny retards at illegal parties and raves ?
Bad luck ?
Probably a culmination of all of the above.

It is was it is, stop blaming each other, keep your distance, wear a feckin mask, wash your pissing hands.

Stay safe folks.

 

[Weststander]

Fair enough. Thanks for that

The R5 interview after 10am today (Trump’s mate Naga Munchetty) with the CEO of MHRA is well worth a listen on catch up, also the scientists. Amazing people, also enlightening .... but you’d know how the scientists worked already

 

[GT49er]

The only people still supporting a pig an a particular coloured rosette at the moment seem to be the Boris supporters. Suggesting 'whatabout people preferring Starmer just because he has a red rosette' is crass. I support Starmer but I never supported the wanker Corbyn Tories opposed to Boris, however, are thin on the ground. I can't see Bozza et al cutting Corbyn any slack if he were (heaven forfend) in charge now. Rightly so. But I can't see them cutting Starmer any slack either. Fancy that

Bottom line, Boris has failed, failed and failed again over Covid, while enriching his pals, and that's why we are top of the charts in the race to disease and death.

Harry - you're making the very wrong - and if I may say so, slightly foolish assumption, that everybody who doesn't support the 'Boris is a clown, he's done everything wrong, everybody in the rest of the world has done better, and frankly my mother's friend's goldfish could have done better' line* pushed by many on here is a card carrying Boris supporting Tory who will always vote for a pig with a rosette. That simply isn't the case; many of us can see things that (often with hindsight) could have been done better (or differently anyway) but that nonetheless the government has done no worse (or better) than many others - there is no road-map on this, so the best advice in the world (which the government has broadly followed) is partly based on guesswork anyway.
The 'Pig with a rosette' quip can be equally applied to more than one colour, you know (and this from one who thinks Starmer got it exactly right tonight, and hopes to be able to vote for him in the not too distant future).

* I realise nobody's actually said those exact words, but you know as well as I do the 'line' I'm talking about!