No. 172 - 'Too Little, too Late' - Yet Again, Boris is Way Behind the Curve.
Dear James,
On Tuesday, cocooned within all the televisual trappings of power that his minders could muster, Boris came before us all to announce new measures to stop the current resurgence of Covid-19 in its tracks. He wanted to talk to us directly about “the choices that we face - none of them easy - and why we must take action now.” The faux Churchillian tone and the smirk free visage suggested that here was a man set on real action, a man taking charge at last in a moment of extreme national crisis. His hands came out over the mahogany desk in breathless exhortation. His sentences spluttered out in short exhalations seemingly fuelled by small energy cells exploding according to some predetermined time fuse closely programmed into the autocue before him. This notoriously undisciplined and irresolute politician then asked us to “summon the discipline and resolve” to adhere to his new covid-19 rules. The number of people allowed at weddings is being halved. Pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues have to close by 10 pm. And fines for breaking the rules will increase to £200 on first offence. Wow! Was that it? We have to close the pubs by 10? Oh the anguish! Oh the horror of it all! Virus – be very afraid. You have been warned! Boris is out to get you.
On Wednesday the rate of new infections went up to 6,180, a jump of over a thousand on the previous day. Outbreaks were reported in halls of residence at Glasgow University and elsewhere in Scotland. In Spain and France the resurgence is already in the tens of thousands and we have always been a few weeks behind them. Yet Boris tells us that he is ‘deeply, spiritually reluctant to make any of these impositions, or infringe anyone's freedom, but unless we take action the risk is that we will have to go for tougher measures later.” He seems to have forgotten the notorious 38 days when he dithered and dawdled back in March while the virus went crazy. He hesitated then and he is hesitating now. Hesitation is not a sign of good leadership.
Yesterday a member of the SAGE team said anonymously that the ‘scientific advice is that stronger restrictions should apply overall’. It seems that Ministers have departed from their ‘follow the science’ mantra. It represents another swerve in Boris’s advice. What was six weeks ago ‘Go back to work,’ now becomes ‘ Stay home, work at home if you can.’ Yesterday also Professor Edmunds of the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene stated that, for the second time, Boris was ‘doing too little, too late’. Across the border, as usual, Nicola Sturgeon has gone further than Boris and stopped mixed family gatherings. We are being ruled by a government trapped between the ideology of freedom and the responsibility for lives. Ideology is winning at the moment but very soon they will have to go back to saving lives. Soon there will have to be a ban on mixing in households through out England and Boris will have to do yet another U-turn. A government’s greatest responsibility is to protect its people and the greatest protection is the protection of life. While understanding the need to protect the economy and jobs you cannot fiddle with notions of ‘liberty’ when so many lives are at risk. We need firm and resolute action, not the nail-biting indecision of our present Prime Minister.
The day before yesterday Kier Starmer made a speech to the virtual Labour Party Conference. How refreshing! There were no mannerisms, no tics, no waving of the hands or attempts to be someone he is not. All we had was simple sentences and simple logic and simple questions to the government. Yesterday it was Mr Sunak’s turn - even though he is of the pro-business persuasion - to show that more effective leadership is available. The bands of the competent are circling the carcass of cock-ups James. The writing is on the wall.
Today the R rate has risen from between 1.2 and 1.5 which means that the rate of infection is rising by between 4% and 5%. Very soon - after a few days, a week at most - Boris will have to come before us yet again and announce the second lockdown. I think we’re all becoming a little tired of your leader James. We are at war and we need a coalition of the competent to face the enemy not, as one commentator put it this week, ‘an entitled imposter’ playing out the end game of his boyhood fantasies!
Kind regards,
BH – Your Concerned Constituent