[Oldmanmatt]

There wouldn't be a shortage if some of you hadn't been so profligate. I'm looking at you, two year old hunt.

There’s 84 tons of Pink Wafers, arriving from Turkey tomorrow.

Or carpets.

Not sure yet.

[spidermonkey09]

With apologies for bringing the tone down...just spent 10 minutes reading an article in the Sunday Times tomorrow headlined "38 days Britain sleepwalked toward disaster." Really damning stuff. A link (paywalled) is below; I tried to pass it through google news but no luck. Worth the effort if you have the knowledge. It left me open mouthed at times.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-38-days-when-britain-sleepwalked-into-disaster-hq3b9tlgh

[Will Hunt]

Copy and paste, please 

[TobyD]

With apologies for bringing the tone down...just spent 10 minutes reading an article in the Sunday Times tomorrow headlined "38 days Britain sleepwalked toward disaster." Really damning stuff. A link (paywalled) is below; I tried to pass it through google news but no luck. Worth the effort if you have the knowledge. It left me open mouthed at times.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-38-days-when-britain-sleepwalked-into-disaster-hq3b9tlgh

Ten minutes? That's pretty quick! Yeah I just read it too, I intended to anyway having heard a BBC journalist say earlier that it was going to be published and is extremely damning. It's a total demolition of Johnson's entire performance as a PM, implying that he's lazy, not interested in details to the point of totally ignoring repeated advice that this was happening and being told what he needed to do. I wonder whether now's really the time to be publishing this. I can't help feeling it's obviously necessary to, but the decision not to wait until the crisis has abated is desperation from the paper at their escalating losses and rather irresponsible journalism.

[Will Hunt]

Ok, catching up here. I've got some lead-based pink paint and I'm painting over the Rich Teas. It's fine. Totally fine.

Toby. Duh! If you've got a nuke you don't drop it when the guy's in the bunker. You wait until the moment of greatest vulnerability and stick it up him then. 

[Offwidth]

With apologies for bringing the tone down...just spent 10 minutes reading an article in the Sunday Times tomorrow headlined "38 days Britain sleepwalked toward disaster." Really damning stuff. A link (paywalled) is below; I tried to pass it through google news but no luck. Worth the effort if you have the knowledge. It left me open mouthed at times.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-38-days-when-britain-sleepwalked-into-disaster-hq3b9tlgh

Try this:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1251616775504113664.html

(still laughing from tc's list of instructions)

[Oldmanmatt]

The Times story is Sky’s leader today.

Oddly enough the Beeb doesn’t seem to have noticed it at all.

Not that their leader about the Care home deaths is particularly pro-Government....

I don’t think I’ve seen many “pro” articles, anywhere, since I stopped reading the Telegraph.

[ali k]

It's a total demolition of Johnson's entire performance as a PM, implying that he's lazy, not interested in details...I wonder whether now's really the time to be publishing this.

The article doesn’t really add anything new to what anyone who’s paid attention to his career would already know, in terms of his work ethic. And yet his and the government’s approval ratings are still through the roof. I’m not convinced this article will change that. Not sure if it’s some kind of Trump-like devotion or Stockholm syndrome.

[Snoops]

Worst thing is...he’s absolutely hiding again. It’s a shit storm out there, lockdown, schools, no PPE, he’s waiting til it dies down a bit, and then he can come out to ‘lead the country out of lockdown’ as the sun out it yesterday.

His provisional plan according the FT is too be back in a further 2 weeks to lead the country out coinciding with VE Day!

After that article he may have to face the music sooner. 

[tomtom]

It’s not the information - more the messenger/outlet that will sting.

Whilst the times and Sunday times are long past their best - it’s hard for the Tory membership and leadership to ignore...

A bit like having a rap over the knuckles from an important though elderly family member.

It’s not on the front page though...

When the numbers stabilise - and of we end up (as looks likely) being worse than Italy and Spain (that were being held up by all in media and government as an example to avoid) then there will be little or no places to hide.

[ali k]

...his and the government’s approval ratings are still through the roof. I’m not convinced this article will change that. Not sure if it’s some kind of Trump-like devotion or Stockholm syndrome.

Just to add, I also can’t help wondering if they’ve been incredibly fortunate with the timing of the recent sunny weather [inc 91% approval of lockdown extension]. Yes, some activities have been restricted but the displacement activities/alternatives are so much greater when it’s sunny outside, and people are generally less grumpy. If it had rained every day for the last 3weeks I’d imagine people would be at the end of their tether now!

[spidermonkey09]

Another link here: https://archive.is/20200418182037/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/coronavirus-38-days-when-britain-sleepwalked-into-disaster-hq3b9tlgh

I agree with TT about the messenger being the relevant part of this. The Sunday Times polotical reporting, led by Tim Shipman, normally falls over itself fawning over Johnson. Perhaps its revealing that this is the work of the Insight investigative team and not Shipman. Worth noting that the editorial leader is also very critical of the government which suggests significant unease. Also, quick fact check: its not the front page splash but it is on the front page.

The main takeaway for me was not one of political incompetence, which as Ali says, anyone who has been paying attention already knew about. (The way austerity has impacted upon planning for events like this was particularly interesting.) instead, it was the way our chief scientists seem to have totally misinterpreted the data coming out of the far east, assuming it was a flu whereas Asian scientists were very clear this was a SARS like threat and acted accordingly. The light shed on the herd immunity strategy is particularly damning. Any subsequent inquiry will have to look at the scientists professional judgement and how it fell so far short, amounting to five weeks of inaction.

It may not change anything but its certainly the best bit of journalism I've read in the Times for ages and should be commended just for that.

[Oldmanmatt]

I woke early this morning, aching from heavy labour yesterday and no chance of remaining comfortable in bed. So, from about 06:45, I’ve been drinking coffee and reading the papers.

The Times story and critical articles of the Government and Boris in particular, seemed to be universal, across the board.

Just watched Marr...

Totally different slant.

According to him, all the newspapers are pushing for an end to lockdown, the Government is wonderful and the only papers of importance are the Sun, the Mail and the Telegraph.
One of his guests, passed off the Times article as “20/20 hindsight” and brushed it off, to which Marr agreed.

All he seemed to care about, was when the Garden Centres would be opened.

(Yes, I know it wasn’t “that” simple/clear cut, but fuck it was totally uncritical and avoided anything controversial).

[Offwidth]

The UK as superman!  A speech Boris made on Feb 3rd.

https://mobile.twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1251458390028664832

[tomtom]

Busy (toddler - Lego etc..) but saw a tweet from some commentator suggesting Murdoch has had it with Boris and wants Gove in charge...

:D etc...

[petejh]

Just to add, I also can’t help wondering if they’ve been incredibly fortunate with the timing of the recent sunny weather [inc 91% approval of lockdown extension]. Yes, some activities have been restricted but the displacement activities/alternatives are so much greater when it’s sunny outside, and people are generally less grumpy. If it had rained every day for the last 3weeks I’d imagine people would be at the end of their tether now!

By they you mean we've been fortunate. Right? Because it's nice that it's sunny isn't it? Or is this pandemic all a political event, and you'd rather it rained and were personally unhappy as long as it made the government look bad so you could criticise them.

According to him, all the newspapers are pushing for an end to lockdown, the Government is wonderful and the only papers of importance are the Sun, the Mail and the Telegraph.

Just to point out that those three papers account for by far the majority of newspapers read in the UK. Including Sunday versions they account for 6 of the top 9 by sales. So they are quite important.

[Oldmanmatt]

Busy (toddler - Lego etc..) but saw a tweet from some commentator suggesting Murdoch has had it with Boris and wants Gove in charge...

:D etc...

Hmmm...

Sky changed their online front page in the last few minutes, bumping The Times article to n⁰2:



Pete, if you’re in the mood forlooking things up...
How much of the total “News” consumption do those papers account for?
I was under the impression that “Newspapers” were approaching defunct?

I don’t really expect you look it up, I actually thought you might already know.
I have to go back to to work, so can’t look it up.

[petejh]

Sure, however for 'newspapers of importance' as was said, they're actually very important. Readership stats for Sun, Mail and Telegraph (inc Sunday versions) occupy 6 of the top 9 spots. The Guardian is bottom or close to. So why *wouldn't* a national broadcaster give attention to them? It would be more noteworthy if they didn't! Not got any axe to grind here btw.

[ali k]

By they you mean we've been fortunate. Right? Because it's nice that it's sunny isn't it?

Of course we’ve been fortunate. And I’m positing that as a result they’ve been fortunate in maintaining public opinion despite what, by all accounts, is a fucking disastrous handling of the pandemic led by a man who likes the idea of being PM but not the workload that goes along with it.

Or is this pandemic all a political event, and you'd rather it rained and were personally unhappy as long as it made the government look bad so you could criticise them.

I’d rather this government were just vaguely competent so I didn’t feel the need to criticise.

[tomtom]

A month ago I thought they were doing a competent job (and begrudgingly posted as much iirc) but I’m not of that view now.

If it wasn’t about an extra 10-20k people perishing we’d all be omnishambling it.

[abarro81]

I'd rather it had rained for 3 weeks tbh

[spidermonkey09]

100% what Alex said!

[petejh]

City dwellers versus country dwellers. I’ve walked a different footpath almost one day in every three! Loving this sun.

..

I was going to post something on this thread about noticing that the political debate around corona is starting to revert to the mean, and how it’s beginning to be the usual voices saying the usual things.
I’m trying to think who might have tory sympathies on UKB, maybe GME or shark (honestly don’t know)? I’d take more notice of criticism of the government’s handling of this pandemic if the voices weren’t those of people strongly opposed to a tory government.
So that Times article is useful. Political opinions on UKB come across to me as more venting than balanced.

[Nigel]

I wonder whether now's really the time to be publishing this. I can't help feeling it's obviously necessary to, but the decision not to wait until the crisis has abated is desperation from the paper at their escalating losses and rather irresponsible journalism.

I don't think this is the time either - a month ago would have been better. But at least *someone* has done some proper journalism. The correct word is "investigative", not "irresponsible"!

Just to relink so more people might see it - https://archive.is/20200418182037/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/coronavirus-38-days-when-britain-sleepwalked-into-disaster-hq3b9tlgh

Anyone who has followed this thread from the start would already have an idea about most of the contents, all of the government's myriad failings were and are obvious, not that you would necessarily have known from the supine media we have in the UK. So to me at least the contents are not a bombshell, but even so its damning seeing it all collated as a timeline of avoidable disaster after disaster. And in a mainstream media outlet normally supportive of the Tories.

The simple fact is that the government have clearly let their citizens down, badly. And they know it. Their only working strategy at the moment is to ask the citizens of the UK to bail them out (again!) by making personal sacrifices. Which to their credit they (we!) are doing.

[Nigel]

I was going to post something on this thread about noticing that the political debate around corona is starting to revert to the mean, and how it’s beginning to be the usual voices saying the usual things.
I’m trying to think who might have tory sympathies on UKB, maybe GME or shark (honestly don’t know)? I’d take more notice of criticism of the government’s handling of this pandemic if the voices weren’t those of people strongly opposed to a tory government.
So that Times article is useful. Political opinions on UKB come across to me as more venting than balanced.

No doubt you are right about the UKB political demographic Pete, but the facts don't take sides. Running the NHS at 95+% capacity, running down emergency stockpiles, ignoring findings from pandemic dry-runs, ignoring WHO warnings, PM not attending COBRA meetings, ignoring warnings from NHS staff and putting them in harm's way - none of those are party political point scoring. Yes the tories happen to be in power, so yes its largely their fault. If labour had been in power, then personally I'd be happy to give them an equally hard time. The ultimate fact is 15,000+ dead and rising, a lot of which are unnecessary deaths when compared with many (most) other countries. Let's call it a systemic UK failing if you like, but its still a failing.