Tuesday 12 May 2020

From 3 word slogans to a thicket of detail

The prime minister's statement on Sunday was watched by 30 million but seems to have generated more confusion than anything, particularly among his own cabinet who were apparently not consulted before his statement and the 60 page booklet setting out his plan were released.  Harry Cole, deputy political editor at The Daily Mail claimed cabinet members were 'raging' in a tweet on Sunday even before the cabinet met:
There is now a whole website dedicated to advice on coronavirus and what you should do in a mass of different activities and situations as the government begins the slow, gradual process of lifting the restrictions that have applied form the last few weeks.

Johnson has gone from three word slogans to a mountain of detail and in the process sown confusion in every corner of the nation.  The scientific community are only just behind the cabinet in the confusion stakes:

Prof Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine at the University of East Anglia, said:

“The Prime Minister’s statement today certainly left a lot of questions unanswered. Whilst little seems to have changed for the rest of this month at least, it is still far from clear what the practicalities are of what we can and cannot do. Even with guidance on the DHSC website, the big problem is always how these broad statements are interpreted by businesses, by workers, and by ordinary members of the public. ‘How do these guidelines apply to my life?’ is the question that many people will be asking themselves

Prof Neil Greenberg, King’s College London and Royal College of Psychiatrist:

“Whilst the Prime Minister has announced his Government’s roadmap for recovery for the UK population, what was notably absent was any mention of how the wellbeing of NHS staff, and other key workers, will be supported during the country’s recovery."

Personally, I don't think any of the people that I know would ever read a detailed 60 page booklet, usually they prefer hearing a garbled version of it from the woman who works in the butchers. And apparently this is just for openers, more booklets are on the way for public transport, work spaces and just about everything else. It is nothing short of a new model for life post Covid-19.

Yesterday, I noticed a tweet from poor old Tim Montgomerie, founder of Conservative Home and apparently the most influential Tory outside the cabinet. This is it:

Crikey, you put all you considerable political weight behind the campaign to get a bumbling imbecile elected PM and then you're surprised when he falls flat on his face at the first sign of a crisis. And as he himself noted, it isn't just on Twitter:
When Philip Schofield delivers a thunderous critique of the government live on breakfast TV you know you're in trouble.

To Mr Montgomerie - as ye sow, so shall ye reap....
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