Lockdown Plus 1 - Times Trial

The Times seems hell bent on conducting a public trial of Boris Johnson and the Conservative Government over their handling of the Coronavirus pandemic whilst the crisis is unfolding by the hour.  It seems the Times is privy to special information and intelligence that enables it to pronounce on Boris’ handling of the situation before the results are visible for analysis.  Having done its bit to bully the Government into locking down most of the country, the newspaper grandly acknowledges that “he took the right decision.” But the same article questions “what mistakes were made earlier and what lessons can be learnt from them.”  As most fair minded citizens might agree, all in good time and, as I have observed before, when you are up to your arse in alligators it is sometimes difficult to remember that the main aim was to drain the swamp.  It is not as though The Times track record recommends particular attention.  This is the newspaper, after all, that castigated the Government for their handling of the economy post financial crisis, called it wrong over the referendum, got it wrong over the consequences of the yes vote and, most recently, got it wrong again over the general election.  And it is this august organ that maintains the likes of Matthew Parris, Max Hastings, Philip Collins, Jenni Russel and Rachel Sylvester on the payroll – hardly a balanced stable?  Indeed, if you fancied a bet, there is a form case for taking the opposite view to the Times as the most likely outcome.

Of course, I know nothing of current and relevant importance but I think I can recognise decent leadership when I see it.  The PM, Sir Patrick Vallance, and Professor Chris Whitty seem to be doing a good job in the swirling circumstances despite the unhelpful grandstanding from Jeremiah Hunt.  He would do well to heed the final words from Ian Harrow's poem the other day:

“not to mention that there’s never

a bad time to recall that you either

strike the right note or stay silent.”