Covid Inquiry

[Hymie]

I have seen posts on this site (presumably from those who were living under a rock whilst the pandemic raged) saying how well the UK government handled the pandemic.

The ongoing Covid inquiry is receiving little media attention; our Tory supporting press does not want you to know how incompetent the Tories were.

UK well prepared - then
On 23 January 2020 then Health Secretary (Matt Hancock) said in the House of Commons ‘We are well prepared and well equipped to deal with any cases that arise in this country.....the public can be assured that the whole of the UK is always well prepared for these types of outbreaks’

Covid inquiry –now
As an inquiry witness on the 27 June 2023 (Matt Hancock) was asked in relation to the covid pandemic ‘....that the system was not fit for purpose, was it?’
Hancock replied ‘That’s absolutely right.’

Former Welsh health minister (Vaughan Gething) admitted that the first time he had read some of the pandemic preparation documents was when he was preparing to give evidence to the inquiry.

Scottish health secretary (Jean Freeman) said that the infrastructure in Scotland was not equipped to handle the crisis.
And Northern Ireland didn’t have a health secretary for three years prior to the pandemic.

(information courtesy of Private Eye)

[naomi24]

I wonder if the people at Private Eye took furlough money - or had other businesses propped up by government funding or took advantage of schemes to get businesses up and running again?

[Hymie]

I continued to receive my bi-weekly subscription copy of Private Eye throughout the pandemic, so I doubt they furloughed many (if any) of their staff.

[naomi24]

Sure there are no fingers in other pies?

[Hymie]

Private Eye is published by Pressdram Ltd – I don’t think it has any other business activities.

[douglas9401]

Messenger being shot, as per.

[naomi24]

Possibly Douglas.

[DTCwordfan]

It's not an inquiry for gathering the learning lessons but rather a witch-hunt and therefore a waste of public funds.

[Rosetta]

Agree with DTC. I think the whole world was not properly prepared at the beginning

[naomi24]

I agree Rosetta.

[douglas9401]

Donald Trump Cwordfan? :-p

[Deskdiary]

I entirely agree Hymie.

The Government handled Covid dreadfully - frankly, it was a clusterfcku.

The main reason being they ignored our Pandemic plan (which didn’t call for the ridiculous lockdown, furlough and all manner of other things) and instead they crapped themselves and pulled the trigger to well and truly screw the economy.

BTW, there were loads of people on this board who agreed with the nonsense…there’s one in particular who probably wishes we were still in lockdown.

[david small]

A glorified Rooster ascending. A cockup.

[naomi24]

Although I didn’t agree with the lockdowns or with paying people to stay at home, I don’t think they handled it dreadfully - at least not in the beginning. They, like the rest of us, didn’t know what we were facing - hence all the unused Nightingale wards. I think they did their best in very uncertain circumstances to prop up businesses and workers, and the vaccine rollout was second to none. It’s easy to criticise but everything is clearer in retrospect.

[Togo]

The enquiry has been running for around 3 months and so far and already cost £40million. Of this sum £20million has gone in lawyers fees. Was this mentioned by the juvenile mind's favourite comic or are they afraid of lawyers targeting them?

[DTCwordfan]

not exactly a Trumped-up Charges fan, Douglas, and the same holds true for Sleepy Joe. Warren of Klobuchar for the Dems and Pence/DeSantis/Noem for the other lot but not the two ancients of Treason and Dementia.

[Hymie]

It’s not me who is saying that the Tory government made a complete mess of their covid pandemic response – it is one Matt Hancock, who just happened to be the then health secretary.

[Hymie]

[david small]

Very interesting Hymie, thanks.

[ToraToraTora]

Hymie, get help.

[Hymie]

Should people who post threads on AB which accurately portray information on a particular topic get help, and if so, what should that help be?