I can see where the Guardian are going with this. Due to the fact they despise the Conservatives, it is of no surprise that they make an article that basically says during Labours term in power, the value of the stockpile increased but then when the Conservatives came into power, the value of the stockpile started to decrease, meaning the Conservatives was not replenishing out of date stock.
What will damn the conservatives is that prior to the 2016 pandemic exercise called ‘Exercise Cygnus’, the last one was in 2007 during Labours term in power and their response to that exercise was to increase the UK’s PPE emergency stockpile. Only recently has the tabloid press leaked information about Exercise Cygnus which took place in 2016 and the leaked information showed the UK was well unprepared for a pandemic.
Now armed with all that information, it’s clear to see that the Conservatives with David Cameron as PM followed by Theresa May as PM, both of them have shown to be complicit in ignoring the importance of the UK’s PPE emergency stockpile and allowed it to drop considerably during their terms in power. Now Boris has been left with a huge headache to sort out.
Ignoring the recommendations of the ‘Exercise Cygnus’ report in 2016 and suppressing the documents from public view was bad enough but now it transpires that even knowing the UK was ill equipped to handle a pandemic due to the results of the 2016 exercise, Theresa May allowed the stockpile to dwindle. It just gets worse and worse for the Conservatives.
I agree with swim here with regards to a public enquiry, when more and more people read about the guardians article, there will be strong pressure for a public enquiry.
Okay Ben…this is SHE…the (falsely)accused … I am a person of few words and most of those are terse and abrupt. I’m great at sarcasm and can tear a person apart with words in a very short time. Believe it or not, those are my good points!!
This CV situation is affecting us all…I don’t sleep well…and I can no longer watch the news. When it started I took note of the statistics (I’m a numbers person)…I can’t do it any more because I’m absolutely heartbroken! My way of coping is to keep busy… So I volunteered to help people who are vulnerable and self-isolating and I’m looking after about ten households - shopping, medications etc. This afternoon I’ve visited a lovely elderly couple who don’t have a computer and their one and only mobile phone is antiquated…and by prearrangement with their son - who lives on the mainland - I arranged a whatsapp video call from the son…and gave my mobile phone (left it on their doorstep to pick up while I stood back) to the couple to see and speak to their son, his wife and their grandchildren for half an hour.
We all have our demons…and I can guarantee mine are bigger than yours and wholly insurmountable…and I also live alone…and as I’ve said, my way of coping is to keep busy. But I’ve realised that it’s just as hard to ask for help as it is to volunteer and from what you’ve said, I think you should ask for help…shopping, medications and/or just someone to talk to.
As for this little issue about elderly people on here…I pointed out you were wrong…you acknowledged that and apologised…you can take that as accepted!!
There may be a difference in our ages, but believe me, I think we’re both in the same boat, as are ALL the people on here!
So please be a good bloke and accept that whats going on is affecting you AND everyone else too!!
If you know you’re feeling anxious or panicky, I can post a pretty decent article which helps - it certainly helped me!! If that doesn’t help, you’ll have to pm me your phone number and you can have the honour of my sarcasm and wit firsthand!
In the meantime, if any of you other posters on here, agree, approve or like my response…show your appreciation please…!!
Of course they wouldn’t.
I was discussing sticks today with Mr M as I dragged him from the sofa for his obligatory walk .
A thumb stick would be nice it sort of suited the country look.
He didn’t agree .
I will certainly get one of those walkers with a seat on if and when I need it .
I also fancy a mobility scooter ( a flash one preferably ) so I can make a nuisance of myself on the pavements .
… so I see people in the street wearing gloves and masks and think: why, where did he/she get that PPE from? They look like the kind of people who works in cleaning, catering, security, nursing agencies etc for the nhs.
LL.
Many thanks for the description of yourself. You,ve got me terrified now.
My biggest worry over this virus thing is that there is a possibility I may never see my children, grand children and great grandchildren again. Speaking to each other on the phone is fine but it,s not the same. I,ve heard that this virus could go on for another year or more yet.
My ‘thumbs up’ was directed a Lindyloo, because firstly I could see no indication of offence to anyone in her post. Secondly at Lindyloo’s statement about this being a discussion forum and should be treated with impunity that which it was intended. And thirdly, the dignified response from Lindyloo.
I now realise that Ben’s response was directed to the wrong poster, and I apologise to Ben for any offence my thumbs up might have caused.
I have the greatest of respect for Ben, and have always enjoyed reading his well informed and sensible posts, and long may I continue to read them…
Ben, What you’re feeling is completely normal, which many of us are sharing. IMO you are much tougher than you give yourself credit for. If you were not tough, you would not have lasted this long.
In one way, consider yourself lucky. You can , at least, talk to your loved ones on the phone. I can not even do that as I am deaf. So, you see, Ben that we all have burdens to carry. You are not going through this alone.
As the old saying goes, “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on”.
Limited shelf life = constant replenishment needed, Swine flu expenditure bashed, Tory cuts, Health and social care act 2012 = chaos, 2016 = Brexit. Brexit is probably the biggest spanner in the works for this. It created a life of its own where all other priorities were put on the back burner. You can argue your socks off to say it isn’t so but there it is. 2016 is the main clue here.
You cannot treat the NHS as a non-priority and then be surprised when there are problems further down the line.
However, pretty much every Western country has had problems with PPE and every government is being bashed in the same way. Parts of Asia may have been more prepared because of their experiences with SARS, but other countries have had similar problems with equipment and gear shortages.
Pensioners are a Pain in the Arse and long may it remain so because otherwise they will get no consideration from government and always be the victims of government cuts.
Thank gawd we are a big voting block and have to be pandered to (at least we are in this land of compulsory voting) however after we baby boomers cark it things might be different for the generations of old folk that follow us.
BTW in Australia the median age of the 59 deaths from covid19 is 79 years old and the range is 55 to 94.
Good Morning Everyone.
What really annoys me is the daily bulletin when those three ‘experts’ stand at their lecterns. They continually tell us what we must do, They tell us what wonderful work the NHS is doing. I agree 100%with the latter but it seems as though we, the general public are to blame for the way this virus is spreading Also they tell us very little as to what they, the government are doing. have they lost it? are they at a loss as to know what to do? Seems like it. They knew well in advance that this virus was coming our way but waited till it hit us before taking action.
We have been told, numerous times, that a pandemic was going to happen … sooner or later. Our governments knew this well in advance. The blame for how this got out of control, belongs firmly in the laps of our leaders.
Our governments should have been stockpiling N-95 masks, for all citizens and disposable gloves and gowns for doctors and nurses. There is no possible excuse for this failure.
Our leaders did not pay attention to epidemiologists. Those returning from infected areas should have been quarantined at remote military bases, and held there for a full 30 days.
Yes, it is true that China hid the truth for way too long, but our leaders: parliament, congress, PM’s and presidents had no way of knowing the exact nature of which type of virus was coming, but they did know SOMETHING was coming.
… I am a person of few words and most of those are terse and abrupt. I’m great at sarcasm and can tear a person apart with words in a very short time. Believe it or not, those are my good points!!
