Johnson spoke last night.
By universal consent, his speech was bad.
It was confusing.
Amongst the waffle, it was almost impossible to discern what he was actually saying.
When anything could be worked out it was obvious that it was technically incompetent.
And what he never made clear was that he was only speaking for England. The rules for Scotland, Wakes and Nothern Ireland are created by their governments. But Johnson never said so. And that was not just grossly incompetent. And rude. And unconstitutional. It was inept as well.
Ben Wray has addressed this well on Source Direct this morning, saying:
The fissures between devolved administrations and No 10 are now a serious crisis of the UK state. Since the public health response clearly takes precedence and is now led from Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, the reserved parts of government which remain in lockstep with Whitehall are now a major liability for the Scottish, Welsh and NI governments. The most critical risk is the centralised control of the furlough scheme, because if Chancellor Rishi Sunak decides to begin winding down the payment of wages for 6.8 million UK workers (370,000 in Scotland), that de facto brings the lockdown to an end, as the hand of millions of workers are forced (if they have a job to return to at all). One report has stated that Sunak will move as early as Tuesday to begin the process of ending the furlough scheme. The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon must demand a devolved administration veto on any changes to the furlough scheme if the credibility of the Scottish lockdown is to be maintained.
Johnson may not care about that credibility. The people of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do.
Johnson can make few errors of judgement as bad as the one he made in broadcasting as he did last night and survive, most especially when the Tories don't like what he had to say as they want to end lockdown now, believing that their core supporters will be safe, come what may, as statistically may well be true.
The chance that Johnson will make the end of this year as PM look increasingly unlikely to me.
The chance that Independence in Scotland will be very much back on the agenda is at least as high.
I may be wrong, but last night helped both causes.
They are not unrelated. And I suspect no Tory could reverse the momentum in Scotland if Johnson makes another blunder of this scale.
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I have just listened to an elderly, very direct and commonsensical lady, named Winifred on a phone-in on BBC Scotland, who was scathing about Britain’s ill-preparedness in PPE and testing, and relying on the heroism of underpaid, undervalued workers, from docotors to cleaners, to see us through. She respects what the Scottish Government has decided is the priority: save lives first.
Winifred is right, because until testing and PPE is widely available, the infrastructure and organistation weaknesses fully repaired, there is a limit to what any Government can do, or plan. This is not sufficiently widely discussed or acknowledged, because the British Government dare not expose to inspection the full extent of its failures of responsible Government over the last ten years of Conservative Government; and the last ten years of Union.
Winifred provided a wonderful, clear and simple statement of what we need to do going forward that is far better than the the woeful ‘Stay alert’:
“Remember: six feet apart is better than six feet under” (Winifred)
🙂
This reflects exactly what I said to my wife last night after hearing Johnson’s speech. Since the UK Treasury is holding the purse strings there will be an almighty constitutional crisis if Sunak withdraws the furlough scheme and thereby undermines the Scottish Government efforts to keep people staying at home in Scotland unless they are employed in essential work.
It is only a matter of time before the UK breaks apart. Scottish independence will be followed by Welsh demands for much greater autonomy at the very least, before ultimately going for independence, but first, it could be that, after a referendum, the 6 counties of Ulster rejoin the rest of the Irish Republic.
All of this can be planted firmly at the feet of the thoroughly anglo-centric Tory party, left to preside over an economically broken post-Brexit England, and I do not need to elaborate on that!
The only question for the Tories now, is how long before another short-serving chancellor moves up to the premiership – the only member of a hapless cabinet who looks presentable- because Johnson is proving his vast potential as a liability to them.
It is a great pity Starmer’s forensic skills are not matched by an ability to communicate the currently required levels of passion and urgency.
Johnson is relying on his effective veto in order to hold the Union together. This may hold for a while but not forever.
We disagree on Johnson. If there was an election tomorrow he would probably romp home with an even bigger majority. We won’t find out though because he will survive. All the alternatives in the Tory party are even worse. Matt Lucas summed up Johnson’s speech beautifully.
I get a sense that in my rural community there is real frustration with him….
Given your knowledge of politics, Richard, you don’t honestly believe that Johnson not mentioning Scotland, Wales, or NI was anything other than deliberate, as was the ‘failure’ to consult over the change to ‘stay alert’. It’s quite clear by now that the Johnson/Cummings approach to governing, and to the Covid-19 situation in the UK specifically, is to borrow direct from the Trumpian playbook: speak directly to the people, get your story (your version of the ‘truth’ and ‘fact’s’) out first, ignore all past governmental/policy conventions and norms, etc. I’ve no doubt there’ll be a doubling down on this approach as more a more flak about the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic heads the government’s way. Indeed, for weeks now we’ve seen one aspect of this in the constant use of the term ‘ following the science’, which is simply a device to lay the groundwork for where Johnson/Cummings will seek to deflect blame as this crisis continues (indeed, as has already happened) and for the benefit of the inquiries that will undoubtedly follow it.
Agreed
But I think they are being rumbled
Philip Schofield – the ultimate compliant person in the media – was rubbishing and the fact no one would talk about it this morning
Johnson has come across as a blithering idiot in spite of the media portraying him as Churchill. Note the VE Day films which focus on Winston the man with several weaknesses but was nevertheless the man to get things done.
Unless he is nailed pronto, there will be carnage on the streets.
Cracks in the Union may appear in the most unlikely of places: the England – Wales border – different sets of rules either side and a Welsh police force under instructions to go after English drivers breaking the lock-down. I agree the money aspect could also be another tension point – Wales/Scotland vs Johnson government. Another factor to throw onto the uncertainty heap is how the summer shapes up – starting to look like a massive heat wave/dought (no rain in Ireland for + 6 weeks, ditto belgium, Rhine running low). All starting to merge into a huge multifaceted disaster, with a PM whose main consideration is “staying popular” and a media that is complicit in this.
For those wanting light relief: my take below the line in Euracticv on Johnson and his speech (Continental media tend to have a more liberal attitude towards btl).
https://www.euractiv.com/section/coronavirus/news/johnson-eases-uk-lockdown-accused-of-lacking-clarity/
“For how much longer can Scotland stay in the Union?”
Never underestimate what or who people may vote for, as recent elections show, it may well be the opposite of what you think.
Following on from Tsar Boris’s shambolic and confusing speech to the plebs, sorry.. nation, Wee Ginger Dug came up with this killer (but entirely realistic) line: “It has come to pass that even Arlene Foster and the DUP speak more sense than the leader of the UK.”
Which is pretty staggering…
Most telling is the trend in the opinion polls, showing that the Scots are more and more likely to vote SNP. The SNP has made mistakes (education, health in particular) but the overall loathing of BoJo here is making independence more and more attractive. This will be magnified when the chaos of Brexit occurs. The general attitude locally here in my part of Scotland is that they prefer local incompetence to Westminster bungling.
“The SNP has made mistakes (education, health in particular)”
Definitely this.
This is something that is devolved to Scotland and I would personally prioritise education over health for long term thinking.
The SNP need to shape themselves over these issues.
You might want to take a look at this and other articles on this website –
https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2019/12/29/best-wishes-to-nhs-scotland-heres-the-evidence-its-easily-the-best-in-the-uk-and-one-of-the-best-in-the-world/
What are these mistakes in Scotland’s Health and Education ? These comments are repeated almost daily by Unionists. I have never seen any evidence or context.
On education, the failure to think outside the box, move away from churning out kids who know only how to pass exams. Smaller class sizes, overhaul of children and young adults mental health services.
Targeted health and education initiatives in deprived areas.
Reform the health boards.
What is needed for Centra Glasgow is different to rural Dumfries and Galloway.
There are many other devolved issues where The SNP can and should diverge from England.
Can’t remember if transport and energy are devolved fully (don’t think Network Rail is yet, happy to be corrected)
If memory serves, Forestry has now been devolved to The Scottish Government, but I am increasingly concerned about the amount of logging trucks on the road stacked full of healthy trees, they were, many years ago, transported by rail, alas, no more.
Starter for ten????
Fine. These are opinions fit for robust debate in any country, but they don’t explain or justify the daily bald assertion of failing public services in Scotland which is where your comments seem to originate. In general they are aimed solely at undermining confidence in the country.
I agree. Johnson’s failure to mention devolved parliaments was wholly deliberate. Nicola Sturgeon’s outstanding leadership, her dedication and clear daily communication, her fearlessness to take on any questions from any news outlet, no matter how hostile and divisive some of them have been, had shown Boris Johnson up as the blithering idiot he is. And he knows full well that ending the furlough prematurely will put Scots workers under immense pressure to go back to work too soon. I’d go as far as to say that he’s inviting numbers to increase. But people up here understand what he’s up to. Those who are expecting a sudden change of heart in Scotland towards a more United Kingdom will have a long wait. Her handling of this crisis has only bolstered her standing in the eyes of Scots. She is going to do even better at the next election.
If there is a second wave of infection in London then Johnson’s goose will be cooked.
If the facts in this piece are to be believed,
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2009758 New England Journal of Medicine: Asymptomatic Transmission, the Achilles’ Heel of Current Strategies to Control Covid-19
What happened in South Korea? One infectious individual spawned over 25 more in just a few days,
There is surely at least one asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic person in that crowd who is infected and infectious in that crowd we saw on London Transport today, so I very much fear that a second wave is not so much likely as inevitable.
I think it is inevitable
I think it policy
I find the ‘but iffery’ about Scottish education does not reflect its high ratings by the OECD this year, nor the reality that more Scots go onto tertiary education than any other part of the UK.
As for NHS Scotland the SNP has ended all private outsource contracts within the NHS, bought hospitals out from the private sector, has more doctors, nurses, beds, ICU provisio etcetera on a per head basis, in the face of cut backs in overall health spending by Westminster, in real terms, which reduce Barnet consequentials.
NHS Scotland is a unified public service unlike the fragmented mess the Tories and Labour have made of NHS England since the late 1980s.
From my view point here in Scotland, even died in the wool Scottish Tories are saying Ms Sturgeon is doing a good job, ok through gritted teeth, but the polls show support for independence has risen and as Boris rushes towards the Brexit cliff that support will only rise.
The UK Union of Tory wet dreams is dead, they just remain in denial like a modern day Red Queen.
In response to Jim Round’s post at 6:45pm on 11 May, it’s obvious that nothing stands still for long and information, circumstances and policies are constantly evolving, so broad criticism is easy, but concrete, practical remedies are harder to arrive at. Maybe Jim would like to offer a few solutions to his perceived failures by the Scottish Government?
I won’t claim any expertise in the field of education, but I recognise that education should be a broad preparation for life, although that’s a slightly harder topic to define. On the other hand, while I accept that “learning how to pass exams” may not be seen by some as an essential preparation for life, it is an indispensable skill for anyone aspiring to Further Education, where students suddenly discover that their education won’t be spoon-fed to them.
I do have a lot more experience of the NHS in Scotland and would like Jim to expand on his wish to reform the health boards. Does he see a need to reform any specific boards or is it an across the board reform of all boards? I’m not convinced that the subsuming of Argyll & Clyde into Greater Glasgow resulted in improvements for either in terms of management (as distinct from clinical) outcomes. However as a consequence of that merger, the Argyll element became part of NHS Highland and resulted in it being responsible for delivery of health services from the southern tip of Kintyre to John o’Groats — the entire length of Scotland – and including all the isles of the Inner Hebrides. The geographical logistics of this alone are daunting and result in massively increased travelling times (and concomitant overheads) for staff to carry out routine duties across the area. So that’s one reform I can see might be worth considering.
However there’s quite a difference between fixing localised problems and carrying out a fundamental Scotland-wide change to management policies and structure. Is he advocating a return to the Tories’ sacred cow of the internal market, with every hospital being treated as an individual entity, thereby making coherent strategies harder to implement and data harder to collect? He doesn’t say, but I can say I witnessed the implementation of these policies first hand in the 1990s and despaired about the massive duplication of functions and increase in overheads across regions.
When I returned to Scotland after a period working abroad, I found that the reforms of the 1990s had largely been discarded and that, while area-wide Acute and Primary care functions had significant autonomy, the regional board had a crucial role in co-ordinating the dissemination of national policies, collation of data etc. In short, it was a system which functioned far more cohesively and efficiently than that of the 1990s Tory model. This bottom-up management of clinical and admin delivery combined with the top-down national strategic direction (including the interface between politicians and senior NHS personnel) via the regional health boards is broadly similar to how the military is run and has provided the effective performance levels that consistently show NHS in Scotland out-performing the NHS services in the other nations of the UK.
While recognising that all systems are constantly in flux, I’d be interested in knowing what specifics Jim would recommend to cure the ills he perceives in Scotland’s education and health sectors.
I do not doubt that Scotland has better outcomes in health and education than England, that does not mean, however, that Scotland should stand still.
Whilst it is commendable that a high number of young people continue to University, it is not the be all and end all.
There is a place, now more than ever, for Apprenticeships, definitely tied in to Richards ideas on a Green New Deal, in house renovations, plumbing, building, energy etc…
I would even tie it to a jobs guarantee.
Anyone unemployed has six months to find something for themselves, if unsuccessful, then they will have full support from local authorities, colleges, universities, health boards, whatever is needed.
Areas like Glasgow would benefit from targeted support from all agencies, get young children out of the classroom and into the outdoors, ongoing assessment instead of passing exams, work with children’s mental health services to weed out problems early on.
Sort out bullying in health boards that is demoralising staff and causing them to leave.
I do have more but it would fill several pages.
I confess I find Jim Round’s contributions to this debate confusing, vacillating and lacking in any clear proposals to resolve the issues he claims are damaging to Scotland.
For instance, the initial assertion of “The SNP has made mistakes (education, health in particular). Definitely this”. It’s bleedin’ obvious that no government anywhere can claim that it doesn’t make any mistakes, but when challenged for more detail he came up with this today: “I do not doubt that Scotland has better outcomes in health and education than England, that does not mean, however, that Scotland should stand still.” Suddenly there’s grudging recognition that, actually, the Scottish Gov is doing a decent job in Health and Education. But nobody in this debate has ever suggested that we should stand still and indeed nobody has suggested there isn’t scope for improvements, but if he’s going to criticise a government’s performance he should at least have some concrete proposals.
There was also mention today of Apprenticeships, the need for vocational training, some vague proposals on matters such as Jobs Guarantee etc. Is he not aware of Skills Development Scotland? See https://www.apprenticeships.scot/about/. Similarly, is he not aware that matters relating to Employment Law, Social Security, Benefits etc are reserved to Westminster and therefore not within Holyrood’s powers to amend?
In relation to health, he has moved from a position of demanding “reform the health boards” to today’s demand to “sort out bullying in health boards that is demoralising staff and causing them to leave.” Given that bullying is deplorable, but not confined to Scotland’s Health Boards, and that there are procedures, including whistleblower protection, already in place to address it, I fail to see how sorting out bullying has anything to do with reform of health boards.
I’m still waiting to hear what health board reforms he is demanding and what remedies he proposes.
It seems very likely to many of us that Johnson et al have a deliberate policy of breaking up the UK. In the same way as they profess to want a Brexit deal, they profess to want to preserve the precious union, but act in the opposite direction at every opportunity. Turning England into a offshore tax-haven similar to where most of them apparently bank their fortunes would be very attractive to them, perhaps.
I think that a very good analogy
They also say they’re not doing herd immunity
Yet shockingly every opinion poll taken recently gives the Tory Government the kind of support that any Tory dictator would love. Regularly, they poll between 45% and 55%, more than enough to give them the English FPTP elected dictatorship they so desire and thus do Tories really care what NI, Wales and Scotland thinks, the English Tories own you. This, despite the fact that other polls suggest people think the Govt handling of things is worse than anywhere else. You couldn’t make it up.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/09/poll-shows-people-think-uk-handled-coronavirus-worse-than-italy-spain
Yes, these are unprecedented times, but are the people of the UK, mainly England really this thick and gullible? Is it simply doffing the cap and tugging the forelock to our betters, as surely they must know better? Reading the Sun, Express and Mail and saying they are right you know. Little Englanders, know your place.
The Queen singing we will meet again?
Clap for the NHS and forget the Tories underfunded it for years.
Our glorious leader has his life to thank to two immigrant nurses (one from that dreaded EU monster) who nursed him back to health. Oh the irony.
Is it sympathy for BJ’s own battle against the covids? The Rolling Stones singing sympathy for the devil in the background.
The free lunch and holiday that everyone seems to think we can afford? Because after all, we are GREAT Britain as against Not Bad Italy as Alexie Sayle once ranted.
There’s been no Starmer bounce for the left. This is not the time for criticism he shouts as democracy appears to be suspended. Truth is he fears the English backlash that it’s better we all pull together just like the good old days.
The Tories will not drop BJ without a significant fall in the polls. They have never ever done that no matter how stupid, ignorant or dumb the leader may seem. Why bother anyway? One Nation Tories have been purged. Anoint Hunt and the Tory Party would split big time. Why do that? The next leader will be to the right of Johnson, the ERG Brown Shirts will see to that. And Little England will probably tug its forelock and lap it up.
As Dads Army’s Frasier liked to say, we’er doomed, doomed I tell yer…..