UK Politics

I suppose the problem with sacking anyone is that you can not just sack someone for being rubbish.
It is usually just for gross misconduct. Other misconduct issues you would need to go through warnings etc . For competence reasons you would have to go through process of offering support, retraining etc before getting rid so for those at the top end it is better for the company/body to pay them off rather than go through the long process which could be detrimental to them over the year or so it would take

 

What's the actual benefit for the public though? If any get sacked they'll only be replaced by someone equally as corruptable.

Meanwhile millions and millions of pounds that could actually benefit the public are being handed over to yet more extremely rich people.

Surely you can see the irony in most of the reasoning behind demanding the inquiry?

 

Nothing positive has ever come from these inquiries. I'll ask again, who has ever been prosecuted off the back of one? Even worse when you find how much they actually cost to do what exactly? Tell us what we already knew.

 

It’s not primarily about sackings. Although, hopefully, most of those responsible for the horrific shitshow will indeed get deservedly sacked off at the next general election. The primary benefit is in lessons learned for future crises. That can only be maximised by forensically examining and uncovering exactly what was done, not done, should have been done or not done etc. That’s because the politicians, their special advisors (and to some extent the senior officials) are not going to voluntarily describe or explain what went on, because of its negative impact on their political careers. So it has to be a legal enquiry with powers to compel evidence.

One thing to bear in mind is that what we are currently seeing/hearing is only the first of six modules, focused on political decision-making. Because of the subject matter it’s obviously going to contain a lot of shock horror tittle tattle, but that’s by the by really. I actually do think it’s important to reveal to the country the sheer depth and breadth of the incompetence, hubris and dysfunction at the heart of the Johnson government and how badly they let us down. As this article makes clear, thousands of dedicated people around the country were taking serious life and death decisions every day and making the best plans they could, whilst (wrongly) assuming that those at the top were doing likewise:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/03/covid-inquiry-leaders-petty-preoccupations-fury-secret-consultant?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

There are five other modules to the enquiry- Preparedness, Impact on Healthcare, Vaccines, Procurement, Care Sector. All of these will undoubtedly reveal valuable lessons in what worked and what (mostly) didn’t. This was the single biggest national crisis since WW2. For most people this was a once in a lifetime event. It’s not disproportionate to devote significant time and money to unpick such a seismic episode in order to inform future generations and governments how to do it better if/when faced with similar future crises.

 

The one thing that I have seen from watching bits is the whole government machinery, cabinet, advisors, civil service, the whole lot didn’t have a plan for anything but day to day routine.

imagine not having anything in place in case the leader of country was incapacitated.

 

I told you , 'lessons learned'. Until.the next time where it will once again be ' lessons will be learned'.
Never responsible for anything should be the motto.

 

But the last Labour government did have some pandemic plans in place. The Tories let them fall into disrepair and completely disregarded a report around 2017 that detailed how unprepared the country was for any kind of disaster response.
The Labour plan was anticipating some kind of flu epidemic, not Covid (obviously) so it wouldn’t have been sufficient. But at least it would have been some basis to build a response plan onto. Instead we got a government that crossed its fingers and hoped it would all go away, until forced to act by the sheer weight of infections and unexpected deaths.
You cynically believe that all politicians are the same - self centred feckless and untrustworthy. But they’re not all like that. Some are actually grown-ups who take the job seriously. It’s imperative that we learn lessons so that a more responsible future government (and almost anyone would be more responsible than Johnson’s rabble) can have a solid basis for future disaster planning.

 

You call it cynical. I call it 50 years experience of the real world. You already know my thoughts on previous and present governments and the public services. Where we agree is that funding has been cut to criminally low levels. But then i wouldn't trust any of them to run things right even if we gave them the money the desperately want, it would simply be thrown away on batshit crazy schemes like capital of culture.

 

He's definitely not the only one.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/03/nadine-dorries-claims-tory-cabal-called-the-movement-brought-down-boris-johnson?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

What a hoot! I’m tempted to buy it for the shits & giggles.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/david-cameron-suella-braverman-sunak-cabinet-latest-b2446793.html

Oh joy! Another Tory leadership contest? Seriously?

 

For once, I actually think even you could do better than this dysfunctional outfit ....

 

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-12742239/BAE-Systems-orders-surge-nations-ramp-military-spending.html

You could put this in a number of threads but the reason of posting is simple. Forget politics, religion, peace love and harmony. This is what the world revolves around. BAE just a small cog in a global market that relies on wars around the world and unrest for every penny of its turnover.
Remember, as Megadeth once sang, Peace sells but whos buying?

 

I hope so, I know Reform can't win but they will get my vote knowing Labour will walk it as there is nothing to choose now between the 2 main parties, the country is sinking, can't imagine how bad it could be in the not too distant future..........................only Farage could save us .....

 

Imagine what a state the country must be in if that's our only option.

 

Stronger, safer, more prosperous....what's not to like... ?

 

I've been talking to a lad who works at the place I'm doing some work at, Algerian lad. Lovely fella, funny how he mentioned to me he felt safer in Algeria than he did on the streets of the UK.