Johnson boasted of being ready to keep UK open for business – and his slowness to lock-down is expected to cost 60,000 needless deaths in the pandemic. UK’s real death toll is already over 60,000
Three months ago, in early February, Boris Johnson made a speech in which he derided public ‘panic’ over the coronavirus pandemic and pledged to keep the UK open for business, boasting that the UK government would lead the world in making ‘the case for freedom of exchange’.
He delayed almost two more months before finally announcing a lock-down:
Experts estimate – cautiously – that Johnson’s slowness to act will add another 60,000 needless deaths to the UK’s toll across the duration of the pandemic.
And today, the UK has the second-worst total in the world of lives lost to COVID-19, even on the government’s unforgivably understated official figures. The real death toll is believed to be more than double the official ‘in-hospital’ figure and has probably now exceeded 60,000, barely behind the Trump-blighted USA and representing a far higher proportion of the population:
This appalling reality puts the UK on double the number of deaths of places like Italy and Spain – even more inexcusable when our government had weeks longer to prepare and chose not to, choosing instead to ignore the World Health Organisation’s advice to test, trace and isolate from the very beginning.
A strategy that has seen South Korea eliminate the spread of the virus without even the need for a lock-down.
Boris Johnson’s decisions have been not merely bad, nor incompetent. They are criminal.
When will the media – or even the official Opposition – begin to describe his behaviour as what it is?
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Sun-type fictions – no way to make a credible case against the Tories – by imitating the Tory press.
The ‘60,000’ deaths are almost *three times* the last verified figures for *all deaths* from the ONS (April 24th). Not even a good ‘finger in the air’ job. It could be Neil Ferguson is writing for Skwawkbox, given this level of projection 🙂
In terms of population size, the current mortality rate is high – but sixth in Europe (fourth if you exclude the anomalous San Marino and Andorra).
Dearie me – our resident Mr knowitall Right Wing Troll, RH, straight off the blocks again with today’s ‘line’ ! Now tasked by his paymasters to Troll all day, every day, to downplay the scale of coronavirus deaths due to Tory ineptitude (and a lack of scrutiny by Starmer’s bunch that could shift government policy), now that his previous mission, to undermine Jeremy, has borne such poisoned fruit.
Some of us would rather trust the current well-argued, forensic (to adopt a current popular term), analysis of the real death toll in the Financial Times (and even the Daily Mail FFS ! ), than the cynically made up figures from the Tories and their ONS placemen creatures. And of course to the unnecessary coronavirus toll must be added the as yet unclear, but large, death toll due to cancer treatments and other serious ailments going undiagnosed or untreated. My own sister has had part of her cancer treatment on hold . Why Skwawkbox continues to let the nest of four full time paid Trolls pollute the comments section with their mendacious nonsense bemuses me – and reveals a rather naïve liberalism by Skwawkie. You don’t have to provide a platform to the paid agents of the Right Skwawkie, you know. They certainly don’t give us on the Left a platform.
jpenney – I agree with you RH’s repeated attempts to minimise the impact of Covid-19 are ill-conceived, irresponsible nonsense.
Bad Penny
Sweden you prick
First class honours degree in the bleedin obvious
No need to bullshit cheap and nasties playing politics with the pandemic
You dont have to make it up
Yep prick’s the word for him Doug. Where’s his mate Danny gone?
Lockdown scepticism doesn’t make you right wing but calling for censorship of people you disagree with (calling them “trolls” from within a glass house) certainly does! Pretty much the only sober, rational, “forensic” analysis on the subject is by Swiss Propaganda Research and the off-guardian site. Even The Spectator on occasion.
The hysterics calling for prolonged lockdown and consequent destruction of our economy and society are Police State-enabling mugs of the most tragic kind, demonstrating the power of the MSM fear narrative.
60,000? By the time the consequences of the lockdown “cure” have appeared, you’ll need to add a zero to that!
Oh dear,timfrom actually recommends OffGuardian on this subject,who decided it was a hoax and a conspiracy and have gone in search of evidence to back up their position ever since.They have been juvenile and irresponsible,which tells us plenty about timfrom.
The evidence came to THEM, not vice versa, in the form of dozens of actual experienced medical professionals and statisticians capable of critical thinking. You should try actually reading their articles and making up your own mind, instead of following the stampeding herd. There’s nothing juvenile or irresponsible about that, quite the opposite.
Forgive me if I don’t lose any sleep over criticism from a Thatcher, but don’t forget to download the app and take your vaccine when it arrives like a good boy…
Off-Guardian has gone potty on this issue backing people like Bolsanro in their insistence that the virus is a hoax deliberately engineered by by Govt to restrict freedom. Fewer deaths than in a normal year they say finding some ‘expert’ who makes the claim. It’s Moderators bully and effectively suspend anyone opposing that view.
When have they EVER said they back Bolsonaro? That’s absurd. Off-guardian and Bolsonaro both saying there’s a lot of hype going on is as far as the “backing” goes, but for totally different reasons. I notice that that’s a common argument in the media lately. ANY opposition to The Narrative is immediately branded “Trump-supporting”. Same thing with MSM coverage of Syria. Any criticism of it makes you an Assad Apologist.
Logic and critical thinking isn’t your strong suit, is it?
Bolsanro says it’s a hoax by left wing media to bring him down. Off Guardian says it’s a hoax by right wing media to restrict our freedom. Either way they deny people are dying in large numbers and their commentators often say they don’t know anybody ill or dying therefore it can’t be true of eg NW London. That’s is their logic. But it’s the personal abuse these people always revert to – again like Bolsanro- that is quite a feature – and from yourself Timfrom! Can’t you argue a point without throwing in abuse?
Neil Ferguson’s prediction for Sweden is 400,000
Burger King as we call him up here produced a report that is still to be peer reviewed and published
The pathetic anti-Semitic, male chauvinist, Troll, using the ‘Doug’ moniker adds his predictably worthless non sequitur piffle – on behalf of his Right Wing paymasters as usual. ‘Doug’ is also constantly posting, with RH, to downplay the ever-rising UK coronavirus unnecessary death toll – down primarily to Tory eugenicist ideology and their corrupt insistence on giving ever-greater money-generating responsibilities for ‘managing’ the crisis to their private sector vulture capitalist pals – like the utterly incompetent SERCO ! Any tracing service SERCO sets up will be a sick joke. Surprising Doug didn’t manage to shoehorn into his daft post yet another attack on the WASPI women !
That the same serco as charged the taxpayer for putting tags on the deceased & the already imprisoned? The same serco who should have been automatically excluded from every governmental contract for at least 10 years?
The same serco as falsified record at GP surgeries to supposedly meet targets they were never going to, and thereby claim more taxpayer moolah?
Will you be taking serco’s ‘numbers’ as gospel, and preaching them to the masses, rh?
Rhetorical question. You’re a bigger bleedin’ fraud than serco, G4s,crapita, sodhexo and the rest of them, combined.
Some of us would rather trust the Financial Times or the Daily Mail
FFS
Doug is a rather one dimensional Labour loyalist,but he is no troll,and is entitled to have his say as is everyone,even the irritating posturer RH.The best way to deal with contributors whose efforts you don’t value is to not read them.
“CREDIBLE CASE?”
I wrote weeks ago that the PPE from Turkey would turn out to be substandard, and Brandon Lewis just admitted as much on BBC News. At the same time I wrote that UK stocks of usable quality would have been sold abroad at inflated prices – time will tell.
I also wrote some days ago that testing kits would have been “saved up” for days so that on 30 April they’d meet their “target” boast and sure enough, they only “met” the target on one single day.
On the most recent day’s figures Lewis could only claim 69,000 – I believe even that will have been fudged to include posted kits. On no day will they have CARRIED OUT OR PROCESSED more than 50,000 tests.
Even The Telegraph is calling out their incompetence.
“The Government is still allowing politics to lead the science in the shadows”
“The biggest political con in modern history has descended into farce.”
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/04/uk-government-using-crisis-to-transfer-nhs-duties-to-private-sector
Yes Terry, as per posts ages ago on skwawkbox.org re testing and analysis. PS same re their App. They are exploiting the NHS brand but it is a private data and money harvesting scam. The NHS and other agencies across the world, have successfully done manual / human / analogue tracking and tracing for not just over the last 40 years, but for HUNDREDS of years.🌹🌹🌹
How many people who have died, and all deaths are tragic, actually died just from the Corona 19, how many had primary health conditions such as cancer, heart problems, respiratory illnesses etc, how many were over 65. Has anyone got any statistics which differentiate the causes of the fatalities and why the coroner’s are patiently stating the cause of death is Corona 19 when it’s not.
Published stats by NHS and others (Stanford, Oxford, John Hopkins etc) say of all cv related deaths 91% are cv sufferers with at least one other life threatening or shortening condition. There are other stats out there relating to the age of the deceased. I vaguely recall 80% being over 70 but I could be wrong.
Plain Stupid….like you the Torys have no respect for Life and especially working class elderly.and the vulnerable…..You know where you can stick your Statistics you sad “old Tory” ..
Brian, the coroners are doing the very opposite. They have been instructed to avoid putting Covid-19 as the cause of death. See post several weeks ago. Thanks 🌹🌹🌹
Thanks, spnwc. Yes, I had a look at it.
More like they are covering thousands up who DID die of the virus and aren’t counted!! Many GPS have been on Twitter telling how they can’t pud the virus on deaths certificates of people who died at home or in care homes because they hadn’t been tested even though they knew that’s what they died of! ! Hence the lack of tests! There are figures out there that put the deaths at double the official figures!
As for the people who died and the implication of them having an underlying illness being a factor, of course it may have been a factor but they could have lived many more years with it due to advancements in medicine and to me sounds like Tory speak to even mention that, it’s disgusting!
Bozo said on Feb 3rd he would practice herd immunity, that we were the country to do that and that he would make a lot of money from it! Link! https://twitter.com/politicsjoe_uk/status/1251458390028664832?s=21
http://click1.e.rawstory.com/cgtqlkmvmnhfhlzzfgpmmfmzzgfzvcjsqnmhptkcjgcp_ebstyydptfrbppzhzyqr.html?a=&b=4464&c=433084&d=1. I found this interesting & to the point.
It was cold & calculated decision as was the Austerity programs & resulting in 1000s of deaths.
It was obvious to all with eyes to read and a working WILLING brain, that Kier Starner’s DPP and his other disturbing, dubious history that he was, IS and will always be, bad news. In fact I now feel convinced, Starmer is MUCH worse than that. Worse especially for disabled people, poor people, all key workers, particularly those without professional qualifications, students, the elderly and all vulnerable people in our country.
99 percent of the population, need to get ready now for Starmer to pretend he is opposing the government, BUT scheming hand in glove with the Tories to make the poorest carry the burden of the pandemic cost. Just as after the banking crisis, AUSTERITY will be burdened on everyone except the Phillip & Tina Greens, Mike Ashleys, Dick Branson’s, all the expert parasites… the one percent. These are worrying days. If you are not in the one percent, prepare for the worst.
Lin wren.. You are spot on,the murder by the state for profit was planned and non of this regime should be allowed to hide behind excuses of “we didnt know” or we are all incompetent .Johnson and his government must answer at the Haig were all criminal regimes and individuals should be judged.for murder of the elderly and vulnerable people.
Anyone have any thoughts on what BloJob plans to announce on Sunday – and why Sunday?
I haven’t been following the story, all I’ve heard is that Hoyle’s complained at Parliament not knowing before the public announcement.
Plans to enforce use of the tracking app instead of leaving it up to the individual? Giving cops bluetooth scanners and fining anyone not broadcasting?
Taking even more new powers? Big financial gamble that he needs to hide from ‘market forces’ until it’s a done deal?
Oil? Aviation? NHS market launch?
All that’s assuming there actually is a reason and it’s not just that he forgot and didn’t want to admit it.
Reopening of schools I’d guess. . All vulnerable kids to return and all teachers kids too. Exam years also. Monday probably.
But why Sunday? Announcing reopening of schools could have been done a week in advance and on any day of the week with no adverse consequences that I can think of.
An announcement on a Sunday seems to me to be trying to avoid market speculation.
I wondered before my 3:10pm comment yesterday if maybe there are some seriously bad numbers coming and he wants to be able to halt trading before it starts if it looks like there might be panic.
There is no hope of Johnson growing brain cells and he got rid of any lurking in the Party by chucking them out. The ‘opposition’ response today on hearing Johnson say we were all doing a FAN-TAS-TIC job was basically ‘Thank you very much Your Worship’. The media is 95% behind our Wonderful Leader who can create rainbows in the sky above No 10 like a medieval monarch would have been proud of. The Labour Party now has only Members like our dear correspondent here RH, No Vision, No Hope, chasing red herrings, obfuscating and bitching about their professed comrades.
SUNDAY – Expect lazy irresponsible charlatan johnson to make an irresponsible announcement with full theatrics. “Start to end lockdown on Monday.” Gross irresponsibility. Sadly it washes with his 1% masters. He’s concerned only with his Tory donors. Who pays the piper, calls the tune. johnson will get away with it because enough of those who can’t pay pipers, can’t believe that yet another PM, after Cameron and May, and the oiliest WMD Blair, don’t care about them. They see thousands of their friends, mothers, fathers and children die needlessly but they cannot believe politicians could be so callous. More tragic, a Labour labelled useless opposition camel-handbrake kier starmer, will not stop the deaths. The camel-handbrake starmer will continue collaborating with lazy johnson. johnson will fool many. Starmer will fool few. Neither of the two will save lives. Sad days.
̶h̶a̶n̶d̶b̶r̶a̶k̶e̶ -toe
WELL DONE EDWARD!!! EXCELLENT QUESTION✅ EXCELLENTLY PUT✅ A proper journalist at last ✅ At last without the drivel of the others, especially the Peston strange man. NB no follow up offered to Edward.
‘Good Video Short’. Does Keir Starmer know about this?
On the tightly locked-down island tax-haven of Guernsey there have been no deaths for 6 days & 13 in total attributed to Covid 19; 11 of which in Care Homes. The authorities will refuse to ease the total lockdown.
On Monday, I asked my MP to ask Matt Hancock how many OAP patients this year, have been transferred out of hospital wards & into Care Homes, without being tested? I await an answer from either.
The hancock won’t reply because thousands were transferred out of hospital wards to care homes. more thousands were batted away from being admitted to nhs hospitals. since several private hospitals were “commandeered” by the govt, the same govt was able to bat away admissions from those also. unsure re how many millions were paid to private hospitals owners. many are tax exiles / non domiciled with tortuously disguised multilayered obfuscated “accounting creativiry” … think wmd tony blair’s ¿firestone? I II III etc , i think that was the names of the creature’s inventions to hide the sources of many millions from despots who learnt faster than many in the uk, that the warmonger creature promised little, but would deliver even less.
the tory govt also, batted away nightingale admissions. though in this case they were never properly staffed nor equipped, so the london one could not treat more than approx 20 patients at a time due to it never being appropriately staffed. … it would pass muster as a film set to the untrained eye … fodder for the gullible. the other makeshift hospitals at last check have failed to treat a single patient. having extra capacity was totally the right decision. the fact though is that the nightingales provided neither adequate staff nor equipment. deadly spin over lifesaving substance.
ps nb, the 32,000 deaths announced by the govt, are only tested covid-19 deaths. another 21,000+ deaths mainly in care homes in particular, have not been tested. we have all been betrayed dreadfully by this govt. the public in general, care and nursing home residents, all their staff, all key workers and all who work throughout the nhs in particular. applauded every thursday evening but betrayed even as politicians clapped and on every other day.
Failed by the government. Failed by the MSM. Failed by an opposition of those who worked night and day not to support Jeremy Corbyn, but to “stop corbyn” and prevent a true labour government. a government that would have never allow thousands to die, yet not admit that they got things deadly wrong.
Between January 1st and March 23rd this year 18.1 million people arrived in this country from Covid-19 hotspots,
Guess how many were quarantined ?
273
⭐
This is an interesting article:
The Long History of Accidental Laboratory Releases of Potential Pandemic Pathogens Is Being Ignored In the COVID-19 Media Coverage
https://www.independentsciencenews.org/health/the-long-history-of-accidental-laboratory-releases-of-potential-pandemic-pathogens/
Agree tragically the figure more likely 60k but even BBC on dodgy 30k figure reports UK worst in Europe! And of course our Neo-Liberal Right Wing Philistine Johnson now also has the honour of catching up as no 2 in the World to his comrade Trump at no 1.
Funny Johnson comparing himself 2 Stalin but said mass murderer at least stayed in Moscow when evil was knocking at the door but in terms of London Comrade Johnson did a runner, he joined the HRA – he ran away, to his country retreat, like many of the rich whilst Tories were telling citizens not to go to second homes (which was correct).
The Tories have been abysmal, their delay cost lives, slow in testing, tracing, abysmal on PPE, lack of checks airports & perhaps most lax rules Europe (550 super rich have landed in UK on private jets (untested) from Covid 19 hotspots since lockdown, and they have hung out older citizens in care homes WHO BUILT SOCIETY to dry.
Profits and serving capital is in the Tory DNA so tragically we had the wrong Govt at the wrong time but the opposition from Labour has been abysmal too, it has been grassroots socialists and trade unionists that have been fighting, not Right Wing Neo-Liberal morons like Starmer & his shadow cabinet of Right Wing Labour mediocrities!
Need to fight a 4 safe return to work putting working people before profits, to kick the Tories out, and work out with the Left In Labour & The Left of Labour who have gone Out, how we build a left wing democratic socialist society as an example to the World!
Footnote: Trump blaming China for root cause but I blame CAPITAL – which multinational companies operating in China in that area grabbed and destroyed the forests, driving wildlife including bats into a city with perhaps poor market hygiene (capital is only interested in profit and not social protection) as locals bought wild meat?
So this crisis has shown we may have been saved by socislistic state planning (when the Tories ideologically have despetately tried to use every private company) but capitalism literally kills!
Never perhaps have the rich and powerful and their system been so clearly exposed!
Solidarity!
Excellent Bazza➕➕➕ Thanks 🌹🌹🌹
From all of the comments above but excluding the “Tory trolls” I. took a decission with my family NoTto return from Cambodia because I felt the safety of my family comes first.Thats a very sad statement on my severity birthday that a British family feel safer in the third world under ex khmer rouge PM than under the homicidal regime of Boris Johnson.Priminister of great Britain and backed up by a compliant knight of the realm.,and a motley crew of Labour Mps.
“backed up by a compliant knight of the realm”
That wasn’t the impression I got when I watched Keir Starmer force Johnson to admit to some of his failures on the record during this weeks PNQs.
typo
PNQsPMQsSteve H …at least you are consistent in banging the drum for the rightwing knight.Problem is the barn doors open and the horse has bolted.Too little too late and little more than bolstering a Homicidal government with the knights compliant gutless so called opposition..And forcing johnson to admit failures?His that what you term!murder by psychopaths of the elderly and vulnerable people in care homes and locked away out of sight out of his depth thats what your knight is and a stain on the Labour party and a.establishment doormat.Who describes a eugenics experiment A Failure?
Yes,and I am more than happy to be here in Vietnam,where prompt and decisive action has been very successful at keeping the virus at bay.Time will tell whether infection coming from the irresponsible West,chiefly USA/UK will yet cause us problems.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSEPH!!! Stay safe. You made the right decision to stay there. There are some who fled Wuhan to come here now regret it. I was puzzled when the govt sent a BA plane to repatriate people from Cuba and they boarded the plane!!! Extraordinary.
Even a wickedly sanctioned Cuban regime would not block people from hospital admission and allow 50,000 people to die for no good reason.
Only one newspaper highlighted Covid 19 ‘official’ death toll past 30K. Ssssh! Keep it quiet, but the ‘System’ is killing a generation of old & vulnerable & its also killing the low paid carers who are not part of our NHS. The perfect outcome for the Tories in a cycle of death. The class war has observable casualties.