The most spineless PM in living memory?

[dml1954]

Given the circumstances, I was going to say it's incredible that Boris Johnson didn't have the courage to face the press today and instead pushed Grant Schapps into the firing line, but let's be honest - it wasn't incredible at all. Considering his track record, it was exactly what you would have expected Johnson to do. Can anyone think of another Prime Minister in our recent history who would have been gutless enough to have done something similar?

Regardless of which side of the political spectrum you're on, I think you have to concede that Johnson is comfortably the most spineless leader this country has had during our lifetimes.

Was he due to take the briefing then ?

[The Lone Gunman]

Was he due to take the briefing then ?

I've no idea, but given the fact he knew that both his conduct and that of his most senior advisor were going to be under intense scrutiny, it's no surprise that he was in hiding.

[CCFCC3PO]

Was he due to take the briefing then ?

No, I think he only does one day a week. Which wouldn't have been today. Had he come out today, it would have been seen as some sort of concession, that he viewed Cummings' antics as more serious than he claimed they were. Saying that, Trump does the briefings daily in the US, and I think we should be seeing more of Johnson personally.

He has a reputation for being a part-time politician even before this, with staff told to keep memos and briefings down to a page or two. He's completely unaware as to how this looks to Joe Public, especially as every day the news is we have hundreds more dead, thousands more testing positive, 100,000 targets rarely being met (and only being met when the figures are fudged).

His approval rating has dipped into negative territory, though I am sure he'll be along on Monday to remind us how much he values foreign NHS workers, like the ones who saved his life (I find it disgusting how he used that for political capital - my own father has been in ICU on 4 occasions, each time there was an army of nurses and doctors caring for him, but that was before the NHS was butt-****ed into a corpse by a succession of Labour and Tory Governments). "I think I mentioned I had covid-19 once, but think I got away with it".

So, in regards to the opening question, yes he is completely the most spineless, clueless, rudderless leader I have ever known. He has knocked Brown into a cocked hat. He has even made May look good, and has made Cameron look industrious in comparison.

Thatcher
Major
Blair
Brown
Cameron
May

Each one would have handled this better than Part Time Johnson. Would Corbyn have done better, I don't really think so but, frankly, I can't see how he would have done any worse. FIFTEEN THOUSAND deaths in care homes, you know, those places that were forced to take in patients who were displaying symptoms, or who were awaiting test results.