Is It Time For Boris Johnson To Resign?

[dave50]

I voted for him in the election along with millions of others in the North of England, seeing as someone who seemed to understand and be on the same wavelength as us Northern working class folk. However during this crisis it seems he has always playing catch up, never leading and in thrall to his scientific advisers who seems to be setting policy at the moment. Now all the backstabbing going on in no. 10 and his girlfriend now seems to be running the show by the backdoor. I have no confidence he won't make a pigs ear out of distributing the vaccine. I think the new year would be a good time to go along with matt Hancock. Rishi sunak should take over.

[agchristie]

ILM,not without justification...

[jim360]

I don't see any particular point in Johnson resigning now, but it's complete nonsense to argue either that calls for him to go are politically-motivated (see, for example, ymb's position), or criticisms are misplaced. This has been an awful year. The Government has been faced with several huge crises. Many other countries are also struggling. None of that is a reason not to hold the Government to higher standards. Firstly, not every country has struggled: you could see the responses in New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Finland, and several others, all of which has been far more effective, so that that pandemic got this bad can by no means be called inevitable. Secondly, there is a manufactured looming crisis, too, which the Government, at the very least, could have accepted was worth delaying for a little while it focused its efforts on the more urgent issues. Thirdly, demanding that the Government do better is a very patriotic position and even logically follows from getting behind the Government. We should get behind them and help them, as far as is possible, to do even better. Just nodding in blind acceptance should never cut it.

Finally, it ignores the fact that this particular problem is about the personalities at the top and how distracting they are. Again, the crises are hard for anybody, but how much harder to handle when you are too busy fighting amongst yourselves? Cummings' exit speaks volumes about how the present Government isn't able to get a grip on its own petty squabbles, let alone the stuff that matters. We should be angry, to a man, that people at the top are incapable of setting aside such power struggles. And while all that's going on, people here are more interested in laying into the people who can't make a difference? Corbyn is no longer leader. Whatever you think of Sir Keir Starmer, he is a mere bystander. On AnswerBank, none of us matters meaningfully to all this whatsoever (with the notable exception of theprof, who anyway stays outside politics).

Save your criticism about division, then, for the people in power. Their divisions matter. Their inability to cope with the crisis matters.

[agchristie]

Emmie,being in a position of power isnt just abt how to deal with Covid.He is running the country and everything that entails.You didnt vote for him on that basis cos he was already elected.He was voted in on promises,many to the north and bcos of a weak alternative.

His handling on Brexit and general backbench dissent says it all

[iluvmargie]

I don't know Bobbie, naturally I wouldn't have voted for Corbyn, but who knows how I'll feel when the next election comes round? I'm still willing to give Boris a chance though, he has had a rough time of it since he came into power due to the unprecedented virus.

[jim360]

As a further point, what would be the harm in Johnson proposing and forming a temporary Government of National Unity? At a time like this it would, presumably, be the perfect riposte to any politically-motivated attacks, or dissent with policy, to embrace Labour, SNP, LibDem etc help and unity.

Judging from the tone of criticism of Labour, I suspect this wouldn't be a popular idea. But, in a sense, this is precisely the point. If you're going to hold people to high standards of competence when they aren't even in power, then you should clearly be able to hold the actual leaders to high standards of competence.

[agchristie]

But when Boris says 'We are guided by the science' its a joke.

A lot of the donkey work is done for him and he continually misinterprets it.

But he has clearly shown to make poor decisions on other matters too

[agchristie]

To put the nation in lockdown late the first time was unforgiveable.

To compound that error the second time goes off the scale.

[teacake44]

Even if this months lock down has any affect on infection rates, it will be lost three or four fold come the beginning of December when its lifted. Why? Because there will be thousands of people all rushing to the shops in a mad frenzy to cram 2 months Xmas shopping into one. And if the pubs open also, it will be one big mess again.

[Peter Pedant]

// but it's complete nonsense to argue either that calls for him to go//
yup agreed

x complete nonsense to suggest a PM who was a majority of 90 in parliament should resign

nut hey this is AB

if the tory party want him to go they are quie capable of mounting a coup - see thatcher 1990 or Heath 1973

and on a day when a president ( of the greatest country on earth that is!) is refusing to go even having been given his marching orders

oh lardy dah

[Peter Pedant]

// orming a temporary Government of National Unity?//

because we arent united for chrissakes - 50% voted to stay for a start
the fact we are sarlid compared to the US of A is irrelevant

[Bobbisox1]

The only time I'd jump ship would be if another party could do any better but that would be in General Election and not before and that would be when a GE is called when this government serves its term

[diddlydo]

I fail to see how anyone can still be supporting Boris who is all bluster and no b***s. Even before Covid he promised us an "oven-ready" Brexit - what happened to that? He promised us a "world-beating test and trace app" - where's that? Claims he's being "led by the science" - except when he ignores the advice of SAGE. Fails to give rule-breaker Cummings the boot. Many back-benchers failing to support him. I could go on........So what's to like? Nothing.

[Bobbisox1]

What jumps out here by those that knock the man continually ,you never say who could be doing better,who'd have balls of steel to tackle the worst pandemic in over a hundred years, who he himself succumbed to,Brexit was won Fair and square so he's dealing with that as well, he's human, he's made errors of judgment one being the Cummings fiasco , but none of you say who'd be the man for this thankless task...or women for that matter!!!

[Peter Pedant]

// He promised us a "world-beating test and trace app" - where's that?//

chrissakes he read latin and greek at uni not virology
and it shows ! - - - but we did kinda know that when we had an election

[teacake44]

Easy, Sunak!

[Bobbisox1]

It wouldn't be long before yous were knocking him as well !

[teacake44]

You asked to name another one, I did, just in case Sunak.

[agchristie]

"who'd have balls of steel to tackle the worst pandemic in over a hundred years"

Bobbi,it has nowt to do with balls of steel.Boris put himself up for PM and so is in a position of massive responsibility whatever is thrown at him and govern to a high standard.He has failed to do so on so many fronts and discord within sections of the Tory party and the public.They will only take so much.

[jim360]

That's all well and good as a response, Bobbi, but there are few people who can plausibly take over anyway. It also seems to exclude the possibility that Johnson himself can do better. If this is already the best Johnson as a leader can do, then he is not suited to be leader. Maybe there's nobody else, at least within the Cabinet, who can take up the reins and do a better job. But we shouldn't settle for just the current bad incumbent. And, besides, as I pointed out, the wider issue here is that even if Johnson is or isn't capable of leading in theory, he's failing in practice because he's allowed himself to be distracted by internal discord.

[douglas9401]

This just in: Corbyn no longer leads the Labour Party.

Resume whining and whataboutery.