September 22, 2020
You’re reading The Waugh Zone, our daily politics briefing. Sign up now to get it by email in the evening.Belgian waffle?For a man who loves having his cake and eating it, there was something delicious about the timing of Boris Johnson’s latest TV address to the nation on coronavirus. Serving as an hors d’oeuvre for the return of Channel 4’s Great British Bake Off, the PM’s recipe felt awfully familiar: a reheated mix of blithe optimism, cod Churchillian rhetoric and verbal blancmange.
Why Boris Johnson Risks Too Little, Too Late On Covid Again
His signature dish included “moonshot” rapid testing and a healthy portion of U-turns (go to the office, no don’t go to the office). But there was a missing ingredient: any sense of regret at failures made earlier this year, or even earlier this month. Had he over egged the pudding of EatOutToHelpOut, the Rule of Six (which relaxes rules for six households) or the back to work drive? We didn’t find out, because no questions were allowed.
‌Perhaps what will stick in the throat of many of his critics was the suggestion that the new curbs would succeed because “we have succeeded before”, as if having one of the world’s worst death tolls from Covid was somehow a footnote rather than a damning indictment of his government.
‌There was even the characteristic dollop of MILITARY talk, with the PM saying again that the Army would be deployed as “backfill” to help the police enforce the new rules. This, despite the National Police Chiefs Council saying earlier that “no military involvement is necessary, nor do we anticipate this will be needed”.
‌Still, those warlike allusions were irresistible for the PM. When he said “Never in our history has our collective destiny and our collective health depended so completely on our individual behaviour…” the intended echo was of his great political hero. Sadly, given his indulgence of Dominic Cummings’ own individual rule breaking, he sounded more like a poundshop Winston Churchill.
Bizarrely linking lockdown “breaches” with the UK’s history as a “freedom-loving country” only furthered the impression that Johnson somehow felt an absence of civic duty was not to be condemned, but excused. Which was all the more strange given he had new penalties for BREAKING existing rules like mask wearing.
‌One real irony is that the UK is taking lessons on Covid from the ‘enemy’ itself, the home of the forces that Johnson has made a career out of attacking. Yes, Belgium is being used by Britain as a template for three key measures unveiled or refined today: the 10pm curfew, the Rule of Six itself, and the ‘work from home’ edict were all pioneered in Brussels and its nearby cities.
‌Belgium did have some success with strict curfews (they went much further than just pubs closing early) and socialising with five others, and that’s what led health secretary Matt Hancock to sing its praises. But the unfortunate fact is that Belgium too has had a sharp increase in cases over the past couple of weeks. Its cases per capita have also been among the highest on the planet.Only today, we learned the EU summit has been postponed a week because European Council President Charles Michel has had to go into self-isolation.
‌Earlier in the Commons, Johnson’s statement to MPs was as undercooked and underwhelming as his TV address. His line about the mental health problems of home isolation being a good reason to go into work seemed made up on the hoof, rather than included in any guidance. His defence of test and trace turned a bizarre claim that the system had “very little or nothing to do with the spread and transmission” of the virus. Waffle was the main item on the menu.
‌Crucially, the emphasis on “six months” of new rules, on what he called “tough enforcement” with military support, felt like a distraction from what was ultimately a light-touch response to the September surge. The economic “hawks” in the Cabinet have stopped a genuinely tough move to stop households mixing indoors, or at least to go back to just two households mixing outdoors (which was the case until last Monday, and the BMA wants it to return).
‌While the nation was treated to Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance’s scary presentation yesterday, the Cabinet had a different backdrop. On Saturday, it was “economic advisers” who also delivered a presentation to ministers as well as the scientists. And in a whole new meaning to ‘alternative Sage’, Johnson has been advised in No.10 by lockdown sceptics Prof Carl Heneghan and Prof Sunetra Gupta to give effectively a second opinion.
‌It was noticeable today that at no point was there any attempt to reveal any scientific basis or evidence for the impact on the spread of the virus of either a 10pm curfew or the ‘work from home if you can’ switcheroo. We certainly haven’t been told what impact a ban on mixing households indoors could have, from Sage’s modelling.
‌At least Nicola Sturgeon today created her very own lab experiment on such a tough restriction. If Scotland’s drastic curb (which actually is currently experienced by 14 million people in lockdown areas in the UK) fails, the PM may privately breathe a sigh of relief.
‌Yet if Scotland’s cases and deaths rise slower than England’s, or even fall, there will be huge pressure on Johnson to follow suit - with all the political damage of being seen to have done “too little, too late”, for a second time in the pandemic. For some voters, that really would be a showstopper. And proof they’ve been victim to another Great British fake off, courtesy of their PM.Quote Of The Day“The tragic reality of having covid is that your mild cough can be someone else’s death knell.” - Boris JohnsonTuesday Cheat SheetAnother 4,926 people have tested positive for Coronavirus in the UK, the highest daily figure since 7 May. Hospitalisations rose too.
Keir Starmer has declared that Jeremy Corbyn“deserved” to lose the last general election because the public didn’t trust Labour with their security, jobs or their money.
A YouGov snap poll found that 78% of Brits support the new Covid curbs, with 45% saying they should go even further. Yet Labour hasn’t itself called for tougher curbs.
Rishi Sunak is weighing up plans to replace the furlough scheme with German-style wage subsidies, the Guardian reports.
The government has confirmed that it will not allow trans people to change their legal gender via self-identification.
The firm behind last year’s tax credits scandal as well as companies linked to debt collection services are among those who have been handed contact tracing roles by Serco, PoliticsHome revealed.What I’m ReadingEven The Italian Mafia Is On TikTok - ViceGot A Tip?Send tips, stories, quotes, pics, plugs or gossip to waugh.zone@huffpost.com. Subscribe To Commons PeopleEach week, the HuffPost UK Politics team unpack the biggest stories from Westminster and beyond. Search for Commons People wherever you listen to podcasts and subscribe. Related... Did Boris Johnson’s Summer Policies Hasten A Second Wave? Are Ministers Spreading The Covid Blame Again, This Time To The Public? Boris Johnson Can Fudge His Brexit Bill, But He Can’t Fudge Covid’s Rise
Related Stories
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Media
SkyPixel 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest Winners Announced
Mar 19, 2024
Competition Receives a Record Number of Submissions that Highlight the Power of Innovation SHENZHEN, China, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SkyPixel, one of the world's most popular online communities for aerial photography and videography, today announces the winners of the SkyPixel 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest. Co-organized with DJI, this year's competition attracted over 130,000 submissions – a 100% increase from the previous year. The contest welcomed submissions from across the creator community, which includes professionals, aerial enthusiasts, and creative newcomers, showcasing their personal histories through the art of visual innovation. A Contest Shaped by You The SkyPixel Annual Photo & Video Contest is a testament to the power of innovation led imagery, honoring stories that shape the art of image capture both on solid ground and amidst the clouds. SkyPixel has cultivated a community-driven platform that reflects the dreams and aspirations of creators worldwide, and the annual competition has been a conduit for people who love image creation to express themselves as it authentically reflects the desires and aspirations of creators worldwide. Industry-Leading Judges The 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest was assessed by a Judging Panel of incredible professionals in the industry. In photography, seasoned experts include Wen Huang, a World Press Photo judge and Senior Editor, and Anne Farrar, Assistant Photography Chief Editor at National Geographic, Nan Li, the Photo Director of Southern Weekly, and Daniel Kordan, a renowned landscape photographer. In the video category, the judges include Michael Fitzmaurice, the Aerial Director of Photography of "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," and Xiaoshi Zhao, known for his award-winning work on "Forever Enthralled." Bing Xi, a prominent figure in the Chinese TVC industry, and celebrated filmmaker Brandon Li round out the panel. After careful deliberation, the panel proudly presents the final winners for the year. 9th Annual Best Work Prize – Video: "Haines Alaska Through the Eyes of Luke Bredar" by Luke Bredar This year's video judging panel, which includes award-winning Cinematographers and Directors of Photography, chose Luke Bredar's video, "Haines Alaska Through the Eyes of Luke Bredar." This short film mixes heart-pounding action shots of a skier racing down a snowy mountaintop landscapes with breathtaking shots of Alaska's mountainous, winter terrain. Luke Bredar details the thought process behind the short film, "The motivation behind creating this video was to evoke themes of otherworldliness, objective risk, the interplay between risk and the essence of human spirit, solitude, impermanence, self-sufficiency, and the journey of incomplete wandering intertwined with heartbreak." This short film is an epic story made in collaboration with Matchstick Productions. Bredar explains how he pursues a better visual presentation through his creative process "I think to myself. How would my child self want to see this filmed? And I almost always get a clear vision in response. There are a myriad of challenges shooting aerial cinematography in mountain environments, but they are all ...Full story available on Benzinga.com
READ MORE
Watch It
Olivia Munn Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Double Mastectomy Procedure | E! News
March 13, 2024
kUaEV1Kd3S0
Travis Kelce Shares Details From His Trip to Singapore With Taylor Swift | E! News
March 13, 2024
3YXi-Dgf4eg
Kate Middleton VIRAL Photo: Agency Addresses Photoshop Claims | E! News
March 13, 2024
S4VkO0TpkCY
Da'Vine Joy Randolph Plays 'Smash or Pass' With Iconic Moments From Her Career
March 13, 2024
vkPdJEF2BX4
Jean Smart Wears a Hotel Bathrobe to Present an Award to Hannah Einbinder l Power of Comedy SxSW
March 12, 2024
Bw7uVEYQev4
Lenny Kravitz Walk of Fame Ceremony
March 12, 2024
MlWq8BcnwhE
Dak Prescott Extortion Plot & Steph Curry for President? | TMZ Sports Full Ep - 3/12/24
March 13, 2024
jHFsrjs7OFY
A Japanese space rocket blew up after takeoff Tuesday, turning the sky into a fireball of smoke.
March 13, 2024
YkfJ3Qg8B7c
#KimKardashian and #BiancaCensori hung out at #KanyeWest's listening party Tuesday night!
March 13, 2024
EfwLLq6bx9k
‘Pioneer Woman’ Ree Drummond denies using Ozempic to lose 60 pounds
March 13, 2024
Omfjk1AlZ3A
Chrissy Teigen reveals her ‘boob lift scars’ in daring dress at Jay-Z & Beyoncé’s Oscars 2024 party
March 13, 2024
VxZ2qXAlpmU
Zoë Kravitz pokes fun at dad Lenny Kravitz's style during Hollywood Walk of Fame speech
March 13, 2024
j3-lcFu_1sQ
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
SC Freiburg - Bayer Leverkusen
17
Mar
USA: Major League Soccer
Atlanta United - Orlando City
17
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
West Ham United - Aston Villa
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Rayo Vallecano - Real Betis
17
Mar
ENGLAND: Championship
Leeds - Millwall
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Las Palmas - Almeria
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Villarreal - Valencia
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Sevilla - Celta Vigo
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
11
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Chelsea - Newcastle United
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Liverpool - Manchester City
10
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Real Madrid - Celta Vigo
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Atalanta
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Fiorentina - Roma
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
AC Milan - Empoli
09
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Werder Bremen - Borussia Dortmund
09
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Arsenal - Brentford
09
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Bologna - Inter Milan
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.