23 April 2020
Diary of a Corbynista
Covid-19 as Gameshow
by Don Urquhart
16 April
On Question Time, a government minister, Robert Buckland, conceded that Germany had a much lower death rate from Coronavirus because they had tested earlier and more often than the UK. Dr Rachel Clarke pointed out that from a similar position to ourselves the Germans had locked down a week earlier.
It made a change from the failure of our government and their experts to concede failures. Instead they embarrass us by diving into perceived complexities to avoid a straight answer.
Lord Bilmoria reported something I think must have been news to many, that the Germans have an antibodies test. He had sent some of his own blood to be checked.
17 April
Now that the election is safely over, Newsnight is turning itself into a must watch programme. There was a report on self-isolating among the homeless with, in one case, 20 strangers sharing the same kitchen. As James Clayton said it is clear that we are not all in it together. Kirsty Wark interviewed Tory Lord Finkelstein and Miatta Fahnbulleh from the New Economics Foundation. Where they agreed was that Coronavirus had made the plight of the poor and vulnerable more visible. Finkelstein, however, reverted to Magic Money Tree mode to explain that paying for everyone to live decently would be difficult to achieve.
18 April
Anyone wishing to understand the current misery of Labour Party members could do a lot worse than visit Asa Winstanley’s Electronic Intafada. Despite the website’s parti pris name I have always found it factually reliable.
On the recently leaked report Asa is dismissive of both recent General Secretaries. Lord McNicol was engaged from 2015 to 2018 in a mission to discredit Corbyn and used anti-Semitism as a weapon against his party leader. Jennie Formby, still in post as I write, is accused of being over-zealous in pursuing false accusations of anti-Semitism in order to placate the Jewish Labour Movement and similar lobbyists. Asa accuses Corbyn of being complicit in this.
As Augean Stables go, the Labour Party has to be right up there.
19 April
The most radical of us spend much time shaking our heads. It seems that the majority of people are inclined to vote Conservative. That party has a big parliamentary majority and are pretty safely in power until 2024. So a perfect time for the Sunday Times Insight team to pose as radical Young Turks to criticise the government’s negligent handling of the Coronavirus crisis. Andrew Marr put them in their place pointing out that hindsight is a wonderful thing. Of course it could be a move to unseat Johnson but who cares?
20 April
The Government minister and his two oppos is the regular 5 pm cabaret. Tonight it was some Yvonne trying to explain away government advice to use inadequate Personal Protection Equipment when exposing yourself to Covid-19. There was an Angela saying you couldn’t have expected the Atletico Madrid v Liverpool game or the Cheltenham Festival to have caused massive dissemination of the plague. Rishi Sunak shocked us by saying the government followed medical and scientific advice at all times in a jolly game of pass the parcel. Sad to say it’s the only live sport available on TV.
21 April
Downing Street Press Briefing Bingo (DSPBB) is one of the few silver linings of Covid-19.
Each participant is assigned 10 phrases and when 5 of these have been uttered by the Downing Street team you cry “Who Goes Home?” to announce your triumph.
If you have a big enough household you can sit around the TV with the DSPBB cards on your laps but there is also a more sophisticated multi-player version playable over Zoom.
Typical phrases are:
“Unprecedented “(a banker if Rishi Sunak is in play);
“On the front line” often offering a double with “difficult decision regarding PPE”;
“That’s a really important question” (only counts as one, although comes up all the time);
“Ramping up” (less popular as Matt Hancock loses confidence);
“Pay tribute” (winner every time);
“Following the science” (falling off as the scientists look ever less comfortable);
“A virus we knew nothing about” (same comment as previous item);
“Stay at home” (a winner unless Robert Jenrick at the podium).
The DSPBB cards are available from local suppliers although we are awaiting shipments from Turkey, China and Myanmar.
22 April
I guess today will be a watershed for the Labour Party. It will be Sir Keir Starmer’s first PMQ’s.
Much as I like Jeremy Corbyn and enjoyed his dissection of Cameron, May and Johnson, they were all adept at ignoring the question and churning out the party line. I can’t see Dominic Raab behaving any differently.
Nevertheless Starmer can be judged by his willingness to pose the questions the country is asking and calling out dishonesty and incompetence if clear responses are not forthcoming.
