Letter: UK Government needs to check its facts

The Government has consistently and persistently misled us over their actions in relation to the coronavirus pandemic.
Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries give a press briefing at Downing Street on March 22, 2020Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries give a press briefing at Downing Street on March 22, 2020
Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries give a press briefing at Downing Street on March 22, 2020

They initially told us that the NHS was capable of dealing with the virus as it was ‘what it was set up to do’.

This, whilst sat on a report which categorically stated the NHS was not capable of dealing with this type of emergency.

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The claim was quickly re-spun into the Government taking action to protect ‘our’ NHS.

This would be the same NHS that successive Governments have routinely underfunded and allowed to be poorly managed!

Secondly they insisted and continued to insist that there was sufficient PPE for frontline medical staff, which may be true, but they failed to mention or indeed actually realise that distribution was a problem. The problem being it wasn’t happening!

Thirdly they over-estimated, exaggerated and misreprented the level and speed with which testing for the virus could be and was being carried out!

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To compound these, let’s be generous, over optimistic statements they then set up a daily ‘virus update and news conference’.

The result being that their ‘optimistic’ hopes and predictions were soon exposed as ‘whistling in the dark’!

I appreciate that the Government has to be positive, show leadership and not unduly alarm the general public.

But don’t keep pushing the same old myths when they are daily and hourly shown to be ‘fake news’!

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In our current parlous situation the last thing we need is a Government making plans and predictions based on unchecked, unsupported and exaggerated claims of what is being done and what can be done.

I know it’s difficult and things are uncertain but don’t lie to us! We won’t forgive and we won’t forget!

Richard Saberton, by email

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