“Preparing to do the @TimesRadio paper review at 10.30am, and working my way through Boris Johnson's back catalogue of over-promises on coronavirus. It's crazy. The PM is pathologically addicted to making big stupid promises he can't keep.
March 2020 - We can "turn the tide" in 12 weeks. Well, it's Christmas, we're in lockdown, and there are hundreds of people dying every day...
May 2020 - We'll have a "world-beating" test and trace system up and running by the end of the month. (It was not world-beating, and it was not up and running by the end of the month.)...
July 2020 - We'll be "back to normality" by Christmas. Yeah, right...
Also July 2020 - We won;t need another national lockdown. (We did, indeed, need another national lockdown)...
October 2020 - Says another national lockdown would be a "disaster", and mocks Keir Starmer at PMQs for suggesting one. (Two weeks later later, announces another national lockdown.)...
December 2020 - Says it would be "inhuman" to cancel Christmas at the last minute, and mocks Keir Starmer at PMQs for suggesting it. (Four days later, he cancels Christmas.)...
I think most people get that it's a fast-moving situation, and policies have to evolve rapidly to meet the circumstances. So why keep on making these big, stupid promises you can't keep? It honestly makes no sense.”-Jack Blanchard
