Forum Topic

First report of COVID enquiry

UK 'failed citizens' with flawed pandemic plansSignificant flaws in the UK’s pandemic planning meant Covid caused more deaths and economic costs than it should have, the first report of the Covid Inquiry says.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6p2dng6z04oPerhaps it is time we had specialist people as Secretaries of State as well as those in charge of Ministries as opposed to appointing politicians to those posts.  It may be utopia....

Ivonne Holliday ● 626d2 Comments

It was an expected-sometime-pandemic.We discussed Operation Cygnus quite a long time ago.  It took place in 2016 IIRC.  Cross governmental and It showed that the UK was unprepared for a pandemic.https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/07/what-was-exercise-cygnus-and-what-did-it-findWill we actually learn any lessons and be more prepared for the next one?

Philippa Bond ● 625d

I  think Secretaries of State ought to be elected members of the Commons while it's ok for their Ministers to be appointed experts, provided the SoSs listen to their advice. I was talking to a friend at the weekend who works as a scientist at the NPL and apparently all the scientists there thinks iit's great the Minister of Science is a real scientist they respect. 

Michael Ixer ● 626d