563 people in the UK died of the virus the day before yesterday (figures for yesterday have not been released at the time of writing).  Johnson called it “a sad day.”  He’s right it was a “sad day,” a bloody sad day, and today’s figures will, almost certainly, be worse.

Before I go on, its time for a musical interlude: Music

There, did you enjoy that?  I knew you would.

Coronavirus was not caused by the UK government, or any other government.  It has already hit every country in Europe – even Moldova has reported over 420 cases – and to some extent its impact is the result of geographic accident, and luck.  But, that having been said, the UK government has had a role to play in the fight to control it, and it should be ashamed of the way it has done so.

Newspapers today are full of facts about the lack of testing (just 2,000  of the NHS staff of 550,000 tested scream the headlines).  That is shameful, but worse is the mess, and muddle, confusion and contradiction in the government message: “keep your distance,” cried Johnson, even as he continued shaking hands and sitting close to junior ministers on the front bench.  “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” says one minister even as another hints that lock down measures could be reviewed – and presumably relaxed – within a fortnight.

Britain goes it alone – we did not participate in a European initiative to place a bulk order for necessary equipment.  Why not?  Because we are no longer “rule-takers”?  No, said government spokesmen, it was because we never received the offer.  It transpired that British officials were in the room when the offer was made.  Of course they received it: they did not act upon it.   As a result, some Britons will die.

If you look at the tables for the virus (you can find them here: Virus by country) it is strikingly obvious that Germany has been far more successful in controlling it than any other country.   A death rate of around 1.2% (as of yesterday) compares to almost 8.0% in the UK , which itself is the 3rd worst in the world after Italy and Spain.

I am afraid – and it gives me no pleasure to write it – that the UK government is made up of incompetent, second-rate ideologues,  who have peddled the false hope that Britain is somehow different from, and better than, other countries.  We are not: this is a global pandemic.  We are all in it together.  And when it is over, we will live in a global world, where British interests are best looked after by participating with and learning from  our European friends and cousins.