Ineptitude on a national scale - that's the UK for you

Credit: @Coldwar_Steve
https://coldwarsteve.com

Not many people are likely to read this - I only have a couple of followers, but it's cathartic writing this down, and maybe someday, someone will look at it and think, "Blimey, the country was in the shit back then...."

The country (the UK that is) is currently in the midst of a petrol crisis. Not a shortage, though that may still come at some future point, but a problem caused by a lack of HGV drivers to deliver the stuff to petrol stations. It started with BP indicating that they'd had to close 6 of their 1,200 or so stations due to lack of deliveries, not in itself an issue at all, but in true British style, within 24 hours we have a crisis and people are panic buying, queuing for hours to put half a gallon in their car and stations are naturally therefore, running out. A vicious circle, and one not helped by how this stuff is reported in the mainstream media (MSM). Come on, a headline saying BP has to close petrol stations - even if it's maybe 1% of their total is inevitably going to get people panicking.

The one sure fire way to get people to panic, is to say "Don't panic".

This is just the latest in a long line of utter fiasco's to emerge under the current Tory government's term in office. The underlying problem appears to be Brexit (yes, that old chestnut) which caused many European drivers to either voluntarily or, due to the immigration implications go back to their own countries instead of being employed here. Apparently there may be some other issues - lack of infrastructure to support drivers in their job causing many to leave the industry, so it's probably a miss-mash of issues ultimately but Brexit is surely in there near the top.

All in all, this government's legacy is beginning to look more and more like an A-Z of how to bring a country to it's knees, and mostly on the policy strategy of saving money. It's like we've brought the Administrators as happens when a company goes bust.

The list feels endless, but some examples include:

• Brexit (overall but some if the key promises of:
• "reclaiming" £350m a week given the to EU to spend on our NHS (nope that didn't happen)
• Enabling our fishing industry to recover and thrive (nope that didn't happen either)
• Getting back control (nope - if this is control, I'd hate to think what out of control looks like)
• Immigration policy tied to with Brexit (above) and Covid (below) has resulted in massive staffing shortages in the NHS/care homes, hospitality sector, HGV  drivers (and probably many other sectors), let alone the general principle of supporting genuine immigrants fleeing oppressive governments elsewhere - for them those vulnerable people perhaps a right case of out of the frying pan.....
• Shortages of food on shelves in some areas (again placed at the door of lack of HGV drivers)
• It's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic (OK, the pandemic wasn't the Governments's fault, but it's handling most certainly is/was)with
• Unnecessary deaths
• Immeasurable strain on the NHS 
• Disjointed strategies amongst the English, Welsh, UK and NI devolved governments
• Alleged (I use that term loosley) corruption in the awarding and handling of major contracts to supply PPE and other goods/services
• More shortage crises - toilet rolls or flour anyone?
• Failure to adequately support and fund the NHS (although this probably deserves a blog post all of its own)
• An apparent desire to privatise and defund the NHS, perhaps the shining light of the UK and the envy of many (most) other countries, resulting in increased waiting times, frustrated and burnt out staff who increasingly seem to be a target for abuse
• Having to get the army in to drive ambulances
• Chopping Universal Credit and raising National Insurance - together with a general history of hitting the poorest whilst lining the pockets of the richest
• Inability to speak and/or give answers without lying (just Google Boris Johnson lying) or evasion (constantly)
• Climate change response (or lack of it)
• Support for the travel industry

I could go on, but it's too depressing.

And the problem is that despite all the above, and the sense that the country is spiralling towards implosion, there is still a significant number of people who think the Government is doing a good job. 

To be fair, the one area that they have largely succeeded in, is the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, although they appear to be incapable to reaching the (relative minority of anti-vaxers/anti-maskers) who still think that everything that's being done to protect them and the woodier population is either a conspiracy, or an infringement of their human rights or both. They're probably the same people currently queuing at petrol stations.

The end result of all this, is a country that's fast becoming the laughing stock of the world. Our Prime Minister, Boris Johnson (BJ) is being seen as the bumbling oaf that he undoubtedly is, more worried about ruffling his hair before an interview than doing something about the mess him and his party have created and overseen, supported by a cast of minions loyal to him too scared to sway from the party line or speak the truth when asked a simple, straightforward question. And in all honesty, most of them (at least in the cabinet) are probably so rich that they'd never have to queue at a petrol station, or worry about bare shelves, or how they're going to pay the bills. Meanwhile we've got Foreign Secretaries brokering trade deals with Mongolia, whilst trade with our closest and mainly prosperous European cousins is increasingly becoming harder and more bureaucratic because of Brexit. I was talking with a friend yesterday who is a senior manager for a large multi-national construction company who said that materials were costing on average 40% more than pre-Brexit - and that's if you can get them.

BJ's recent trip to the USA to broker improved trade deals hasn't gone well either, with US President Joe Biden hinting that there was a bit "to work through". It suggests that the US particularly sees us as much less of a world player than we once were.

Far from the promises of bringing back control, the Tory government is rapidly stumbling from crisis to crisis, unable to plan, or foresee solutions, making policy on the hoof. They're a disaster from start to finish, but the bigger problem seems to be that both enough people realise this, and an unnerving sense that there might not be anyone else out there that could do any better.

My musing's are borne from frustration as we seem to lurch from one crisis to the next, with poor reporting and clickbait headlines stoking the fires. 

The photo at the top of this post from the brilliant Christopher Spencer (aka Coldwar Steve) who's Twitter account @Coldwar_Steve posts brutal, funny (in a tragic-comedic way) pictures of current key topics and "leading" characters sets out some of the issues at hand far better than I ever could. Go give him a follow.

I'll leave you with this (not mine).