Thread by @StefSimanowitz

This is no joke

“Govt to hire 'Head of Pandemic Preparedness' (salary <£61K)”

This comes 8 months too late

It comes 13 months after @BorisJohnson scrapped the govt’s anti-pandemic committee

It comes 4 years after #ExerciseCygnus found the UK was woefully unprepared.
#COVID19

Exercise Cygnus was a 2016 drill to show the UK's pandemic preparedness

Its recommendations weren't implemented

Ministers claim they thought they had been or plead total ignorance

@MattHancock claims he “was assured” recommendations had been implemented

“When it first came up in the media I asked my officials to go back & check that everything recommended by #ExerciseCygnus was done & that was the assurance I got,” says @MattHancock

I’ve been asking WHO these “officials” are. They were lying.
#COVID19

This interview👆is one of the few where @MattHancock doesn’t wear a pink tie

I believe he wears the same suit & tie to make it hard to work out WHEN he said certain things

The timing of govt decisions re #COVID19 is crucial (e.g. Hancock claiming lockdown was 16 March no 24th).

“Hello there! I’m Rufus Fortesque-Smyth, the new head of pandemic preparedness. I’ve never done anything this before. Have you got any idea where should I start?”

[12 August. UK Govt advertises for new head of pandemic response] #Covid_19 #coronavirus #Covid19 #CovidMemorialDay

Jokes aside, if the govt are advertising a “Head of Pandemic Preparedness” now, the successful candidate will only start work towards the end of the year/early 2021.

The govt are clearly planning for the long-haul. #Covid_19 #COVID19 #coronavirus #HerdImmunityScandal #COVID