Thread by @alexwickham

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10 Days That Changed Britain: "Heated" Debate Between Scientists Forced Boris Johnson To Act On Coronavirus

BuzzFeed News write-through of the most extraordinary week-and-a-half in modern British history

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It on Wednesday March 11 that some of the experts advising the government began to realise the virus was spreading too fast for the NHS to cope

Over the next few days they were embroiled in "heated" and "extremely difficult" discussions over what to do

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There was no consensus. Several scientists frantically argued the UK must immediately introduce social distancing

But others continued to believe that it would be unsustainable for a long period and lead to a more disastrous second wave of infection

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Meanwhile the govt continued to insist that the science showed they did not have to take further action yet

Then the data from Italy showed the first group of scientists were right

Patrick Vallance and Boris Johnson immediately changed course

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But the experts who had been demanding this for days wondered what the lost time would mean

And questioned why Vallance claimed the difference between mitigation and suppression was "semantics"

“This will all come out in the mother of public inquiries"

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No10 is still considering a partial lockdown of London if things worsen

“This is going to get much, much worse, both in terms of deaths and the economy. It will not be long before we are getting numbers like Italy. I don’t think people realise that yet.”

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Everyone in govt recognises the challenge faced is worse than anything since WW2

The main criticism is that No10 and Cummings have "outsourced" leadership to a small group of experts

This approach initially won plaudits, but it is now seen to be lacking

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Mark Sedwill set up new Whitehall structures on Tuesday after concerns that No10 and the experts needed more support from both ministers and the civil service — and that the health and economic response needed to be quicker and more joined up

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No10 is particularly concerned that millennial men are the worse offenders in terms of ignoring social distancing advice — continuing to visit pubs, meet up and travel widely despite being told that doing so risks the lives of the elderly and vulnerable

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There is a growing Tory backbench rebellion on the lack of measures aimed at self-employed people. MPs expect Rishi Sunak to have to “go further” once again next week to protect the self-employed

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Ministers want the PM to deliver a starker warning to the country about how difficult life is about to become over the next few weeks — as per Macron and Scott Morrison — so people listen

"It will not be long before we are getting numbers like Italy"

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