Johnson up in the Commons parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/74…
Predictable Johnson gibbering on common sense, British resolve etc. Standard issue sub-Churchillian emissions.
Amazing he even bothers to appear in the Commons to make a statement to be honest. It's his first on covid and his second on anything at all this year.
"People who cannot work from home should talk to their employers about returning this week and the difficulties they may or may not have". Really.
There is a kind of assumption in a lot of this stuff that employers are really just perfectly reasonable people and I'm sure they'll sort it all out.
In reality, that is very often not the case. But I don't think that will have been a common experience for Johnson, or those like him, who have always sailed around the upper reaches of British public life.
Starmer. "What the country needs is clarity and reassurance. And at the moment both are in short supply. The PM made a statement last night before the plan was written or finalised."
Yesterday afternoon, the No10 press release said people in construction and manufacturing should go to work today. Then PM made statement, with no start day. Today, it turns out it's Wednesday.
So where are the guidelines on workplace safety? They're released later this week. "Will the safety guidelines be ready for Wed, which realistically means tomorrow? If not ,is he seriously asking people to go back to work without the guidelines?"
Moves on to transport. PM said people shouldn't rely on public transport. The command paper says social distancing guidance on public transport must be followed. But those guidelines aren't ready and coming later in the week.
Are they coming tomorrow? Otherwise, operators will, be required to operate to guidelines which do not yet exist.
On work: Those with childcare duties - should they go back to work?
The govt plans quarantine on people coming into UK by air. Why now? Is it only for those arriving by air? The command paper says it is all international arrivals. When will the quarantine come into effect?
There is no consensus between UK gov and the home nations now. What does this mean on travel over national borders? "There are lots of questions but so far precious few answers. Can the PM please provide that clarity."
Johnson. "We're moving from situation in which ppl of this country had overwhelming impression of a very clear piece of advice. Thanks to their efforts, what's happened is we've made huge progress..." And on it goes.
No point repeating that vapid shite. Will do so if he answers a questions.
Childcare: "We will count on employers to be reasonable." There it is again.
"One thing perhaps missing from his analysis is simple fact that over last couple of months, plenty of business have been proceeding." Still no answers.
Says they will publish guidance on workplace tonight, transport tomorrow.
Still going. Total blather. Like watching a man juggle seaweed.
Says Starmer raised point of people moving across the border into Wales for recreational purposes. Calls that a "hypothetical" situation. Is it hypothetical though. Is it.
"This is the moment for the whole country to come together". Yeah, we;re at that point.
He just said the phrase "common sense" about twelve times. I think the translation here is: We cannot specify what we are saying, so work it out yourself.
This is a complete absence of effective government.
Be clear about what just happened. The leader of the opposition asked a series of very specific and reasonable questions. The prime minister did not answer any of them.
"There is far more that unites the UK than divides it." He is like a coin-operated platitude-delivery machine.
If everyone exhibited "common sense" all the time, we'd live in a utopia which would remove the need for government.
Labour's Chi Onwurah gets an important comment out of the PM. Will he say clearly that everyone had a "duty and a right to stay safe"?
Johnson replies saying Health and Safety Executive will do spot inspections to make sure businesses keep their employees safe. And employees who do not feel safe can raise concerns there as well - not just with employers.
Oh. Corbyn. Like a flashback to some terrible dream.
It felt so real at the time. So terrifying and intense. It's OK though, don't worry. It never happened.
He's still useless btw.
Sweet Jesus man no, horrible angle. Like we're about to get pissed on. 
Marry Robinson: "What message would the PM give to my constituents in terms of their alertness on the five tier scale." And they say the new messaging is somehow unclear.
Well that's done now. Dreadful shambles.
