Whitehall – full of ‘senior sources’ leaking to the MSM

There is something akin to political schizophrenia manifesting itself in the public statements of the Islington dinner set, i.e. some politicians and the Westminster MSM, displayed in some cringe-making reports on ‘event’s taking place across the nation. Lockdown must remain in force to keep us all safe – but ‘our’ summer holidays must not be impeded. And then there’s “Our NHS” …

For example, schools were opened yesterday – within limits – for the first time since Lockdown began. We recall that teachers unions were against this because “safety”, because demanding ‘scientific guarantees’ from government. This report in The Times cannot come as surprise:

“Boris Johnson’s aim to have all primary-aged children return to school for a month before the summer holidays was dealt a blow yesterday when governors and head teachers said that it would be impossible to achieve. […] Downing Street said that the government’s ambition to have the remaining children back by the start of next month was “under review”.”(link, paywalled)

It’s as if the plan to open schools was suddenly sprung on poor, unsuspecting school headmasters, teachers and school governors, but isn’t it great that all these entities can force Johnson – whose sole fault this is, according to Our MSM – to ‘re-think’:

“[…] This (plan to re-open schools) is now likely to be shelved […] after ministers were warned that it would be “logistically impossible” to achieve. Geoff Barton, general secretary at the Association of School and College Leaders, said that getting all primary school pupils back before the summer was “unworkable”.” (link)

Funny, isn’t it: for weeks schools have been open across Europe, especially in the Scandinavian countries, with no ‘second spikes’, no masses of infected kids, no teachers keeling over with CV-19 – but ‘we can’t do it’: what an example of British pluck, grit and enterprise! There’s more:

“Schools across the country opened their doors to pupils in Reception, Year One and Year Six on Monday, but up to half a million pupils were forced to stay at home after over 50 councils defied the Government’s plans.” (link)

‘Defying government’ to ‘keep our kids safe’ – oh look at those ‘rebels’! But it’s not just schools staying closed on local councils’ orders, it’s also parents not letting their kids attend those schools which were open:

“Thousands of primaries reopened for the first time in ten weeks yesterday to pupils in reception, year 1 and year 6. However, early estimates from the Association of School and College Leaders, the head teachers’ union, suggested as few as 40 per cent took their places.” (link, paywalled)

Yes, this is ‘education-education-education’ in action: local councils (generally Labour-run) keep schools closed and parents keep their children at home. Never mind all those experts talking about the lack of schooling leading to a ‘lost generation’ because kids are losing out on learning the basics. It’s wonderful though when one recalls the wailings of our certified feminists on how this Lockdown keeps them at home, preventing them from going to work because they must look after their kids.

The point though is that ‘Downing Street’ is set to cave in to lefty, Union demands. The idiocy of this concerted attack from the Left is shown in that other preoccupation being spread across the MSM: the summer holidays! “Government”, in the form of Johnson, is now said to circumvent the quarantine plans – which were too late anyway, given that they’re only going to come into force next week – by allowing ‘air bridges’ so that Middle Class England  – those with safe jobs in the public sector, on full income – can go to their beaches in the Mediterranean.

In case you didn’t know – this is all Cummings’ fault because he ‘championed’ the quarantine idea. Our wonderful MSM had to get into print that Cummings is ‘losing’ this battle, according to ‘a senior source’. It’s as if there are only ‘senior sources’ working in Whitehall.

This whole thing reminds me of the days of the Blair/Brown government when ‘interested parties’ were using leaks and briefings to discredit perceived ‘enemies’ to get them to resign. It’s also astounding that plans which aren’t even ready to go to Cabinet are being leaked, as if to force Johnson into another ‘climb-down’:

“Adopting air bridges would amount to a climbdown by Downing Street, […] but his( Grant Shapps’) policy is now set to become the central plank of the strategy for the eventual end of quarantine.” (link)

This controversy about ‘air corridors’ is apparently about having to help the ‘air industry’, like RyanAir. It’s strange though how the same Lefties who cannot contemplate risking their children to go to school are silent on the risks of flying, air corridors or not, when it’s about their summer holidays. 

We are seeing a concerted Labour attack on Johnson unfold before our eyes, an attack not so much by the usual suspects, i.e. Labour politicians and MPs but by obscure Labour members given a platform in ’Our MSM’, and by “Whitehall sources” and “senior government sources”, implying that Whitehall and government are one and the same since otherwise we’d read about ‘senior Tories’ and ‘senior ministers’.  

Next, another attack on ‘government’, by an ‘NHS doctor’ who has launched a judicial review about ‘the government’ not having published that ‘Exercise Cygnus’ review of 2016:

“Dr Qureshi and his legal team are seeking to force the Government to release the full findings of Exercise Cygnus, a cross-governmental dry run carried out in late 2016.” (link)

A little research on the interwebz reveals that Dr Qureshi is a Labour member. That’s alright then. The next quote demonstrates that “Whitehall insiders” (a strange animal: are they ‘government’ sources, are they ‘senior’?) i.e. the various ‘leaking’ civil serpents, aren’t all singing from the same hymn sheet:

“The Department of Health has repeatedly refused to publish Cygnus, citing concerns that doing so could jeopardise the ability of civil servants to speak freely behind the scenes. […] Whitehall insiders have also disclosed that Cygnus warned that the NHS might be overwhelmed in the event of a pandemic amid shortages of critical care beds, mortuary places and personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health workers.” (link)

Never mind that this exercise was modelling a flu pandemic, not a Corona pandemic. Never mind that it beggars the question: were the NHS and PHE kept in ignorance of ‘Exercise Cygnus’ – something I find hard to believe. It’s about trying to blame “government”, i.e. Johnson, for the failures of the NHS.

It doesn’t stop there. There’s a report from the Nuffield Trust, a ‘health think tank’ heaving with experts. Under the headline “NHS will be forced to extend rationing, patients warned” (‘rationing’ in the NHS? Surely not!) The Times reports their scary conclusions:

“The public may have to accept previously unpalatable levels of rationing from the NHS until a vaccine against Covid-19 becomes available, a leading health expert has warned. Patients could be barred from accident and emergency departments without a referral from a GP or the 111 NHS hotline, drop-in clinics will need to remain closed, and dental practices may become “unviable”, according to a report by the Nuffield Trust.” (link, paywalled)

This is not, as you might think, about protecting “Our NHS”, or even about protecting us, the patients, it’s about tests, about a vaccine, about that 2nd spike, PPE, keeping NHS personnel safe. There’s more:

“Health bosses face “tensions it will be difficult to manage”, […] with waiting lists potentially doubling in the next six months “even allowing for reductions in referrals, continued use of the independent sector, some increased reluctance of patients to come to hospital and less follow-up”. The warning came after Cancer Research UK said around 2.4 million people in the UK were waiting for screening, further tests or treatment.” (link, paywalled)

Why are none of the hardcore Lockdown Lovers ever asked if they are fine with this coming wave of cancer deaths? Is it just ‘collateral damage’, acceptable to “save Our NHS”? Doesn’t this report make more people think they better not go and contact their GP or go to A&E?

Isn’t the actual scandal that there’s apparently still no proper medical research going on in this country? No autopsies, you remember. Or is it that research results are not reported by “Our MSM” because it would disturb and undermine the narrative of that deadly virus killing everybody who ventures out?

Links to reports that this virus looks to be ‘nosocomical’ can only be found on blogs such as Lockdownsceptics. After all, the unholy alliance of “Our NHS” which is blameless and “Our MSM” which is working hard to topple Johnson must stop anybody from asking inconvenient questions. 

And finally: no wonder the combined forces of frightened rabbits inside the M25 are so keen on keeping the Lockdown going, regardless of the welfare of their children, when our elected peacocks are setting them such shiny example:

“The government was preparing yesterday to retreat from its insistence that MPs must be physically present at Westminster to debate and vote. MPs from all parties complained about plans for members to file through the chamber in a distanced queue to register their vote.” (link, paywalled)

Apparently, this would mean longer working hours for the poor dears, what with all the social distancing. Labour MPs are keen to ‘protect’ the vulnerable MPS (yes, there are indeed some) but it doesn’t occur to them that the whole Lockdown could be scrapped and people, even MPs, could be told to use their common sense. That, it seems, would be too much to ask. And who is absent in all this, as if he didn’t even exist? Three guesses …!

I’m reminded of the old saying by a certain Mr Lenin: “Trust is good, control is better”. Just as in nascent Soviet Russia, the useful idiots of Middle Class England, the Lockdown Lovers, are happy to apply this maxim regardless of democracy, of civil liberties, of the will of the ordinary people.

KBO!