Election campaign starting?

This morning, the part time Prime Minister conducted a TV broadcast that was an election broadcast in everything but name, with the bluffer coming out with scheme after scheme how he is planning the country's recovery post COVID. Unfortunately for him, nearby in Leicester a re-imposition of lockdown restrictions had to be announced on a spike in new cases had been detected.

This is probably the first of many such local spikes we shall see in the coming weeks and months, and is a real test how how prepared the Government is to identify and isolate hot spots. Hmmm, this sounds a lot like track and trace. But the communication which towns, villages and homes are inside or outside of the lockdown area needs to be made crystal clear. And if someone from the inside drives to Durham to test their eyesight?

As said before, Johnson is all about big statements, grand plans, but very light on detail. He keeps pushing the idea of a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland, despite it being almost impossible. But grand statements don't take into account things like reality or impact assessments.

Johnson likes to compare himself to great figures in history, first Churchill and now Roosevelt and his "new deal" to that of the US President. Only Roosevelt's deal had 40% of GDP pledged, whilst Johnson pledged, checks notes, 0.5%. And a lot of that is money already pledged.

Meanwhile Michael Gove announced a billion pound schools repair plan, on the tenth anniversary of when the then Education Minister, checks notes, cancelled Labours one billion pound school repair scheme. You really could not make this up.

Nor could you make up that former PM Theresa May standing up in the Commons and pointing out to Gove that 24 hours after saying the Government should be promoting those with skills and experience Johnson appointed Sir David Frost as National Security Advisor although he has, checks notes, no experience in national security.

We are truly lead by the slugs and cockroaches who live under the bottom of the barrel after it has been scraped clean.