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Originally Posted by Damien
In hindsight Labour couldn't have predicted the 2008 crash. However should they have paid more attention to regulation of the financial crisis before it? Should they have paid more attention to the warning lights flashing in the year or so preceding the collapse of Lehman Brothers? Are they to blame for the state of the economy and it's ability to cope when the crash did occur?
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I think the criticism was at the state of the nations finances when the crash came as not only had the Labour Govt enjoyed a buoyant economy and spent the revenues earned, but they had also borrowed big time during the same period.
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The Government will in time face similar questions. Did they pay enough attention in the early part of the year? Should the NHS have been in a better position to respond? Did they pay enough attention to the reported results where we simulated the impact of a viral pandemic?
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As I've said before, as far as I am aware (happy to be corrected) but so far, everyone that has needed an ICU bed has got one, and everybody that has needed ventilation has got it.
There has been no dying in the corridors, or doctors having to decide who gets the ventilator and lives and who doesn't and dies - as was reported to be happening in Italy at some hospitals.
The PPE issue is potentially where scrutiny can be given, did we have enough stockpiles (Y/N) if N why and if Y why was the logistics of getting it to the hospitals so bad?
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I think the Government did well when the crisis did come but the question of if we could have been better prepared is still open.
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There is always things that can be done better, because no matter how well you prepare, you don't know how you will perform until tested in real life, and this pandemic was swift. If we had modelled how we respond in these situation based on Swine Flu & SARS then we wouldn't have measured up as COVID19 infection rate is miles worse that those two.
Personally I would give them a B+ at the moment, that may rise to an A- or A if they manage to steadily reduce infection and death from now and have a functioning economy come June.