How effective are the daily COVID-19 Press Conferences?

[Starmill]

I thought so too... Johnson's appearance at PMQs today was the first public appearance for a week.

And Dowden certainly isn't the highest ranking minister - we haven't heard from Rishi Sunak at the conferences for a while, or Priti Patel for a few weeks. Surely Hancock should consider stepping up tomorrow at least? They seem to be increasingly repetitive (even more than what they have been), like George Eustice being put up yesterday, something which kind of just showed me that they weren't too sure what else to say at the conference.

I think that No 10 are desperate not to give a platform to a competitor. Especially if Rishi Sunak were allowed to lead too frequently.

 

[Domh245]

Dowden certainly isn't the highest ranking minister

He is a relevant minister though. In the context of the announcement of a task force to try and help the resumption of sports and arts events, as well as the more general interest in leisure activities and what we're going to do about them, he's the right man to put forward. It's exactly the same rationale behind making Shapps do the conference when there's a transport related announcement, and sending Sunak out when there's a relevant treasury update.

I do agree though that Boris has been conspicuously absent though, perhaps they're saving him up for the big ones only now.

 

[Starmill]

If they can put the Communities Secretary up there's really no reason not to put the Culture Secretary up.

It's daft to use this briefing for such things. It would have been better for them to be led by a very small group of very familiar people. They chose not to do so however.

Statements about incidental policy, rather than the disease itself, would rightly be more properly be made in Parliament.

 

[scotrail158713]

They’ve been criticised before for their questioning - but fair play to all the press for continually asking the question that needed asked, again and again, even when Johnson kept trying to dodge around it.

 

[Ianno87]

To answer the title of the thread, today's conference has been absolutely enlightening in revealing how much the government doesn't give a **** about us.

 

[BJames]

Because of today the press conference has been brought back into the spotlight and was actually useful. A credit to the journalistst for repeatedly asking the same questions, and I noticed that BoJo did not wait around for them to come back with a follow up question - fortunate that each journalist wanted to know the same thing and was able to just pick up from where the last one left off.

Felt sorry for Shapps yesterday being lumbered with it, Jenrick was lucky that Johnson decided to front it himself for one.

 

[greyman42]

To answer the title of the thread, today's conference has been absolutely enlightening in revealing how much the government doesn't give a **** about us.

I would say they do care about us health wise, the problem is that they don't seem to care about the economy.

 

[Mogster]

I would say they do care about us health wise, the problem is that they don't seem to care about the economy.

Yes. While other countries seem to be in a state of panic over the economic crisis Boris and co seem surprisingly relaxed about the whole thing

 

[Busaholic]

Yes. While other countries seem to be in a state of panic over the economic crisis Boris and co seem surprisingly relaxed about the whole thing

Boris will never work himself up into a sweat unless it's to do with his favourite occupation. His laissez-faire approach, though, means we're going to be bottom of the world both healthwise and economywise, to be further compounded if that were possible by our no-deal Brexit to come. True madness.

 

[swanhill41]

The daily No 10 farce ,as that is what it is,is no longer of any relevance..The civil servants that are paraded on the show,will now no longer wish to be linked to it...See the comments on this farce by Prof Stephen Reicher of Aberdeen University,and a member of SAGE...He lists 5 things that Sage suggested the govt should do.
1...Be open and honest..Trashed...2..Respect the public ...Trashed....3...Ensure equity,everyone treated the same..Trashed...4...Be consistent ...Trashed...5...Make clear we are all in it together...Trashed.....How long to next election 2024 at earliest....HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

They’ve been criticised before for their questioning - but fair play to all the press for continually asking the question that needed asked, again and again, even when Johnson kept trying to dodge around it.

That line of questioning is pointless. Its pretty evident by now that any question that is framed for the govt minster to admit guilt or wrong doing will never be answered. The journalists being deployed are largely politically orientated but occasionally when a journo who is subject specialist asks a question they get boxed in and occasional you get scientists/medics to open up more. So yesterday some target targeted clever questions would have been more useful like

1. Why haven't you published all the SAGE advice
2. What are the absolute criteria you need satisfying to move between steps
3.What are you recording number of tests done not people tested
4 Why are you against regional control of lockdown measures like France, Italy, Germany & Spain have done
5. Why are we restricting movement of people from countries that have had much lower cases than us and reference his speech in Feb when he told the world we were open and putting in border controls was wrong.

These would have helped so much more in driving the county forward but what we get was a spectacle that serves no ones real interest as just distracts from whats important.

 

[BJames]

That line of questioning is pointless. Its pretty evident by now that any question that is framed for the govt minster to admit guilt or wrong doing will never be answered. The journalists being deployed are largely politically orientated but occasionally when a journo who is subject specialist asks a question they get boxed in and occasional you get scientists/medics to open up more. So yesterday some target targeted clever questions would have been more useful like

1. Why haven't you published all the SAGE advice
2. What are the absolute criteria you need satisfying to move between steps
3.What are you recording number of tests done not people tested
4 Why are you against regional control of lockdown measures like France, Italy, Germany & Spain have done
5. Why are we restricting movement of people from countries that have had much lower cases than us and reference his speech in Feb when he told the world we were open and putting in border controls was wrong.

These would have helped so much more in driving the county forward but what we get was a spectacle that serves no ones real interest as just distracts from whats important.

The issue is though (and I completely agree that those questions do need answering) that the line of questioning yesterday had to be undertaken or otherwise the government will assume the issue has just been forgotten about, which it hasn't. And the storm will probably continue today with the revelation that the Durham Police Commissioner is ordering a thorough review and investigation. I personally wasn't expecting any proper answer from Johnson after his statement at the start of the conference, but the media used their time to make him understand that they didn't really accept his explanation.

 

[SuperNova]

That line of questioning is pointless. Its pretty evident by now that any question that is framed for the govt minster to admit guilt or wrong doing will never be answered. The journalists being deployed are largely politically orientated but occasionally when a journo who is subject specialist asks a question they get boxed in and occasional you get scientists/medics to open up more. So yesterday some target targeted clever questions would have been more useful like

1. Why haven't you published all the SAGE advice
2. What are the absolute criteria you need satisfying to move between steps
3.What are you recording number of tests done not people tested
4 Why are you against regional control of lockdown measures like France, Italy, Germany & Spain have done
5. Why are we restricting movement of people from countries that have had much lower cases than us and reference his speech in Feb when he told the world we were open and putting in border controls was wrong.

These would have helped so much more in driving the county forward but what we get was a spectacle that serves no ones real interest as just distracts from whats important.

Those questions will still be pertinent later this week. Yesterday's questioning was required to remind to PM and his advisers that a) they have a responsibility to lead by example b) can't keep brushing things they don't like under the carpet. When millions have been making sacrifices, including people missing funerals and the opportunity to see their loved ones before they sadly pass, why can the PM and his cabinet defend an Adviser so blindly? Yesterday's press conference felt like the beginning of the end for Johnson.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Grant Shapps and NR chairman Peter Hendy are giving today's briefing (Thur 4 June).
Obviously a transport-themed session, but it's hard to see what major rail issue they will address.
The big current transport issues of the international quarantine policy and aviation industry support would demand the presence of the boss of the CAA rather than NR.
We shall see...

 

[Yew]

Some good questions about the 2m guidance and business reopening today. Though it does seem that there are an increasing number of non-covid questions coming in, I think those really need to be shut down.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Some good questions about the 2m guidance and business reopening today.

Great questions, underwhelming answers. Alok Sharma was asked about holiday cottages and decided to spiel about the furlough scheme in his response.

But of course, we'll keep this under review.

 

[Jamesrob637]

I think they should run Tuesday to Saturday as that's indicative of Monday to Friday figures. Don't need more than 5x weekly now, if even that. Maybe only Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

 

[Andyh82]

I think they should run Tuesday to Saturday as that's indicative of Monday to Friday figures. Don't need more than 5x weekly now, if even that. Maybe only Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

There was the usual moaning online when they scrapped the weekend ones “why can’t the government be bothered to work 7 days a week when xxx people have died” and the like, so I can’t see the weekday ones going yet.

They do seem to have downgraded them somewhat, medical/scientific advisors aren’t appearing every time anymore, and the only other person alongside the minister is the ‘other expert’ relating to that day’s topic

They should have one of Whitty, Harries, Van-Tam on every day, as it’s quite good to see a journalists simplistic gotcha question be thrown out by a very lengthy very detailed answer.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It may be a conspiracy theory, but I did note that Van Tam and Whitty disappeared as soon as they started criticising the Government (in particular Cummings).

 

[Andyh82]

I thought it seemed pretty poor that Raab turned up on his own tonight, and a journalist agreed. They should have a medic or scientist on every day.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

He did appear with a red ring binder, which seemed to give him numerous answers useless responses to the journalists.

 

[Reliablebeam]

I think that No 10 are desperate not to give a platform to a competitor. Especially if Rishi Sunak were allowed to lead too frequently.

I'd noticed this as well - Sunak seems to be gaining momentum and had an appearance before the 1922 committee that seemed to go down very well. Increasing noises from backbench tories about the economic impact and disgruntlement over the Cummings affair.... Priti Patel does have her fans as well... And as for Gove - I've noticed the Torygraph has turned quite anti-Boris, and funnily enough where does Mrs Gove work?

 

[O8yityityit]

These briefings should be every other day. They are quickly losing their intended impact.

Also, it goes to provide that journalists are thick as mince. Even when the first one is told we will announce our exit strategy in due course when the time is right, the second, third, fourth etc ask the same bloody question.

Exactly.
Also is it me or have the two main examples( Kunessberg and Peston) stopped attending after they were quite rightly cut short by the minister heading the briefing.

Its all about their celebrity status and not about the news any more.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Also is it me or have the two main examples( Kunessberg and Peston) stopped attending after they were quite rightly cut short by the minister heading the briefing.

Laura Kuenssberg only seems to appear when Boris Johnston is at the podium, or at least that's when the majority of her appearances are.

 

[O8yityityit]

Exactly. She obviously considers herself too important to speak to anyone else.

Just like doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is pretty much a definition of stupidity, so is asking the same question over and over again.

To be fair the members of the public seem to ask the inteligent questions the man or woman on the street would ask .
Get rid of the journos and let the public ask the questions.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

To be fair the members of the public seem to ask the inteligent questions the man or woman on the street would ask .
Get rid of the journos and let the public ask the questions.

Doesn't mean they'll necessarily get better answers though...

 

[Bletchleyite]

I thought it seemed pretty poor that Raab turned up on his own tonight, and a journalist agreed. They should have a medic or scientist on every day.

I suspect the scientists have been removed because they criticised Cummings openly.

Tonight was an embarrassment. He even waffled the question about "is it not just science, but also the economy", to which the answer is quite simply "yes, we have to balance both as we come out of lockdown". It's like Bozza told him not to say anything.

 

[Andyh82]

I’m not sure why he kept flicking through his ring binder either, he seemed under prepared like he’d just been pushed through the door by Hancock at a moments notice.

 

[Huntergreed]

I’m not sure why he kept flicking through his ring binder either, he seemed under prepared like he’d just been pushed through the door by Hancock at a moments notice.

He's not done one for a while so perhaps he had to have something to keep him up to date with everything that's gone on, that being said it did look unprofessional and I was disappointed to not see even one scientist. Powis or Harries would have been nice just to answer the medical questions.

I get the impression they're losing interest in doing the conferences and are likely to end them on a daily basis by the end of the month.

 

[Jamiescott1]

Some of the questions reporters ask are no longer about covid-19.
The question about Hong Kong and hsbc was completely irrelevant.
Either it's a covid-19 briefing or a conservative political broadcast