real B movie news reel vibes with a handy explanation that yet again makes out that it’s nobody’s fault but the virus

the bit that really got the U.K. imho is the arrogant insistence we heard at various points that data from and guidance for other countries somehow didn’t apply to the U.K. or required confirmation from U.K. experts before listening, in the most poorly timed petty exceptionalism

never forget to connect this up to prevailing paradigms already existent in U.K. govt: think about standards, norms, principles around evidence, objectivity and bias that we’ve seen operationalised by the Home Office and DWP for YEARS now, which don’t exactly map but are v weird

if you’ve constructed not just a narrative but almost 12 months of policy around the central conceit that the virus isn’t that bad actually then why bother undoing that when you can just say it’s a mutant virus, when we all know mutants are yknow, extra to the max!

I mean this thread isn’t conclusive proof of this but it means it’s credible that OMG MUTANT VIRUS may be at least partly spin

Not saying the virus isn’t mutating but rather that the extent to which the mutating is the thing that’s driving case counts is imo questionable, and I’ve been openly skeptical about U.K. senior scientific advisory claims and, crucially, their packaging since March

Who remember when the chief medical and science officers got up and told us the “behavioural scientists” by which they told us they meant behavioural economists at the BIS/“Nudge” unit? Or the time the Deputy CMO said WHO advice wasn’t for developed nations like U.K.? Cmon.

I mention it up thread, sure, and if your preference is to trust your senior medics even if they’ve been hand picked by this govt you won’t find these reasons convincing, and that’s fine, if maybe a little bit confusing given the actual record of the actual govt for 10 years.

Guys you can find me as many peer reviewed articles that suggest that the U.K. has a concerning new mutation and I’ll agree with you and still tell you that I am skeptical of the comms and management of all this. Appreciate it but from the first tweet I don’t deny mutation!

@zaranosaur Would it have mutated at that pace if they hadn't screwed up is another question in my mind.

@Tinu also would the mutation have mattered so much if we had normalised “act as if you’ve got the virus and wear masks etc” rather than saying this advice didn’t apply

@zaranosaur 100% (thread)

@PWGTennant tbh social compliance was always meaningless with people forced back into schools and universities and workplaces, tho I do think most people think it’s fake/not that bad but this is partly bc of govt refusal to reflect the severity and key facts (airborne, asymptomaticity, etc?)

@zaranosaur Absolutely - I know it's got some kind of difference but the 'spreads faster' thing seems to be based on the really high rates in the SE which are also attributable to lower tiers, insistence on schools being open & 'work' excusing everything

@zaranosaur @paul_trembath The virus requires humans to spread, it doesn’t take note of policy, wants or desires. We are where we are because of human inaction across society, of selfishness, denial, stupidity and greed.

@zaranosaur That's what I think too.

@zaranosaur Looking at US where it is clear Trump thought killing over a million citizens to create "herd immunity" was best way, & remembering cabinet members talk of herd immunity are we sure that isn't what UK govt is doing too? After 10 mths of non effective action, its worrying thought

@zaranosaur @SFdirewolf It's been mutating every single time it infected a new host didn't it? Second wave was always in the warnings but governments ignored the sh*t out of it. I'm sorry, people died because of govt. irresponsibility, they must answer for that.