Editorial:

I have complained incessantly about the poor strategy and poor leadership shown by key Government figures during this crisis. And I say again that this is not a political statement. There seems to be something wrong in the way our politicians are either trained (realisitically they aren't) or grow in experience. In this crisis, they were simply not well equipped to face the events that hit them.

Historically many politicians had served in other public roles or capacities well before they reach the dizzying heights of power. This gave them the chance to hone their people skills, and to learn the skills of oratory. They were able to build their experience quietly in junior posts, learning how Government works, before emerging into the limelight of real power.

Today everything is done in the glare of the media spotlight. Everything turns on the last sound bite, there is no time for reflection, no chance to make the mistakes from which to learn useful lessons. Policitical advisers hold sway, carrying more weight that experience or expertise. Spin is everything. Opinion poll numbers drive decision making.

In the military, officers of all services receive training in strategy, tactics and command before they can take on even their most junior role. And still they won't be ready to be true leaders. It takes years of nudging in the right direction by long serving, and very experienced, non-commissioned officers. Similarly in the emergency services, there are training colleges which give senior staff the tools to plan and to command. It doesn't always work of course, but every so often excellent leaders emerge from these processes. We need something similar in Government.

Guess what, we used to have a National School of Government. It was abolished in 2012. A private organisation now provides training programmes for civil servants and Government leaders. The training programme for strategic planning lasts 3 hours, the one for crisis management just 6 hours. It certainly shows.

Birthdays:

None that we know of.

Nationally:

377 deaths were reported by the Government yesterday taking us to 37,837 across the UK. This is about what would be expected based on the rolling average. The numbers of new daily infections fell to 1,887, well within the capacity of the new track and trace system.

Locally:

In Northamptonshire another 15 cases were reported yesterday with the specimen dates being spread back over the last few days. The total number of cases is now 1,458.

1 new infection was reported in East Northamptonshire yesterday.

Daily links (all verified):

And finally . . .

On the night the Country gave its final clap for the NHS, the Queen realised the challenge she now faces...

Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Save Lives