What the papers say: division among leaders on crisis

Nesine Malik said in her column says the Great British deference is dangerous in this time of crisis.

She wrote: "It is a dangerous British trait to fall obediently into line behind those in power when things are uncertain. When the chips are down, a class system redux kicks in. The laws of the hierarchy must be observed. It is a sort of tyranny of politeness and deference that suspends judgment. Johnson is no longer thought to be an untransparent, unserious man guided by a crank. He is our leader in troubled times. His role and the circumstances, rather than his record or his performance, demand respect.

"In a way Johnson’s previous lack of seriousness plays to his advantage now, so desperate are we to believe that underneath the clown makeup there is a serious person running the country, that it was always an act. It is the same impulse that prompts politicians and the media to declare Donald Trump as “finally” becoming president when he manages to get through a single event or speech without melting down. Johnson may indeed have made difficult decisions based on serious consultation with experts on the right response. In which case neither he nor those scientists – who are far more comfortable with uncertainty than politicians and their followers – should mind showing us their working."

The Scotsman

Brian Montheith in his column looks at why you can bank on a second budget this year.

He said such is the sudden domination of the broadcast news channels by the Coronavirus pandemic that it is already hard to believe last week the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered with some panache the Conservative government’s first budget.

He added:"Although allowance has been made for the economic impact of Covid19 I believe it has been underestimated and we can easily expect the deficit, and hence borrowing to reach £100bn in pretty short order. Sunak will need an emergency budget before Christmas.

"In time the UK’s debt will steadily mount, well north of the circa two trillion it is now, and when interest rates rise we shall face a calamity requiring austerity all over again of a more severe nature."

He went on to say:"The government must therefore reassess how it raises money at this time by ensuring the economy has a chance of continuing under the new social arrangements while we get through the crisis the virus will cause."

The Daily Mail

Sarah Vine in her column say it might be a bitter pill to swallow – but added if the over 70s don't protect themselves, the alternative is unthinkable.

She said: "This is not a generation of doddery, grey-haired retirees, content to potter away their pensions in the back garden: These are people living life to the full. In many cases, their best life.

"They travel, exercise, socialise and take holidays. Many (such as my father) are still in full-time employment. They simply don’t think of themselves as ‘vulnerable’. And yet, when it comes to Covid-19, they are.

"The truth is that the mortality rate for this virus in the over 70s is currently running at about 10 per cent – one in ten people – as compared to less than 1 per cent in the wider population. That is just not a figure that can be dismissed or taken lightly.

"Unless we want to lose significant numbers of beloved family members, we need to protect them – and they need to protect themselves."

The Independent

Graham Keeley, writing from Madrid, reflected on the community spirit some of our European neighbours are showing while in lockdown.

He said:"Our neighbours took to their balconies last night to applaud the doctors and nurses who are risking their lives to fight the coronavirus epidemic.

"Organised through social media, it was an emotional moment repeated across Spain which will happen every night from now on.

"This is just part of a new life under lockdown for Spain, a society which normally lives outside through its bars, restaurants and beaches."

Writing during confinement, he added: "Lockdown is eerie but perhaps not all bad."