'We did everything we could': An account of toxic leadership

Background The UK government's reckless and incompetent response to Covid-19 has produced an outcome which is amongst the worst in world, arguably terms of deaths per 100,000 population major countries (especially when one measures mortality from Covid cause death on certificate, rather than own measure-death a tested individual within 28 days testing). This article updates my initial analysis this journal over year ago, traces negligent shambolic policy-making, supine official scientific advice, led such dismal outcome. Methods It does so by examining policies approach government begining pandemic (in terms, January 2020) up June 2021. All relevant declarations, speeches, decisions, public interviews were noted daily basis, examined critically assessed-along with data information whole period Covid's threat to, spread across, UK. Conclusions On three successive occasions, Boris Johnson his compliant Ministers acted too late weakly prevent avoidable illness. At time writing vaccination programme been destabilised government-yet again-having failed secure its borders, against Delta variant (Indian mutation) virus. Overall, border control, quarantine, testing, tracing, isolation timely enforced lockdown, put short-term, superficial considerations above coherent strategy. dressed incompetence as libertarianism defence economy, but thereby managed achieve all worlds egregious failures-appalling health outcomes; (ironically) worse economic damage took draconian action; (also ironically) continually recurring restrictions result earlier failure take strong action suppress keep it at bay. Public reaction England (unlike Scotland Wales) shenanigans not commensurate that level failure, sadly reflects debasement political culture England.