In Ñspel: "A year after Johnson’s swaggering Greenwich speech"

Head bowed, Boris Johnson leads a virtual press conference on the Covid-19 pandemic on Tuesday 26 January. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AP — Hed baud, Boris Jonsn līdz a vrćl presconfṛns on ɖ Covid-19 pandemic on Tyzde 26 Jańri. Foṭgraf: Justin Talis/AP

•

A yir aftr Jonsn’z swaġrñ Grenij spīć, 100,000 ded

(Transcription of a Guardian article of 31 January 2021)

Ɖ guvnmnt sz nbdi cd hv dn mor, bt it’s clir pur līdrśp on Covid hz bròt ɖ YC t ɖs pas

•

Tim Admz, 31 Jańri 2021

•

It wz anǎnst last wīc, t nbdi’s xîtmnt, ɖt Sr Ceniʈ Brana wl tec ɖ rǒl v Boris Jonsn in a Scî TV drama abt ɖ frst wīcs v ɖ pandemic. F Brana’z castñ inḍcets ɖt ɖs z t b cnsivd az a Śecspirịn traɉdi, wɖ Jonsn in ɖ līd, ɖen it wd sīm dūmd fṛm ɖ start. Ɖ clasic trajic hiro hz jst a sngl fetl caṛctr flw ɖt pruvz hiz unduwñ. Wɖ Jonsn, ẃr d y start?

Az an oṗnñsīn in ɖt drama, it wl, enhǎ, b hard t bìt ɖ spīć ɖt ɖ prim̦inistr gev olmst xacli a yir ago – phps ɖ last momnt in ẃć h fondli imajind ɖt ol ɖ wrld le bfr him. Ɖ spīć, dlivrd in ɖ grand srǎndñz v Crisṭfr Rén’z Old Royl Nevl Colij at Grenij on 3 Febrri 2020, set ǎt hiz viźn fr a buc̣nirñ globl Britn, hî on yńnflagz n fri tred. Jonsn hd nt loñ rtrnd fṛm hiz post-ilex́n bīćfrolics in Mstīc wɖ Cári Simndz. Brexit hd fîṇli bn “dn” in Parḷmnt Sqer ʈri nîts rlịr. No opziśn trubld hiz hrîzn. Lebr wz līdrlis; Farāź pôntlis. Īvn Mîcl Gove, hiz limp-dagrd Brūṭs, hd bn cooptd t ɖ cōz.

Az h baṛld on t ɖ stej at Grenij ɖrfr, ruf̣lñ hiz her, śuf̣lñ hiz nots, hiz frst act wz t asc hiz cerf̣li s’lectd biznis ōdịns – stricli no Rmenr “glūmstrz n dūmstrz” alaud – t rêz ɖer îz t ɖ vōltd sīlñ n srve ɖ ḿṛl abv ɖer hedz. Sr Jemz Ʈornhil’z b’roc mastrpìs, Ɖ Trîumf v Liḅti n Pīs ovr Tiṛni, dpictd Wiłm III n Mẹri II inʈrond aftr ɖer ǒn “Glorịs Reṿluśn” n srǎndd, in Jonsn’z îz, bî “wel-féd nimfs n kpidz n ẃt hv y”. Ɖs, sd Jonsn, slejhaṃrñ ɖ simḅlizm, marct “ɖ setlmnt v a loñ n dvîsiv p’liticl qsćn abt hu gts t sit on ɖ ʈron”. It wz a momnt v “s’prīm naśnl slf-confidns”, h sjstd, wɖ ɖ YC “on ɖ slipwe” v globl ic̣nomic dominns. “Tde, f w gt it rît, ɖs cn b anɖr sć momnt.”

Hybris wrcs in mstirịs wez. Ɖt spīć wl b rmembrd nt, az Jonsn hopt, fr its reṭric abt unlīśt Britiś swagr, bt fr ɖ fact ɖt in ɖ mdst v it, in a ʈro’we frêz, ɖr lrct ɖ sīd v ol v hiz – n ǎr – loct-dǎn nîtmerz v ɖ past yir.

In ɖ dez līdñ p t ɖ Grenij spīć, Jonsn hd bn pôntidli sîḷnt on ɖ vîṛs ɖt hd bî ɖen iscept fṛm Wūhan. A fl munʈ aftr it hd bn îdnṭfaid bî ɖ Ćînīz oʈoṛtiz, ɖ Grenij spīć marct ɖ frst tîm ɖ nem v ɖ dziz ofiṣ́li pást hiz lips.

Inevitbli, it wz imploid nt az a cōśnri not, bt az an iṛtetñ nigl t hiz viźn v swoś n bucl: “Globl groʈ z itslf anīmic n ɖ dclîn in globl poṿti z bginñ t slo,” Jonsn sd. “Ẃn [tred]barịrz r gwñ p, n ẃn ɖr z a risc ɖt ny dzizz sć az c’roṇvîṛs wl trigr a panic n a dzîr fr marcitsegṛgeśn ɖt g bynd ẃt z medicli raṣ́nl, t ɖ pônt v dwñ riyl n uņesṣri ic̣nomic damij, ɖen at ɖt momnt hymaṇti nīdz sm guvnmnt, smẃr, ɖt z wilñ at līst t mc ɖ ces pǎrf̣li fr frīdm v xćenj.”

Ɖr wz t b no dǎt ẃć guvnmnt wd stand stubnli oblivịs t ɖ riscs v ɖ vîṛs, ignor ɖ panic, n cīp ɖ marcit icoṇmi opn at ol costs. Britn, ɖ prim̦inistr craid, wz “redi t tec of its Clarc Cnt specṭclz, līp intu ɖ fonbuɖ n imrj wɖ its clǒc flowñ az ɖ sūṗćarjd ćampịn” v ic̣nomic frīdm in eni stand-of wɖ public-hlʈ rstrix́n.

•

Boris Johnson gives his key speech at the Old Naval College in Greenwich, London, on 3 February 2020. Photograph: Frank Augstein/AP — Boris Jonsn gvz hiz ci spīć at ɖ Old Nevl Colij in Grenij, Lundn, on 3 Febrri 2020. Foṭgraf: Franc Augstein/AP

W hv hŕd fṛm ɖ inṭćenɉbl cast v fōnñ ministrz in ɖ past wīc ɖt “nbdi cd hv wrct hardr” ɖn Jonsn in tac̣lñ ɖ pandemic. Bt ẃn historịnz – ɖoz pesci pṛfeśnl Captin Hîndsîts – cm t le ǎt ɖ evidns, ɖe wl fînd plenti ɖt dis’griz wɖ ɖt fanṭsi, startñ wɖ ɖ Grenij spīć.

Ɖ secnd xks ɖt Jonsn’z cortịrz hv bn tld t pédl z ɖt nwn cd hv pridictd eni v ẃt wz t cm. Ɖt z olso nt xacli tru. Ɖ wīc bfr Jonsn’z fri-tred spīć a rport in Ɖ Lansit hd asest ɖ līʈl ptnśl v ɖ vîṛs, n sjstd it wz cmpaṛbl t ɖ 1918 Spaniś flūpandemic, ẃć cild 50 miłn ppl.

Ɖ cnsrn wz nt cnfînd t ɖ xprts. It z noṭbl ɖt on ɖ Saṭde bfr Jonsn’z spīć, ɖ Dêli Meil hd dvotd its frunt pej nt t ɖ trîumf̣lizm v ɖ prīvịs nît’s Brexit seḷbreśnz, fr ẃć it hd so strîdntli campend, bt t ɖ ʈret t ɖ YC pozd bî Covid-19: “Hǎ mni mor YC victimz v vîṛs?” Jonsn’z ǒn formr imployr, ɖ Dêli Teḷgraf, cǎnsld on 1 Febrri ɖt Britn mst b priperd fr ɖ wrst. “Peṣmists mt pônt ǎt ɖt ɖ mortaḷti fr ɖ ny vîṛs z cnsidṛbli hayr ɖn fr swînflu. Ẃn swînflu brouc ǎt in 2009, ɖ NHS olso hd sper cpaṣti, hvñ injoid a deced v riyl-trmz invstmnt incrisz. Tde, ɖr z olrdi a śortij v bedz…”

On ɖ Ʈrzde bfr Jonsn’z setpìs in Grenij, ɖ Wrld Hlʈ Orġnîześn hd informd evri neśn ɖt ɖ vîṛs hd its hîist riscretñ – iqivḷnt t ɖt v Ibola n Sars – wɖ 7,818 cesz cnfrmd gloḅli, in 19 cuntriz. In rspons, on 31 Jańri, īvn Doṇld Trump hd rstrictd incumñflîts fṛm Ćîna. Jonsn nt onli vyd ɖ vîṛs az a lîn in a Sūṗman gag, bt az an oṗtyṇti t pruv ɖt h wz priperd fr Britn t g it alon agnst ɖ po-fest xprts, cīp ɖ erports opn wɖ miniml scrīnñ n qoṛntīn, nt ple bî ɖer rūlz.

T pruv ɖ pônt, bî ɖ tîm v ɖ Grenij spīć, h hd olrdi scipt ɖ tū Cobra mītñz dvotd t planñ fr eni ptnśl pandemic, līvñ ɖm t b ćerd bî ɖ olrdi haplis Mát Hancoc. Ovr ɖ cors v ɖ folowñ wīcs, h nglectd t atnd ʈri mor. Ten dez aftr ɖ Grenij spīć, h rtritd t hiz gres-n-fevr cuntri rtrit at Ćīvnñ fr a fortnît, partli t fîṇlîz ɖ trmz v hiz dvors fṛm Mrīna Ẃīlr, nt loñ rcuvrd fṛm cansr, n t let hiz groun-up ćildṛn in on ɖ fact ɖt h n Simndz wr xpctñ a bebi n hd bn sīcṛtli ingejd. Hiz eidz wr rportidli tld t “cīp brīfñpeprz śort” f ɖe xpctd ɖm t b réd. It wz olmst Marć bî ɖ tîm Jonsn riimrjd t stej-manij nyz v ɖ pregnnsi fr ɖ pres.

It wz in ɖs contxt ɖt h sat on brecfsṭîm sofaz n vegli flotd ɖ nośn v hrd iḿṇti, bfr dsmisñ ɖ tmtñ îdīa v “tecñ ɖ vîṛs on ɖ ćin”. On 3 Marć, ɖ clir advîs fṛm Sagi wz ɖt ɖ guvnmnt śd “worn agnst grītñz sć az śecñ handz n hugñ”. Jonsn, infṃsli, wnt ǎt ɖt de n tld rportrz: “I wz at a hospitl ɖ uɖr nît ẃr I ʈnc ɖr wr a fy c’roṇvîṛs peśnts n I śc handz wɖ evrbdi, y wl b plizd t nǒ, n I cntiny t śec handz.” Jonsn spent lêt Marć in îṣleśn, alñ wɖ most v hiz cabiṇt, n rli Epril in intnsiv cer.

It hz bn clemd ɖt ɖoz dez in hospitl ćenjd Jonsn fṛm ɖ Jon Bl-iś caṛctr h hd prizntd at Grenij intu a mor ćeisnd figr; ɖr z nt mć in hiz subsiqnt reṭric – v wrld-bìtñ ɖs n mūnśot ɖt, n brīfñz ɖt h wz “baṭlñ ɖ xprts t sev Crisṃs” – t s’port ɖt îdīa. Az h hz turd ɖ cuntri fr foto oṗtyṇtiz in hard hats n labcots, it z hard t śec ɖ b’lif ɖt h stl siz līdrśp az h sw it ẃn h stérd p at Ʈornhil’z sīlñ – az a cnd v costymdrama in ẃć h gts t star, a prepscūl pformns v 1066 n ol ɖt. H mt hv bn advîzd t pe closr atnśn t ɖ “wel-féd nimfs” ɖt h wevd a hand at in Grenij. Ɖe wr nt, az h sīmd t inviźn ɖm, decṛtiv elimnts v clasicl toti, bt dpix́nz v ɖ for vrćuz ɖt inebld gd guvnns: prūdns, justis, tmpṛns n forttyd.

Az ɖ deʈ tol last wīc pást ɖ 100,000 pridictd a yir ago, w wr invîtd bî ɖ guvnmnt’s fevrd nyzpeprz t si Jonsn az a “dīpli sori” hed-baud figr, in scrīn grabz v him rīdñ fṛm hiz nots.

Bt ẃtvr ɖoz hedlînz or Ceniʈ Brana’z fʈcmñ dpix́n imajin, w śd olwz cīp in mînd ɖt ɖs z nt ɖ prim̦inistr’z traɉdi, it’s ɖ traɉdi v ɖ faṃliz v ɖ 105,000 hu hv daid, v ɖ ci wrcrz hu hv risct ɖer livz de aftr de, ɖ miłnz hu hv sìn jobz n planz n bizṇsz capsîzd. W hv ol bn cast az wōc-onz in a drama ẃć, fṛm ɖ vri bginñ, wz partli, bt funḍmnṭli, v Jonsn’z mcñ – n wn ẃć wl onli proprli end ẃn h n hiz hami trùp v ćansrz fîṇli xit, stej rît, no dǎt stl lǎdli pṛnǎnsñ ɖt nbdi cd hv dn mor t cīp s sef.

•

Sevn lésnz lrnt

•

Ranḍmîzd trîlz r lîfsevrz

•

Dx̣meʈ̇son z a ćīp sterôd drug ɖt hz sevd ɖ livz v 650,000 svirli il Covid peśnts. Its ifctivnis wz rvild ʈru ɖ YC Rcuṿri studi, ẃć cmperd trītmnts wɖ yźl NHS cer alon in ranḍmîzd trîlz. “Cliniśnz cm p wɖ ol sorts v hîpoʈ̇sīz abt drugz,” sz Martin Landre, jônt fǎndr v Rcuṿri. “Bt y’v got t tst ɖz hîpoʈ̇sīz. Fr ɖt y nīd larj, ranḍmîzd trîlz.”

•

Ny dzizz r a constnt ʈret

•

Covid-19 hz agn demnstretd ɖt wîld-animl tredñ, ẃr spīśīz r mixt tgɖr in apōlñ, stresfl srcmstansz, pṛmots dziz trnzmiśn btwn spīśīz – n on t hymnz. “Unls w cntrol loñ-distns tredñ in lîv animlz, ny dzizz wl apir agn n agn. Ɖt z a ci lésn fṛm ɖs pandemic,” sz Jemz Wŭd, pṛfesr v veṭrinri meḍsin at Cembrij Yṇvrṣti.

•

Jnomic srvez r crūśl

•

Britn hz pleid a ci rǒl in tracñ ɖ progres v Covid-19 acrs ɖ glob, ʈancs t its prǎis in jīnsīqnsñ. “YC l’boṛtriz hv carid ǎt 48% v ol ɖ wrld’z jīnomsīqnsñ v Covid-19,” sz Pṛfesr Sr Marc Cōlfīld, v Jnomics Ñgḷnd. “Ɖt hz bn invałbl in pinpôntñ ny strenz n unḍlînz ɖ nīd fr a globl jnomicsnetwrc t trac n bìt ɖs dziz. Ɖt wd b a lîflîn.”

•

Ppl wl axpt incnvińns

•

“Ste at hom n pṛtct ɖ NHS” wz a stroñ guvnmntmesij ɖt ɖ public axptd. Śops clozd, cartravl dropt bî tū ʈrdz, ẃl ppl pṛvîdd fūd fr ɖ hungri n clapt fr cerrz. “Ɖt trust wz unḍmaind bî Doṃnic Cumñz’z trip t Duṛm,” sz sîcoḷjist Pṛfesr Dem Til Wîcs, v Cñ’z Colij Lundn. “Yt most ppl stl foloud ɖ rūlz bcz ɖe ń ɖe wr fr a gd cōz.”

•

A fast rspons z criticl

•

A yir ago ɖ WHO wornd ɖ ny dziz reprizntd a public hlʈ imrjnsi. Ostreła wz wn v ɖ fy cuntriz t riact qcli. “Crūṣ́li, ɖoz wɖ past xpirịns v c’roṇvîṛsz lîc Sars dd riact n nǎ lc t b in a strongr pziśn,” sz Martin Hiḅd v ɖ Lundn Scūl v Hîjīn n Tropicl Meḍsin. “Dscuṿrñ a ny vîṛs’z caṛcṭristics n hvñ a clir straṭji wl b crūśl in avôdñ anɖr pandemic.”

•

Ɖ NHS mst b proprli fundd

•

Yirz v cuts t public hlʈsrṿsz left Britn il-priperd fr Covid-19 n wr criticl in alawñ deʈrets t sōr. “Az ɖ YC imrjz fṛm ɖ pandemic it wd b a trajic mstec t atmt t riistabliś a status quo ɖt wz marct in Ñgḷnd bî a stagneśn v hlʈ impruvmnt ɖt wz ɖ secnd-wrst in Yṛp,” stets a rvy léd bî Sr Mîcl Marṃt v Yṇvrṣti Colij Lundn.

•

mRNA tecnoḷji z hir t ste

•

Mesinjr RNA z yzd bî ǎr sélz t d’rect protīnmańfacćr. Bî lrnñ hǎ t haijac ɖt proses, Fîzr n Mderna md vaxīnz in record tîm. “W hd bn hírñ abt mRNA’z promis fr yirz n sudnli it arîvd,” sz Pṛfesr Adm Fín v Bristl Yṇvrṣti. “Ɖs cd b a gemćenjr nt jst fr vaxīnz bt cansrcer.” Robin MCi

•

***

•

MOR ARTICLZ Fṛm Đ Gardịn

•