What about the emergency planners and scientists working for the govt? Are they lying too or is the govt supporting newspaper lying? 

Do you honestly think they queuing up to be PM right now? Who did you have in mind. Political heavyweights like Raab, Gove or Hancock? The  frightened rabbits are more likely running for cover at the moment!

Fake news?

I wouldnt say fake news. There is always a little truth in these stories to add legitimacy. But when a story is quoting senior sources and senior politicians and larges tracts attributed to "a source" then I struggle not to see another motive behind such stories

So, a serious and govt supporting newspaper reports a several week investigation having spoken to emergency planners and scientists working for the govt and you just dismiss it as a power play with a little truth mixed in? 

Their investigation identified austerity as a factor behind the degradation of our preparedness and this newspaper had supported austerity throughout and yet you still dismiss this. Can't you see you are in denial? 

I am not dismissing the story at all. But as doctormog has pointed out, there is not a great deal new in this story. Stories like this always have a motive behind them and here we are undermining the government during probably the greatest crisis since the last world war.

I am not saying the government has done a a perfect performance during this, but do we need a change of leadership or huge political upheaval at this time

Yep, agree with Warren. Seems to be a motive behind this story. Absolutely reeks of it.

Not a chance these days. He'll be 10% more popular as a result. 

Unsurprising responses here to the Sunday Times story. Unquestioning loyalty to he who can do no wrong. Beast is right. Johnson’s insouciance, negligence and turbulent private life have cost thousands of lives but people will continue to see him a bloke who they would like to share a beer with.

I’d say ‘wake up’ but when one is in a coma, WW3 would not make you conscious.

Are you salivating Ulric! I can smell it!

Sorry, I thought I just heard Trump say something.

Aye, you don't need to be Nostradamus.

Depends if Bozo, Rasputin & Sunak want to lumber taxpayers and public services with the bill for this. 

So is there anything in this story we didn't know already?

Absolutely spot on. The usual supine, 'nothing to see here' responses.

If you knew all this and you didn't care/it didn't make you think Johnson should resign, then you're a cretin. You as in one. Of course.

What? Does that mean it was known or not?

Much of this is new. But that wasn't the point i was making.

Leopards don't change their spots.

Johnson would have needed to undergo a nigh on impossible personality change to step up to provide the leadership required to confront this crisis. Of course, we don't have any hard evidence that he has been behaving as described but it does fit the general image.

He is the man who took the country out of the EU and Remainers won't forget that, nor the fact that he has done his best to cast out the moderate voices and turned the Tories into the New Brexit Party.