It's an interesting question as to if another gov would have done better in the UK. We'll never know of course.

And by better I mean quabtiably. Less deaths, less hospitalisations, less infections. Not does twitter think they are doing better

Personally I have my doubts.

First off I think it's plainly obvious that had the recent UK election resulted in a left wing gov then even if they did exactly the same thing UK twitters overall view would be more positive

You only gave to look at Wales and the much less criticism the labour gov here gets to see that. Few want to even consider if Wales made mistakes.

You'll see Welsh people ranting about not hitting 100k England stats while ignoring the same day Wales did less than 2k and dropped its target. The obsession with attacking tories for many is overwhelming

Wales has barely done anything differently from the UK gov. It could of but it didn't. Because its scientists advised the same

The main point people make re tory screw up is "locking down too late" but if that's true that criticism also applies to Welsh Labour the SNP and DUP (SF wanted to lock down with Ireland, not because of science, but politics)

So we have four govs with four different science teams tacking the same path. That should be reasonable evidence that this isn't a matter a different gov would have had a massivly different outcome.

Becuase ultimately there is no evidence that all four govs sat on scientific advice to keep the UK running longer. None.

So if you believe that another gov could have done better than QED you must believe they'd have locked down earlier (or be making another argument I've yet to see on twitter)

And which other PM would have ignored the science at such a stage?

Let's for a moment assume that peoples issue is with boris not the tories in general. Fine. Would another tory have gone earlier? I highly doubt it. Take Hunt. Had he still been health sec he'd have no doubt done almost everything the same as Hancock. As if he was PM

He wouldn't have gone before advice. And if he's honest with himself he'd know that.

And I cannot see any PM in my lifetime having done much differently either

Sure Blair would have got the comms spot on, he'd have been slick on TV and danced round the foolish hacks at pressers. But would he have gone earlier? I doubt it

Brown and Major would have both had a much more sombre tone, not as polished as Blair but perhaps praised for "their gravitas" would either have locked down earlier? I think not

Cameron would have been the lightweight Blair he always was, May more Major, both would have no doubt been criticised as much as boris being tories. Both would imo have locked down no earlier

And had clegg been deputy PM no doubt all the lib dems being performativly thick today would have been taking a line supporting exactly the same actions

I still remember how twitter laughed at the idea of getting none medical companies making ventilators. Yet the idea worked. But no one likes to admit it. Because it was Boris's. Would the reaction been different if Blair announced it? Probably. But the outcome would be the same

Ultimately we'll never know. But I cannot see another PM locking down when scientists were saying "it'll be OK"

But twitter as always cares more about the messanger than the message. And more about presentation than outcomes.