Political column – April 25

It's the British thing to do.

Actually, why bother waiting? Why not start blaming people now? Don't worry, we can.

Everybody can see that there have been some dreadful shortages. In fact, the only thing there is no shortage of is complaints.

In the resumed House of Commons this week we were privileged at last to see and hear the contributions of some of those politicians who, all along, knew better, and if only we had followed their wise and timely advice, we would not be where we are now.

There was even a call for a public inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Of course, doctors and nurses could be called to give evidence. They've got nothing better to do at the moment.

Sir Keir Starmer is already writing the history of this global pandemic. His theme is that the British government was slow in all respects in responding, and all its responses were inadequate.

Over at the BBC, Alvar Lidell is definitely away.

Here is the news from the week – any week. Monday: Testing, testing. Tuesday: The government has been accused of... (insert the rest to taste). Wednesday: The government is facing further questions about... (ditto). Thursday: With hospitals running out of protective equipment, the government has been accused... Friday: Testing, testing.

And repeat.

Then there's the Downing Street briefings, which have in the question and answer sessions succumbed to a modern phenomenon peculiar to the broadcast media, in which you create your own headline through your question.

It was a bloke from Channel Four, I think, who called for a public apology from the government. Instant story! If the government apologises, that's a story. If the government doesn't apologise, then the story is that the government has refused to apologise.

There are legitimate questions to be asked. But if they are framed as political or pseudo political point scoring, that is a small response when there is a much bigger picture, a global pandemic which is an international emergency which spans borders, cultures, and political ideologies.

You're right. I'm complaining about all the complaints.

Bad news is not hard to find. Just look at the terrible death toll, for a start.

There is good news as well. So far the National Health Service has coped despite a tidal wave of cases. It cannot be long now before somebody suggests that the brand new Nightingale hospitals, created in a matter of days, are expensive white elephants. Personally, I hope they are.

In Italy, medics had to decide who lived and who died because there were not enough ventilators. We have been spared that.

There will come a time for the tiresome hindsight warriors to share their wisdom.

But please give us a break at the moment, we're all trying our best to get through this.

.............

What is happening today is the stuff of tomorrow's nostalgia.

They may write books about it and produce films and TV dramas.

It's like the war. I say that because a number of people, and they are all of the older generation, have said to me words to the effect that they are rather enjoying things at the moment. I've been trying to square that in my head with thousands of deaths, and millions of people suffering increased hardship.

But I can see it. The war was a time of death, fear, and destruction. Yet I also get the impression that for many of that generation the war was the best time of their lives in some respects, thanks to the comradeship, shared values in the face of adversity, and sense of common purpose.

This is a paradox, that the worst of times can also, for some, be the best of times.

.........

All these programmes featuring stars at home have a particular fascination. What sort of homes do they live in?

I spend my time looking at the background, which the celebrities have no doubt chosen carefully.

And watching the Rolling Stones in that "stars perform at home" event on the telly the other night took me back to my teenage years during which two factors stood in my way of becoming a famous rock guitarist.

One was that there was no call for Mr Bean-type characters in rock bands. Also, I was rubbish on the guitar.

Nevertheless, Keith Richards was a role model for my dreams. And as I watched his jerky movements the other night, I could not decide whether it was an animatronic Keith Richards, or the real thing.

Anyone who has followed Keef's career will know that there was a general expectation during his wilder days that he was likely at some point to follow the likes of Jimi, Jim, and Janis. Instead, he is one of rock and roll's great survivors.

If that performance was given by an animatronic Keith Richards, it will have been because the real Keef is now in a museum.

On a musical note, if you are a guitarist trying to copy some of his riffs, here's a tip – your guitar needs to be in an open tuning.