Boris in intensive care – the nation waits

Boris Johnson is in intensive care this evening. The Prime Minister was moved as a precaution, in case he needs ventilation to aid his recovery.

It is a shocking development, bringing home the full gravity of the crisis. Around the country and across the political divide people will be hoping for a swift recovery. Boris’s partner, Carrie Symonds, is also isolating with symptoms. She is seven months pregnant.

On the political front, Boris has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise.

Number 10 issued a short statement:

“Since Sunday evening, the Prime Minister has been under the care of doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital, in London, after being admitted with persistent symptoms of coronavirus. Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. The PM has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputise for him where necessary. The PM is receiving excellent care, and thanks all NHS staff for their hard work and dedication.”

Just a few hours ago, before this news broke, when we were discussing the situation ahead of preparing the Reaction evening email, we talked of it in terms of Boris getting some rest and reading up on his heroes from the Ancient World. He’s a figure ordinarily so full of life. It is difficult to think of him as anything other than robust and irrepressible.

With Maggie Pagano I recorded a short podcast earlier in which we discussed the chain of command and whether or not we were being told enough. The assumption being that Boris was on the mend.

It all seems so glib and narrowly political now, when we contemplate the reality of the Prime Minister in an intensive care bed.

We wish him and Carrie Symonds well and Godspeed for a full recovery.