I’ve been jolted through an overlap of contradictory reactions during this time. With so many unexpected scenarios putting the wind right up me, it’s been more of a ghost train than a rollercoaster.

I’m not a Tory, and never have been, but when it all started I felt some sympathy for government leaders. Even though there was a procession of missteps on the speed and efficiency of the lockdown, the PPE shortages and the clarity of message, I still cut them some slack, thinking, “No one’s done this before, they’re making it up as they go along so they will get bits wrong…”

Admittedly, “bits” in this context had catastrophic consequences for some. And though government has the luxury of access to the highest level of expertise on any subject, still, people make mistakes.

But when mistakes continue to be made, not least in the way the government communicates with the public, the time for cutting them any slack is over. 

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Regardless of what the message is, the 5pm Downing Street briefings have provided a rare view of how government leaders communicate directly with the public. I can’t think of another occasion for which the full set of top jobs have been trotted out to talk, at length, down the barrel of the camera. While there has been the occasional star turn, some clarity of communication and the odd display of empathy, there’s far more to be learned by considering what not to do. 

Here are a few “opportunities for development” that stood out for me, so far. 

Badgegate

I was so optimistic when Matt Hancock got the health job. He was by far the best FE minister for years and I heard good things about him when he moved onto digital and culture, too. I gushed to medic pals about how he was OK, for a Tory. Now they tell me that they’d welcome back Jeremy Hunt with open arms. It seems hell must’ve frozen over.

Mr Hancock has done some solid turns at the 5pm slot, but there was one specific occasion when he took a good idea and somehow made it a crap one: badges for carers. 

I didn’t even know there was a disparity in the way health and social care professionals are regarded, as compared with NHS staff. From the way it was discussed, I assume it’s a parity of esteem issue, similar to the one between schools and FE. I believe the idea of the badge was symbolic of the respect deficit being closed. He was stating once and for all that carers are valued, respected, admired. That’s a good thing.

However, the way it was communicated undermined all of that positivity and made it seem like Mr Hancock was patting ‘em on the head and bunging ‘em a Tufty Club badge.

It was never about the badges.

Go out, don’t go out, stay alert, but don’t go out

At this point, I can’t discern which one was Boris’ disastrous Sunday briefing and which was the Matt Lucas video of it. We were on pins, waiting for this announcement. It had been trailed with similar build-up to the unveiling of a new Doctor Who.

What did he know? Was the lockdown over? Could we all be released back into society? I was none the wiser after watching.

Yeah but no but yeah but no but yeah but no but yeah.

Visibility of leadership

Oh, I know. He was almost dead, apparently. And then he wasn’t.

I would’ve thought that if BJ had the strength for only one calendar event per day when he came back to work that it would be to show up for at least some of the briefings.

He could’ve done a shorter intro speech then handed over to whoever would lead the briefing. People would have been sympathetic to that, reassured even. But to be back at work, then become invisible, caused concern. 

Take responsibility and show respect

Non, Dominic Cummings ne regrette rien.

How easy would it have been to say, “I thought it was the right thing to do at the time. Now I see it wasn’t, and I’m sorry”?

That would have made this unelected power hoover seem at least the equivalent of human. He was beginning to sound plausible during the statement he read, but as soon as the questions started you could see his barely concealed loathing emerge.

And the arrogance of starting late. I assume he was being forced into a shirt. Even his usual Downing Street get-up is a disrespectful “fuck you” demonstration of power. No one expects the full Rees-Mogg Victoriana, but imagine an MP regularly pitching up to 10 Downing Street in tracksuit bottoms.

Look after yourselves 

And while I’m here, just another thing… 

Principals, headteachers and governors are having to make the sorts of decisions that they didn’t sign up for. They are not medics, doctors who are trained to determine actions that potentially affect life and death.

Working out how to balance the need to return to providing the security of routine, as well as the actual learning that so many have missed during the lockdown, alongside the operational safety of putting a load of people together in one space is not a job I’d want right now. We need our leaders to be the calm, solid, dependable centre in what will no doubt be a tough time ahead. And to communicate their decisions with clarity and empathy. 

Oh, and make sure you look after yourselves, edu-gaffers. We need strong leaders now more than ever.

Sarah Simons works in colleges and adult community education in the East Midlands and is the director of UKFEchat. She tweets @MrsSarahSimons