About Public Opinion
Public opinion consists of the desires, wants and thinking of the majority of the people. It is the collective opinion of the people of a society or state on an issue or problem. This concept came about through the process of urbanization and other political and social forces.
Meta takes down China-based network of thousands of fake accounts
... But instead of being used for legitimate comment or debate, the posts are meant to manipulate Public Opinion, push division and make particular viewpoints seem more popular than they really are...
PMQs: Rishi Sunak accuses Greek PM of grandstanding over Elgin Marbles
... " That the fair request of Greece for the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures gained even more publicity, not only in the UK, but also to the global Public Opinion...
Covid inquiry: Michael Gove defends Boris Johnson over lockdown decision-making
... Lee Cain, No 10 s former director of communications, said Mr Johnson had been " torn" between the scientific evidence and Public Opinion, describing the pandemic as the " wrong crisis" for the former prime minister...
Slick videos or more 'authentic' content? The Israel-Gaza battles raging on TikTok and X
... It matters because conversations on social media can shape Public Opinion - and normalise rhetoric that spills offline, at protests and beyond...
Is Rishi Sunak's approach convincing or confusing voters?
... According to the Migration Observatory, Public Opinion is divided on migration - around 23% believe immigration is bad or a very bad thing, while 52% think the numbers should be reduced either by a little or a lot...
China's 'communist spies' in the dock in Taiwan
... The fear is that China s " spies" do not just steal secrets but also help shape Public Opinion to garner support for China...
Ivanka Trump testimony: Why lack of recall is a common legal strategy
... If anything, Mr Cobb said, her appearance on the stand - something she fought hard to avoid - may hurt the prosecution in the court of Public Opinion...
In Kibbutz Be'eri, a broken promise to keep Israelis safe
... But early indications suggest that Public Opinion on whether to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange is deeply divided...
Covid inquiry: Michael Gove defends Boris Johnson over lockdown decision-making
By Joshua Nevett & Hugh Pym BBC News
Cabinet minister Michael Gove has disputed claims Boris Johnson was " incapable of making decisions" about lockdowns during the pandemic in evidence to the Covid inquiry.
He Said introducing a lockdown was " difficult" for Mr Johnson because it went against his " political outlook".
But he accepted lockdowns came Too Late both in March and November 2020.
Mr Gove also apologised to victims and bereaved families for the government's " mistakes" during the pandemic.
He Said as a senior minister who was " close to many of the decisions that were made, I must take my share of responsibility for that".
Mr Gove said politicians were " human beings" who were " fallible" and " every decision was difficult and every course was bad" at The Time .
Personal responsibilityWhile some mistakes were " unique and specific to the UK government" Mr Gove said " we need to remember that governments everywhere made errors".
Mr Gove was The First senior cabinet minister at the centre of the UK government's response to the pandemic to give evidence in this part of The Inquiry .
As Cabinet Office minister he was part of a core team of key decision makers in 2020 along with Mr Johnson, former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Rishi Sunak , who was chancellor and is now Prime Minister .
His admission to errors and his own personal responsibility at the Time Was a significant moment in The Inquiry , as well as his apology to bereaved families.
More on the Covid inquiry
Much of Mr Gove's testimony focused on how decisions were made by senior ministers and civil servants in Mr Johnson's government in The First year of the pandemic.
In previous testimony, some of Mr Johnson's most senior advisers - including Dominic Cummings and Lee Cain - have characterised the former Prime Minister as indecisive and liable to change his mind.
Lee Cain , No 10's former director of communications, said Mr Johnson had been " torn" between the scientific evidence and Public Opinion , describing the pandemic as the " wrong crisis" for the former Prime Minister .
But in his testimony on Tuesday, Mr Gove was loath to criticise his former cabinet colleagues.
When asked about the lockdown announced by Mr Johnson in March 2020, Mr Gove said: " A decision to restrict freedoms in an unprecedented way went against his instincts and the principles that governed his political outlook. "
The Levelling up secretary said Mr Johnson preferred " gladiatorial decision-making" and wanted to see opposing arguments " rehearsed in front of him".
Mr Gove also said he had a " high opinion of Matt Hancock and believe many of the decisions he made displayed foresight and wisdom".
Mr Hancock is due to begin his evidence to The Inquiry on Thursday, with Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak to appear before Christmas.
Mr Gove told The Inquiry ministers like himself who believed the government should have acted earlier had a responsibility to point out to the then-Prime Minister the need for action.
" I don't think that one can single out the Prime Minister at The Time for criticism, " Mr Gove said. " We all deserve our share retrospectively of criticism. "
Admissions of failureThe senior Conservative MP said the UK was not well enough prepared for the pandemic, that testing should have been better planned and that there were errors with PPE procurement.
He acknowledged there was not enough Focus On the impact On Children .
In a foul-mouthed WhatsApp exchange with Mr Cummings at The Beginning of the pandemic, Mr Gove said the government was " missing golden opportunities" to act.
He wrote: " I will carry on doing what I can but the whole situation is Even Worse than you think and action needs to be taken or we will regret it for a long time. "
When asked to expand on his comments, Mr Gove said at The Time he was concerned about the " ability and structure" of the Cabinet Office to deliver government's priorities.
He then apologised for his language and added he feared the " weaknesses" in government would be further exposed by Covid.
At one point, the Surrey Heath MP noted there was a significant body of evidence that believes Covid was " man-made" only to be told the issue was not part of The Inquiry 's terms of reference.
Where and how the Covid virus originated is still a matter of intense scientific debate.
One controversial school of Thought - which has been described as a " likely" explanation by The Fbi - is that The Virus was accidentally leaked by a Chinese laboratory which was researching similar viruses.
When asked about Mr Gove's comments, the Prime Minister 's spokesperson said The World Health Organisation " needs to continue to examine all possibilities" about the origins of Covid.
Former deputy chief medical officer Professor Dame Jenny Harries is due to give evidence later on Tuesday.
Later This Week , The Inquiry will also take evidence from Mr Hancock and the former Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab .
The Inquiry is taking evidence as part of its second module on core UK decision-making and political governance.
Related TopicsSource of news: bbc.com