Cobra is not a universal panacea. At the end of the day the day the question to be answered is did the government recognise the severity of the problem and did they step up to the plate?

That is so. But by the account you posted :
According to the Institute for Government (IFG), “COBRA’s purpose is high-level coordination and decision-making in the event of major or catastrophic emergencies, including natural disasters, terrorist attacks and major industrial accidents or disruption”.


That is, COBRA is specifically intended to enable the government to 'step up to the plate'. So whether the PM did or did not attend is a good indicator if he did that plate-stepping.

I agree with pfr that what happens from now on is more important than what went before, but it is unfortunate fact of life that if people make a mess of things, they often need to be faced with it to bring about a change. It is one reason why most businesses do 'Personal Development Interviews' or whatever the jargon is/was in your company. Loking back on what didn't work is an important guide to doing better in future. I don't hold with idea of just keep pushing forward without looking at what mistakes if any are being made ( (c) P Patel) and only when all this is over in who knows how long, have a inquiry lasting a year or two and preferably only reporting after the next election ...