Leaders’ hopes rarely the reality

Going by the initial promises, the UK ought to have “sent coronavirus packing” more than two months ago.

On March 19, Boris Johnson took to his podium at Downing Street to stress the importance of slowing the spread through social distancing.

“I think, looking at it all, that we can turn the tide within the next 12 weeks,” he said.

At this stage, the idea of a lockdown was still being touted as just a possibility – with the prime minister rejecting the idea that the public’s movements would be limited.

Of course, May 13 came and went without any major changes, and coronavirus continuing to rage through the population.

Mr Johnson’s hopeful claim is far from the only time a politician has set an ambitious deadline which has failed to materialise, however.

Setting out his “beautiful timeline” for coronavirus recovery at the end of March, US President Donald Trump was prepared for a return to normality by Easter.

Despite senior public health officials warning him the outbreak could lead to hundreds of thousands Stateside infections, Mr Trump was confident churches from coast to coast would be “packed” out on April 12 – an outcome still yet to be fully realised.

Closer to home, Scots are familiar with watching an oft-touted deadline slide by.

First described as a “hugely significant” project, the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route was announced in 2014, with an initial completion date of 2017.

At the time, transport chiefs were keen to flex their muscles and demonstrate their capabilities in “investment, construction and maintenance”.

The 36-mile city bypass finally opened in its entirety in February 2019 – two years behind schedule.