Why hasn’t the UK handled the covid 19 crisis very well ?

An early belief in 'herd immunity', a failure to 'follow the science', incompetent people running significant systems (eg Test & Trace, and the COVID app), and a failure to secure infections by tracking infections, locking down when advised to do so, securing borders / incoming travellers etc. 

Boris followed in the footsteps of the former president, just like the president of Brazil; now we all pay the price. 

The government, for months, just confused everyone with "tiers" so what you can and cannot do in each tier was just ignored and then there was ways around it like a business that would normally have to close can just make a food shelf and stay open.

Because the common cold is now called "covid-19".  It is no big deal

They make up numbers. Like they make up viruses.

Government is not incompetent.