Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[redsquirrel]

I think the point is that the covid incompetence factor isn't having the dominating effect it probably should ...

Why? By not directing voters to parties with the same policies, and no real evidence of any more 'competence'?

Wales, or even Scotland, are hardly doing much better than England. My Labour council was pushing for us to drop tiers, for things to open up. The Labour council next door is attacking workers.

EDIT: And 'competent' local Labour MPs demanding that schools, colleges and universities teach students on site.

 

[cupid_stunt]

My parents have booked theirs for this week. They're in Lincolnshire and the vaccination centre is at the county showground which is miles outside Lincoln in the middle of nowhere. They have a car so no problem for them but I've no idea how they think it will work for anyone who doesn't drive. There aren't any buses.

The NHS national booking service may invite people to a mass vaccination centre first, if it's inconvenient the advice is then to wait until you hear from your GP for a more convenient location.

 

[gentlegreen]

Why, by not directing voters to parties with the same policies, and no real evidence of any more 'competence'?

Well yes... and with Tory damage so entrenched I doubt anyone seriously believes some wunderkind of the left - even if they magically appeared from somewhere - could make a difference soon enough ...

 

[redsquirrel]

So people should vote for a party that is actively attacking them and acting against their interests because it currently is not in power.
You're really selling this strategy.

 

[danny la rouge]

I think the point is that the covid incompetence factor isn't having the dominating effect it probably should ...

A few days ago Boris visited Scotland, breaking lockdown restrictions on travel. He had a number of photo opportunities and was filmed asking such vital questions as “oh, so you put them there do you?”

He claimed this was an important fact finding mission he could not have done by phone, zoom or email.

Sir Keir, rather than question the validity of these claims, agreed.

 

[danny la rouge]

Twitter link containing a clip of Sir Keir backing Boris’ lockdown busting photo op excursion.

 

[prunus]

Cabs For Jabs!

Taxis for vaccies

 

[editor]

Twitter link containing a clip of Sir Keir backing Boris’ lockdown busting photo op excursion.

He's such a fucking useless waste of space.

 

[teuchter]

The biggest local taxi company here is offering free trips to and from vaccination centres for those who need door to door or financial support, funded by a grant from the local council’s COVID Fighting Fund.

That's certainly better than nothing. Is it means tested or can anyone request to use it?

 

[purenarcotic]

The NHS national booking service may invite people to a mass vaccination centre first, if it's inconvenient the advice is then to wait until you hear from your GP for a more convenient location.

But bear in mind that the Government have said (if I remember right) their stats around vaccines are on those who have been offered, not actual take up (although I’m sure someone is looking at that too), so this has the potential to skew the figures and make it look like more have been vaccinated than in reality. I don’t want things being opened up on that basis.

 

[cupid_stunt]

But bear in mind that the Government have said (if I remember right) their stats around vaccines are on those who have been offered, not actual take up (although I’m sure someone is looking at that too), so this has the potential to skew the figures and make it look like more have been vaccinated than in reality. I don’t want things being opened up on that basis.

No, the figures on the dashboard are people actually vaccinated, it lists both people that have received one dose (almost 8.5m), and those that have received two (almost 0.5m).

Official UK Coronavirus Dashboard

GOV.UK Coronavirus dashboard

coronavirus.data.gov.uk

 

[maomao]

I think the speed of the vaccine rollout and the confrontation with the EU is working in the Tories' favour. That and the only opposition being a useless cunt who doesn't seem to do much in the way of opposing.

 

[platinumsage]

That's certainly better than nothing. Is it means tested or can anyone request to use it?

It's says it's for people who need help or can't afford it, but there aren't any checks.

 

[redsquirrel]

Twitter link containing a clip of Sir Keir backing Boris’ lockdown busting photo op excursion.

Over the summer my union branch wrote to all the local MPs asking for their support against us having to teach in person. The only one that even bothered to respond was the odious Tory prick.

If you cannot even be arsed writing a bloody email to workers don't expect them to vote for you.

 

[Sue]

A few days ago Boris visited Scotland, breaking lockdown restrictions on travel. He had a number of photo opportunities and was filmed asking such vital questions as “oh, so you put them there do you?”

He claimed this was an important fact finding mission he could not have done by phone, zoom or email.

Sir Keir, rather than question the validity of these claims, agreed.

I mentioned this to a couple of friends last night. They both follow the news to a reasonable degree but were completely unaware of this.

Now I follow Scottish news more than they do (and obviously talk to family who're there etc) but it did make me wonder about the reporting of this. (I can't really remember how much this was reported on or who by, just thought it strange they hadn't heard about it was all.)

 

[killer b]

I think it's a bit silly after five years of telling the 'Labour would be 20 points ahead with a different leader' crew that the party's stubborn poll numbers were down to more than just poor leadership, to immediately switch to saying it's down to poor leadership.

 

[maomao]

I think it's a bit silly after five years of telling the 'Labour would be 20 points ahead with a different leader' crew that the party's stubborn poll numbers were down to more than just poor leadership, to immediately switch to saying it's down to poor leadership.

It's not the whole story but he has been singularly useless.

 

[maomao]

I mentioned this to a couple of friends last night. They both follow the news to a reasonable degree but were completely unaware of this.

Now I follow Scottish news more than they do (and obviously talk to family who're there etc) but it did make me wonder about the reporting of this. (I can't really remember how much this was reported on or who by, just thought it strange they hadn't heard about it was all.)

My mum was well aware of it but I think she gets most of her news off lefty-bubble Facebook these days.

 

[Sue]

Over the summer my union branch wrote to all the local MPs asking for their support against us having to teach in person. The only one that even bothered to respond was the odious Tory prick.

If you cannot even be arsed writing a bloody email to workers don't expect them to vote for you.

It's part of the 'they'll vote for me/Labour whatever as they've nowhere else to go' thing.

Even if not articulated, that thinking runs deep. Obviously massively stupid and arrogant and short sighted but there we are.

 

[Sue]

My mum was well aware of it but I think she gets most of her news off lefty-bubble Facebook these days.

IIRC, your mum's Scottish/lives in Scotland? If so, she would be...

 

[killer b]

It's not the whole story but he has been singularly useless.

What we're seeing from Starmer is part of a strategy, not uselessness. It's not clear to me what the strategy is, or whether it's working, but that's what it is.

 

[redsquirrel]

It's part of the 'they'll vote for me/Labour whatever as they've nowhere else to go' thing.

Even if not articulated, that thinking runs deep. Obviously massively stupid and arrogant and short sighted but there we are.

Absolutely. We're the LP of course we are supporting workers! How? Well we are the LP!

 

[maomao]

IIRC, your mum's Scottish/lives in Scotland? If so, she would be...

Yes she does, Edinburgh, that's why I brought her up. For some reason I assumed you meant Scottish friends.

 

[maomao]

What we're seeing from Starmer is part of a strategy, not uselessness. It's not clear to me what the strategy is, or whether it's working, but that's what it is.

His strategy is partly defined by what he's willing to do though. He's not pretending to be a Tory so he can sneak some communism in you know.

 

[killer b]

I do know. I'm not a fan. But we shouldn't mistake our dislike for his politics for a lack of competence on his part.

 

[maomao]

I do know. I'm not a fan. But we shouldn't mistake our dislike for his politics for a lack of competence on his part.

I'll wait until I've seen some competence before I decide against a lack of it cheers.

 

[danny la rouge]

I think it's a bit silly after five years of telling the 'Labour would be 20 points ahead with a different leader' crew that the party's stubborn poll numbers were down to more than just poor leadership, to immediately switch to saying it's down to poor leadership.

My point in bringing him up was to point out that Tory “incompetence” is not a matter of individual personal “failings”. Much as Johnson’s personality lends itself to that narrative, the reasons for late action, for leaving borders open to “business people”, for Eat Out To Help Out, the tour of Scottish Covid hotspots, and so on are not about personal failings, but about a system-viewpoint and system-function of structures and organisations. One which the Labour Party shares. Usefully signified by Sir Keir’s title. As helpful a mnemonic as ever existed.

 

[killer b]

I'll wait until I've seen some competence

how are you going to assess this?

 

[maomao]

how are you going to assess this?

Personal criteria that may change at any time.

 

[Doctor Carrot]

What is wrong with this fucking country.

Probably the most incompetent government in all our lifetimes cause 100,000 deaths because of its shit handling of a pandemic and they get a lead in the polls? I mean we can dance around that all we like, the same way we do every time the varying shades of cunts get elected, but I think we all know the reasons why they keep winning and it isn't just down to there being bad alternatives. The recent time there was even a whiff of a better alternative it got completely shat on.

This government contains people now at the highest levels of state who have said out loud that workers in Britain are among the most lazy and feckless in the world and they still get voted in by those same workers? Riiigght.

Or as Danny said, Capitalism is what's wrong with this country.