Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[Roadkill]

It's fucking hilarious that the British press seems to have been holding onto the story to release it today, the day when the UK has been declared the champion of the European covid deaths.

Coupled with this BBC story which could almost have been designed to play down the significance of that fact.

In principle I'm a big supporter of public service broadcasting, but I cancelled my TV licence two years ago because of the BBC's closeness to the May government and refusal to broadcast anything critical of what it was doing, and the situation has only become worse since. BBC political news is basically just bluetooth speakers for 10 Downing Street. Frankly, if the BBC collapsed completely I wouldn't be sorry.

 

[Doodler]

The fesguson fall from grace looks extremely convenient for the ‘it was the scientists fault we just followed the science’ plea from gov. Has all the factors of a perfect enemy of the people fall guy, open marriage leftie hypocrite traitor bingo.

Yes it seems he was being built up for the part over the last few days. Great good fortune for his detractors is that he looks like a Viz comic drawing of a male Guardian reader. Some Daily Mail website commenters have picked up on this scrawny-burly political distinction.

 

[Marty1]

No end of peeps waltzing into my work this week in shorts and flip-flops for crates of beer and BBQ shit, blocking aisles as they chat to their equally non-key worker friends about how great being furloughed on the state's dime is.

Relax the rules? No, fuck off, people are already treating this as an extended summer holiday, whilst the lower classes fill the shelves, clean the floors etc

Apparently being furloughed could be an ‘addiction’!

Rishi Sunak to cut coronavirus furlough scheme

Rishi Sunak is preparing to “wean” businesses and workers off the government’s furloughing scheme by cutting wage subsidies amid concerns that the nation has become “addicted”.The chancellor will announce plans next week to wind down the scheme from July as part of an attempt to get people back to w

www.thetimes.co.uk

 

[killer b]

What a dick Ferguson is though mind, tory scum hits aside.

 

[Dogsauce]

If as it seems the attack/exposé of Ferguson has come from the Telegraph then it must somehow be useful to Team Boris for him to be sidelined or discredited. I wonder what the game is?

 

[kabbes]

If as it seems the attack/exposé of Ferguson has come from the Telegraph then it must somehow be useful to Team Boris for him to be sidelined or discredited. I wonder what the game is?

He made Boris look bad in the first place, and that needed to be undermined.

 

[killer b]

He's actually been critical of the government in ways the other high profile science advisors just haven't been. That alone is probably enough.

 

[Steel Icarus]

If as it seems the attack/exposé of Ferguson has come from the Telegraph then it must somehow be useful to Team Boris for him to be sidelined or discredited. I wonder what the game is?

Also a good opportunity for a look over there!

 

[quimcunx]

What was the rule he broke anyway?

 

[teuchter]

Coupled with this BBC story which could almost have been designed to play down the significance of that fact.

What's wrong with that piece?

 

[killer b]

What was the rule he broke anyway?

having a visitor over from another household

 

[LDC]

having a visitor over from another household

More than that I think, he also traveled across the city to visit another household the news have said.

Dickhead thing to do, especially knowing he was in the spotlight and him getting caught was always going to be a big news story and be used to discredit the lockdown.

 

[Roadkill]

What's wrong with that piece?

Nothing in itself. In fact it's quite good, but on a day when other parts of the media are broadcasting the fact that the UK's death toll is now greater than Italy's the BBC's broadcasting something considerably more favourable is mighty convenient, and fits into a much wider and much more worrying pattern of behaviour whereby the BBC acts as No. 10's tame spin machine.

 

[2hats]

Ferguson (and his various modellers) will still have a huge influence on his peers who will be advising through SPI-M.

For me the 'highlight' of yesterday was when the deputy CSA, on looking at her own graph comparing deaths by country, stumbled before sputtering: "is higher than we would wish, is all I can say".

 

[cupid_stunt]

So only 6,000 deaths in care homes recorded as Covid-19, and a whopping 10,000 more that must be virtually all as a result of Covid-19.

 

[Teaboy]

View attachment 211008

So only 6,000 deaths in care homes recorded as Covid-19, and a whopping 10,000 more that must be virtually all as a result of Covid-19.

Yes, either directly or indirectly. Its the only reasonable assumption to be made.

 

[treelover]

TV news is now saying 2m 'might' be relaxed for cafes, etc, something would have to be done, the economics of 2m S/D's just couldn't work.

 

[treelover]

Nothing in itself. In fact it's quite good, but on a day when other parts of the media are broadcasting the fact that the UK's death toll is now greater than Italy's the BBC's broadcasting something considerably more favourable is mighty convenient, and fits into a much wider and much more worrying pattern of behaviour whereby the BBC acts as No. 10's tame spin machine.

Welcome back Roadkill

 

[bimble]

Is it yesterday the numbers came out saying that this country now has the highest death toll in europe?
You wouldn't know it from looking at these.

 

[treelover]

The fesguson fall from grace looks extremely convenient for the ‘it was the scientists fault we just followed the science’ plea from gov. Has all the factors of a perfect enemy of the people fall guy, open marriage leftie hypocrite traitor bingo.

While yes it touches all the bases, difficult for the Telegraph to moralise now given its fervent support for the new father and his family(s)

though they will attempt it of course.

 

[little_legs]

Matt Hancock says he backs any police action against Neil Ferguson

Mission accomplished. Time to resume starving and yelling at people for not taking jobs that don't exist.

 

[Supine]

TV news is now saying 2m 'might' be relaxed for cafes, etc, something would have to be done, the economics of 2m S/D's just couldn't work.

If be happy with that. Having not had it I’d be reluctant to sit near other people. After I’ve had it I’d really appreciate the freedom to start getting life back to something like normal.

 

[GarveyLives]

Sadly, this just about seems to sum it all up:

​

 

[treelover]

No end of peeps waltzing into my work this week in shorts and flip-flops for crates of beer and BBQ shit, blocking aisles as they chat to their equally non-key worker friends about how great being furloughed on the state's dime is.

Relax the rules? No, fuck off, people are already treating this as an extended summer holiday, whilst the lower classes fill the shelves, clean the floors etc

Furelough coming to an end, but yes, some people have done ok in this crisis.

 

[treelover]

Coupled with this BBC story which could almost have been designed to play down the significance of that fact.

In principle I'm a big supporter of public service broadcasting, but I cancelled my TV licence two years ago because of the BBC's closeness to the May government and refusal to broadcast anything critical of what it was doing, and the situation has only become worse since. BBC political news is basically just bluetooth speakers for 10 Downing Street. Frankly, if the BBC collapsed completely I wouldn't be sorry.

same here, but its reporting and framing of the welfare reforms has been shameful.

 

[killer b]

yes, some people have done ok in this crisis.

shut up - this is fucking poisonous bullshit.

 

[andysays]

Is it yesterday the numbers came out saying that this country now has the highest death toll in europe?
You wouldn't know it from looking at these.

View attachment 211045 View attachment 211046

Does anyone other than DM headline writers still use the word tryst, FFS?

 

[andysays]

shut up - this is fucking poisonous bullshit.

Maybe treelover has put it a little bluntly, but it's undoubtedly true that some have hard it easier, or perhaps less hard, than others.

And there shouldn't be any surprise or argument about this, or about the fact that there's a class dimension to it.

 

[Roadkill]

same here, but its reporting and framing of the welfare reforms has been shameful.

Yes, this goes way back beyond covid-19, beyond Brexit and beyond even the Coalition. Tbh the person I blame more for the sorry state of the BBC than anyone else is Alastair Campbell and what he did to it way back in 2003.

 

[treelover]

Is it yesterday the numbers came out saying that this country now has the highest death toll in europe?
You wouldn't know it from looking at these.

View attachment 211045 View attachment 211046

Considering the press is meant to be on the point of collapse, they still seem to be remarkably successful in setting the(their?) agenda.