To think that Mark Drakeford is a power mad dictator?

[LittleLapwing]

Half the shops covered in plastic. Can’t buy clothes, duvets, books, DVDs, tins but not tin openers.
All the Halloween and bonfire night stuff that’s just been stocked is behind a cordon. Presumably now destined for landfill.

Autumn half term after a shitty year and I can’t even do a few seasonal treats for the kids.

AIBU to think that Mark Drakeford is a power mad dictator, and that his ridiculous game of Covid oneupmanship with Nicola and Boris needs to stop!?

I don’t understand how he’s getting away with this.
Health may be a devolved power but saying what supermarkets can sell really isn’t.

@TokyoSushi

It's a very odd position to take, but he does strike me as a bit of an odd man. If you're in the shop anyway, what difference does it make?!

Exactly - I've argued this before - if you are buying food, how does it spread the virus to put a packet of pens in your trolley too?

I believe alcohol and cigarettes are still being sold?

This pandemic has officially driven some people mad and he is one of them. It’s absolute bollocks.

They seem pretty hell bent on insisting it's 17 days, we'll see...

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

I believe alcohol and cigarettes are still being sold?

I know it's hilarious. Maybe he drinks/smokes himself and hadn't had time to get his own supplies in ;)

@TokyoSushi

They seem pretty hell bent on insisting it's 17 days, we'll see...

The virus wasn’t stopped in 17 days last time, and that was with everyone fully behind the rules. Not sure why they think it will be this time.....

No way will it be 17 days. Mark my words.

• Do you think people will wait for the smaller shops to open again? No. If they need things, they need them. Amazon will be the only winner.*

Exactly

@SebastianTheCrab

I thought he was until I read that he did it because smaller stores are being forced to shut so this stops supermarkets being given yet more of an advantage. It may be untrue though, I don't know.

It was, but (a) people can just go online (b) some of the stuff is sold in hardware stores (which I think are allowed to open?) and (c) you can't, to my knowledge, legally stop some shops selling items to protect other shops. Which is why I don't understand why the supermarkets didn't say f off, even with the "covid blackmail putting profits over saving granny" argument.

Generally I think he’s got the right idea and all of my welsh family broadly support the two week lockdown. However the whole roping off of sections of Tesco’s is just bonkers. Amazon will be the only winners there.

If I wrote down my feelings about Mark Drakeford and his handling of this pandemic it would be just a string of swear words. Useless feckin cockwomble! You can’t even buy a book to read whilst stuck inside with fuck all to do!

Exactly - I've argued this before - if you are buying food, how does it spread the virus to put a packet of pens in your trolley too?

Is one really going to spend an extra 30 mins in a shop because they've chucked in a couple of biros?

Rather than tape everything in a forbidden manner why not keep it in the warehouse?

@LittleLapwing I don't believe for a second it'll be 17 days either!

If I was a shop I'd be pissed off as they will have a load of dead stock.

Well you know that covid can’t live on booze bottles or fags, children’s clothing, pens and kettles are the main superspreaders.

Fuck sake you couldn’t make it up!!

I thought he was until I read that he did it because smaller stores are being forced to shut so this stops supermarkets being given yet more of an advantage. It may be untrue though, I don't know

People will go online. And realistically, how many independent shops sell affordable baby clothes etc? What if you are working from home and need stationary? Your microwave or kettle breaks? You'll go on Amazon which then means that it has to be delivered to you- increasing deliveries that might come from outside of Wales; plus even supermarkets need to make x amount of money to keep a set amount of staffing hours. They aren't immune from having to make cuts, so even more money taken from the local area and potential jobs/hours lost.

This is insane.

I haven't been following Wales, but does this apply to, say, an independent toy shop? Have they been closed?

This is just utter nonsense now, isn't it?

I need to buy school uniform for my kids as I didn't manage it before September as we were self isolating. I would consider this to be essential. And indeed kids coats, pants etc.

I havent seen anything to which makes me think drake Ford will agree.

I think it's ridiculous.

There was a thread on here yesterday where a disabled poster in Wales was worried her husband would get fined for traveling 8 miles to go and collect a car (theirs having died and needing a car to take her to medical appts etc). Rules which make it possible to fine someone in that situation are bloody ridiculous.

As for supermarkets I agree this is only benefitting online retailers. The people who will suffer most are those who struggle for whatever reason to shop online.

Although who knows maybe his next plan will be to turn away Amazon lorries at the Welsh border!

I can't see the point of stopping people buying pens or tin openers when schools will be going back part way through this 17 days anyway!

If you're not with us you don't want to save lives or protect the NHS, and you do want to kill grannies.

I had some twat on a call at work this week carping on at me "if you do that, you'll kill your gran.". I asked how that was possible, considering she died 38 years ago. Wanker.

Drakeford has gone power mad, although I’m very glad we can still get booze. He’s shown absolute contempt for people in wales.

I shop a fair bit in independents, for me they tend to sell different stuff to the supermarket. That tends to be their USP so I'm not sure how this helps them in any way.

Live in Wales and it’s just utter madness. Have a Morrison’s click and collect booked for this morning. All Halloween sundries like cobweb aren’t ‘available’ yet I’ve been able to go on Amazon and buy double the quantity for less than £2 more. Lots of Amazon deliveries when you track them go to Bristol then Cardiff. It just beggars belief.

So in a supermarket in Wales, you can still buy:
Lottery tickets
Alcohol
Cigarettes

You cannot buy:
Kettles
Tin openers
Baby clothes
Birthday cards

How is anyone looking at this and thinking it's even vaguely sane?