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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that Mark Drakeford is a power mad dictator?

999 replies

LittleLapwing · 24/10/2020 07:37

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!?

OP posts:
McSilkson · 24/10/2020 14:18

@AllPlayedOut

Am shocked that in Australia you have to apply to the govt to travel overseas. This increase of govt regulation of our lives is all a bit worrying.

It's more than a bit worrying. It's utterly terrifying but it seems that there's literally no end to the rights people are willing to give up or force others to give up in order to feel "safe. "

Thomas Hobbes laid all of this out in Leviathan: the exchange of liberty for "security", the end justifies the means, the justification of the absolute power of the sovereign. It's the template for fascism, really, though named the "social contract".

Just gonna leave this here:

MushMonster · 24/10/2020 14:29

As PP just said she bought some items in B&M I have checked and they are open. I do not have a reason to go into one, so I will not check. But if they are selling kettles and duvets, what is the difference with supermarkets?
Wilko is open too, in case anyone needs something.
Poundland too. They usually have pens and paper, and cutlery.

It will make me feel better if shops are still selling items.
But now, I am more confused! Why this issue with supermarkets?

Anyone has gone to other retailers today? Are all aisles open?

DdraigGoch · 24/10/2020 14:33

@chalkiegirl

Thank goodness we didn't have to live through either of the world wars when things were seriously tough for the vast majority of the population. How would we all deal with food rationing for example? So many of us have become entitled - all this complaining whenever anything threatens to prevent us doing what we want. I live in Wales and broadly support what the Welsh government are doing. Not sure that the current increase in cases all over the country is necessarily shopping related - more likely people refusing to follow rules on meeting in groups in houses and pubs, hugging and kissing , not social distancing.
Rationing was very much necessary due to very real food shortages. There is no evidence at all that non-essential retail is driving the second wave at all.
cologne4711 · 24/10/2020 14:36

Not sure that the current increase in cases all over the country is necessarily shopping related

Which is the point. Telling residents of Wales they cannot buy a lightbulb in a supermarket is not necessary to reduce transmission of covid.

Rationing in WW1 and 2 (and beyond) was necessary to make sure people did not starve.

BIG difference.

Fizbosshoes · 24/10/2020 14:38

Or why not just shoot everyone and be done with it? Dead people can't spread viruses. Look at all the selfish bastards, daring to be alive, filthy disease vectors that they are.
And as the deaths wouldn't have covid, they won't count as sad.

A work colleague said a few years ago, about climate change, that the single best thing everyone could do for the planet was die.....so theres the environmental factor as well....

cologne4711 · 24/10/2020 14:39

@TheGreatWave

People really need to stop saying it is good what MD and NS are doing because it is better than BJ. Seriously that is no achievement.
It's not a case of "while I'm here, I may as well buy...", it's a case of not being in the shop in the first place. We had plenty of notice, we should have stocked up on a couple of weeks of long life food so we don't need to go out

This post is so sanctimonious and virtue signalling I don't know where to start.

cologne4711 · 24/10/2020 14:40

Sorry Wave, not sure why your post was there. It was the second one in bold I was replying to.

cologne4711 · 24/10/2020 14:41

@Noideawottodo

There are huge Amazon warehouses in Swansea and Cardiff, so I guess he's following the money
I wondered about that - ah well he can't block the Amazon lorries from crossing the border then. That will be disappointing for Celtic Cousin on Times Online.
MissEliza · 24/10/2020 14:42

@cologne4711 thank you for pointing this out. There are some incredibly thick, uneducated but very opinionated people out there.
@StatisticallyChallenged funny you say that because lots of Scottish posters think the Scottish government are doing a great job and we have a 'shitshow' in England.

StatisticallyChallenged · 24/10/2020 14:49

Dunno where they're hiding in real life then. Perhaps as always the pro snp lot on social media are louder than those who oppose? Or perhaps regional. But from most people what I'm hearing is variants of "oh for fuck sake leave us alone". Mostly didn't hear much argument about pubs tbh as it think most folk know what drunken Scottish pubs are like. But i don't know anyone planning a "digital Christmas"

PickAChew · 24/10/2020 14:50

@Petitmum

The whole point of this is to keep people away from each other for two weeks. We all know that if the clothes section is open in Asda then people will go there to shop - so many people push the rules as far as they can that you can't just ask people to comply because they don't! If fireworks are available to buy then people will organise gatherings!!! I would rather have a strict lockdown for a short period now and have a hope of meeting up at Christmas. Just get on with making the best of the next few weeks. (and I say that as someone who is stuck at home with a severely autistic teenager!)
I would hardly put fireworks and winter clothes (or just plain clothes that fit, in the case of fast growing kids) in the same category of essential or not. The clothes are essential if you don't have them, fireworks are never essential.
grenlei · 24/10/2020 14:52

Hang on, so in Wales you can buy a tin opener in Wilko or B&M or Poundland (which are all open) but not in Asda or Morrisons? (which are open but with that stuff roped off). WTAF?!

That makes no sense whatsoever. Did the Welsh leader have a bad experience in a supermarket or something? Why else have this policy?

It's worse than lockdown - at least then if a supermarket was open you could buy anything (after you'd queued outside of course!)

PickAChew · 24/10/2020 14:52

And stocking up on 2 weeks of long life food is great until your tin opener breaks!

FatimaMunchy · 24/10/2020 14:53

Apparently the Gloucestershire Police are going to Police the border to make sure no one nips into England to buy forbidden items. No actual crime in Gloucestershire then?

Mooseflake · 24/10/2020 14:55

am RAGING for the good people of Wales. Elected officials should not act like this. Whether you want to buy a kettle as yours has died or whether you just want to take a look at the homeware section when you’re buying your mince, this should be no concern of government.

Elected officials should not make policy to protect public health?

During the first lockdown, I made a trip to our local Tesco superstore one Friday afternoon shock horror, just to browse. It made me ridiculously happy and improved my mental health no end.

This is exactly why that policy is in place. I'm sorry, I know it's hard. I went to Cornwall on holiday this summer and it made me ridiculously happy and improved my mental health no end. For two weeks, the government are stopping me from doing that. To slow the spread of the virus.

Montsti · 24/10/2020 14:55

We had this for a few months in South Africa with tape over some of the shelves...

We also had 2 LONG alcohol bans. You couldn’t buy it anywhere and were fined if you were stopped with it in your car..Couldn’t get worse than that!

MissEliza · 24/10/2020 14:57

Yes elected officials should make policy to protect public health but how is buying a pack of underpants while you are already in the shop going to make any difference?

MoonJelly · 24/10/2020 14:58

The whole point of this is to keep people away from each other for two weeks. We all know that if the clothes section is open in Asda then people will go there to shop - so many people push the rules as far as they can that you can't just ask people to comply because they don't

No, what we all know is that people will still go to Asda whether the clothes section is open or not, they'll just have to go elsewhere to buy clothes. How will that help to stop infection?

MozzchopsThirty · 24/10/2020 14:59

I'm in wales
There were police on the door in my Sainsbury's today 🙈

I actually am quite pleased it's so strict here. Flowers & candles are not essential

But I do think things like children's pants, tights, coats etc should be classed as essential

ancientgran · 24/10/2020 15:00

We also had 2 LONG alcohol bans. You couldn’t buy it anywhere and were fined if you were stopped with it in your car..Couldn’t get worse than that! I'm not bothered about alcohol but if they ban chocolate I will be upset, not to mention tobacco, if DH can't get his tobacco I'm not sure I will be able to cope with him.

Essentials vary don't they.

Mooseflake · 24/10/2020 15:01

@MissEliza

Yes elected officials should make policy to protect public health but how is buying a pack of underpants while you are already in the shop going to make any difference?
Sigh.

As we've already said - the restriction is there for two reasons. One, to reduce the amount of time people hang around in shops. Two - to make it fair to the other non-essential retailers who have had to close.

So if you need a pack of underpants, you can either buy them in couple of weeks when the local shops would get a fair chance of your business. Or you buy them online now when neither tesco nor local shops can sell them to you.

It's really not rocket science.

MoonJelly · 24/10/2020 15:01

6Iam RAGING for the good people of Wales. Elected officials should not act like this. Whether you want to buy a kettle as yours has died or whether you just want to take a look at the homeware section when you’re buying your mince, this should be no concern of government.

Elected officials should not make policy to protect public health?

How does it protect public health to stop people buying kettles in supermarkets, particularly given that they can easily get them from other shops that are permitted to stay open? When we had countrywide lockdown there were none of these stupid distinctions and covid numbers came down quite successfully.

Mooseflake · 24/10/2020 15:03

For all those raging about Mark Drakeford - I distinctly remember people complaining on here back in March that they were prevented from buying Easter eggs in their local shops in England because they were deemed non-essential.

But crack on and blame the Welsh.

Sandybdnas · 24/10/2020 15:04

- I distinctly remember people complaining on here back in March

Er well yes, people were complaining as that was also ridiculous, so I don't think that proves your point in the way you think it does Confused

Bollss · 24/10/2020 15:05

Online shopping involves lots of people though doesn't it? So is it actually safer to order it online? Doubt it!