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!?

As Drakeford gave a few hours notice of this and refused to give any guidance as to what "essential products" were it was inevitable that the supermarkets, faced with the threat of heavy fines would err on the side of caution and make some mistakes.

The blame falls 100% on Drakeford.

But by then the damage was done and “Mark Drakeford/Tesco don’t think tampons are essential!”

Well some idiot in Tesco obviously doesn't think they're essential otherwise they wouldn't have blocked off the aisle in the first place!

@Elphame

As Drakeford gave a few hours notice of this and refused to give any guidance as to what "essential products" were it was inevitable that the supermarkets, faced with the threat of heavy fines would err on the side of caution and make some mistakes.

The blame falls 100% on Drakeford.

Exactly.

But that's the risk isn't it- threaten shops with closure for non compliance and don't issue clear guidance /guidance until the last minute and it's inevitable that stuff like this will happen because you're expecting retail staff to make those decisions. Sure head office will have issued some guidance but there's many variations of shop layout and stock. Similarly there will be shops selling goods they shouldn't be.

@Mooseflake public health Wales have explicitly stated that spreading happening in homes in Wales, and not in shops, hospitality or outdoor meetings. So how is Mark Drayford following scientific advice?

The most frustrating though about this debacle is that Drakeford has handed a big stick to the people who hate him and they are now beating him with it. I think he is a decent man who is trying his best to look after the people of Wales.

I don't think we are quite in a police state yet.

Meanwhile. Johnson will soon follow in the footsteps of Wales and Scotland with another lockdown his “tier 4” plan.

It really is making Wales a laughing stock though.

The incompetence of the Welsh Government is exceptional. As if no-one could have worked out in advance what would happen.

One of the most basic guidelines for legislation is that it should be clear and leave no gaps for uncertainty so that all people know what it states and can follow it.

pinkearedcow it doesn't really matter whether Drakeford is a "decent man" or not. What matters is that he is a competent man.

IncandescentSilver true. I do think he's competent as well as decent, but has made a big mistake with this.

To be fair, the whole thing is a shit show across the UK and the rest of Europe. No one seems to really know what to do.

@pinkearedcow I agree. No one is really covering themselves in glory.

Even Germany are saying that it is on the verge of losing control of the virus. It's so worrying.

He’s certainly a laughing stock. Even Tampax somewhere have been deemed as non essential by the idiot. He must be covered in massive heaps of scorn by now.

If the Welsh Government has the power to close businesses which do not comply with its rules, then it is the duty of the Welsh Government to legislate in a way which isn't so vague. Do you really think it is unreasonable to expect an organisation as big as Tesco with highly paid management (I don't mean in the store I mean the head office) to work out that sanitary products are essential. OK some stuff might be harder to work out but really we need to raise our expectations of big organisations.

Pinkearedcow stop worrying. Everyone will get the virus at some point and with a 99.6% survival rate the chances of you dying from Covid are very low.
If your under 60 the mortality rate is 0.06%. More likely to get 5 numbers on the lottery.

It really is making Wales a laughing stock though. Do you think it is? I mean England is suffering under Johnson and that is much worse. He's just said he doesn't want to see children going hungry, I guess that means "poor" people need to lock their kids up so they don't offend the eyes of this idiot.

Apart from anything he has created massive amounts of work for supermarket staff. Insane.

@northernmonkeys100

Pinkearedcow stop worrying. Everyone will get the virus at some point and with a 99.6% survival rate the chances of you dying from Covid are very low. If your under 60 the mortality rate is 0.06%. More likely to get 5 numbers on the lottery.

Thanks - I'm not so much worried about dying from it myself, (although my DH is vulnerable), more worried about the effect it will have on things if it really gets out of control.

@ancientgran

If the Welsh Government has the power to close businesses which do not comply with its rules, then it is the duty of the Welsh Government to legislate in a way which isn't so vague. Do you really think it is unreasonable to expect an organisation as big as Tesco with highly paid management (I don't mean in the store I mean the head office) to work out that sanitary products are essential. OK some stuff might be harder to work out but really we need to raise our expectations of big organisations.

They literally had a few hours notice.

Tesco carries 10,000s of product lines in a big store. There was no way they could go through each aisle trying to work out what Dripford considers essential in that time frames so they'd have no choice but to close of large areas. Inevitably things like tampons could get trapped in with the cosmetics.

I'm sure that anomalies will be corrected as soon as practicable.

I worry about the jobs of the people in these supermarkets too. People already buy a lot online and non-food departments in supermarkets are getting smaller and smaller as it is. This really could be the push over the edge for those departments and those that work on them. Obviously I understand that this is happening in small independent businesses too, it's all a bit mad really. Getting a pack of pens or a duvet in the supermarket with your weekly shop is hardly going to spread covid anymore than putting in some vodka or going to a completely separate till for a lotto ticket and some cigarettes

Also, why "us Welsh"? Lots of people living in Wales are not Welsh!

I'm English living in wales and I didnt say 'us welsh'

I only said it as a collective. I know perfectly well that there are different nationalities living in wales

The people with just one set of bedding? No cheap back up tin opener just in case their normal one breaks at any other time of the year?
A cheap/travel hairdryer in case their normal one packs in when drying their hair?

I think of myself as reasonable affluent/comfortable and I've never even heard of anyone who just randomly has two of every kitchen gadget in case one breaks.

I have two bedding sets, winter and summer. One hair dryer. I have plenty of clothes and shoes/boots but I had to go out to Sainsburys to buy an emergency coffee maker back in April when mine exploded out of the blue (yes literally and anyone who thinks a coffee maker isn't essential is welcome to come and speak to me first thing in the morning).

People have back up hairdryers?

Personally I just keep an entire fully furnished second house as a backup, doesn't everyone?

@froggygoneonakillingspree

Personally I just keep an entire fully furnished second house as a backup, doesn't everyone?

Well I’m considering it now!

I don't have the storage to keep a back up of every kitchen utensil tbh. I've never really had the need and have back up savings incase things break or get damaged. I can see the nearest supermarket from my house with all my 'backups' in it. Just in wakes you're not allowed to buy any of it