Boris announcement- November. Does he know something?

[Yetiyoga]

Not sure if this has been suggested. We are supposed to find out next week about how successful the Oxford vaccine has gone aren't we? Do you think Boris Johnson knows the result and that is why he thinks we could be back to normal by November / Christmas? Or am I being naive/ too optimistic?
I just can't see 'normal' by Christmas as things are currently. And I'm fairly relaxed about it all.
I have a first niece / nephew due late October so it would mean the world to be able to meet them this year.

@jasjas1973

No, he said he was hopeful but he couldn't be 100% confident that there would be a vaccine this year or even next year. Even if they are 99% sure (and personally I think they probably are, although that is just my opinion) I suspect they won't say anything other than "we are not guaranteed a vaccine" until it's ready to actually distribute.

If people think a vaccine is guaranteed to come imminently they will relax and the government will want to discourage that I'd imagine.

June:
"Norway's public health body has suspended its coronavirus contact-tracing app and deleted all data collected by the technology following an order from the country's data protection body."

"The Norwegian data protection watchdog on Friday gave the public health body (FHI) until June 23 to stop all collection of data via the app called Smittestopp."

"Norway's move comes after Lithuania's privacy watchdog ordered a stop to a quarantine app for suspected violations of EU privacy rules"

Clavinova - you list the Government's successes over the pandemic as 1) the daily briefings and 2) Rishi Sunak
Both useful I agree but hardly an inspirational list.Yet you spend a day digging up quotes in support of the Government.You did the same over Cummings and you said you don't even like the man! Obviously you can fill your time how you like but I find it hard to understand why you spend so much time backing them? I'm sure you can see there have been mistakes in their response? Do you just not like people bad mouthing Conservatives or do you think critics of the Government are wrong and it's been a better response than they are given credit for?

On the other hand you could ask why I spend time writing posts detailing what I see as the Government's myriad failings during the pandemic. I suppose because I'm frustrated by the lack of enquiries and accountability over their actions. I wish there was somewhere we could apply pressure, unfortunately writing to my MP over Cummings had zero effect. It's frustrating seeing things go so badly wrong & feeling like they are not being acknowledged or addressed. Without doubt the Government wouldn't have wanted to perform so poorly and I hope that we will see them up their game through Summer and Autumn. As we all know Raab likes a Game of Thrones quote and 'Winter is coming' let's hope the UK (and England particularly) is more ready this time.

Clav - Apple made it clear that they would not support a centralised DB using their technology.
My partners son told me this... (3rd yr computer science) in April as did my neighbours son who works for Apple.

The fact that Govts decided to plough on ahead doesn't change this, the UK told everyone and his dog that the app trials in IOW were an overwhelming success...... again a pack of lies.

Mumratheevergiving
you spend a day digging up quotes in support of the Government.

I am very quick at finding quotes!

As we all know Raab likes a Game of Thrones quote

I forgot about Dominic Raab - I was very impressed with him as well when he stood in for Boris Johnson.

The idea that anyone can be impressed with Dominic Raab's performance, on any level, is beyond my comprehension. He has the intellectual capability of a loaf of bread.

Ah is this the same Raab ....... ?

Mr Raab told a technology conference on Wednesday: "We want a bespoke arrangement in goods which recognises the peculiar, frankly, geographic, economic entity that is the United Kingdom

We are, and I hadn't quite understood the full extent of this, but if you look at the UK and if you look at how we trade in goods, we are particularly reliant on the Dover-Calais crossing

Like much of this Govt, incompetence runs deep.

The idea that anyone can be impressed with Dominic Raab's performance, on any level, is beyond my comprehension.

I even heard James O'Brien praising Dominic Raab on air recently (he doesn't usually!). Interview with Bill Browder (anti-corruption campaigner) beforehand;

"Bill Browder celebrates implementation of the Magnitsky Act after 10-year campaign."

"Mr Browder revealed the use of the Act in the UK owes a huge amount to Dominic Raab."

"He stated: "About eight years ago, I met this quite young backbench MP sitting in obscurity named Dominic Raab. I told him the story of the torture and murder of my lawyer Sergei Magnitsky and he was so outraged, he wanted to do something about it."

"As a total outside at the time, he chiseled away at the establishment until he became the establishment - and then became the Foreign Secretary. And with his own rise, he was able to take this cause he had been working on and make it a reality."

"Whatever your opinions on Brexit, on this case, Dominic Raab has been a real hero."

www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/james-obrien/bill-browder-magnitsky-act-russia-putin/

So UK implements a law already passed 8 years earlier by Obama and many other countries...... and somehow Raab gets the credit!

No doubt would have happened in any case.

Mumra - you spend a day digging up quotes in support of the Government.

Clavinova - I am very quick at finding quotes!

Yes but why?? Can you just not bear to hear a bad word said about the Conservatives or their aides?

Yes but why??

I barely took an interest in politics 3 years ago (Corbyn put the wind up me!!) - I'm not bored yet.

Clavinova - Fair enough. Same for me with the deadly duo Cummings/ Johnson. Unfortunately their mistakes over this pandemic have cost lives. Pretending that everything is ok is not ok.

You do know Corbyn’s gone now though don’t you?

You do know Corbyn’s gone now though don’t you?

Yes - the new one keeps talking about South Korea.

I was no fan of Corbyn either. I had low expectations of this Government but they have managed this so badly on so many counts, I truly hope they do better going forward. This isn’t just policy debate it matters because people are losing loved ones forever and jobs.

As a fan of them (your self-professed highlights of their performance being the daily briefings and Rishi Sunak) they must be making it very hard indeed to cheerlead for.

Just reading this article, a timeline of the debacle and regarding the comments from "Sir" Patrick Valance, the man should be sacked and replaced immediately and stripped of his title.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53433824

I have watched in disbelief as events have unfolded over the last few months and just cannot believe the incompetance and inaction of this Gov. They are supposed to be in control and at least attempt to protect the public. Hope there is an inquiry into all this.

Just reading this article, a timeline of the debacle

I've just read the article and recognise most of the people quoted - who also said or tweeted the following:

Anthony Costello Anthony Costello, professor of health and sustainable development at University College London;

July 2019 "We are watching the slow motion destruction of the Tory party. No leadership candidate can a) deliver Brexit b) defend their record on austerity which has led to a huge increase in inequality and debt or c) avoid a general election, that will destroy them."

Dr Costello attended the Labour Party conference in November.

Dr Margaret Harris from the WHO:

"Dr Margaret Harris from the WHO said the masks may protect other people from your germs - but won't protect you."
"She said: "We don't recommend wearing a facemask unless you are coughing or sneezing a lot."
"People misunderstand the facemask.They think it is about protecting themselves, but it's actually about protecting others if you are producing a lot of respiratory droplets."
"One of the risks of the facemask is that people struggle to wear them for a long time.They're very uncomfortable."^
"People tend to touch them a lot and if you touch your facemask when it's wet, then whatever respiratory bugs you've coughed out will go on to your hands and then you'll put it on other surfaces."
"So generally, no it's not necessary to wear a facemask."

Devi Sridhar - 3:45 PM · Feb 17, 2020
"WHO clearly saying it is NOT calling #COVID19 a pandemic b/c majority of cases are in China & majority of cases outside of China have direct link to China." @ DrMikeRyan # factsnotfear

"Richard Horton, editor of the medical journal The Lancet, who has criticised what he sees as the failure to heed early warnings from China."

Richard Horton tweeted 23rd Jan:
"A call for caution please. Media are escalating anxiety by talking of a “killer virus” + “growing fears”. In truth, from what we currently know, 2019-nCoV has moderate transmissibility and relatively low pathogenicity.There is no reason to foster panic with exaggerated language."

Also from the BBC article;
"Thursday 12 March...Italy was shutting all non-essential shops and the Republic of Ireland announced that schools would close."

Just to point out here that Exercise Cygnus kept schools open (with up to 250 schools closed) - it's a nonsense to suggest that we didn't try to follow Exercise Cygnus - we did.

Mumratheevergiving
As a fan of them (your self-professed highlights of their performance being the daily briefings and Rishi Sunak) they must be making it very hard indeed to cheerlead for.

I support the government with an understanding of the difficult challenges they had with a global pandemic. France and Belgium are our nearest neighbours on the continent - do they have 'highlights'?

Obviously I can expand on Rishi Sunak - the OECD praised the UK government's swift financial support package.

Hopefully vaccine development will be another UK 'highlight';

"The UK continues to lead the global response to find a vaccine, and the government is backing our scientists to do this as quickly as possible."

"Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca, said:" ‘AstraZeneca is at the forefront of the response to COVID-19, and we are proud to be working with Oxford University to help make this vaccine available as quickly as possible. I would like to thank HM Government for its commitment to the vaccine and welcome its leadership and generosity for its help in expanding access beyond the UK. Our company is working hard to establish parallel supply agreements with other nations and multilateral organisations to ensure fair and equitable access around the world.’

Clavinova

Are you living in the same reality as the rest of us? To think this Gov has been anything other than inept, bumbling and totally lacking in its response is madness

Surely this Gov lead by BJ will go down as the worst in history, I say this as someone who voted them in! fool

By 'highlight' I mean effective response to the pandemic. It's not mindless criticism of the Government, it's beneficial to us all that they succeed in their handling of it going forward & that also means recognising where improvement in response is needed. Rather than pointing at countries with worse outcomes or experiencing similar problems isn't it better to look for successes and where possible try and learn from them? For example Ireland has a contact tracing app now, we can learn from their experiences rolling it out. As hopefully the UK can share scientific successes with others.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/20/cheap-popular-and-it-works-irelands-contact-tracing-app-success

It's a global pandemic not a party political mud slinging competition.

For example Ireland has a contact tracing app now, we can learn from their experiences rolling it out.

To be fair - HSE Ireland said their tracing app could be "rolled out 'in the next 10 days" - on the 29th March. Not exactly sticking to the timetable.

www.thejournal.ie/coronavirus-contact-tracing-app-5061145-Mar2020/

Rather than pointing at countries with worse outcomes or experiencing similar problems isn't it better to look for successes and where possible try and learn from them?

Yes, which is why I pointed out that part of Germany's apparent success was delegated powers to local authorities who implemented local lockdowns - previous posted had suggested that Boris Johnson was just passing the buck.

It's a global pandemic not a party political mud slinging competition.

The Boris cartoon and Tory donor comments were just a bit of fun.

Are you living in the same reality as the rest of us?

Strange as it may seem;
OpiniumResearch Twitter 18th July;

"The Conservative lead is back to 8-points over Labour, with the Conservatives up to 44% and Labour down to 36%."

Top comment -
"Hearing that there's growing disquiet in Labour HQ over these polling figures, with one senior source describing them as "baffling" ...

Pretty sure Gigantopithecus is referring to the UK where a lot of people are very concerned about the 50,335 deaths involving the coronavirus (COVID-19) that occurred between 1 March and 30 June 2020, of these, 46,736 had COVID-19 assigned as the underlying cause of death - and where most people don't give two hoots about party political polls!

Mumratheevergiving

Equally - I did wonder why you posted about Boris Johnson's extramarital affairs and Game of Thrones (Raab).

You also posted;
"It's not mindless criticism of the Government, it's beneficial to us all."

I don't believe Johnsons terrible handling of CV will affect him, he has a very well polished PR machine behind him.

So many people (inc those who have lost loved ones) still believe he has done a sterling job and any criticisms are with hindsight.

We 've report out that says Russia may well have influenced UK elections and referendums, that the Tory party accepted russian money with "open arms" and that tory govts "actively sought NOT to investigate any of this"

No one will question any of this, it will be ignored by the Tory supporting media.
It's hardly surprising that the only time Lab have got into power in recent years was when blair won over Rupert Murdoch, once Blair went, MSM went back to BAU.