Chris Witty "We're at the limits of the contact we can allow"

[confusedandold]

I've been watching the Press conference and I always find Chris Witty the voice of reason. He is saying that we are at the limit of what we can open without the virus spreading further and we may even have to take a step back. So where does this leave the opening of schools in a few weeks time?

To answer if I’m on the left I’m politically homeless. We have a political class with different coloured ties as their biggest distinguishing feature when you really dig down.

I’m not labour because I cannot vote for a party who pretends not to know what a woman is.

Furlough, grants and support have been huge. Measured against other countries still huge.

Redundancies will come that is why sectors are opening up. Not for shareholders etc. To stop the cliff edge.

It’s easy as someone on the left to think Cons and rich mates, I can’t see that with Sunak. Or with Whitty who advises. Or probably even with Hancock. Johnson is fluff most of the time.

I shudder to think about the economic plan if Labour has won. Maybe Starmer would be better though.

Yes I know a bit about behaviour management too (worked for some, different sector though) I have no issue with that approach being effective.

I shudder to think about the economic plan if Labour has won. Maybe Starmer would be better though.
Pretty similar because the same Treasury civil servants would have written it

Sunak is the pretty face, not the brains behind the schemes

I’m not Tory either by the way, couldn’t vote for them either. Shit show in all directions. I voted leave if that matters-deeply unpopular in my peer group but I did so for reasons that are consistent with the views about power and agency that I’ve always had and my resignation to the fact that the nation is as big as we can go without being totally owned by multinationals and corporate interests.

This isn’t party political for me. Have laid my cards (even the dirty dark leave voter one ) on the table to hopefully establish that.

No me either and happy to declare why I say what I do. Central as I can be (studied economics and other arts degree) worked in behavioural stuff for a while. I voted remain but my views have changed a bit

Don’t know much about civil service so didn’t know that Listening. Sunak does do a good suit no doubt.

Agree with pp that sunak not the brains, Javid lost the spot when he refused to sack his advisers, but Sunak went along with it so no. 10 oversees no.11.

UK furlough scheme was big and blunt. There are serious concerns it was very wasteful. After the pandemic practice exercise they never put in place any economic preparations as everything was diverted to Brexit, so they had to do it last minute. Many European schemes are much more agile and targeted, but they had thought them through in advance I guess. For example I think France are continuing with part time support, to ensure greater job retention. Our scheme is very inflexible.

There's a question whether 'generous' has delivered good outcomes for employees or the country, but it undoubtedly was generous.

To say Sunak isn't the brains rather overlooks his pedigree and academic background. he is regarded in the party as actually knowing what he is talking about. Doesn't mean he wouldn't do what he is told by someone else more political but less brainy than him.

Oh my god, if we’re stuck like this until there’s a vaccine I will break.

Same

Interestingly, I read today that even advisers in the Tory party identify Sunak as working class. This can only be unconscious racism as he moist definitely is not. He definitely ahs friends in high places and is known as an avid networker. His stock phrase apparently is ' we must keep in touch'.

He does the charming boy next door very well and ,,apparently, doesn't engage in Etonian banter, sot hat's probably why the advisors think he is common!

@Piggywaspushed

To say Sunak isn't the brains rather overlooks his pedigree and academic background. he is regarded in the party as actually knowing what he is talking about. Doesn't mean he wouldn't do what he is told by someone else more political but less brainy than him.

What I meant was - no11 is not where economic policy is being driven, it is not the independent power base it used to be.

I am not saying he doesn't have a brain, just he isn't the brains of the operation.

He comes across very well in any briefing and answers decisively. I think he knows his stuff very well too.

I always find it odd that Starmer is trying to be pinned by the media and others as posh. I know why but it doesn’t match how he is.

@MarshaBradyo

No me either and happy to declare why I say what I do. Central as I can be (studied economics and other arts degree) worked in behavioural stuff for a while. I voted remain but my views have changed a bit

Don’t know much about civil service so didn’t know that Listening. Sunak does do a good suit no doubt.

See it’s funny isn’t it? I think you’re average mn’er would’ve pegged me as remain and you leave.

I come from an anthropology background and mentioned elsewhere we’d have Pr companies and advertising agencies coming in trying to recruit.

Nowadays I find myself back in the anthropological observer role in politics. It’s so tribal and jingoistic and fascinating (though disturbing) to watch.

It's the old fashioned despising of 'claver lawyers' isn't it? Which always sounds ridiculous coming from Boris Johnson's mouth. The only thing he can undermine in Starmer is his competence. as of that is somehow a threat. And it is easy for them to make people believe anyone called 'Sir' is posh. It makes no sense since Boris is so plainly very posh. But it is the same as Trump saying he opposes the American elite whilst being from a very very rich family.

Sunak is not working class.
His dad was a GP and his mum ran a pharmacy.
He was head boy at his junior school and then at Winchester College.

He is very bright and apparently civil servants rate him
but the Furlough scheme is based on the long standing German model that works much better

Starmer IS working class.
and very very very bright

Johnson is thick and over educated from a time when Eton admission was by connections not ability

I think we are looking at about 1.5 to 2.5 million working women with primary aged kids who require childcare to work. Although I am sure this is a large enough number to affect government policy, it's also a small enough number for them to seriously consider just running a bus over

It's a smaller number than the number of exceptionally medically vulnerable, which surprises me.

And they were thrown under a different bus, because they weren't banged just for their own protection, but rather to stop them all falling ill in short order early on and blocking hospital beds (both ICU and regular)

It's a feature of discussions about this, isn't it? Who to throw under a bus next

I think you’re average mn’er would’ve pegged me as remain and you leave.

Oh my gosh really until recently if you cut me I’d have remain running through

I find this interesting, and try to debate stuff because after studying it all those years ago and working in certain areas but now doing something else it’s somewhat enjoyable to go back to it (well not always on mn ) I prefer it when people aren’t sarky though and can actually chat.

Piggy yep and you see people say on here - as if Northern wc will vote for Starmer. Hang on! Johnson is elite as they come.

All discussion is so hard now and polemical. I think it’s a deliberate move or perhaps random but very useful for power holders as it’s so easy to keep people squabbling. Like I said before if parents could really see the state of education and joined with teachers and they worked together as a lobbying group education could be funded and dragged into the 21st century.

Far easier to have parents believe teachers are lazy overpaid socialists who only ever complain to try and get more money.

I am very very bothered about the shielded and very very very bothered about the not quite shielded but clinically vulnerable. I actually think it is what I am most bothered about. I don't like this giant bus that everyone is thrown under but they are definitely guided right under its wheels if they are working age.

Like I said before if parents could really see the state of education and joined with teachers and they worked together as a lobbying group education could be funded and dragged into the 21st century.
Yup

but the decision makers do not use State education and it suits them to stop 93% of the country getting what their kids get

Do you know what it reminds me of? That ethical lifeboat game people play in group sessions? The who would you throw off a lifeboat game?

If you ever do that with kids, they happily throw off anyone already ill, even if they hold the key to life, the universe and everything in their head. They also throw children off, especially if they are sick.. And their mothers 'since they would want to anyway'. Only the medics survive, usually with no one decent left to save.

I mean given the employment world we live in now and are meant to be preparing kids for how insane is it that I have to book a set of semi functioning chrome books weeks in advance if I want to use technology in the classroom?

Many of our kids had to be taught how to open or send an email during lockdown. Everyone thinks they’re tech savvy on their phones and games devices or tablets but they lack the most basic skills.

Just as an employability example.

The majority of the cabinet who have children have state educated children.

Schools will be shut early for half term and stay closed longer. Probably 3-4weeks I would guess in Oct-Nov.