Essex

[dollychopss]

Probably going to Tier2

I'm ashamed of my spineless council and I've made the decision that I'm not going to conform to these restrictions. Luckily I've no friends anyway--but I will still visit family members.

Hopefully Whitehall will just laugh in their faces.

I live in essex and just heard that the council wants tougher regulations.
It's low / medium just now.

I know if they think not seeing my family then it ain't happening my mum was going into depression

It’s madness as their own website shows a decrease in infections this week.

All need removing from their positions.

I came to post exactly about this!

What on Earth are they doing!! Are any other councils doing this??

Political posturing. Conservative MPs and council leaders etc

We live on the outer edge of Essex and cases here are a) low anyway and b) dropped this week. Talk about a sledgehammer.

Snouts in the trough

@Pertella

Snouts in the trough

Indeed along with all the bullshit, weasel words and statistic falsifying and scaremongering that’s gone on since March.

I am an Essex resident. This is an absolute shit storm. Social media has exploded with negative comments

What are they thinking?! They'll get terrible compliance now and then when it is needed

@dollychopss

Probably going to Tier2

I'll be very surprised if the government agrees to put them (us, for full disclosure) into tier 2 because the council asked for it. The inconsistencies between where is and isn't in based on their rates is bad enough without making it worse by putting a county with below-average rates in tier 2 - it'll make some of the other areas they haven't put in look even madder.

What they're basically arguing for is a national move to tier 2 - everything they've said applies to loads of places, not just Essex. Which isn't an unreasonable view to hold, but is also a decision that's somewhat above the pay grade of the Essex county council leader...

It's also an amazing demonstration of what you feel you can do when your seats are all so safe that you know you could put a turd with blue rosette up for election and it'd easily get in.

Essex has some of the lowest rates in the country. People are threatening to turn up at county hall and protest. It’s going to get ugly

Why do they want such draconian measures? Seems madness to me when the rates are low. What is going on?

I read somewhere if you're the higher tier you get a better subsidy per person from government. Hopefully this isn't the reason

They get a share of £1bn if they go to high

Money then. Should have known really.
Always boils down to the cold hard cash doesn't it?

Seems crazy! We are relatively low compared to elsewhere. We are also on the edge of Essex so might be fun where our other county friends can meet but we can't, also the GP is in and our kids go to school in the other county...🤷🏼‍♀️

@The80sweregreat

Why do they want such draconian measures? Seems madness to me when the rates are low. What is going on?

Two possibilities, one more charitable than the other:

1. They believe that early, swift action will be best in the long run - which isn't a silly or indefensible viewpoint, but it isn't actually their job to act outside of and go beyond government policy which is what they're trying to do
2. Because the average age of an Essex County Councillor is about 70 and they're overwhelmingly well-off (it's a very, very strongly conservative council) so their views on coronavirus restrictions, their advantages and their impact is probably not as representative as it could be

So now the council can get involved they are all scientists now ? Strange that

They want to money to spunk on new council offices whilst whittling down local infrastructure.

Greedy fucking cunts the lot of them.

Can't help fund a food bank, but they'll vote to spend £1m on shiny new offices which aren't needed!
Closed a local community venue, which was in use every day to sell for flats.

Couldn't fucking make it up. The robbing bastards

But like another poster said, put up a corpse in a blue rosette and people round here would vote for it

I don't vote for any conservative councillor or MP , but I know what your all saying. What a fiasco.

Nor do I - but then hardly anybody votes in local elections anyway. This is probably actually playing quite well with their core constituency (who are a lot less likely to be using social media etc) and they'll still win easily next May (if the elections go ahead)

Councillor Finch has said that he doesn’t want Essex to be the next Liverpool

So embarrassing. As I've said on another thread, we're already the butt of many jokes.

I'm heartened to see the overwhelming negative comments on social media feeds about this. My mum and dad are in a London Borough with double the rates and that council aren't clamouring for more draconian measures.

I'm seething still.