To think the government should just lockdown and bring furlough back...

[Riskyrice]

.... As right now we might as well be in lockdown? Its like a lockdown by stealth-scaring the shit out of people so they stay at home, but not offering any support to businesses impacted.

I work in retail and this morning I have had 1 customer. This would usually be a busy week with people christmas shopping. It is also usually busy between Xmas and new year, but I imagine it will be tumbleweed. So many pubs are going to be in trouble because everyone has cancelled Xmas party bookings.

The government should just close shops and hospitality now and bring back furlough instead of this ridiculous middle ground.

can we afford more furlough?

Tbh I don’t know what’s best, proper lockdown with people losing businesses , jobs etc vs saving lives.
It’s such a mess.

Could you not have posted this on the hundreds of other threads about exactly the same thing?

Not everybody is afraid of shops, and not everybody wants to be furloughed. What was the point in making everyone get 3 vaccines in less than a year to just shut down straight away. Yes they need to stop messing about and put business support in place but furlough and lockdown again is not the answer, we can’t live like this forever.

Busy where I am. People out spending cash.

No no no fucking no.

For what? A variant that only causes mild disease? The UK government is already being called hysterical and overreacting by scientists with first-hand experience in South Africa. Why they're not listening to them – considering they are four weeks ahead of us – is beyond me.

Just seen this, so yes probably…

We spent way too much subsidising the rich, no furlough which only mildly helps the poor, it mostly subsidises the business owners who were paying them.

Universal Basic Income, not furlough, and certainly no more bail outs for capital.

@DismantledKing

Could you not have posted this on the hundreds of other threads about exactly the same thing?

Well you didn't HAVE to click on this thread.

Jesus christ

Who will pay for that? We’re in spiralling debt that will only worsen.

Inflation is at unparalleled levels, we’re in a housing crisis, more families are living below the poverty line than ever before, the £ is at an all time low.

We need to allow the economy and it’s people to recover.

NO!!!!

We can't afford to keep paying people to stay at home and not work, lovely though the idea is.

Had Sunak realised almost two years ago how long this would last, I doubt he would have been so generous the first time.

@DismantledKing

Could you not have posted this on the hundreds of other threads about exactly the same thing?

its not about saving lives this time its about not overwhelming hospitals

@APlot

For what? A variant that only causes mild disease? The UK government is already being called hysterical and overreacting by scientists with first-hand experience in South Africa. Why they're not listening to them – considering they are four weeks ahead of us – is beyond me.

I agree that the govt are overreacting, sadly the vast majority of people are going to hear things like "tidal wave of omicron" and panic and lock themselves down. Except if everyone locks themselves down its win win for the govt, as they don't have to offer any financial help for those affected

@Arethechildreninbedyet

Who will pay for that? We’re in spiralling debt that will only worsen.

Inflation is at unparalleled levels, we’re in a housing crisis, more families are living below the poverty line than ever before, the £ is at an all time low.

We need to allow the economy and it’s people to recover.

And what about people below the poverty line who work in hospitality who will be out of a job when businesses fold?

No. We don’t have the money for people to sit at home

Good Lord No.

YABU. This country cannot afford to do furlough and besides that wtf is the point in forcing jabs onto people to just lockdown anyway?
Just get the fuck on with it now. It's never going to go away.

its not about saving lives this time its about not overwhelming hospitals

Exactly this.

If 10,000,000 get infected (just for example) and around 1% need some sort of hospital treatment or an A&E or walk-in visit - then that's 100,000 people. While those 100,000 people are being seen what happens to the strokes, the heart attacks, the car accidents, the appendicitis cases, the overdoses, the industrial accidents, the anaphylaxis, and so on - where do they go when there is no capacity to treat them?

And that's not to mention the strain on infrastructure when medical staff, emergency personnel, food chain workers, childcare workers, teachers, bus drivers, etc are sick and/or isolating.

We’re the same. Usually the busiest time of the year but we’re very quiet. I’m self employed and very anxious about the next few months. I’m applying for a second job in preparation.

The government needs to find a balance between a free for all and a total lockdown in order to manage the case numbers and avoid overwhelming the health service and collapsing other services due to lack of staff.

But they're shit, so they won't. They'll fanny around, heads firmly in sand, and then we'll end up with an "ah fuck" lockdown (or restrictions akinnto a lockdown) in January when they realise that they're gone and fucked up again.

Except if everyone locks themselves down its win win for the govt, as they don't have to offer any financial help for those affected

You do realise where the government gets its money from??

Maybe it'll get better after Christmas. I think people are being cautious now to try to avoid not being able to see people at Christmas

@Riskyrice you do reliese where the government gets their money from right? You don't make a whole lot of sense.....

The fear is that we'll borrow so much as a nation that the state is no longer solvent.

The short term solution to lack of solvency is "money printing", the short term result of money printing is hyperinflation.

We can't afford it.