No new measures in England before New Year

[Jourdain11]

Has just been announced by the Health Secretary and reported across BBC etc.

This is excellent news.

The hospitality industry would prefer to have some trade than no trade and a lockdown (various interviews with industry leaders have said this!). Also I think people are fed up so will go out regardless.

Scientists are great BUT like Health and Safety experts they look at the worst case scenario and base everything on that. Worst case scenarios don’t always happen.

And frankly we can’t bubble wrap everyone forever, we have to start taking decisions for ourselves and get out of the nanny state situation.

If YOU don’t want to go out, don’t. I suspect you wouldn’t be someone to go out anyway (anecdotal from years on MN) but for those of us that work in hospitality, and want to use hospitality and enjoy socialising and being out and about - now we can without feeling like lepers.

[quote Ihopeyourcakeisshit]@FrippEnos I didn't say it like anything
I asked a genuine question, I don't have a school age child and am out of touch with the current mood of teachers.[/quote]
Unions will represent the needs of their members and one union (ASCL Association of School and College Leaders) has already pointed out that no teachers means no school.

Teachers don't want schools to close, we would like what we have always wanted which is proper mitigations in schools.

So that pupils and staff remain healthy and schools can stay open.

I am sure that the hoard of ex and retired teachers will take up the slack or even us4them's army of non existent volunteers could take over.

@Firkinhavinalaugh

This is excellent news.

The hospitality industry would prefer to have some trade than no trade and a lockdown (various interviews with industry leaders have said this!). Also I think people are fed up so will go out regardless.

Scientists are great BUT like Health and Safety experts they look at the worst case scenario and base everything on that. Worst case scenarios don’t always happen.

And frankly we can’t bubble wrap everyone forever, we have to start taking decisions for ourselves and get out of the nanny state situation.

If YOU don’t want to go out, don’t. I suspect you wouldn’t be someone to go out anyway (anecdotal from years on MN) but for those of us that work in hospitality, and want to use hospitality and enjoy socialising and being out and about - now we can without feeling like lepers.

Agreed 100%

[quote PinkTree7]@PollyIndia

Me and DH can both work easily from home and the DC’s school provided ample live lessons during the last lockdown.

Frankly there’s very few reasons for us to need to leave home, given that we can get supermarket and takeaway deliveries.[/quote]
You do realise that lots of people aren't in that position though?? Not least the people delivering your shopping and takeaways allowing you to stay at home and look down your nose at everyone else? Hospitality and non essential retail would really suffer if we were locked down until March! Lives are also lost though lockdowns, either through mental health issues, domestic violence or poverty among other things.

Covid is a huge issue at the moment but it's important to remember that the scientists are only advising on covid and they don't have to factor in all of the other societal elements.

@Fairylights25 If there are not enough teachers to safely operate then schools will have no choice but to close or send some year groups home.

The problem is most businesses around my way are dead anyway and have been since omicron burst onto the scene. So its not a case of prioritising businesses, they are suffering anyway.

@Lucienandjean

Good. I just wish this was the decision in Scotland. Bars and clubs are on the brink of going out of business, while Queen Nicola is fretting about us all sanitising our hands. Let us make up our own minds what we are prepared to risk (or not risk).

Yes some seem to be glossing over higher financial impact for Scotland

[quote Jourdain11]@rrhuth I may even understand it better than you! They need a certain number of letters to hold the vote. But it's extremely unlikely that enough MPs would vote against him to actually topple him.[/quote]
I think he is very vulnerable and completely hamstrung between relying on Labour votes or pandering to the wackos.

Johnson is absolutely not in control anymore.

Fairylights25
There is no way on Gods earth the government will allow schools to close after pressing ahead with NY. There would be riots and parents would never forgive them, and when considering just how many millions would be affected, it is unthinkable and they ruled out any school closures ever again some time ago.

The government won't have a choice if there are not enough teachers to open schools safely.

I’m not sure we are not just kicking the can of more restrictions/ lockdown down the road. Look at earlier this year. Schools open 24 hours later oh no shit wait schools shut.

We won’t be going anywhere for New Years, our paye jobs are secure but our own company relies on bum in seats in offices so would be huge affected by a wfh force mandate but that or schools is day schools to stay open.

There is a lot of wishful thinking on here, Johnson is not going anywhere, sorry to disappoint you but he won a landslide, and after this hiccup I am sure he will again. He is the best they have - and there is no one in the Labour party will give him a serious run for his money.

It's cheap and derogatory to keep calling them loony backbenchers. Some of them have very valid and well-articulated concerns, not all of which concern economic impact. And loony is a really offensive word anyway

Agree about the word 'loony' but I am at the idea they have 'very valid and well-articulated concerns' - most of them are talking utter crap.

@Firkinhavinalaugh

This is excellent news.

The hospitality industry would prefer to have some trade than no trade and a lockdown (various interviews with industry leaders have said this!). Also I think people are fed up so will go out regardless.

Scientists are great BUT like Health and Safety experts they look at the worst case scenario and base everything on that. Worst case scenarios don’t always happen.

And frankly we can’t bubble wrap everyone forever, we have to start taking decisions for ourselves and get out of the nanny state situation.

If YOU don’t want to go out, don’t. I suspect you wouldn’t be someone to go out anyway (anecdotal from years on MN) but for those of us that work in hospitality, and want to use hospitality and enjoy socialising and being out and about - now we can without feeling like lepers.

Agreed .

[quote PinkTree7]@PollyIndia

Me and DH can both work easily from home and the DC’s school provided ample live lessons during the last lockdown.

Frankly there’s very few reasons for us to need to leave home, given that we can get supermarket and takeaway deliveries.[/quote]
Yes but what a shite way to live.

There's no way he'd lose a confidence motion. Theresa May didn't lose one when she literally couldn't get any legislation through and calling one just made her opponents within the party look facetious.

Sanity prevails for once. Perhaps the unelected band of scientific dementors and their ludicrous models and undeclared personal interests are losing their influence as it dawns on the government that Covid isn’t the only thing to consider and that the population are bloody tired of all this and probably most people wouldn’t obey restrictions on social contact in their own homes anyway, regardless whether things are closed or not.

@Fairylights25

There is no way on Gods earth the government will allow schools to close after pressing ahead with NY. There would be riots and parents would never forgive them, and when considering just how many millions would be affected, it is unthinkable and they ruled out any school closures ever again some time ago.

So those worrying about schools being closed, please don't. No government in their right mind would dare, and the impact on the economy and the NHS and vital services would be unthinkable as parents could not work.

I don’t think so either

Riots over schools closing???

@Ihopeyourcakeisshit

Are teaching unions likely to want restrictions when term starts agian?

They've wanted some sort of mitigations from the start.

They haven't been successful when it was at its worst.

I doubt they'll get anywhere now.

I work in education and we got co2 monitors in September sent from government.

That's their mitigations!

@rrhuth

It's cheap and derogatory to keep calling them loony backbenchers. Some of them have very valid and well-articulated concerns, not all of which concern economic impact. And loony is a really offensive word anyway

Agree about the word 'loony' but I am at the idea they have 'very valid and well-articulated concerns' - most of them are talking utter crap.

Charles Walker, f.i., has spoken very sensibly about the impact of lockdowns on those with new and existing issues.

Yes believe me, there will be riots if schools close. Parents have had enough of their children being used as cannon fodder

@Jourdain11 Is that you Carrie

Good. We can’t keep locking the country down. People need to be able to earn a living.
People need to get their vaccines and move on as best they can.

I hope those who think this is a good thing, also don't mind their children being at home in January because of staff illness.

My LA are saying we are 7 days behind London, schools ( and other public services) will be decimated by lack of staff.

Boris is only out to try and save himself, not you, not me and certainly not children's education.