Westminstenders: The Mask is Slipping

[RedToothBrush]

This week has seen the department of the Chancellor who launched a 50p piece, the serious contemplation of a tin pot bridge, the rebirth of eugenics as a subject for cabinet, the announcement of the end of the BBC as we know it, the cabinet chanting after the PM in a way Orwell would be proud of, suppression of a report into trade deals which dares to mention the effect of distance and geography, worrying signs of an ever growing rift with Europe over negotiations for a deal, an appointment which starts to make our membership of the ECHR look very dodgy and there have been rather a lot of floods which so far seemed to have escaped the attention of those in London busy in their own swamp.

It's becoming apparent very quickly just how Trump like our new government are and how they want the UK to emulate the very worst aspects of America.

We are falling fast and its not looking like it will be pretty.

All we need is a major global issue to test our national resilience and the incompetence will truly be laid bare for us all to see... But not necessarily speak of. Such us the way it works.

Brexit Britain is not a nice looking prospect.

Keep your eyes on this developing story.
Massive Ramifications.

Ragip soylu @ragipsoylu
SOURCE: Turkey will open the Syria border for free passage and won’t stop Syrian refugees from going to Europe

Meanwhile Turkish FM Cavusoglu has spoken to NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg following the deadly attacks against Turkish soldiers in Idlib

Turkish source: Land and sea crossings to Europe would be free to pass for the NEXT 72 HOURS and Turkey will open the borders immediately

This is all connected to this

Russia-Turkey are on the verge of war. 22 Turkish soldiers were killed with some reports being higher after reports that Russian forces fired on Turkish soldiers in Idlib. There is also an unconfirmed report that Turkey has told the Russian ambassador to leave.

Turkey wants the EU to support it better in Idlib by all accounts. And opening the border for 72 hours is good leverage...

I can quite believe that Patel's parents were persecuted in E Africa. Compare this with Jews in Germany getting out in the early 1930s before Hitler tightened the screws further. What is wrong with Patel's statement is that by allowing people to think they were forced out by Amin, it's blatantly untrue, and if she can't get that right, it makes you wonder what other lies she is telling. By the sound of it, they were not refugees, whatever she tries to claim and her policies would discriminate against people like her parents.

Tobias Schneider @tobiasschneider
Incredibly high stakes in Syria tonight as Turkish ground forces, struggling to uphold a safe zone for millions of Syrian civilians, come under intense Russian and Assad regime bombardment. Reports of dozens of casualties. Ergodan chairing an emergency security meeting.

This is the situation everybody has been warning about. Russia not standing down in face Turkey's operation in Idlib leaves Turkish ground forces vulnerable in hostile territory. The outcome of this stand-off will also likely decide the fates of millions of Syrian civilians.

Hassan hassan @hxhassan
All correct. But to add: Turkey has really no choice but to continue on this path, despite such unfortunate incidents. Standing down in Idlib will be the end of its presence in the more strategic areas it controls close to its borders. The refugee issue remains secondary to that.

Abbreviated version: This is very very bad.

How bad is very very bad?

This is articles 4 and 5 of NATO

Article 4
The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.

Article 5
The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.

Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security

www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/official_texts_17120.htm

We are close to Turkey being able to invoke article 5...

With so many crises at once, one or more are likely to be overlooked on the wrong day ....
even if the UK and US had sensible, competent govts

As it is, we might suffer 2 or 3 crises at once

Corona probably already comes with a built-in Global FInancial Crisis II

https://twitter.com/ConsEurope/status/1232797225744568321
[[https://twitter.com/ConsEurope
Conservative Group for Europe@ConsEurope]]

NFU President Minette Batters:

"To sign up to a trade deal which results in opening our ports, shelves & fridges
to food which would be illegal to produce here

would not only be morally bankrupt, it would be the work of the insane."

< yep, that's your govt >

Coronavirus: Weakest patients could be denied lifesaving care due to lack of funding for NHS,
doctors admit

Yep, difficult to know which crisis to worry over first !

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-uk-deaths-nhs-intensive-care-flu-wise-men-protocol-a9361916.html

Senior doctors criticise government's 'dishonest spin' over ability of NHS to cope with a severe pandemic outbreak

Bcf tbh that particular one about 'lifesaving treatment' is a bit of a non story.

A study of the outcomes of critical patients was done on data from one Wuhan hospital. 67% of those classified as critical died. The survivors were mostly younger. But more than that when they looked at those who had mechanical ventilation - the type of 'lifesaving' intervention mentioned in the article - 80% of those who required it died. Those who lived were all under 50.

The point being that in reality by the time you needed mechanical ventilation it was already too late for those who were weaker and the treatment was simply not lifesaving.

I think I view the article more about expectation management rather than being about a lack of equipment as such. It's equipment which simply won't make a difference to a lot of cases.

Which perhaps is an even more grim story.

So schools might be closed for 2 months?
Will that mean church services will be banned?
What about foodbanks?

Russian forces attacking Turkish forces in Syria doesn't come under NATO article 4 and its hard to see even a wide interpretation of article 5 being applicable?

I am beginning to wonder if I am actually a bit-player in some kind of virus movie. Because the mass movement of refugees at precisely the moment Europe has Corona cases happily incubating is the ideal way to speed up the pandemic timeline.

Turkey would have invoked the NATO agreement by now, if they thought they could. The refugee situation is to pressure the rest of Europe into stepping up, which argues they don't have a good case for the Articles.

Having said that, if Russia or Syria did send sorties into Turkey's souvereign territory, all bets are off.

So schools might be closed for 2 months?
Will that mean church services will be banned?
What about foodbanks?

It will be all mass gatherings so schools and church services.

Food banks are another issue. They should stay open in theory but in practice it may be more difficult to get volunteers and supplies for them.

It needs to be stressed that the risk from coronavirus is greater from associated issues for most people than it is from the virus itself. Which is precisely why authorities will try and avoid as much disruption as possible.

The US has recorded its first coronavirus related drug shortage yesterday.

Next week is when shortages of things from china are liable to start kicking in.

Another subject - facial recognition

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newslondon/woman-35-arrested-in-uk-first-after-new-live-facial-recognition-cameras-rolled-out/ar-BB10ulaI

As the first arrest linked with facial recognition cameras has been made, does anyone know what or where those cameras are? Special CCTV, worn/used by police officers?

Very uncomfortable about it as I thought the police had stopped using them due to privacy issues/system being unreliable....

In other news, Trumpy says not to worry about Conovirus because there'll be a miracle and it will go away.

Oh that's all right then....

Peregrina
National Archives Cabinet Papers
The Commonwealth Immigration Act 1962

"In 1967, Asians from Kenya and Uganda, fearing discrimination from their own national governments, began to arrive in Britain.They had retained their British citizenship following independence, and were therefore not subject to the act."

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers/themes/commonwealth-immigration-control-legislation.htm

Clavinova - no one is disputing what you are cutting and pasting. What you don't seem to be able to take on board is that Patel's family were not refugees from Amin. Patel's family had sufficient nous to get out in time and were fortunate that their British passports enabled them to do so.

Whether anyone facing persecution from a modern day despot would be able to come to the UK is debatable at best. Patel's policies would discriminate against people like her own parents.

George Osborne @GeorgeOsborne
The British Government now needs to go onto a ‘war footing’ with the coronavirus: daily NHS press briefings, regular COBRA meetings chaired by the PM, Ministers on all major media shows. The public is fearful, wants information and needs to know their leaders have got a grip.

Johnson could get his Churchill moment...

Second Dutch case.
Amsterdam.
Woman who visited Lombardy.

Oops wrong thread for second post!

Got George in right thread though!

For any other PM I would feel a modicum of sympathy - with the Corona virus it will be difficult to get the approach right - you want to reassure the public, but not cause panic, and it's a fine line.

With a lazy so and so like Johnson - well, I will be charitable - let's see if he rises to the task.

Uganda did not become independent until 1962. Prior to that it was a protectorate indirectly ruled by the British via a patchwork of local chiefs and kings such as the Kabaka of Buganda.

Tension against Asians began in Keyna and Tanganyika/Zanibar where they dominated the import and export trades. Uganda being landlocked did not have the same problems. The main ethnic tension was Catholics vs Protestants. Muslims like Amin were a tiny minority.

Patel's policies would discriminate against people like her own parents.

Not if they are entitled British citizenship.

The problem with COVID-19 is capacity.
We're already doing corridor medicine, adn the flu season was milder than expected (and over early). It'll be tent in the car park medicine next.

www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-uk-deaths-nhs-intensive-care-flu-wise-men-protocol-a9361916.html