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.

The lack of clear regular (as the situation is evolving rapidly) messaging from the government is dire.

Ministers on all major media shows.

R4 Today made a point of saying that the Government was currently refusing to allow Ministers to speak on national radio.

Jeremy Hunt was available though

I have seen anasethetic registrars in tears after shifts recently because they are basically inventing reasons to not admit patients who need it to ITU because they have no beds.

Airlines warning of bookings falling.

Imagine if airports were shut down ? No Easter getaway for a lot of people.

“ No Easter getaway for a lot of people.”

Well, that doesn’t matter.

“ No Easter getaway for a lot of people.” [] Well, that doesn’t matter.

Bit heartless, no ? If Brexit has taught us nothing else, it's that there is an incredible amount of "it's all about me" lurking in British society. Only Tuesday I heard a story on a radio of a 999 ambulance being lambasted for having it's engine running attending a collapsed person. The complainant then called 999 to check the paramedics were telling the truth.

(goes off singing, it's all about me, I'm the one; it's all about me, you're the none. One. None. One None. Dooby dooby doo )

Not if they are entitled British citizenship.

You don't give up with your apologies for someone caught out 'being economical with the truth' do you Clavinova?

They were lucky in that they got in before the rules changed.

It kind of does matter if you have booked, spent ££££ and now can't go. It's doubtful travel insurance will pay out over coronavirus. It matters - unless you think foreign holidays are somehow unpatriotic and that it's ok for real people to lose out on something they have paid for.

tbh, after Macron saying prepare for a pandemic ...

IFF experts really predict 100,000s of deaths per country in Europe
& IFF they think it would avoid / mitigate this until there is an effective vaccine,

.... then I'd support shutting down passenger air travel & cruise ships immediately

And yes, I know the effect on airlines, cruise firms, hoteliers etc

Unfortunately, I think business lobbies would prevent that happening until / unless we get into huge numbers of deaths

Losing money you've paid for a holiday / losing the holiday matters,
but not nearly as much as avoiding deaths

It's doubtful travel insurance will pay out over coronavirus.

Check your travel insurance. Mine has a clause saying it covers pandemics if where you are going is affected.

Not all policies do though. I think mine is unusual because it does tbh.

The ones who would really suffer financially are those who are not allowed to work,
but have to rely on statutory sick pay because their employers don't have sick pay, or won't for quarantine
e.g. those working at Spoons

I was just thinking, in contrast to the other problems....but I was also thinking that travel insurance would cover it.

I don’t know, I can’t get worked up over holidays when there’s so much else to worry about.

"Not if they are entitled British citizenship."

Successive govts - not all of them Tory - have massively tightened up the rules on full British citizenship, especially for those from former colonies

I don't know if Priti Vacant's parents would have qualified under current rules

Can't we all just C&P some tangentially barely relevant word clouds, believe in health and postively emote in order to alleviate COVID-19?

Yep, that holiday money is gone anyway, so what they are losing is the holiday

Some people will be facing losing pay and not being able to pay bills - or deciding to come in anyway so they don't face this

What'd make most of MN lose it, is that the most effective way of reducing the spread would be to shut down schools, especially primary schools and nurseries

I read stats on how the spread of previous viruses slows down during school holidays

Speech by Michel Barnier to the students at ESCP Europe: Cooperation in the Age of Brexit

Reality check wrt Brexit deal & aftermath

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH200_340

On 1 January 2021, whatever the outcome of the negotiation,

there will be checks and controls on all UK goods entering the single market
– as there are for any third country.
....
UK firms will lose the benefit of the financial services passport.
Indeed, no firm from a country outside the Single market has such a passport.
.....
the UK will no longer be able to grant marketing authorisations for pharmaceuticals
or type-approvals for cars
for the EU market.

In addition, goods certified by UK bodies will no longer be allowed to be placed on the EU market.
...
Any future cooperation with the UK on internal security will entail the UK:

•	committing to continue to apply the European Convention on Human Rights;
•	durably guaranteeing adequate data protection standards.

In addition, any cooperation must be subject to an effective dispute resolution mechanism.

And in this context, the EU's view is that where the partnership is based on concepts derived from European law,
the European Court of Justice must continue to play a full role.

It kind of does matter if you have booked, spent ££££ and now can't go. It's doubtful travel insurance will pay out over coronavirus.

Which (once again) does rather beg the question: "What's the point of insurance ?". Bearing in mind every story like this makes insurance harder to sell next time. Not really a great situation if you are relying on people insuring themselves in future instead of the state.

It matters - unless you think foreign holidays are somehow unpatriotic

This is the Brexit board. We already know there are people like that around. Remember the whole "Holiday in UK" movement that emerged to prove that Brexit was brilliant ?

and that it's ok for real people to lose out on something they have paid for.

As above. This is the Brexit forum. We know there are a lot of people who are like that.

Thinking about Groundhog Day and the way we (Mr Johnson) caved in when faced with no deal before accepting a worse WA last Dec, what's the equivalent climb down in the trade negotiations? It's obvious that we cannot have what the government has proposed, especially since the supposed position of 'sovereign equals' is soundbite bollocks of the highest order. How and who will the PM hoodwink into an agreement?

@red re 80% of those COVID sufferers dying who have to go on ventilation:
I wonder what past UK statistics are on the % die who are there for other causes ?

It's only dangerously ill / injured people who need this tech

Looking at previous (pre-COVID) studies, e.g. acute respiratory failure

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8404197

"mean survival rates were calculated to be ..... 30 percent to 1 year after discharge"

Clav - with this statement "Patel's policies would discriminate against people like her own parents.

Not if they are entitled British citizenship."
You are showing your complete and utter ignorance- plenty of people who are entitled to citizenship have it denied.
I myself are married to a British citizen and meet all the criteria - and it was a fight to get it. I know others that gave up.
Take your bullshit elsewhere

I'd still be more wary of the fact that "recovered" patients might simply be in a dormant phase of the virus, and it will simply re-emerge when they've gone back to work, school, wherever and infected loads more people.

Imagine having to self isolate for two months, not weeks.

However, we can all calm down, and look carefully at what the government are doing, not saying. Which isn't really that much at the moment.

When the DWP tells claimants they can self isolate and not be sanctioned, I'll know it's serious. Until then, I reckon there's just a surplus of news space ...

(Yes, I can get even more cynical ....)

DG Some regard losing money as just punishment for Remainers who emigrate or holiday abroad.
Maybe would be a different response from the same people to Brexiters - some retirees in Spain ? - losing similarly

However, that is totally different to the current situation of regretting any loss of a planned holiday,
but moving that loss well down the list of priorities in a crisis.

"When the DWP tells claimants they can self isolate and not be sanctioned, I'll know it's serious. Until then, I reckon there's just a surplus of news space"

If that happens, I'd expect Armageddon,
so I'm waiting for far more responsible indicators than DWP actions.

Hell, if WWIII happened, the DWP would probably sanction the radioacative cinders for not turning up to their appointments.

The latest advice being given to childcare settings in our county is that we exclude any child with symptoms, but we don't close.