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.

Normally, one indicator would be the PM being holed up in some emergency bunker with its own air supply, food, staff etc

Unfortunately, with the workshy BJ, it would take several months before we'd notice the difference !
wtf is he doing to earn his pay ?
Time for a productivity review there

I'll keep an eye out for Merkel or Macron dropping out of sight though ....

If / when Starmer gets in, I hope he'll call out the workshy git
and pin him down on what he and his govt are doing on Brexit, Turkey, COVID

Too many parallel crises to afford an empty space at the top of UK govt

• it's been bad enough having that for so long at the top of the Official Opposition

Of course there might be an uncomfortable truth to be faced that it's our entire Western lifestyles that make pandemics not only likely, but inevitable (this isn't an original idea by a long chalk. It was floated in the 80s - when there were 2billion fewer people breathing air).

Of the 80,000 Ugandan Asians that were expelled in 1972, about 27,000 had British citizenship. Even then, the UK tried to wriggle off the hook with the aim of resettling them in Commonwealth countries instead.

Yep, I remember the furore in 1972 of Idi Amin expelling the Ugandan asians
He was a totally different kettle of fish to previous leaders who had a "hostile environment" but no threats of harm

Rather like if 10 years of Tory "hostile environment" were replaced by a Britain First govt
The first is unpleasant, but people who leave the UK atm are not in any way refugees

There was considerable opposition to letting in the Ugandan Asians, but Tory PM Ted Heath did the right thing and let in those who could not go elsewhere
He was praised by the left, centre & moderate right, but those on the racist right condemned him for it

The furore started off the whole long process of removing important rights from some British citizens and their families, which is still ongoing.

Yep, I remember the furore in 1972 of Idi Amin expelling the Ugandan asians

Well one lad started at our school - we became good friends (he went on to get 9 grade "A" O-Levels and unconditional offers from Oxford and Cambridge which he declined). His brother then joined my brother, 2 years below. Their family were fortunate enough to already have family here - plus the Sikh community pulled together. DF knew a lot of Sikhs through his work (because all foreigners tended to be excluded by the English). Quite a few settled in our neighbourhood. Enough that in 1977 out local Tory councillor excluded our street from the Jubilee celebrations because there were "Too many Pakistanis". Presumably something that a lot of people felt, as there was a vogue of kids at school claiming they were "with the NF" as part of the bullying culture.

One reason why my view of the 70s isn't fetishised to buggery and rose-fucking-tinted.

One characteristic of East African Asians is they all came here with English as their first if not only language. Not exactly swamping us with their alien culture, as Thatcher said so calculatingly.

When I was at school, the Tory anti-immigrant press did a handbrake turn and said we had to welcome back all the white Rhodesians our kith and kin. Most of us rather thought they had it coming to them.

One characteristic of East African Asians is they all came here with English as their first if not only language. Not exactly swamping us with their alien culture, as Thatcher said so calculatingly.

My friends English was better than the bullies. As was his French. And Latin (we studied together). However, you don't talk to bullies .

Unfortunately, with the workshy BJ, it would take several months before we'd notice the difference !
wtf is he doing to earn his pay ?

According to the BBC website, he’s been to a hospital in Kettering this morning to talk to staff about their preparedness for Coronavirus. I’m sure we’re all feeling completely reassured now

Good old patriotically Brexitatious Wetherspoons...

twitter.com/LivingWageBarge/status/1232993238396624896?s=20

Wetherspoons has sent out a briefing on Coronavirus and has made clear that even if employees are in quarantine by orders of the Government, that they will still not receive sick pay from day one.

The company is forcing workers to choose between public health and making rent.

Interesting thread on the EU/UK negotiations from another pesky expert.

He makes the point that the outcome can only be binary: either a broad zero-tariffs/zero quotas deal with LPF committments or no deal. There is no time to negotiate anything in between.

twitter.com/Mij_Europe/status/1232930941527633920

Just got back from ASDA - noticed fuel prices are lowest they've been for a while. No obvious signs of panic yet. The shelves are all messed up, but then I could have written that any day of the week

Storm Jorge due this weekend too. 3rd in a row ...

It really is end of days, isn't it. This was supposed have happened in the 80s due to nuclear winter. Not the 2020s due to the flu ....

Article on the Spanish Flu and lessons for today:

What proved even more deadly was the government policy toward the truth.

... while influenza bled into American life, public health officials, determined to keep morale up, began to lie.

www.smithsonianmag.com/history/journal-plague-year-180965222/

Actually, maybe better to not read that article if you’re of a nervous disposition.

Actually, maybe better to not read that article if you’re of a nervous disposition.

Given the US government had an official policy of distributing smallpox infected blankets to native Americans in the hope of wiping them out, there's not really much more in the way of shocks left.

As the children's rhyme of the time had it re the Spanish Flu:

"I had a little hen. Her name was henza. I opened the door and In-Flu-Enza!"

As the children's rhyme of the time had it re the Spanish Flu:

I wonder, had institutions like MN been around, whether people would have been lambasted for "making fun of misery".

"Ring-a-ring-a-roses ..."*

(*=Yes, I know ....)

Meanwhile, in la-la land (once you start clicking on Brexiteer links, all sorts of batshittery starts popping up ....)

I have seen much batshittery about all kinds of things today, but your last takes the biscuit vaccine impregnanted sugar cube, @DGRossetti.

infused, not impregnated, sorry, WTAF?!

Anyone remember when "that Icelandic Volcano" (sorry, but my linguistic inclusion can only go so far) shut down the skies for a few weeks ?

US Chiropterary Guano knows few bounds. My favourite is "The UN is planning to invade the USA!," evidenced by:

a) Aircraft with UN markings seen at US aiports (which proves it.)

and

b) 'Secret' UN aircraft without UN markings seen at US aiports (which proves it.)

US Chiropterary Guano knows few bounds

I dunno, I'd like to think we're joint second ? Howabout the rumour that "triage" is actually an EU plot to ensure the elite are treated ahead of the decent British citizen ?

Aquick google tells me that Eyjafjallajokull's eruption in April 2010 disrupted flights for at least a week, @DGRossetti. Can't believe it was nearly 10 years ago already!

Brexit will cripple the economy
Flooding is crippling the economy
Covid will cripple the economy

Time for and and bad old telly