Westministenders: Crisis, which crisis ?

[BigChocFrenzy]

Main crises facing the government:

. Negotiating a Brexit deal with the EU
. Coronoavirus
. Floods
. Allegations of some ministers - and Cummings - bullying civil servants
. More trouble threatened from Turkey / Syria

Unfortunately with all these parallel crises, we have a workshy lying arse as PM
and the worst collection yet of incompetents in Cabinet
who seem to have decided on a strategy of bullying their civil servants to avoid hearing any facts that don't fit with current Tory party ideology

There was a Reuters opinion poll showing that in the US Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to take Coronavirus seriously

From the CV threads on MN, I see a similar right-left split, with the few known Tories there tending to scoff and minimise all the time
(they are the ones starting the threads about how "hysterical" everyone else is)

That puzzles me, as CV19 is such a brilliant excuse for any failings to deliver extravagant promises on Brexit, or on the economy in the USA

There was a Reuters opinion poll showing that in the US Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to take Coronavirus seriously

I imagine they will manage to spectacularly piss any electoral uplift away as they lose to Trump later this year.

That puzzles me, as CV19 is such a brilliant excuse for any failings to deliver extravagant promises on Brexit,

I don't think The Dom wants to cover any failings. The more Brexit fails - and quicker - the closer we are to utopia. In that, he's going to be unwittingly (but then we know that Brexiteers haven't any wits) gladhanded by the Brexiteers who will be locked into "its not Brexits fault" mode until they die.

Listening My NDN hotel owner says people have cancelled all the large booked events - company celebrations, anniversaries etc

This started a few weeks ago and now he expects none whatsoever for months
They are a major source of profit for him

He'll be fine, as hotel is family-owned for over 200 years, hence large financial reserve
However, some other small businesses / with higher overheads are likely to go broke

My fav Rhineside cafe is still fairly full, but my fav restaurant - regional prizewinner - in the nearest town is nearly empty

I expect gyms will be OK, as their memberships here have 3 months or sometimes 1 year cancellation notice for membership !
However, the coffee bar at my gym is noticeably empty, so those takings are down,

are we starting to play out en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Omega_Man for real ?

So on what is International Woman Day...

www.contractorcalculator.co.uk/maternity_rights_stripped_self_employed_women_557510_news.aspx?fbclid=IwAR3EmdB6hnWYW2gdMyosw0-XH-5M0unfp96Ub_H1oLj6LQU4C9G2UovRLZw

Some Self employed women have just lost maternity rights thanks to an ill-thought through and rushed tax law which is designed to classify self-employed freelancers as “deemed employees”, but which then proceeds to tax them like employees but without providing them with the same rights as employees. So absica;ly thsoe woen are considered 'employees' with all the tax deductions coming woith it (for the company 'employing them') but have none of the protection that being employed could give them. Incl maternity pay.

Add to that the odea that 1/3 of young men think they have more right to going to Uni than their female counterparts....

Im not sure if I am supposed to be or :(:(

1 in 3 boys believe that girls have less rghts than boys to deucation. IN THE UK...

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/education-boys-girls-uk-prejudice-refugees-equality-discrimination-a9384186.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1Wlcd8egvIWyBsTswtGaXWwNto9L2JcNPtVaxP7BtCaG3DMEs6RUKe0E0#Echobox=1583592992

Some Self employed women have just lost maternity rights thanks to an ill-thought through and rushed tax law which is designed to classify self-employed freelancers as “deemed employees”

Is this IR35 ? Been around for 20 years now. The only difference is HMRC is moving the liability from the contractor to the hiring company meaning loads of companies are changing their contracts with freelancers.

Pastor Neimoller (again).

I don't have the guts to post this anywhere else, but I hope y'all appreciate the sentiments ...

DG - I do......

IR35 - quite a few contractors we know have told their employers to shove it and have walked. Employers are ignoring the small company exemption and insisting that all contractors fall under IR35 as, well, it’s easier for HR and contracts departments to do it that way.

I luffs this ("ruffs this" ?). Must share. From Dmitry Grozoubinski @DmitryOpines.

"A significant portion of young people living in the UK believe education is a human right unless you are a girl or refugee, a new survey has found."

"just 62 per cent of boys aged 16 to 18 said they strongly believe that girls and boys have an equal right to education."

Depressing

IR35 : I have a self employed client who is being forced to go umbrella paye
even though it in no way reflects the nature of the work he does
OR the law
and the maternity side just makes it worse

Will the covid-19 situation have an effect on negotiations ? I honestly can't see that it won't if the trajectory of infection continues.

"just 62 per cent of boys aged 16 to 18 said they strongly believe that girls and boys have an equal right to education."

Depressing

Hopefully they ticked 'believe' at least - perhaps a misunderstanding/immaturity with reference to 'strongly believe'?

From the CV threads on MN, I see a similar right-left split, with the few known Tories there tending to scoff and minimise all the time

Do you think it might be part of their whole anti intellectual, we know better, fed up of experts attitude?

Or perhaps they just can't to maths?

So boys in the UK aren't misogynistic and anti-refugee, it's just that they might believe that "I strongly believe" means...what, exactly?
"I do not believe"?

That's some pretty natty casuistry.

Re. IR35, my biggest client is still deliberating over who might be deemed to be an employee and will apparently let us know this month

It’s a little bit last minute, but I’m fairly confident that the decision will be in my favour, plus at least they’re actually thinking about it rather than taking a blanket approach.

God BCF that is depressing! Can’t believe only 62% 16-18year old boys think girls have an equal right to education. Why would 38% think they didn’t? I worry for my daughter and nieces if this is the way we are going. Country’s buggered enough as it is!

Placemarking here.

This pandemic is going to show up a lot of infrastructure weaknesses and it's going to be interesting to see what choices the Government makes. I can see them extending the Easter school break, for example, but I would be surprised if they lock down parts of the UK, like Italy. For one thing, it's likely to be counterproductive, causing panic and diverting attention whilst the virus circulates in from elsewhere.

38% don't necessarily think they don't deserve equal, what were the other options, quite strongly believe, strongly believe, etc. Like all polls, how it was framed and how/where the question was asked will have an impact.

Trade deal between Russia and Saudi Arabia has gone tits up. Saudi Arabia has now slashed oil prices. This level of price makes the UK oil industry unviable commercially.

Yet another crisis. Financial markets are not taking it well.