Westminstenders: Events...

[RedToothBrush]

Events have taken over. EU / UK negotiation have been put on ice due to covid-19.

The US has banned all travel from Europe - apart from to the uk and Ireland - in a manner which is highly political to drive wedges.

The effects of leaving the European Medicines Agency may be much more serious than anyone could have anticipated.

There's a oil price war going on between Saudi Arabia and Russia which has further driven market fears led by covid-19.

There the crisis in Turkey with Syrian refugees which is also distracting the EU.

We are facing lockdown and economic turmoil over the next weeks and months.

Johnson is having his leadership moment with deaths projected to possibly exceed UK WW2 deaths.

We are desperately trying to recruit negotiators as it's suddenly become apparent we don't have enough to carry out all the trade deals we want.

The civil service will be stretched to its limited by covid-19. Yet we also have Brexit to consider.

Where next? How bad are things going to get?

“Seriously though running coronavirus policy via trial balloons, nudge theory, leaks, stories to your favourite struggling newspaper behind a pay wall is not how to manage a public health crisis. Especially the greatest threat to our population since WW2.”

Completely agree @RedToothBrush and most people do seem to be getting totally fed up with it. Hopefully more of the Johnson apologists will begin to see him for the lazy, heartless, incompetent he is.

Matt Hancock on sky he is incompetent beyond measure!

And we put in the order late.

I believe there are manufacturers in Germany and Switzerland.

The German government put in an order for 10,000 and Italy have put one in for 5000.

Apparently 10000 is a year's production.

I suppose we could get them off the Swiss if the EU ban exports outside EU. (Germany already arguing over its export ban with EU)

Hopefully more of the Johnson apologists will begin to see him for the lazy, heartless, incompetent he is.

Sadly, I don't think so.

What if I have 70% of alcohol inside me will that work?

Nope but you'll still be pissed so not necessarily a bad outcome!

We might need to go to the Chinese again for their "spare" ventilators. They've also got the ability to ramp up production.

Probably right @Elements - still it was a ray of hope while it lasted!

Sadly, I don't think so.

Bad things are things that happen to other people because they do the wrong thing or 'deserve it'.

It's funny one of the newspapers was reporting that only 42% of people thought they would catch coronavirus but the government's now apparently defunct herd immunity plan relied on at least 60% getting it. The gap between what we pecieve happening to us and happening to others is revealing.

Bad things are things that happen to other people because they do the wrong thing or 'deserve it'.

There's a serious fetishism for "personal responsibility" amongst the Tory faithful. Which leads to weird contortions like saying that the government must not suggest cancelling gatherings, whilst praising individual organisations that do cancel gatherings... the government must not suggest social distancing, whilst praising individual people who do practise social distancing.

That way, if (when) the SHTF, it's not the government's fault, but the failure of the individuals not properly exercising their personal responsibility. Don't quite know how that squares with the urging for continuing national support of the aforementioned government, though - as in, what the fuck are they for?

Yet we read of "enforcing" the over-70s to self-isolate

Sensible advice,
but it would grate if there is no "enforcing" to stop even the fun, non-essentials of everyone younger

"if they screw this up we still have to watch them screw up Brexit"

Well, fewer will be around to watch

Over 70s don't teach their kids or clean their toilets or grow their food or deliver their online orders or drive their cars.

Over 70s have outlived their usefulness in the eyes of government. They are a drain on public finances and resources.

The only purpose of the over 70s in the eyes of this government is to put a x in a box.

☹️

For some reason, the Hancock piece in the Sunday Torygraph isn’t paywalled - it’s here:

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/03/14/must-do-everything-power-protect-lives/

Churchill-The Blitz-Dunkirk Spirit-We Must Pull Together bollocks.

Part of the issue is the invisibility, so far, of the virus in the UK, which reinforces people's natural refusal to accept their own mortality (wasn't there a study recently showing that when their own death was mentioned, people's brains reacted to block the idea? Did I dream that?).
Add to that the idea of British exceptionalism that has been bandied about recently, a cabinet elected for its blind docility, not its competence, and you have a very dangerous cocktail.
Though the French people around me are not being very clever about this either. Lots of lunch parties and dinner parties in my street yesterday, spitting on the pavement, etc.

I'm on my own with the 2 kids, no family in France, an ex who's useless anyway and in denial. He has said he'll flout any self-confinement rules if he has to, because he needs to go to work (he's a lawyer, self-employed).
I'm trying not to worry, but have niggling fears about what will happen if I fall ill. I've been prepping, have a store cupboard and freezer that can keep us going for a month, maybe more with some seriously creative recipes towards the end. I've been trying to set things up so that DS1 can manage meals, laundry, etc. if I have to self-isolate or am mildly affected and at home.
I'm going to make a timetable of chores, schoolwork, and screen time for the coming week.

Ha! That makes them valuable politically, so ramp up investment in care homes and give all over-70s free Tory party membership.

@RedToothBrush but so many of the over 70s vote for them! Mind you the Tories aren’t the longest continuous political party by chance - they’ve been finding ways to get people to vote against their own interests since they first started allowing ordinary people to vote!

auld I'll be home with ds2 all week so I need to plan some activities to do at home...

Baking will probably feature:)

If leclerc is still lurking I shall make a lemon drizzle in his honour:)

Ds2 got a toy loom for xmas...maybe I'll take up weaving!! 🙄😁

yoikes is that a foolproof lemon drizzle cake recipe? Mine never come out very lemony

I'm planning some gardening (they'll hate me) and making pancakes, cakes, etc.

Taking DS1 to the doctors now as he has been coughing very badly for a week.

Part of the issue is the invisibility, so far, of the virus in the UK

It's this thing of people not being able to understand exponential growth, I guess.

My sympathies to you Auld it must be awful not having supportive and sensible people around.

Sending you a virtual hug from Normandy Auld.

Was just thinking that things must be desperate in the government. C&Pnova has been rarely sighted for days and only managed to C&P a smear against one government critic this morning.

only managed to C&P a smear against one government critic this morning

Plus one in support of Johnson.

Maybe it’s hard to be on message when the message is so confused.

I'm off to panic buy a lawn mower this afternoon.

We avoided getting one last year as one of our friends son who lives round the corner cut our grass with their lawn mower.

I've been stockpiling gardening stuff for the last couple of weeks in anticipation of what likely to happen.

My only worry is lots of people will think like this but for DIY projects and there will be a steep rise in people falling through lofts, chopping their fingers off with power tools or falling off ladders. I'm opting for the safest possible tasks during lock down.