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?

Shops in my area are still full of food and ordinary groceries, but with notices restricting people to only 2 packs of loo rolls or pasta

Of course no hand sanitiser or masks anywhere
and loo rolls are still flying off the shelves

• Maybe the entire country has the shits because of stress

The problem with something like Covid, is that it's pretty damn inconsiderate, and doesn't really respect the English class system. Rich old people are at more risk than poor young people.

That really isn't a great situation for a "survivor" of the past 30 years to find themselves in, when it suddenly transpires they need young people to look after them, and those young people aren't there.

Unlike the engineered "crisis" that Brexit would have been ...

Incidentally, how come there's been little mention of all the EU health workers that we've lost these past 3 years ? You know, the ones we could really fucking do with right now ...

DGR I've just mentioned on another thread about longer term food chain supply issues and how it could be particularly bad in the UK because no travel means no seasonal labour. Only making the Brexit issues worse.

Younger people who no longer have jobs in bars and restaurants will have to be shipped in from the cities instead.

Listening imo, social distancing needs to be MUCH stricter than in the UK

So close down all the non-essentials such as entertainment and discretionry spending:
schools & nurseries, hairdressers, nails, gym, pool, cinema, pubs,restuarants, sports clubs and all gatherings of more than about 10 people

Just keep schools as childcare for essential workers - as here - and otherwise let people work, then go home or walk / jog / cycle on their own or in small family groups

My neighbours mostly want even tougher measures:
2 weeks complete shutdown except for emergency services and letting 1 person per household get food a couple of times per week
i.e. much like China

and yes, 3 of them are self-employed / small business owners, but they expect the govt to help substantially.
Even without that help, they put lives before livelihoods, as we all fear millions will die if this is not brought under control quickly

Govt here has said that there is plenty of food and supplies will be fine all year

Didn't mention if there will be enough left over to export to a country that produces only half its own food

Doubtful if many fruit & veg pickers will choose the UK this year !
Especially as the pound has been sliding relative to the Euro

Govt here has said that there is plenty of food and supplies will be fine all year

Mandy Rice Davies applies (as always).

A fuck of a lot of newspaper (and BBC) headlines about "the government will" ... almost in inverse proportions to the governments own actions - as via official departmental websites.

By the time we're all safely locked down, a lot of people are going to realise they've been sold a pup.

However, the Uk govt hopefully hung onto a couple months of Brexit No Deal stock,
which they can dole out if need be

Well, DG The farmers locally have managed to work as normal and agree with the govt that food won't be one of our problems

• they don't know of farmers in other areas having significant problems, at least not yet

Loo rolls however ....

and I've never seen the Daily Mail here, the one time it could be useful

We have reached the sunny uplands bcf.

I never thought I'd say it, but we most definitely have.

BigChoc
but they expect the govt to help substantially.
I can see no way that the Government can help unless
government continues to function effectively
which means people like me have to go out to work

there is no THEM there is only US

Incidentally, how come there's been little mention of all the EU health workers that we've lost these past 3 years ? You know, the ones we could really fucking do with right now

Maybe they're all in Germany now and that's why their death rate is so low.

Listening The vast majority of workers are NOT essential
and some of those who are can WFH and Skype

All the things I listed for lockdown are just ways for people to spend their money on unnecessary things
The country will be fine for a few months without those - probably leaner and healthier, if rather shaggier !

The country will be fine for a few months without those - probably leaner and healthier, if rather shaggier !

And claggier if the toiler roll runs out ...

EU and Schengen travel restrictions involve the thorny issue of a NI border with Ireland.

Maybe an all-island solution will have to be faced by Arlene Foster? Her talk of a 16 week shutdown of schools came across to me as more of a threat to parents than a promise to take sensible measures.

red We've often thought the last 5 years that the lunatics have taken over the asylum,
but now they are burning it down around us

Maybe an all-island solution will have to be faced by Arlene Foster?

Did I read somewhere that there was some sort of dialog between RoI and NI ?

I know it's not what some people might like to hear, but moments like this occur less than once a generation - there is a window for the public to push, rather than be dragged. If they want it.

The fall of the Berlin Wall is a great example of how history can be made from a series of seemingly unlinked events.

To think I was singing that at the start of the Thatcher years ....

I had been assuming / hoping much of the delay was because the govt wasn't keen on testing

Sadly I don’t think so, BCF, these conversations with the suppliers have apparently been going on since the days they were spouting the ‘herd immunity’ crap. So the alternative is likely to be correct - they’re just that shit at getting things done.

One reason why cynicism wins every time ...

www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/18/italians-found-way-3-d-print-key-ventilator-piece-1-help-battle-coronavirus-so

Italians Found Way to 3-D Print Key Ventilator Piece for $1 to Help Battle Coronavirus—So the Company With the Patent Is Threatening to Sue

Ha!

Have any other regulars on this thread noted that the Brexit experience - having to find cites when challenged, rebutting unsupported shite, and dealing with shills and rather dim people - appears to have honed their posting skills for covid ?

Heaven forfend that we are used to checking facts

Have any other regulars on this thread noted that the Brexit experience - having to find cites when challenged, rebutting unsupported shite, and dealing with shills and rather dim people - appears to have honed their posting skills for covid ?

I noticed on another thread that one of our not favourite posters who has a propensity to C&P had queried a scientist's analysis because he had an EU flag in his profile . Only went back to read his/her post, as I usually 🎶🎵 because someone challenged him/her on it and I couldn't believe that anyone would be so crass - and then he/she doubled down, justifying "scientists" being against Brexit because there was a group called "Scientists for Brexit"