Westministenders: The Virus

[RedToothBrush]

Its like living in a Bad Disaster B Movie.

If you thought Brexit on your TV every day was Bad, The Virus is a whole new level.

The 5pm broadcast with Johnson and friends, and the public infomation video with the unblicking Chris Witty (who has such unfortunate mannerism he makes me think he's me a Dr Who alien akin to the Slitheen).

Who knows what will happen. Just that everything has changed and our entire economy is now on life support whilst we figure out how to deal with the crisis and what on earth our exit strategy is.

Johnson has however refused to join a joint EU purchase scheme designed to assist countries through the crisis.

Meanwhile the US is about to go nuts... so what does that do to a trade deal?

More money for the NHS? More hospitals?

Well its possible that might just happen...

I saw that Imperial was helping, but I am completely lost as to any epidemiologist going along with herd immunity for an unknown virus. There will need to be accountability here and I think Vallance is going to find it a tough one to defend. Although I suspect the public at large don't care about experts, even now. They might be more interested in the secret eugenics meeting mentioned upthread, however. IMO it had Cummings written all over it and so he chose the scientists he wanted to listen to - his idea of "thinking outside the box" .

Yes Listening, I saw that the other day too. I also saw that Taiwan has a large number of female politicians which ties in quite nicely with the other sensible countries (Germany and NZ). The WHO must see this as an issue of best practice and put their politics aside, they look foolish here.

But unless you cordoned off an area and only let the people who don't have the virus in, would you not need to keep retesting everyone.

Don't forget Odious Odey who is capitalising as well as Dyson!

Poulet
The WHO gets massively leaned on by China, as does the UN and the EU and the IMF and others
Taiwan appear to have got a load of stuff right but are silenced.
Best practice and advice should be shared.

I see Baron King has joined Toby Young in draping himself in the faux-concern cape of "think of the teenagers" school of "thinking".

The idea that either of those two has the interests of the nations youth at heart is ... interesting. But I'm sure they will quickly forget it when it comes to zero hours contracts and shafting the young again.

.

Just read this in The Guardian... anyone interested has only 30 minutes left to tell the government what you think about decriminalising the tv licence fee!!

Yes BCF I know that you're not a fan, but this is step one in this government's strategy to do away with an independent press and I find that alarming. Governments must be held accountable and very rarely are we, the electorate, in any real position to do so.

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-decriminalising-tv-licence-evasion

Just read this in The Guardian... anyone interested has only 30 minutes left to tell the government what you think about decriminalising the tv licence fee!!

Is there a point ? Is there really ? It's a done deal. No government ever consults unless it's certain what the result will be.

Polly's article on same:
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/01/last-chance-protect-bbc-boris-johnson

Is it just me, or is choosing 1st April for last day of consultation indicative of someone in government's macabre sense of humour? As in 'April Fool's if you thought we cared about your views!'...

DGR you're right, no point (see above) other than its my only chance of telling them they're tossers. They're now tracking my IP Address as they informed me. What would a conspiracy theorist make of that?

Don’t call me a rumour-monger. Or do, if you want to - I don’t care.
But a neighbour in the military (ranking officer) just told me she was having to make some uncomfortable phone calls to say that salaries (I’m not entirely sure whose) would be reduced by 20% and the money put into the NHS.

I suppose it could have been an April Fool, but it was after midday...

I suppose it could have been an April Fool, but it was after midday...

Military Intelligence ?

I see most of Brazil has told their president to GFHS ...

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/01/brazil-bolsonaro-ignored-by-state-governors-amid-anger-at-handling-of-covid-19-crisis

The tone may be brusque, but are the facts correct ?

There will be some posters who are 100% convinced that Bozo is doing a good job, although with Laura Kuenssberg beginning to sound a note of caution, maybe the tide is turning. Or the wind blowing in a different direction.

I see the BBC has got it's "I had coronavirus and now run five marathons a day" story in place, to help Toby and Lord King.

(I imagine they just rejigged one of their "I have and now build Greek temples for a hobby" stories they like to run that makes it seem you're almost missing out if you aren't disabled. DW doesn't read those very often.)

Bozo is deemed to be doing a good job because there are no other UK politicians standing up and holding him to account.

Even Joe and Bernie are challenging the Donald a bit

How many days till we have a functioning leader of the opposition ?

Just reading that Robert Jenrick told Sky News there were 12,000 ventilators and an hour later BBC breakfast 8,000

That's some theft rate

Bozo is deemed to be doing a good job because there are no other UK politicians standing up and holding him to account.

Or simply there aren't many people in England that recognise a good job anymore ?

Aren't Labour due to announce their new leader on Saturday?

Demands growing from MPs to convene Parliament online to hold Bozo and the rest of the clowns in his car with no wheels to account.

DGR

Well, those who didn't come out the other side aren't available for interview, are they?

"That's some theft rate"

😂😩

BTW my head is in a better place today as I started planting out in the veg garden and am still cooking last year's rainbow chard into vegetarian Pounti - a dish I can highly recommend to anybody - it also works with elderly spinach, beet tops and random spring greens