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...

[BigChocFrenzy]

"people on £50k self employed really should have buffer savings"

Listening but many don't, neither do people on 100k
and few have several months outgoings

• some businesses will need to be built up again and some won't be viable for years, if they depend on people having plenty of spare money for "fun / luxuries"
  
  Those who chose to become Ltd companies and not pay themselves a taxable salary will also not shrug and accept going broke, losing everything

[BigChocFrenzy]

DG Already started.
Orbán's new laws for Hungary are frightening

[RedToothBrush]

BELGIAN CAT TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

The veterinary department of Liège’s university has confirmed a cat contracted coronavirus, Steven Van Gucht, the chair of the government’s scientific committee for coronavirus, said today.

“It concerns a cat that was living with an owner infected with the virus and the cat was in close contact with the owner,” he said.

One week after the cat’s owner developed symptoms, the cat followed suit, suffering diarrhea, breathing difficulties and vomiting.

“It’s important to note that this is an isolated case, that there are no indications that occurs often,” Van Gucht said, also stressing that “in this case, the cat was actually the victim of the infection in humans. It’s an infection that in principle doesn’t pass from animals to humans.”

[RedToothBrush]

from politico.eu live thread

[Peregrina]

For those of you of a nerdy persuasion - have a look at Heathrow and Gatwick on Flight Radar.

I have been watching this sedulously over the past few days, having managed to return from a locked down country yesterday, and there is even less traffic today than there was then. I do wonder if more countries are going to close their borders.

[BigChocFrenzy]

Regular employees with a base 100k, 200k salary should also have buffer savings,
but many have huge financial commitments that would be life-changing for them and their DCto have to give up

Many Brits at all income levels, except the really wealthy 0.01%, live up to their income and few have anything like say 6 months outgoings saved

[DGRossetti]

One solution to all the problems getting "help" to the various demographics in the UK would be to abolish money, and replace it with a new e-currency that could be controlled centrally. A bit like what the US are sneaking in under their COVID legislation ...

www.wsj.com/articles/fed-digital-dollars-are-part-of-debate-over-coronavirus-stimulus-11585085518

(paywalled)

Or a free interpretation

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-03-24/coronavirus-stimulus-let-s-pay-it-in-digital-dollars

[DGRossetti]

In Weimar Germany, all the savings in the world wouldn't have helped.

Banks were returning deposits of thousands of Marks using stamps costing billions.

[RedToothBrush]

"people on £50k self employed really should have buffer savings"

I don't know how old you are, but what do you think £50k gets you for a mortgage these days? Not a lot. Now add in bills.

Reality is, especially if you are a single income household or a household with with small children (thus either on maternity leave or working part time), that £50k wouldn't leave you a lot for savings.

If you are under 40 the majority of what you have has to go on a mortgage or rent.

The idea that if you earn £50k you are loaded is nonsense. 10 years ago you'd have been a lot more comfortable but now, no. It doesn't go far.

And the same is true for anyone under 40 with a household income (not single income and after tax) up to and including £75k.

A 4 bed detatched in my area will set you back £500,000. A medium sized 4 bed semi is around £400,000. A small 3 bed around £300,000. Traditional 3.5 times multipler on a mortgage? Whilst considering that houses have only just retained their 2008 value here. So lots of people who haven't acquired much equity. Work out the maths. £50,000 isn't what it was.

[ListeningQuietly]

RTB
I'm old.
I can never move house because my house is now "worth" so much more than I earn that my only option would be to move down to a flat.

I've got two University age children paying out shed loads for houses they cannot live in (their rent adds up to more than their maintenance loans in total).

My husband will have no earnings at all until September at the earliest.

Both of us have Companies so get nothing from any of the bail outs.

I've got clients emailing and calling at all hours in a total panic wondering how they will pay their rents and mortgages.

Its all a bit Pete Tong.

[RedToothBrush]

The difference between friends we have locally who are in their late fourties to early fifties compared with friends who are in their late thirties is incredibly marked. Even in the same careers.

We have friends who are very aware that if they were the same age they would not have been able to buy here. And their career prospects would have been a lot more limited.

Its very stark. The area has an amazing school which in recent years has been under subscribed - this is partly due to families being unable to afford to move here. Last year there was one child who despite living 11 miles away from the school as the crow flies still got in.

There are other outstanding schools in the vincinity which have a 1/4mile catchment area. Its crazy.

Affordability is the key word here. Not how much you actually earn. There is a big difference.

[RedToothBrush]

Listening I'm very much aware of it. I know lots of people in similar circumstances. I don't expect them to necessarily have savings. Its not that easy nor simple.

The reality of it is awful. And what really is pissing me off enormously is the unaffected acquaintences I have who have spent the last two weeks spamming happy memes on facebook and the like about how we will get through this. Its been winding me up massively especially since its coming from people who are secure in income, food and housing.

[DGRossetti]

Its been winding me up massively especially since its coming from people who are secure in income, food and housing.

But clearly not secure in a knowledge of history and how (or more importantly who revolutions start off with ...)

I wonder how quickly car manufacturers could knock up a guillotine

[ListeningQuietly]

RTB
I walked past my kids primary school the other day on my daily exercise.
The footpath from the housing estate to the gate is covered in weeds
because all of the people in the houses around there have kids same age as mine.
No young people can afford to move.
There have been theories that there will be a baby boom in 9 months.
I doubt it because I think the young are too scared about where they will live and what they will live on.

The UK's housing market is utterly broken.
The UK's job market is utterly broken.
The UK's food supply chain is clearly broken.
And we are still hurtling towards the cliff edge of Brexit
with added Covid

[yoikes]

We have some savings but not much - maybe 2 months of dhs salary?
We've just lost a £600 holiday deposit (although cc company are saying we may be able to get that back which would be fantastic)
I am SO grateful for my no deal Brexit stash. It won't help with fresh stuff but its taken a load off my mind for sure!
We have no investments other than dhs pension (which I imagine has nosedived...)
I'm also glad I spent the last year building up a meds buffer for dh and ds1.
I'm still really scared.
Dhs company have shut down...he's really stressed.
It's just...so unknown.

[yoikes]

BJ has tested + for covid-19

[QuestionMarkNow]

LATEST NEWS
BJ has tested positive to CV-19.... and is recovering

What is the procedure now? Who is at the head of the country if our PM is out of action and self isolating? (With a spare thought for his partner who is pg. I wouldnt want to be at her place just now seeing how careless he has been...)

[TheABC]

Reading about the land army is sobering. I can't help thinking we would have had this food insecurity anyway with Brexit, but with a lot more unrest and a side order of "jolly Blitz spirit".

At least the Coronovirus pandemic cannot be blamed on Remainers Not Believing in the Government.

If I were Johnson, I would be waiting until a bad news day (fuck knows what that will look like right now- a Royal dying?) and slip out "we have agreed to a technical delay in order to allow the evil EU time to get it's affairs in order after the pandemic" Magnanimous and makes it seem like an external delay rather than admitting to a UK cock up in the timeline.

I am really worried about the SE safety net and the UC problems. Hungry people are angry people.

[QuestionMarkNow]

I’m also worried about explosive inflation. I’ve seen prices of food going right up already (packet of tomatoes over £2 anyone?).

[Mistigri]

Johnson has only just developed symptoms (allegedly).

I wonder if Raab is his designated back-up because he has already had it? Remember him coughing in the HoC.

[GnomicGnu]

I think Raab, as Foreign Sec, is Johnson’s No 2? Every pun intentended.

[BigChocFrenzy]

"Johnson has only just developed symptoms (allegedly)."

I've been wondering since this started whether BJ would quietly depart for somewhere much safer,
say to one of his ultra-rich backers with private islands & medical staff

Whether he gets infeted or not

• this isn't the jolly jape he invisaged with his lifelong ambition to be PM
  and national leaders, especially democratic ones, seem at even higher risk of infection than the rest of us

[GnomicGnu]

*intended.

[BigChocFrenzy]

I'm concerned about Raab recognising the danger to UK food supplies,

.... since he had to be told as Brexit Sec where much of our food comes from

[BigChocFrenzy]

I presume plans are also ongoing for GB morgues:

www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/mar/27/coronavirus-live-news-update-us-infections-outnumber-china-uk-deaths-europe-global-cases-number-500000-latest-updates?page=with:block-5e7ddcda8f0878a2a48ab4b8#block-5e7ddcda8f0878a2a48ab4b8

Ireland and Northern Ireland are preparing improvised morgues
as they brace for a sharp increase in the number of deaths from coronavirus, reports Rory Carroll in Dublin.