Westministenders: Lockdown continues

[BigChocFrenzy]

The UK has been on lockdown since 23 March,
with no end in sight.

The deaths peak is predicted to be around 17 April,
with the controversial IHME prediction that the UK will have considerably more total deaths - 66,000 - by summer than other European countries.

Supermarkets are struggling to satisfy demand for online slots for the vulnerable
and to keep shelves supplied for other customers

Like all countries, the UK economy is being hammered and heading for a deep recession.
Estimates are for UK GDP to fall 15% this year.

A million people have applied for Universal Credit
The self-employed and small - and some large - businesses are struggling to stay solvent.

They don't know how long to plan for.

The PM is in ICU and Raab has taken over as stand-in, but needs Cabinet approval for decisions.
Probably BJ will be unfit to resume his duties as PM for several weeks, if ever.

WIll he stand down soon and let the Cabinet choose a new PM,
or will the UK continue for weeks with a stand-in leader during the worst crisis since WW2

What's the plan, anybody?

How long did April 1st last ?

I don't disagree, either ...

Burney
I am a home slob of the first order - being allowed to live in my 12 year old non trendy gym leggings is bliss at the moment

But my next door neighbours with a baby and a toddler are having to buy clothes ....

DGR
One interesting point that my kids have made about this lockdown is that its made lots of men much more appreciative of what is involved in running a family home and might just make paternity and equal employment rights climb the priority pole
which would mean MORE countries being run by women in future

Do you think May would have done a better job then, DGR?

Personally, I suspect she would.

I did see an interesting thing somewhere about all that macho survivalist gun nut bullshit - who'd have thought the real survivalist skills turned out to be sewing and cooking.

May has serious flaws, but some of them might even be assets in this crisis

Known positivies:
she is conscientious and hard-working, with much experience at govt top level

BJ is not equipped to handle any sort of crisis competently
He does appear to be trying his best,

but it's like the kid who messes around in class for 10 years at school,
does no homework or revision,
then swots madly in the week before GCSEs

He is trying to learn, during the biggest post-WW2 crisis, how to be an adult politician

who'd have thought the real survivalist skills turned out to be sewing and cooking.

This doesn't surprise me at all. Reading about the Japanese invasion of Singapore, the women taken into captivity fared better, because they numbered women who could cook, and sew, plus had teachers and nurses. The men lacked the day to day skills, and had to live with the sense of failing to protect the colony.

yeah it's not that surprising if you give it a second's thought.

This doesn't surprise me at all. Reading about the Japanese invasion of Singapore, the women taken into captivity fared better, because they numbered women who could cook, and sew, plus had teachers and nurses.

Was that what "Tenko" was all about ?

BigChoc - yes that sounds like dear lovable Boris. The thing is, you can probably get away with last minute swotting for GCSEs, but then come unstuck with A levels.

So with this, 'getting Brexit done' is the cramming for GCSEs because it was really getting other people's work passed. Deal with a corona virus? Bother to look to see what others have done (c.f. read the texts, write the essays).... well, some people get a shock, do knuckle down and do OK. Will he? I have no idea, time will tell.

I have compost on order as well as a plant bundle from a local garden centre. They are so overloaded with orders delivery is 2 to 3 weeks.

I ordered seeds from an independent company on 30th March. Delivery on those is supposed to be 10 to 14 days.

But post around here is patchy. One of the nearby depots has had a walk out. I think we are a different one. We've not had post for over a week though. Last thing we got was Johnson's letter.

I know our posties fairly well (the one who normally does our round used to be a neighbour before we moved). I've not seen any of our regular posties in a couple of weeks.

This is something I find unsettling.

Together with the police walking / cycling past our house (it's a very quiet residential street) regularly now.

I know some of you don't have Facebook, but for those who do, this video nearly made me cry! www.facebook.com/VonAdder/videos/1119585151731502/UzpfSTEwMDAwMzk3OTMzNjc2MjoxNzI5NTUyMzkzODU0MDU1/ After all of the hate of Brexit, I hope that people actually recognise this now.

@JeSuisPoulet

Thank you ..

Who likes stats ? Big, juicy stats ? Small detailed stats ? Stats for this, and stats for that ? Stats to shake sticks at ? Stats to watch cats by ? Stats to drink gin to ? Stats to make up ? Stats to go down ? Get your stats, all your stats here. Fresh stats. New stats. Stats you've never heard of. Stats for you. Stats for your family. Get them while they're hot. Stats as you have never seen them before ! Dip in, dip out; or lose yourself for the day? What's that Madam ? Not with these stats - I can assure you. Come again sir ? No, only stats. Just for you on this day.

yougov.co.uk/covid-19

Theresa May would in all probability have done a better job. Her dogged wont-let-go-of-the-bone determination combined with her trust in qualified experts would be just what we need.

Theresa May would in all probability have done a better job. Her dogged wont-let-go-of-the-bone determination combined with her trust in qualified experts would be just what we need.

Indeed, we could all do with Nick Timothy over Dominic Cummings ...

Jesuispoulet I saw that too and thought it was very moving.
I know NHS workers who are moved by the clapping but can’t understand why the same people vote for a party that’s decimated the NHS.

It’s on the Guardian website as well.

www.theguardian.com/global/video/2020/apr/15/you-clap-for-me-now-the-coronavirus-poem-on-racism-and-immigration-in-britain-video

Nick Timothy, time on his hands, has writte a very interesting book.

Funny how they always have all the answers once they're out of power.

Cynical party hack advisor vs nihilist Social Darwinist

Indifferent to the vulnerable vs wanting rid of them

Was it Matt Hancock with his sickening statement that it's a National Health Service, not an International Health Service, when he was trying to justify charging non British citizens to use the health service? Never mind if they work in it, hey and have just saved St Boris. Never mind that those people who do work in it, of whatever nationality, are paying tax and NIC for the privilege of working there and risking their own health.

I hope there is a reckoning after this is over, but I am not holding my breathe.

The racists & xenophobes are just staying quiet temporarily

They havn't changed their views, even if a few have changed their tune - just until the crisis is over

Is Trump spiralling out of control ? Will he face that ignominious end all despots do of being surrounded by people who daren't tell them bad news and who increasingly try to remove themselves from his orbit ?

Health can be a contribution-based service for everyone, private & state, as in many countries
(subsidised for those on low income / disabled)

What is unfair is a system that is free at the point of use for all residents .... but only for those of a certain nationality
Fairer would be to include those residents paying National Insurance - and include their household

"Will he face that ignominious end all despots do" ?

Well, in 2016 many people voted for him when he told them what he was, because they couldn't bear Clinton

She was a mediocre candidate, but not deserving all the demonisation - which Trump does actually deserve !

Probably the same will happen to Biden, also mediocre and flawed, but will be demonised

I wonder if we could trick the numpty ultra right wing zealots into implementing the system that Hitler approved of in the FuhrerBunker for post war Germany ? I can see them happily getting behind it.

Just don't mention that it's called "The Beveridge Report" and it's job done. Welfare state and free-at-point-of-delivery NHS. Oh, and don't let Labour near it ...