Westminstenders: No pubs till Christmas?

[RedToothBrush]

Today the news has moved towards acknowledging covid-19 reality: Nicola Sturgeon has explicitly stated that some social distancing will carry on until the new year in all likelihood.

When Matt Hancock asked if this was true for England too, he refused to say yes but he said that Scotland was working from the same framework as England.

In case anyone does still need this spelling out, this means the outlook for the hospitality and leisure industries is bleak.

There are extremely unlikely to be many enjoying a holiday in the sun any time soon, whether it be in Devon or Spain.

We won't be celebrating birthdays in restaurants nor having a pint in the pub.

Conversations on the doorstep from a couple of metres away is as good as it gets.

That means if you can't adapt you may not survive.

To add into the mix changes to customs to those companies who are operating seems insanity. But that's a political not a scientific decision to be made.

Whether reality in this will kick in, in the next six weeks or so before EU budgetary decisions relating to an extension have to be made remains to be seen.

Until then, there is no news but covid-19.

Why is paying taxes not seen as a virtuous thing that all businesses want to be seen to be doing in the same way they signal how awesome they are with LGBT policies or (questionable) Green creditials?

Totally agree

Why is paying taxes not seen as a virtuous thing that all businesses want to be seen to be doing?

Perhaps the ownership of the mass-media is a clue?

There was Thatcher's suggestion that people who thought taxes were too low could always make voluntary extra contributions.

As a tax-barrister, she was more than aware that this was impossible.

"Why is paying taxes not seen as a virtuous thing that all businesses want to be seen to be doing in the same way they signal how awesome they are with LGBT policies or (questionable) Green creditials?"

Because gestures cost v little

• even Green ones may be just spin, especially for some businesses that use little energy anyway -

whereas paying a significant amount of tax costs a great deal of money, year after year

being "awesome" wrt LGBT can just mean the cost of a few new signs, if the main concrete measures are that everyone can use the same loos

• the womens' loos.

A few years ago, there was a brief meme to the effect that you'd know when the UK had got it right when schools were fully equipped, and the army had to do a sponsored walk for a tank.

Following the panorama thing, I'm hearing that the BBC should be interviewing tory-voting frontline NHS staff for "balance"

...

... and you can find them where exactly....???

History, culture and baking - what more could the long running posters on this thread want ?!

Here's a picture of a first century Roman baking tray, courtesy of the British Museums FB feed ...

research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=464086&partId=1&

There was Thatcher's suggestion that people who thought taxes were too low could always make voluntary extra contributions.

There are still people who think that's quite a clever gotcha. Apparently they believe that if you support public services, you have no interest in the policy or implementation plans you're putting money into. They see no disconnect between telling people to give extra tax to a government that's made it clear they want to downsize public services.

Following the panorama thing, I'm hearing that the BBC should be interviewing tory-voting frontline NHS staff for "balance"

Who's asking for that, squid?

belated thanks for everyone who sends me gorgeous pictures of their garden...

I'm working mainly evenings and nights at the moment and my body clock is screwed

Did a cardiac arrest for an hour in full PPE yesterday It was pretty grim. So hard to hear anyone or do... anything... properly.

1/3 of our staff have had covid now (confirmed test positive). 2 consultants have been seriously ill one in ITU

I only know of ONE infectious disease doctor and no ITU doctors who have tested positive. So, "better" PPE clearly works...

Not important in the great scheme of things but I've finally perfected my scone recipe 🙆‍♀️

They are increinle qarm from the oven slathered in butter 😊

incredible
warm

@singasonga every troll on twitter / tory mps

Following the panorama thing, I'm hearing that the BBC should be interviewing tory-voting frontline NHS staff for "balance"

What did Simon Hoare say on GMB ? Or did he "chicken out" to coin a phrase.

every troll on twitter / tory mps

Twitter trolls I wouldn't worry about too much, squid - they are mostly astroturf.

As for the MPs, if they want "balance," they can fund a massive great properly designed survey of NHS staff asking for their views on how the crisis is being handled and political vote at last election/intention at the next can be a data point. Pretty simple, and more sensible that trawling around looking for an NHS covid-19 contrarian to make it appear that there is a politically driven "balance" to be reported.

Why is paying taxes not seen as a virtuous thing that all businesses want to be seen to be doing?

And the other question ... why do some people want so much money, more than they could ever possibly spend?

If you didn’t think highly of Graham Norton before, then this might change your mind.

Completely agree RTB re Captain Tom, a fantastic achievement, but he is being exploited as feel good propaganda by the Gov, media and all the 'Britain First' type FB posters. Gives me the rage.

Coldwar Steve nails it on twitter. NB Dominic Cummings hiding in the sage.

And the other question ... why do some people want so much money, more than they could ever possibly spend?

There was a meme doing the rounds a few week ago to the effect that when someone has earned their $billion, they get a badge saying "I won capitalism" and any more goes to the exchequer.

Captain Tom is local to me (the flypast went over my house) and I vaguely know the family. I wouldn't worry too much about that family! They are very savvy, very wealthy and very on the ball. he isn't some doddery old boy and his daughter is quite the PR machine.

my other half, who's not medical, thinks the british public will tolerate any amount of deaths spun any which way, ,but if we're unable to lift our lockdown because of the mess we've made of it all and not having a mass testing programme ready to go, and other countries are lifting theirs, that's when people will lose it

He may be right

piggy interesting, thanks!

I agree @squid4 - when it starts to be about them and not about 'others' then we will see a reaction.

Piggy I did notice mention of the daughters PR company as part of the original fundraising blurb. Not sure if it's still there. V odd, I thought.

So right at the beginning of the Covid mess (as opposed to general Tory gov mess and brexit mess) my husband and I had a discussion about all these millionaires and billionaires and there attitudes. Now I am sure certain posters - not regulars - would love to characterise us as labour/socialist/lefties.... but we are - by any stretch well off. Best description I have seen is probably capitalists with a conscience. But what shocked both of us - is the complete disregard these millionaires/billionaires have for their staff -thinking Wetherspoons and sport direct- but they are the obvious ones. We have had quite a few discussions about how these people have made obscene amounts of money - by actually pushing the people who have made that money for them down further . It absolutely appalls us. I hope that we are not the only ones who feels that way. Anyway it's not just those two , they are the most obvious and obnoxious examples - but there's plenty more.

DG - a billion is too much - no one actually needs that much- they can keep the first £50m and then after that a portion needs to go to the employees, and then maybe at £150m it goes to the exchequer.
That would mean an end to private jets and polluting super yachts.