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Brexit

Westminstenders: Following the EU lead

969 replies

RedToothBrush · 02/05/2020 17:50

Coronavirus poses a particularly Irish shaped question. How the UK responds to Irish plans for ending lockdown and whether Arlene continues to back an all Ireland plan will be fascinating to watch and see justified regardless of which way we go.

The UK for all its new found independence is looking very closely to the success / failure of EU strategies before making our own plan public. Mainly because we've yet to write one.

Johnson hasn't led much. He's delegated. Yet he gets all the praise for doing the sum total of fuck all and never being the bad guy. There always another fall guy to blame.

Economically we are stuffed and promises of a very quick bounce back don't look likely based on public confidence and willingness to return to places like pubs restaurants and shops.

Our ability to adapt to new conditions at short notice has been tested and businesses can not afford to do this again soon.

This is the background to which we go into talks. Both sides need an extension to serve their best interests. Johnson is determined to cut our nose of to spite our face for the sake of his legacy and to keep those paying the back handers and dodging tax happy.

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JeSuisPoulet · 05/05/2020 10:14

I think it was on here (last year or more) there was a call for ethics to be taught as part of mathamatical modelling?

I've just had a prime example of that on my feed. I have a friend who is a simulation modeller who has become obsessed with "finding R".

He's been posting on his wall about it for about a week and has gone through eugenics faster than a bush fire and has ended up relying on antigen tests and the app. I despair.

I posted that we do actually know how to control this, we simply aren't. He said in response "I take your points, but I am more interested in the maths side". Hmm

#classicdom

DGRossetti · 05/05/2020 10:16

Shame the UK would be no place for people like this.

www.technologyreview.com/2020/05/03/1000954/man-diy-covid-antibody-tests-himself

...
On April 6, Hilgart-Martiszus posted results of what he dubbed the nation’s “first community serum testing” survey for covid-19, complete with figures and a description of how he did it. He’d beaten out big medical centers by weeks. His data indicated one positive case and three suspected ones.
...
(contd)

JeSuisPoulet · 05/05/2020 10:25

DGR - interesting how more and more reports of people having this in December keep popping up. Anecdata from Kent suggests at least 2 families I know had it in November and December. My friend who had the lung x-ray and scan (Nurse) developed it late December.

Peregrina · 05/05/2020 10:30

DS said that two colleagues in the S of France both had nasty bugs back in January. One at least had been to China and Japan over Christmas. It made them all wonder. Only when we have an antibody test will anyone know.

I also know someone in the UK who had a particularly nasty bug in January - it wasn't flu, so what was it?

MockersxxxxxxxSocialDistancing · 05/05/2020 10:37

It seems you have to go into exile to say this sort of thing:

www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/opinion/boris-johnson-coronavirus-uk.html

Piggywaspushed · 05/05/2020 10:41

jesuis, interesting that,as it also links to why so little is known about pregnancy as a risk factor in most illnesses ,and even why little is really know about gender differences . Invisible Women has much to say about ethics and data gathering. If we assume everyone to be an average white male , we are going to be slightly thrown when our data gets all confused by outcomes..

Has your data friend read it?

Clavinova · 05/05/2020 10:45

DGRossetti
Shame the UK would be no place for people like this.

In what way?

DGRossetti · 05/05/2020 10:50

DGR - interesting how more and more reports of people having this in December keep popping up

It seems that everyone on MN has had it. And their hairdresser too.

In fact, totalling up posts that say "I had it" we get to 90,000,000 for London alone.

I refer everyone to Richard Feynmans view on such things that in a battle between reality and sentiment, reality wins - every time.

Clavinova · 05/05/2020 10:54

It seems you have to go into exile to say this sort of thing

I'm not surprised - she wants to form a temporary coronavirus cabinet/advisory panel including John Major, David Cameron, Theresa May, Kenneth Clarke, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown...

JeSuisPoulet · 05/05/2020 10:55

Again anecdata, but a one of the families was wiped out for 4 weeks before Christmas and her cats got it...she called the whole "cats can catch Corona" months before science confirmed it and is now worried she may have started a Kent cluster as she has 5 cats

Peregrina, my friend bypassed any comments I made about actual people. He did listen to a few bits (when I pointed out that men do tend to age and get fat fairly regularly Wink) but his idea of data doesn't really involve "lives" but numbers Confused

DGRossetti · 05/05/2020 10:55

It seems you have to go into exile to say this sort of thing

Hmm

I've said numerous times that the UK has fallen into "big man" government. Should I be looking for a flight out ? Or are we going to descend further into the third-rate soviet impression and I need to beware of men carrying umbrellas on bridges ?

JeSuisPoulet · 05/05/2020 10:57

I should point out that it isn't yet known (and seems unlikely)whether cats can spread COVID - she just jokingly worries that in a few months they'll discover her cat's stomping ground was a cluster Wink

JustAnotherPoster00 · 05/05/2020 10:59

I'm not surprised - she wants to form a temporary coronavirus cabinet/advisory panel including John Major, David Cameron, Theresa May, Kenneth Clarke, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown...

Never once did I imagine looking at a list and thinking of Gordon Brown as the token lefty, FML

Peregrina · 05/05/2020 11:00

I'm not surprised - she wants to form a temporary coronavirus cabinet/advisory panel including John Major, David Cameron, Theresa May, Kenneth Clarke, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown...

I wouldn't bother to include Cameron, who did nothing of note except tear the country apart over Brexit. All the others have attributes which could usefully offer something. Ideally though, I'd like to see a Government which gave Johnson the push. It's said that this is the best the Tory party can do.

JeSuisPoulet · 05/05/2020 11:06

Sorry last comment wasn't for Peregrina but Piggy! I'm doing a bad job of multi-tasking here. Back later!

Peregrina · 05/05/2020 11:08

Meanwhile Trade talks with the US are going ahead. Which just shows where the Tory Government's priorities really lie - can't be bothered with talks with the EU. It's a pity the corona virus has gone and highlighted the country's regard for the NHS - it might make the sell out to the US a tad more difficult, although with Liz Truss leading the Trade talks, I am not confident of the UK side being able to drive a hard bargain.

Hmm, now if Trump fails to win in November, will a Trade deal with the Democrats be quite as attractive to them?

Peregrina · 05/05/2020 11:11

I need to beware of men carrying umbrellas on bridges ?

That was Bulgaria, so you might be OK now.

DGRossetti · 05/05/2020 11:12

Meanwhile Trade talks with the US are going ahead.

Everything will go swimmingly. The US will offer an incredible deal. Truss will not be able to believe her luck. Even Boris will have to get in front of it, it will be that good.

And then, just as pens are going to touch paper, the US will "remember" the GFA and suddenly realise it "can't" sign the deal until that's sorted.

Cue the UK having to have a fire sale in the talks and give it all away.

It's what I would do if I was negotiating to buy a house and I noticed there was an illegal extension tacked on the side ....

Piggywaspushed · 05/05/2020 11:17

Got you now jesuis! Was confused by mentions of cats!

I fell down a rabbit hole trying to talk to the data guy at work about the pesky fact that his data sets were teenagers with hormones and fluctuating work ethics...

Interesting stuff coming out of health committee atm.

DGRossetti · 05/05/2020 11:22

.

Westminstenders: Following the EU lead
DGRossetti · 05/05/2020 11:23

and ...

Westminstenders: Following the EU lead
BigChocFrenzy · 05/05/2020 11:24

"Essential travel" includes travel for all paid work, not just work deemed essential

If Farage is paid for his crap, then he is allowed to travel to do it
If he just went there to stir up trouble without being paid for it, then he isn't

Funny old world

Peregrina · 05/05/2020 11:27

And then, just as pens are going to touch paper, the US will "remember" the GFA and suddenly realise it "can't" sign the deal until that's sorted.

Cue the UK having to have a fire sale in the talks and give it all away.

Would that get around breaking an International Treaty?

Ha, I am pleased to see Farage getting a ticking off.

Clavinova · 05/05/2020 11:34

Nigel Farage can probably claim key worker status as a journalist/radio presenter.

KonTikki · 05/05/2020 11:37

Trump will win his November election ..
Beggars belief that the Democrats are unable to find someone half way decent to stand against him.

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