Westminstenders: Political vacuums are very bad things

[RedToothBrush]

Johnson has been notible (once again) but his absence.

Whilst we appreciate he has been ill and has a new baby, we are in the midst of a national crisis and a sense of leadership and guidance from our prime minister has been lacking.

And its not gone unnoticed.

Not just by the press. And not just by opposition. Nor NHS and care managers. But on the ground where it matters.

The lack of the sense of seriousness has dissipated. The sense of duty to country to behave. The idea that it will some how be all over this week when it doesn't appear to be the government strategy. The total lack of policy for a week whilst it's become clear bit by bit that these things have been under discussion and decided upon prior to the supposed key meeting on Thursday from the announcements from the regional assemblies. All in favour of a TV stunt tomorrow night.

Let's see how that goes.

The grandstanding isn't a substitute for detail and substance in a crisis. And we still have the looming show down at the end of June over extension of transition. More optics. More lack of practicality at a time when things will really be on the brink.

The next month will be telling and we hit the wall of economic reality which will bring the whole world crashing in on the lives of so many people.

This is the calm before the storm. Enough the sunshine. Enjoy the time with families. Before this is over everything will have changed for so many.

This is just the start of things unravelling and it needs someone to take control and draw up solid blueprints for all our futures. Is a man who is so frequently awol from where he is supposed to be and doesn't take commitments and responsibilities seriously, really the man for that?

Churchill had a vision for the country that cited housing as our second social service, the NHS being our first.

Will Johnson manage to some how forge out so grand new venture which gives the resource and rewards it deserves to the NHS (beyond lipservice and empty platitudes and clapping, that recognises the importance of social care and can stop the almost inevitable coming wave of homelessness and unemployment

And can he do it without selling us off as a basement bargain to the us?

BGD2012 have you got a link to this story? I'd be interested in reading it.

R4s BH this morning noted that blood thinners were showing some effects in covid treatment - ironic if aspirin turns out to be useful...

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2020/05/13/Agriculture-Bill-MPs-don-t-back-import-standards-call&ved=0ahUKEwjW7dPewrrpAhUuQhUIHTB5BoMQxfQBCBwwAA&usg=AOvVaw0FGezk27awimjiBnIxq8Po" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2020/05/13/Agriculture-Bill-MPs-don-t-back-import-standards-call&ved=0ahUKEwjW7dPewrrpAhUuQhUIHTB5BoMQxfQBCBwwAA&usg=AOvVaw0FGezk27awimjiBnIxq8Po

@Drblackbird. It is related to imported food.

jesuis Once settings open to more children and young people, staff and pupils in all settings will be eligible for testing if they become ill with coronavirus symptoms, as will members of their household. that's from the parents version of the guidance. It does look very much like the child themselves has to show symptoms. I have to say I missed that.

honeysuckle I'd be more inclined to send my DC back if their school was like yours. But ours is more like how piggy described. There's over 100 reception children for a start, let alone the whole of infants. And I laughed about your point about knowing the parents because it's knowing the parents here that makes me very mistrustful . They have form here for sending sick kids in. When we've talked with the schools about possible returns I've consistently made the point that it was the adults and them congregating that's the biggest issue.

There's talk that the out London boroughs May be more effected right now than the rest of London who were earlier. So that's another thing we need to take into account. Our infants aren't even considering bringing Y1 in yet anyway, their plans are nursery and reception and I have to say it sounds awful for the poor children.

I’m not sure about the so-called London R rate. First I don’t think there’s enough testing to really know. Second London is huge and I suspect different areas have different R rates. Some areas the level of infection has been high like Newham and Brent, while in some areas like Richmond and Kingston it’s been very low.

So on the easing of lockdown, with everyone piling into London transport, I’d expect to see a surge of covid cases when the previously unexposed become exposed.

Tatiana, I believe the low r rate in London is being mirrored in new hospital admissions and numbers in ICU so though testing is lacking there is a definite pattern which differs from elsewhere in the country. There are also fewer care homes in central boroughs compared with more provisional areas (people retire away from London).

And I laughed about your point about knowing the parents because it's knowing the parents here that makes me very mistrustful

This. I can see the house of one parent from my front garden. She's been in and out her dad's and best mates and had more visitors than I can count. And she's works at the school too. Her dad has serious health problems including a heart condition and was supposedly self isolating (but given the amount I've seen him drive off places lately...) But it's OK cos she claps.

Suffice to say it's not even an issue with trust with me. I've seen what's her family are doing and how that might impact on everyone else at school. She will have a good excuse for it though don't worry. (Its not even worth saying anything). I just want to ignore everyone else and do my own thing tbh.

Tatiana, I believe the low r rate in London is being mirrored in new hospital admissions and numbers in ICU so though testing is lacking there is a definite pattern which differs from elsewhere in the country. There are also fewer care homes in central boroughs compared with more provisional areas (people retire away from London).

For sure the R rate connects to hospital admissions. I’m not disputing that the numbers have gone down, DH works in the principle hospital in this borough. What I’m saying is that some areas infection has been high and some very low. And the people in the low infection areas haven’t really been exposed to the virus so when London opens up again there may be a surge. Bear in mind Richmond, for example, is twice the size of Bath population - it’s like a town in itself.

There are many, many care homes in zones 2 and 3. More than 1.1 million Londoners are over 65. 130,000 are over 85. In further zones the elderly population is even higher: Barnet, Bexley, Bromley, Havering, Hillingdon etc. In Harrow as many as 15% are 65+.

It's rapidly developing into a split between the tory central government and Labour councils.

So the UK is become a low-rent US tribute act then ...

Thank you *BGD2012& 👍

bylinetimes.com/2020/05/15/the-coronavirus-crisis-in-a-matter-of-life-and-death-will-the-british-finally-people-wake-up-to-the-reality-of-boris-johnson/

In a Life and Death Crisis, Will the British People Finally Wake-Up to the Reality of Boris Johnson?

(Betteridges law of headlines applies )

So piggy- you say the guidelines don't allow for part-time ? So my DFreinds daughters school of staggered start, staggered pickup , shortened day, and splitting classes (some come in on mon and wed, other half come in tues and thurs) is not allowed? Knowing the school I would have thought that plan came from the LA.....
So then if they have to have all reception/year 1's and year 6's in - they could still split the classes ...... but then the years 2's, 3's and 4's will get no home schooling.... and what about the key workers kids in those years.....

Dr Harries completely lost my respect when she said the medical staff needed to be pragmatic over PPE (ie put their lives at risk because of gov fuck ups) - and she really had no clue when she was talking about schools last night.
Whitty and valance have been quite absent haven't they? Since Monday when I felt they were distancing themselves from Boris.......

Haven't heard "we are following the science" for quite some time....

Haven't heard "we are following the science" for quite some time....

Doesn't the Goebbels playbook recommend rotating phrases ?

I have no doubt WAFTS will be in play again, soon enough.

Stay alert.

Piggy it's obscene. Most local town schools here have 90 per year group. Absolutely ludicrous. Our school are offering part time only anyway.

OhLook everyone's very conscientious, I've been surprised. Including the HCP who will not be sending her kids in because she realises she is a potential vector and therefore so are her children. Very kind, and fortunate she can make other arrangements for them.

When I spoke to the head I said that I'd rather DD wasn't taught by someone in PPE (she's a sensitive 4yo) but if that's what staff need to do then I won't send her - I'll not ask them to put themselves in danger. Likewise if they feel they can't open safely at all, or she's the only one her age going back, I won't mind if they don't do provision at all.

I know I fail the Leadsom test here but does Harries have children?

I know JVT does

mrs that all would have been OK under first announcement but then the gov 'clarified' and said no part time, no rotas. You may have noticed Gove blink when Marr asked about that!

Harries believes she's had it (unsurprising if hanging around Westminster). Her children looked after her. At 61, I'm guessing her kids are well past school age.

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/deputy-chief-medical-officer-jenny-18136070

According to this BBC article, There were 136,486 tests processed or sent out in the UK on Friday - the highest daily figure so far in the UK.

So which is it, processed or sent out and are they double counting the tests that are "sent out" when they are "processed"?

It would certainly be one way for BJ to meet his "200,000 tests a day by the end of May" target. Send out 100,000 tests on the same day as processing 100,000 tests

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson accepts 'frustration' over lockdown rules https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52694623

"It would certainly be one way for BJ to meet his "200,000 tests a day by the end of May" target."

and reduce the % positive in tests

As a primary school headteacher, I am spending my weekend trying to draw up realistic risk assessments which will satisfy the staff, parents, governors, Local Authority and academy trust. My personal belief is that, as a small WASPY village, with 100 children on roll, the risk is low, but the problem is that I do not have robust evidence for this. If the government had not spent the last eight weeks (and more) dissembling, I would be more inclined to believe them now, but the damage is done and the trust (not that it was ever high) is gone. What has come down from on high (unofficially, with an e-mail through an intermediary not to be circulated or replied to) is the emphasis that the documents for school are very definitely guidance and heads can interpret them and make them work for their own communities. I am ploughing on; as a small school I can make stage one work by just having having half the class in and allocating the Y3/4 teacher to supervise the remote learning for the others, but there is no way I can bring the rest of the year groups back and keep groups of no more than 15 without part time/rotas. My biggest problem is staff fear - changing from "Open the front door and you will die" to "Mix freely with large groups of children with nothing more than a box of tissues" is proving difficult to overcome.

yorkshirebylines.co.uk/ministers-at-loggerheads-over-us-uk-trade-deal-nfu-very-concerned/

Meanwhile, continuing the theme that there aren't any grown ups left in England anymore ...

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8327265/Boris-Johnson-holds-crisis-talks-Washington-goes-berserk-leaked-interpol-request.html

Boris Johnson holds crisis talks as Washington goes 'berserk' over a leaked Interpol request to arrest Harry Dunn's alleged killer if she leaves the US

High level talks attended by Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab
International wanted notice on former CIA agent Anne Sacoolas caused storm
Home Secretary Priti Patel and Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill also there
Washington ‘went berserk’ that they had not been told about Interpol request 

Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab held crisis talks last week after a fresh diplomatic storm with the United States over the case of Harry Dunn.

The Downing Street meeting came after it emerged British law enforcement officers had put an international wanted notice on former CIA agent Anne Sacoolas,

who has been charged with dangerous driving after killing the teenage motorcyclist and then fleeing Britain claiming diplomatic immunity.

The high level talks on Thursday were also attended by Home Secretary Priti Patel and Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill after Washington ‘went berserk’ that

they had not been told about the Interpol request to have Sacoolas arrested if she left the United States.

The MoS can reveal the order given, initially reported as a ‘Red Notice’ – the world’s most wanted status sent to all member states of the international

crime fighting organisation – was actually a ‘Red Diffusion Notice’, that was only sent to certain countries, including Canada.

The US authorities, who are refusing to extradite Sacoolas back to Britain to face justice, were deliberately not told about the plan in the hope she would leave the

country and could be arrested and sent to face trial in Britain. However, Northamptonshire Police are being blamed at the highest levels of Government for revealing

the secret ruse drawn up by the Crown Prosecution Service and ‘Britain’s FBI’, the National Crime Agency.

A law enforcement source said: ‘If she had slipped across the border for a Canadian holiday, we would have had her, but that’s blown now.’

Ministers and officials were caught off-guard after the notice was disclosed and were confronted by furious US counterparts, reigniting the bitter diplomatic spat regarding the case.

The MoS has also learnt that Northamptonshire Police were ‘pressured’ to put out a statement distancing themselves from the Red Notice leak,

despite emailing Harry’s family with news of it last week.

At Thursday’s meeting, the senior Ministers also discussed ending the legal loophole that allowed the United States government to insist that Sacoolas was above the law through

her husband’s work as a diplomat at the US spy base RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire. A waiver for criminal immunity drawn up in the 1990s for staff working at the base did

not specifically mention spouses, leading to US State Department lawyers to pounce on the loophole and spirit Sacoolas out of the country.

Not sure if anyone will find this useful ?

At one point I had contact regularly that lived by that air base. Her partners car was badly damaged in an accident from someone from the base in an accident - they had sailed through a stop sign, and caught the backend of his car.
I know it's just here say - but from what she said they were renowned for not giving a stuff about local road rules, and the police wouldn't do anything . There was an agreement any poor driving was dealt with by the base (military?) police.
From what she said there was a huge amount of arrogance on the part of the base families. Given all that it seems it was only a matter of time before someone was badly injured.