Westministenders: Reployed back to No Deal Planning

[RedToothBrush]

Now Covid-19 is over (yeah I know right) lots of civil servants who were switched from brexit no deal planning to covid-19 planning have been switched back to their original remit.

For some reason this doesn't exactly fill me with confidence.

We've also seen yet another doubling down on the EU not being flexible and how they need to make a deal. And lots of rhetoric about being serious about no transiton planning.

Remember we have something of a deadline looming at the end of next month.

So before we are even out of this crisis, the government have lost interest. Today's press conference was an eye opener - Van Tam openly said that the time taken to get test results was too long and wasn't good enough yet and meant track and trace wasnt still operational despite it being such a crucial factor in being able to go into the next phase as planned on 1st June.

Another deadline we won't make - the Manchester Nightgale still has patients and the local authorities in the NW are going mental. So the government is playing more silly buggers over blame and villianising the evil workshy teachers. Noting the government guidance for teachers on how to teacher children at home says fuck all and the guidance on reopening schools makes a Theresa May dog ate my homework style document look positively well thought out, in terms of practicality. (Not even going to touch on the question of whether its safe - the whether its workable one is more important).

I guess that means things are getting back to normal at least.

A recession looms, but workers rights are now fair game and fully in the government cross hairs - as we see from a lack of PPE for the 'heroes' and the attacks on the teachers. As well as the carers who were sold down river. That'll be the ununionised carers...

Taking back control.

JeSuis I’m a bit at loss there.

• the farming industry is vary varied. A big part if farming, esp animal farming are actually small holdings struggling to make any money. Granted my inside knowledge is with farming in the dales/North Yorkshire but it’s impossible to generalise farming as all having an insatiable need for money

• prices of products is set by supermarkets not by the farms and usually driven down to levels that are hardly sustainable by farmers. See the issue of the price of milk and how supermarkets insist on a price that is often just (or below) the production cost. This has the knock on effect of pushing farmers to cut corners anyway they can (and find ways to earn money to live on.)

• the situation with reliance on bringing foreign workers isn’t new. The same has been happening France for decades and Spanish workers were coming to do the harvest in France in the 2000~2010 during their last economic crisis.

• as for using people being furlough... what is telling you that it’s garners not wanting to use them rather than people being furlough not wanting to do the job? Many articles around the fact that BRITISH workers do not want to do that sort of job because it’s back breaking (and they dint have the physical stamina to do it). Bringing everything back to low wages doesn’t reflect the more complex picture of the situation (Ie if farmers pay workers more they will produce food at a loss vs prices paid by supermarkets. Supermarkets will have no issue using a different source, albeit outside the U.K. Which then brings another question, are consumers ready to pay more for food? Will they be able to AFFORD paying more? The answer is probably no when you see the number of food banks and the Increas in the number if people using them)

Employers are buying tests I think. This isn't just footballers. I think Waitrose did a while back for all their delivery staff?

MPs to be forced back to Westminster on 2nd June?

@prettybird - the premier leagues engaged a German company I believe, to do it privately.....

I read about the saliva test, JeSuisPoulet. Can't remember where unfortunately. But the test was in Italy and allegedly very reliable. Maybe your vet friend and I read the same article.

Yoikes, sorry about your SIL. I would assume she has it and the family should quarantine. It beggars belief that testing isn't being done.

@squid4, I see where you are coming from. But what else can you do?
What would happen if you were testing those people anyway? Is that even possible?

It would be a fight every time because they nurses know they are not supposed to test people who aren't being admitted
then there is the issue of who is following up the tests (they can take a day or two)
I can do it personally but it's not ideal - what if I'm off sick or whatever, it needs a robust process not just a grumpy doctor
I will keep bringing it up
I have been told the hospitals own supply of tests would not cover it either (we have run out mid shift before)

We have no handle on the commujnity situation. It's massively frustrating me. I feel in control in hospital.

I live in a city that has a really excellent local support and expertise and a giant virology lab... I feel very strongly we should tell government to fuck off and take over the whole thing locally... am going to write to my mp today

squid can you escalate this any more (without putting your career at risk), eg anonymously to your MP or something?

(x-posted!)

yeah I've been slapped down so far (I'm not worried about my career) but have been on nights etc might gatecrash silver command this week

I think the complacency is the problem, people have basically accepted england is infected as fuck and it's too late to attempt to eradicate

Supermarkets will have no issue using a different source, albeit outside the U.K. Which then brings another question, are consumers ready to pay more for food? Will they be able to AFFORD paying more? The answer is probably no when you see the number of food banks and the Increas in the number if people using them)

That's the problem.

Equally in the long term, if people don't invest in British farming then prices will go up and people won't have food. There has to be a realisation that the agricultural industry isn't just about feeding the nation. It has security and yes, sovereignity, elements to it too. And the question isn't about whether food prices go up. But when they go up and how do you manage that.

Unfortunately food prices going up at the same time as unemployment is a very volatile combination with huge political ramifications.

The exit out of lockdown is going to unleash a whole lot worse to come I fear.

I read about the saliva test too somewhere, no idea where..... it was a couple of weeks ago, around the time the government starting posting out the home testing kits. ( I remember because my thought process was if they were saliva tests they would be far more reliable)

On another note I think the scientist/Dame was so pissey at the briefing yesterday was that stupid Therese Coffey rant about how the governments poor handling of this crisis is all the scientists fault. I think we will see the scientists talking more more directly to the public. Valance and Whitty kind of started it the Monday after Boris's car crash re-messaging. But yesterday it was more blatant..... and DH has been quoting me bits from the news this morning.....
One where there are quotes like "we (the scientist) have made it clear schools should not be re-opened until a comprehensive testing and track and trace system is up and functioning " .... I am paraphrasing- so not a direct quote, but that's the gist.
DH said also that the faith in the government is plummeting, so that must mean that there has been more opinion polls.
Pop corn for PMQ? And shall we take odds that Bozo doesn't show?

@mrslaughan But He's Just Had A Baby

and similar comments... as if men like Johnson get up in the fucking night

Aaaah, Serco: They never let you down:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52732818

I'd meant to finish my post with "of, course, the answer is money "

Which just proves yet again that the lack of widespread testing is a political choice

Which is now also coming up from the scientific advisors who are making it clear that their advice was based on the result of UK Government constraints, such as lack of centralised capacity and lack of follow-up contact tracing.

I live in a city that has a really excellent local support and expertise and a giant virology lab... I feel very strongly we should tell government to fuck off and take over the whole thing locally... am going to write to my mp today

Lots of councils are revolting over the 1st June school reopening date. I thought it would be just Labour councils but there are a number of Tory ones unhappy. My council has now said it would aim for starting to reopen on 8th (half term different here) but not a full commitment.

The main stumbling block is track and trace not being operational. The press conference yesterday was interesting because the scientist basically said the advice on the target date of the 1st was based on track and trace being operational. And then when asked another question about testing and track and trace was very curt in saying scientists advise based on science and were not in charge of the operational side of things. To the very uncomfortable shifting of feet and facial expression of the MP stood next to her.

This has been my bug over 1st June. There was never any chance track and trace would be running by then.

My only hope is that others are picking up on the issue and are going to put foot down.

As for doctors. I think they need to be seen more like firefighters trying to put out a huge uncontrollable fire. They can only hold the line to a certain extent with embers lighting new fires. Without the army and government coming in with additional resources they can't put it out with buckets with holes in. You don't stop huge wildfires that way. You have long term fire prevention and forest management and you have fire breaks set up etc etc. It's not like NHS staff haven't said this lack of resourcing isn't a problem for years. It's not like we've not had lots of whistle-blowers over far too many things. Squid you make it sound like no one questioned things and no one said anything. They did. Over and over again.

Pop corn for PMQ? And shall we take odds that Bozo doesn't show?

Why do you think that Captain Colonel Tom was knighted last night?

....ponders whether BJ will decide that it's essential to go and see Sir Tom today at about 12.30 to congratulate him in person I'm sure he wouldn't actually do that would he?

squid
I certainly don't think you are complicit x
You and your whole profession have been thrown under a bus.
My cousin is practice nurse and after the PHE telling them to stop using so much PPE andjust wash their hands she is thinking of a career change.
Thank you for explaining. Seems insane, as you say, but the testing system is a shambles.
I'll ask my bro about a private test.

I rather look forward to PMQs these days :)

Dh is a mathematician- when I told him the figures for the premier league, he freaked out as it implies the rate in the community is far higher than even he thought.

NZ has thrown up some interesting info about transmissions. Because they have had so few cases, the track and trace has thrown up some interesting facts. One cluster was from a dinner party. They believe the originator was someone who had been overseas. Everyone who attended that dinner party caught it. The person they think who started it was Asymptomatic. So just sitting around talking in an enclosed space talking (probably laughing) is a great way to spread it.
Doesn't bode well for the House of Parliament does it?
Makes my fucking blood boil - they should be leading by example, but instead they are being fucking reckless.
All because they chose a Charlaton as leader....

@RedToothBrush

Yes doctors and others have been kicking off for YEARS. Including myself. I am not suggesting otherwise!

Sorry I'm a bit sleep deprived and scrappy.

I rather look forward to PMQs these days

With all major sporting events cancelled, it is lively bloodsport since Kier took over.

Squid - I don’t hold healthcare staff culpable. They’ve been utterly failed by the government.