Westminstenders: PreGrades (Minority Report comes to the UK)

[RedToothBrush]

In Aug 2020, London, DC's prototype 'PreGrades' launched from the education department stops plebs before they go to university, reducing the social mobility rate to zero percent. Social mobility is predicted using specialized mutated humans, called "Teachers", who "predict" grades by marking shit lots of course work and exams over a period of years. Would-be social climbers are knocked down in a computer algorithm which distorts reality and hits the disadvantaged hardest. Central government is on the verge of adopting the controversial program nationwide by applying it in all departments from the DWP, the Home Office, the Department of Health and the Department of Justice to predict benefit fraud, getting sick asylum seeking and crime before it occurs.

DC's vision of the future is based on excellence being genetically ingrained into the elite but he must sell this vision to the unsuspecting public in a series of public votes which rely on the idea of the 'undeserving'. Little do they know that they too will be the victims of this plan until a mysterious bug appears and only the wealthy and well connected are able to get hold of adequate PPE and they are no longer able to buy bog roll nor retire to Spain as they had previously and endless queues for pizza form near Kent.

@RedToothBrush

So i posted on mn at the start if the month that i was expecting a u turn on masks in high schools in the third or fourth week in august?

What do you think my chances are?

Scotland leading the way as usual.

Depends what the secondary school are doing. My friend's kid will be taught in her tutor group in one room all day. Think they are allowed to go to canteen but they are staggering it (even more than usual).

Less need for them to wear a mask than for those who are moving through packed corridors, as is the mandate in Scotland.

That BBC headline, 'US wins end of EU lobster tariffs in mini trade deal' doesn't give the full story and is a little loaded imo.

Did the EU 'win' anything? Considering it was stated, by the US and EU, to be a 'mutually beneficial agreement', you'd think from that headline it was completely one way. Well, "In exchange, the US will halve import taxes on some $160m (£122m) worth of European goods, including cigarette lighters and certain crystal glassware.'

To put that in perspective 'In 2017, the US exported more than $111m worth of lobster to the EU.'

Also, the tariff elimination on US lobster will only be for 5 years and it isn't even yet concluded. 'The new US agreement, which would drop the lobster tariffs for five years, still needs approval from EU governments and the European Parliament.'

www.bbc.com/news/business-53870136

@RedToothBrush

So i posted on mn at the start if the month that i was expecting a u turn on masks in high schools in the third or fourth week in august?

What do you think my chances are?

DDs' new school (indie) sent a very comprehensive document detailing back-to-school arrangements. They have stressed that the situation is fluid, but masks will be compulsory on the school buses, and whilst not required in school anybody who wishes to wear a mask will be welcome to do so. The wording suggests that school is in favour of masks, but carefully not directly contradicting the government (they allude to current guidelines about face coverings not being advised in schools).

I expect there will be the inevitable governmental u-turn within a couple of weeks, with some sort of wordcloud about "following the new science."

That BBC headline, 'US wins end of EU lobster tariffs in mini trade deal' doesn't give the full story and is a little loaded imo. [] Did the EU 'win' anything?

It won an alternative source of lobster to the UK.

@RedToothBrush

So i posted on mn at the start if the month that i was expecting a u turn on masks in high schools in the third or fourth week in august?

What do you think my chances are?

.... imo not before late September It is quite likely then if more than a few schools close within the first couple of weeks It would be daft not to modify policy on the basis of rl experience, but politically they would need to show they tried without.

Mandatory masks, even for corridors & stairs etc, is difficult for the government due to political pressure from U4T and many other libertarian or hard right groups
However, some parents who are currently against masks for non-ideological reasons, just wanting "normal" back, would soon change if school closures soared

I wrote a long post earlier but just as I was finishing it, the MN app shut down

In short: I expressed myself badly. I was meaning that while a pandemic was predicted, especially particularly by epidemiologists and indeed was overdue, I thought the public (and some economists) didn't - and some still don't - realise and accept the impact on "normal life" and the economy of a pandemic, especially when, from their perspective , this particular virus is "not that bad especially if you are young " and "not that prevalent"

You can see that attitude in the Usforthem schools pressure group in Scotland, some of whose members think variously that the virus does not exist, is not that bad, there's not much of it around, is a conspiracy by the government to control us . They insisted that the schools go back full time apparently it's all down to them that they are , that contingency plans for blended learning were wrong - yet some of them are now also saying that if (now when) masks become mandatory for school pupils (even though it's just for corridors in secondary schools), they'll keep their kids at home

@RedToothBrush

So i posted on mn at the start if the month that i was expecting a u turn on masks in high schools in the third or fourth week in august?

What do you think my chances are?

BJ has officially denied that it will happen, so I give it two weeks at most before it is officially enacted

Given that Scotland has changed its stance on masks in schools based on WHO advice, can we assume that the WHO provides different advice for England / Johnson?

Johnson hinting on TWAO that they might change their stance depending on the science. I give it less than 2 weeks.

Preparing BJ Exit ?

Maybe part of the Cum / Gove plan to replace BJ - which he doesn't yet know about !

This reminds me of that episode where Dr Who whispered:
"Don't you think the PM looks tired"

Cummings' Dad: Boris Johnson 'is planning to QUIT as PM in six months because he is struggling to recover from coronavirus'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8661609/Boris-Johnson-planning-quit-Covid-aftereffects-claims-Dominic-Cummings-father-law.html

I don't read Mail links, but not only coronavirus, but being PM is too much like hard work. It's just not the jolly he thought it would be.

@Peregrina

I don't read Mail links, but not only coronavirus, but being PM is too much like hard work. It's just not the jolly he thought it would be.

If he goes with the excuse of coronavirus, he has a window of opportunity to rework the narrative of his legacy. He, and his acolytes will paint the picture of a life cut short, someone who was never able to fulfil their potential because of one of those "events Dear Boy".

The subsequent shitstorm of Brexit will simply slide off his sainted back as everyone agrees how it would all have been marvellous if Boris had been able to take control.

I said many years ago in this very forum and series of threads that the PM after Theresa May would be the George Lazenby of the Tories. I stand by that.

Of course, if Boris is larding up his escape pod like a really crap Bond villain, the question is who is going to take the reins to carry the can for Brexit ? I can see a sudden promotion for Priti Patel ...

As this story is from the Cummings camp, I would expect Gove is the one being lined up,
after BJ finds himself landed with all the blame for COVID fuckups, schools / exams and of course Brexit No Deal / Bare Bones Deal

@BigChocFrenzy

As this story is from the Cummings camp, I would expect Gove is the one being lined up, after BJ finds himself landed with all the blame for COVID fuckups, schools / exams and of course Brexit No Deal / Bare Bones Deal

I still think they need a sacrificial goat before being able to crown a prince for history. It's not enough to win; others must lose.

If the story is correct on its source and sources' claims, then it must be Gove who's in line as replacement given that he's the only one that would definitely keep Cummings in place as top Spad. Anyone else may well just ditch him as too bossy and too much trouble. It's a toss up though as to which might win out: laziness vs egotism??

If the story is correct on its source and sources' claims, then it must be Gove who's in line as replacement given that he's the only one that would definitely keep Cummings in place as top Spad

I think that scenario has the pecking order reversed. It Cummings that calls the shots. It's not a question of will the next PM keep Cummings. It's a question of who Cummings makes next PM. If Cummings made Patel PM, then Patel will dance to the same tune Boris did.

Meet the new boss! .... Same as the old boss.

I can’t see the people who elected Johnson as being both wise and adorable extending the same adulation to Gove or Patel. They both come across as pretty unpleasant. (Yes, I know Johnson IS unpleasant but many think he’s a jolly good chap.)

@Bodoni

I can’t see the people who elected Johnson as being both wise and adorable extending the same adulation to Gove or Patel. They both come across as pretty unpleasant. (Yes, I know Johnson IS unpleasant but many think he’s a jolly good chap.)

The thing is nobody gives a shiny shit what people think anymore. Not necessarily because of any contempt for the public, but more because they've discovered it doesn't matter.

Also, unless there is a very freak meteor storm that mysteriously takes out 80 Tory MPs in a single night, it still doesn't matter what the public thinks.

The fact Cummings is still in position was a clear signal to the Tory apparatchiks that they could be eating babies and throwing the bones out of the window, and they'd still be in power.

So we will get who they want us to get. But my money would be Gove is probably still human enough to know he doesn't want to be next PM. Whereas Priti Patel probably thinks that she got the job because of her talent, and that Cronyism - if it exists - is a little north of Arslikhan.

"If this story is correct"

it looks very much like Cummings starting to prepare for the heave-ho

• it will be a process

It is likely that this is the first BJ realised that he was likely to quit in 6 months

@BigChocFrenzy

"If this story is correct"

it looks very much like Cummings starting to prepare for the heave-ho

• it will be a process

It is likely that this is the first BJ realised that he was likely to quit in 6 months

I have my doubts, personally. BJ is too useful an idiot to lose. You can do all kinds of evil under that bumbling exterior that - being frank - you couldn't with Patel or Gove. They give off the "evil genius" vibe that Boris has managed to hide so well. (Because he's not a genius, and anyone that conspires to cripple a reporter can't be anything other than evil).

There's also the upcoming juggernaut of the US elections to be managed. I suspect Team Trump would much rather Boris was in power than anyone else to help Donnie refuse to leave office.

Speaking of US elections, it's worth remembering that they can draw. 1800 and all that.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contingent_election

Well, I just asked DD2 whether she would be happy to wear a mask in school and she said yes, she'd feel safer. So I can see a wild selection of political masks coming on as the 6th form has only a very bare bones relaxed dress code. Political ties are allowed as long as no offensive language is included.

Tees, even. Curse you, Autocarrot!

grousebeater.wordpress.com/2020/08/23/scotland-and-udi/

Can't find the article but pretty sure I read that Gove and Murdoch has dinner with the or spouses recently. Then all of a sudden we have media stories about BJs future. Realise Murdoch is not DM but it does make you wonder. Also wondering if this is just another 'poor Boris' story set up by Cummings. Poor Boris had to cut his holiday short...poor Boris is still not feeling well.

Apologies for typos, can't find glasses

BJ has officially denied that it will happen, so I give it two weeks at most before it is officially enacted

More like 2 days :)
www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-exclusive-england-set-u-turn-masks-schools