Westminstenders: Pah International Law. Who needs it?

[RedToothBrush]

I mean its not as if trade deals and human rights are relevant is it?

(sorry eating my dinner so must be brief)

In the bilateral UK-Japan agreement announced in principle on Friday, London and Tokyo have agreed to replicate the restrictions on subsidies in the EU-Japan deal that went into effect last year

That agreement prohibits the governments from indefinitely guaranteeing the debts of struggling companies or providing an open-ended bailout without a clear restructuring plan in place.

By contrast, the UK has repeatedly told the EU that it must have total freedom over state aid after the end of the Brexit transition period with complete autonomy over future subsidy decisions, subject to WTO rules.

Maybe they think the 'EU' referred to in the Tokyo agreement is some other EU? The 'left middle EU perhaps'.

Campuses are going to be the new Cheltenham race course.

They are indeed.

Why are universities opening when the experience of the US has been clear for several weeks?

Because they may go bankrupt otherwise?

I hoped that the Japanese Govt would now say that they were unable to ratify treaty. Or if we find that the UK Govt is OK with it, we will know that they dont give a shit about NI.

Geoffrey Cox former Attorney General says Government knee about flaws in WA when they signed it.

This in the Times

GPs ordered to have more face to face appointments to stop blocking AE.

I have had trouble getting a phone appointment last week and week before. On the Friday before last week I rang for appointment couldn't get through and when I did was told ring Monday. I rang Monday Tuesday and Wednesday if last week. I lost my rag and threatened them that if I did not get even a telephone call from a doctor by 2 pm I will report them to Authorities. I got my call 10 minutes later but still could not get face to face that day. I got a face to face on Thursday. I have bronchitis requiring antibiotics. I have only just finished cancer treatment have very low immune system which the doctors know but had to wait a week to be seen to. I also tried to get a Covid test at same time. No test centres available and no home kits available and that's still the case yesterday.

Sos that's terrible. It's a flipping nightmare and it's only September.

Not nearly as serious as you, but I've had a similar issue in terms of trying to actually see a GP. I ended up rather poorlier than I needed to be last week because they insist on doing consultations via a website form and this was not a condition that could be accurately diagnosed by typing responses to automated questions. I ended up in floods of tears, knowing that I was getting worse and couldn't get seen by anyone at all.

ohyoubadbadkitten thanks and sorry to hear you have had similar problem. I had to get my chest examined for them to diagnose properly. It's a shambles. Our surgery has been dreadful. There was an old man easily in his 80s standing outside in pouring rain begging them through intercom to let him in. ( You have to wait outside till they call you for appointment) I just got into car from going to shop next to surgery, saw his distress rang the intercom for him and spoke to receptionist ( who could see it was pouring) to actually let this poor man in who was soaked through by this time. She eventually opened up. But he was put at risk frail and ill made to stand outside in poring rain for over 10 minutes.

ohyoubadbadkitten 💐 for you my dear as I fully understand how you felt xx

Its awful atm.
I had blood tests last week.
Got a text I need to speak to a Drabout the results...can't get a phone slot for 2.5 weeks.
I feel like hammered crap atm but it could simply be anemia.
So potentially something I can get meds for but I have to wait another 2 weeks...
Sigh.

There was a muttering of super injunctions, a cancelled wedding and violinist on Twitter. It might be that they were just talking about super injunctions in general.

Unsure if it is going back to old news.

As in some of it is old news.

@quiteathome

There was a muttering of super injunctions, a cancelled wedding and violinist on Twitter. It might be that they were just talking about super injunctions in general.

Unsure if it is going back to old news.

Superinjunctions and violinists have been floating around for a while - but hadn’t heard “cancelled wedding” 🤔

sos, kitten, yoikes 💐
I hope you can all see doctors v soon

That's disgraceful, so long after lockdown ended
Are they trying to abolish f2f to save money / staff ?

My GP in Germany has been open since at least mid-May (might have been early May)
and since then they've had the usual same day appointment at need.
From late May they restarted appointments for ordinary regular checkups, so they caught up with their backlog of smears, blood tests etc months ago

My dentist the same

We don't have postcode lotteries here and rationing is not a normal part of the German health service - my taxes at work -
so they had to resume normal service asap

“cancelled wedding” could be a natural consequence, or maybe weddings are like WAs - promise and cancel

I'd have thought it v useful for a popularity spike, but maybe the longterm price was too high

Have written to my MP about the Internal Markets Bill for all the good it will do. I'm still waiting for a response, or even acknowledgement, of my letter on the prorogation of Parliament....

@Sostenueto

GPs ordered to have more face to face appointments to stop blocking AE.

No one could see that one coming, could they . GP's have run and run with this 'consultation by phone' malarkey. At least those in my area have.

On the other hand, did they know that we would hit another peak so soon and wanted to avoid Covid themselves??

On the above with thanks to Pretty for the link to Michael Dougan as useful phrases incorporated!

PMK

David Cameron has now criticised Johnson's Internal Market Bill. That's a full house for former PMs speaking against the actions of the current model.

Not that it will make any difference - but it's striking that they all feel the need to say 'not in my name' over this.

DC told Sky News: “Passing an act of Parliament and then going on to break an international treaty obligation is the very, very last thing you should contemplate, it should be an absolute final last resort.
“But I would just make this point: so far what has happened is the Government has proposed a law that it might pass or might not pass or might use or might not use depending on whether certain circumstances do or do not appear.

“Of course the bigger picture here is we are in a vital negotiation with the European Union to get a deal and I think we have to keep that context, that prize in mind and that’s why I’ve perhaps held back from saying more up until now."

Our surgery has been closed since March. Think I mentioned before but will repeat. Next door neighbours in late 80s. Husband has to have regular blood pressure checks. Surgery wrote to him to say can he go buy a blood pressure device and call in with his blood pressure results?!😮 Hes 87! He doesn't drive anymore and is very poorly recovering from prostrate cancer. Do yes gps loving this no ftf and phonecall malarkey. They are safe while their patients can go to hell!

I thought Cameron was being really weasly, by even allowing the idea that it could be contemplated.

I can't even get hold of the specialist nurse for advice, what used to be a fairly efficient answer machine system just rings and rings. I've been trying since last week.

I guess I'm lucky - our surgery has been open pretty much as normal - but then its a poor white area with LOADS of OAP social housing.
The GPs know what would happen if they closed.