Westminstenders: What the winds bring

[RedToothBrush]

The next few weeks are crucial. Eu talks, covid handling, the US election and any other unexpected events (its nearly November, lets face it will probably be the weather).

It feels a little like the car crash in slow motion is about to hit the wall of reality. I guess that just means all there is left to do is to brace for impact.

Slovakia is doing mass antigen testing (5.5m).
First round covered about 2/3 of the population, I think.
Second round to include areas with over 0.70% infection rate. All medical and care workers to be tested twice monthly.
Mobile test centres in all district towns for anyone who wants a test.
Positive rate down from 20% to 8% so far.

Relative who lives there says it is being very well implemented, using the army and volunteers, and the population are participating well. Oh, and UK observers have been present...

Yes, the Slovakia initiative is very interesting. I think population-level testing schemes will take off in December as countries seek a way to exit lockdown.

Sk does have a popular new PM and President, who haven't pissed away goodwill, as well as a population that, post-1990s, has retained a certain idea of collective responsibility.

Unfortunately I feel that it is perfectly possible that Trump will win the US election legitimately.
If not, then we are in for a long end game.

I know that the Labour leadership in the city approved this, seemingly willingly but yeah army on the streets in any context is not one i think good.

...particularly in the north west, with quite a strong Catholic/Protestant divide still.

Came across this highly amusing interpretation of last year's prorogation problem from a Kenyan perspective. threadreaderapp.com/thread/1176555327338274816.html

The same person on Twitter is doing the US election, well worth a read.

Army are great at logistics. Glad to see them deployed in Liverpool for mass testing. It should happen all over and local authorities with NHS should be in charge also of testing as they have local knowledge and the experience in infectious disease. We should also get back the 12 billion from Serco.

I'm in the North West, not aware of a strong catholic/protestant divide

I think it does depend where exactly in the North west - it was certainly a strong divide in my DH's family area. Was might be the operative word - the younger generations have much less time for sectarian issues.

When Aberdeen was a hot spot, it was easy for anyone to get a test: ds' flatmate has been in one of the affected pubs so organised a test for both him and ds (and then had to order more as they cocked up doing the first ones). Both times the tests arrived in a day and they got the results back within a day.

Interestingly, ds says he wasn't tested when he went into hospital for his emergency appendectomy unless they tested him while he was under the GA

Scotland doesn't use Serco for its Test & Protect system - it's all fully under NHS Scotland, using local public health teams (although they have recruited some recently redundant travel agent staff for the call centre work). I think they are struggling with the sheer numbers (as most European countries going through a 2nd surge are doing) but the majority are still being contacted within appropriate timescales.

I will not be staying up tonight.
I know how New England will vote.
I know that the military and police pledge allegiance to the flag.

I had an email from BigChocFrenzy this morning.
Her gym is closed but the sun is shining so she is getting lots of fresh air
and she asked that I shared this link about international exports with y'all
mobile.twitter.com/FikriCalkin/status/1319715856511893504
less than 60 days till the end of Brexit transition

My DDs are dual US/Dutch citizens. If Trump wins, we will be doubling down on renunciation.

It's hard not to be cynical with this shower in charge, but I appreciate the comparisons with Slovakia and really hope their approach is used as a model here. You're right, mass testing is part of the solution and we have to start somewhere. But I grew up in Merseyside, at the Irish Sea end, and my hackles can't help but bristle at news like this the closer we get to January 1st.

LQ - BCF link is a thing of beauty. Thank her and hope she comes back when ready. Rise of China, fall of USA since 2016. Fascinating ... Not to mention UK

@Miaowse
@wherearemychickens
@FrankieStein402
@QueenOfThorns
@SabrinaThwaite (oooh, do you know him??)

Thanks! re anecdote (I was worried re-posting it made me sound like some old aunt in the corner at Xmas, repeating the same worn story)
But the Castle trip was our entire half term 'treat' and it was funny.

I am struggling with depression I think?
My kids (both ASD) are struggling at school. My ds' DLA benefits are up for review (he's 16 and will be tipped onto UC thus my Carers' allowance and in fact all our income is in danger, though not if we move back to Scotland) I need to move back to Scotland anyway (in substandard housing with v poor internet access) not just because of this, but exH won't vacate (& I cant get a removal firm anyway under lockdown). It's a mess. It's a mess for SO many people right now.
Don't mean to whinge, sorry.
Also worried about the news from the US tomorrow (don't think it will be clear for days possibly?) I can see civil unrest there anyway.
And the Army on the streets here too, even before the unrest coming via Brexit :(

The Army on the streets, initially under the cover of Covid is so convenient.

Also in the North West. I'm nominally a Catholic. Not really a strong Catholic Protestant divide. Certainly inter town piss taking . And football "grudges". But we are so open minded in Manchester that we elected a Scouser as mayor.
United is theoretically an Irish team but I live in what I suppose is a Catholic area and everyone is a Blue.

I know the north west quite well, unfortunately (was born there and have family there). I wouldn't say there's a protestant/ catholic divide at all. What there is is an assumption that everyone is Christian, so I suppose that might look like a divide from the outside, when the question is whether you're catholic or protestant. Speaking as a Midlander I'm disgusted by the influence Christianity has up there. It's rare to find a non-religious school for instance. It's, ahem, interesting to contrast the amount of crime and various -isms up there too.

If you've noticed the threads like this, you might recognise why actually some of us would feel safer with the army on the streets. Law and order is breaking down.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4065159-Mischief-night-tonight

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4065963-Rise-in-Feral-Gangs-of-Teenagers-Is-this-UK-Wide

Hmm, well I am talking about DH's family where there was a strong divide e.g. some members of the family refusing to attend weddings when one was a (nominal) Anglican and one a Catholic and the couple weren't getting married in the Catholic church. Or the comments made about our own marriage - we 'got away with it' with my not converting to Catholicism, because we lived in the south east! So I speak from experience, but as I said, for the younger generations e.g. under 40 or even under 50 they regard this as a load of stuff and nonsense.

Under 50 might explain it.

Yes there is definitely a Catholic Protestant divide in the NW. I think its less obvious than it was some years ago and the trend for people moving up from the south of England has watered it down in some places.

I'd say its often less about being Catholic and more about being proud of irish heritage these days.

However, my posts above are something of a distraction. I would worry about the army on the streets - it could so easily turn to being something used against us.

Slightly sideways
but I'm currently reading sets of planning minutes.
Permitted development rights conversions of closed shops and offices are being slammed through in huge numbers
these are the back to back tenement slums of the near future
REALLY scary
a whole 1 bed flat in the size of a 1930's bedroom with no proper windows and no outside space at all for the building

Good article from Devi Sidrah - always a font of sound public health expertise especially on the false link between infection control and economic damage. She is carrying out in a wilderness at the moment though 🙁 www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/nov/01/suppress-covid-england-lockdown-east-asian-african?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other