Corona Virus main thread

[Herman 9,691]

5 minutes ago, Barbe bleu said:

Issues inherent in the FPTP voting system, 

Brexit

Inadequacy of minor parties

UK nationalist movements and independence.

Dystopian societies

Media addiction 

The Running Man (!)

Trump.

Having now pretty much abandoned discussion of the virus can anyone tell me where we can discuss the most important issue of the year or do I find something else to do?

 

 

The bumblebees are having a right knees-up in my mock-orange.😀

[Barbe bleu 809]

10 minutes ago, BigFish said:

Johnson's ambition to be world leading takes another leap forward. UK 543 Italy 539 (deaths per million)

Slightly different data to worldometer which has them level.  Does this source differentiate between deaths in hospitals and deaths in care homes?

  I have had a theory for a while that the government/ we became so obsessed with protecting the NHS and other such things that we forgot to check if the care home door is closed. If my theory is correct we should see the proportion of deaths in UK hospitals being low compared to italy but care home deaths much higher.

[wcorkcanary 4,329]

As Durham police have now received the complaint they needed in order to investigate  , this could get really sticky for Cummins . My fear is that the Conservative  party will let a prosecution be his punishment.  With a statement along the lines of .. " he made a mistake, he has been punished, right let's move on because no one else who was prosecuted  ie joe Boggs, had to lose their job as a consequence of a violation of lockdown guidelines, all this will be accompanied by reminding us it was his dutiful fatherliness that led to his  faux pas'. 

One big cook up after another. 

[BigFish 1,986]

11 minutes ago, Barbe bleu said:

Slightly different data to worldometer which has them level.  Does this source differentiate between deaths in hospitals and deaths in care homes?

  I have had a theory for a while that the government/ we became so obsessed with protecting the NHS and other such things that we forgot to check if the care home door is closed. If my theory is correct we should see the proportion of deaths in UK hospitals being low compared to italy but care home deaths much higher.

[BigFish 1,986]

1 minute ago, BigFish said:

Johnson closing in on Spain, but needs to watch out for Brazil if he is serious about being world leading. Probably the opening of schools without a proper track, trace, isolate system should give him another push for the top.

[Aggy 747]

18 minutes ago, wcorkcanary said:

As Durham police have now received the complaint they needed in order to investigate  , this could get really sticky for Cummins . My fear is that the Conservative  party will let a prosecution be his punishment.  With a statement along the lines of .. " he made a mistake, he has been punished, right let's move on because no one else who was prosecuted  ie joe Boggs, had to lose their job as a consequence of a violation of lockdown guidelines, all this will be accompanied by reminding us it was his dutiful fatherliness that led to his  faux pas'. 

One big cook up after another. 

If he is prosecuted and fined, then they either have to come out and admit they lied to the public yesterday (“he acted legally responsibly and morally”) or admit that Cummins lied to Boris before his announcement yesterday. 

The handling of it shows just how useless this lot are. Come out, hold your hands up, play the sympathy “good father” line but accept he was in the wrong and then you move on, people forget quickly and Boris actually comes out of it with a bit of credit. Instead they’ve just dug the hole a bit deeper.

[Trevor Hockey's Beard 526]

20 minutes ago, Aggy said:

If he is prosecuted and fined, then they either have to come out and admit they lied to the public yesterday (“he acted legally responsibly and morally”) or admit that Cummins lied to Boris before his announcement yesterday. 

The handling of it shows just how useless this lot are. Come out, hold your hands up, play the sympathy “good father” line but accept he was in the wrong and then you move on, people forget quickly and Boris actually comes out of it with a bit of credit. Instead they’ve just dug the hole a bit deeper.

At some point useless people in power will screw up. It's just about being patient.

Who'd have thought that the powder I was keeping dry could be taken out and used so quickly.

Cummings has made so many enemies with his confrontational style that he will struggle to survive this - it is time for all the snubbed Tory MPs to sit down and enjoy their cold dish. 

[Barbe bleu 809]

29 minutes ago, Aggy said:

If he is prosecuted and fined, then they either have to come out and admit they lied to the public yesterday (“he acted legally responsibly and morally”) or admit that Cummins lied to Boris before his announcement yesterday. 

The handling of it shows just how useless this lot are. Come out, hold your hands up, play the sympathy “good father” line but accept he was in the wrong and then you move on, people forget quickly and Boris actually comes out of it with a bit of credit. Instead they’ve just dug the hole a bit deeper.

If anyone is interested these are the regulations

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/made

Questions to me seem to be a) was it reasonably necessary in the circumstances for him to move house b) was his moving in order to provide care c) did he have any other reasonable excuse for the journey.

If the answer to any is yes than what he did was lawful . If there is doubt it'll be resolved in his favour

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by Barbe bleu

[PurpleCanary 5,553]

6 minutes ago, Trevor Hockey's Beard said:

At some point useless people in power will screw up. It's just about being patient.

Who'd have thought that the powder I was keeping dry could be taken out and used so quickly.

Cummings has made so many enemies with his confrontational style that he will struggle to survive this - it is time for all the snubbed Tory MPs to sit down and enjoy their cold dish. 

He needs to change the habit of a lifetime and be apologetic, and he needs to answer every question fully and truthfully. If he does that then the government can move on to what is important, which is the fight against the virus. If he ducks a question and/or is later shown to have lied then this will just rumble on.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Why is he being allowed airtime? I cannot believe an unelected adviser is being allowed to put his case to the public.

[sonyc 5,481]

6 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

Why is he being allowed airtime? I cannot believe an unelected adviser is being allowed to put his case to the public.

It's a very unusual event. Taking place I read in the rose garden of No 10.

Not in a bluebell wood.

Edited May 25, 2020 by sonyc

[sonyc 5,481]

Ahead of Dominic Cummings’s public statement this afternoon, a number of people on Twitter are flagging the government’s code of conduct for special advisers which states they must not take “public part in political controversy”.

Point 14 states:

Special advisers must not take public part in political controversy, through any form of statement whether in speeches or letters to the press, or in books, social media, articles or leaflets.

They must observe discretion and express comment with moderation, avoiding personal attacks, and would not normally speak in public for their minister or the department.

It would seem you're right KG

[ricardo 7,328]

13 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

Why is he being allowed airtime? I cannot believe an unelected adviser is being allowed to put his case to the public.

Same reason Sky wants the footy to restart😉

[sonyc 5,481]

In answer to my question about what to predict will be said at 4pm...

I am getting prepared for feeling ashamed at my outrage given all the facts which are going to be presented in forensic detail. I will need to reflect on my mistaken beliefs and overreaction very deeply, before trudging off to join a monastery (a silent order). 

I'm expecting a full on attack on the media, press intrusion and cabinet smugness.

And then this evening ...to return to my pleb hole.

[ricardo 7,328]

I'm  expecting everyone to be fast asleep by the time Robert Peston gets to the end of his question.

Then Cummings will ask him to repeat it.😁

Edited May 25, 2020 by ricardo

[Yellow Fever 3,732]

3 minutes ago, ricardo said:

I'm  expecting everyone to be fast asleep by the time Robert Peston gets to the end of his question.

Then Cummings will ask him to repeat it.😁

Keep your wallet ready. I still think he might resign "for the sake of the country" crap.

Position is and remains untenable.

[sonyc 5,481]

2 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

Keep your wallet ready. I still think he might resign "for the sake of the country" crap.

Position is and remains untenable.

I really doubt it YF. 

Yet, how amazing that an unelected advisor is addressing the nation in the garden of Number 10 and BBC is setting up a special  early programme to cover it. Don't you feel the country is being played? 

It's amazing he has this opportunity and such a 'marketing' moment in our time. Wonder what the viewing figures will be?

[Aggy 747]

58 minutes ago, Barbe bleu said:

If anyone is interested these are the regulations

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/made

Questions to me seem to be a) was it reasonably necessary in the circumstances for him to move house b) was his moving in order to provide care c) did he have any other reasonable excuse for the journey.

If the answer to any is yes than what he did was lawful . If there is doubt it'll be resolved in his favour

 

The moving house bit means selling yours and buying a new one - not just nipping down to your second home because you feel like it. If you were contractually bound to complete on a house sale a fortnight after the lockdown started it would possibly have been reasonably necessary for you to move to your new home rather than have a whole chain of people incurring fees for failing to complete and/or being left homeless.

The amendment to the regs they brought in earlier this month is linked below - note that subsection 6(l) of the original regs is substituted to allow for visits to estate agents, viewing residential houses with a view to buying, preparing to move into a new home, moving home etc. This shows the original 6(l) is intended to mean house sales and purchases, not moving to your second/parents’ home.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/500/regulation/2/made

Edited May 25, 2020 by Aggy

[Yellow Fever 3,732]

3 minutes ago, sonyc said:

I really doubt it YF. 

Yet, how amazing that an unelected advisor is addressing the nation in the garden of Number 10 and BBC is setting up a special  early programme to cover it. Don't you feel the country is being played? 

It's amazing he has this opportunity and such a 'marketing' moment in our time. Wonder what the viewing figures will be?

Perhaps Johnson will resign and Cummings take over as PM. After all you don't actually need to be a MP to be PM.

Now that would be fun.....

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by Yellow Fever
We are in the land of fantasy with Johnson anyway.

[sonyc 5,481]

3 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

Perhaps Johnson will resign and Cummings take over as PM. After all you don't actually need to be a MP to be PM.

Now that would be fun.....

 

I see that #scummedia is trending. Now why would that be? (Nothing to do with L1pswich either😉)

As DC is a master of social media and getting headlines to fly, I'm assuming part of his speech will be about the state of media in the UK.

He really is a master technician.

[ricardo 7,328]

18 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

Keep your wallet ready. I still think he might resign "for the sake of the country" crap.

Position is and remains untenable.

I fear my wallet may be in ITU for some extended period.

[Surfer 1,547]

It's 4.10pm ....

Maybe it is just me, but if you call a press conference for 4pm (in the Downing St garden of all places) and you can't be bothered to turn up on time isn't that more evidence of the kind of self-centered arrogance that this whole issue is about ...?

[ricardo 7,328]

1 minute ago, Surfer said:

It's 4.10pm ....

Maybe it is just me, but if you call a press conference for 4pm (in the Downing St garden of all places) and you can't be bothered to turn up on time isn't that more evidence of the kind of self-centered arrogance that this whole issue is about ...?

Waiting for Death Rigby to get her lipstick on.

[Aggy 747]

1 hour ago, Barbe bleu said:

If anyone is interested these are the regulations

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/made

Questions to me seem to be a) was it reasonably necessary in the circumstances for him to move house b) was his moving in order to provide care c) did he have any other reasonable excuse for the journey.

If the answer to any is yes than what he did was lawful . If there is doubt it'll be resolved in his favour

 

As for b - I don’t see how it could be. Surely the whole point of his argument is that he couldn’t provide care while ill. Why couldn’t his sister or whoever drive to pick up the child so Cummings could avoid breaking the law? 

Also, the exemption allowing people to leave the home to provide care states to provide care to a vulnerable person. Vulnerable person is defined in regulation 1(c) - over 70, pregnant or under 70 with a specified underlying condition. So I don’t think this exemption would apply here either.

C - possibly, but I don’t think people will have that. If he can’t point to one of the specified exceptions permitted by legislation and instead relies on a general “other reasonable excuse” exemption then he is basically saying people can pick and choose when to bother sticking to the lockdown or not. 

Edited May 25, 2020 by Aggy

[sonyc 5,481]

4 minutes ago, Surfer said:

It's 4.10pm ....

Maybe it is just me, but if you call a press conference for 4pm (in the Downing St garden of all places) and you can't be bothered to turn up on time isn't that more evidence of the kind of self-centered arrogance that this whole issue is about ...?

He has a large part of the country and media on tenterhooks...just waiting.

[ricardo 7,328]

2 minutes ago, sonyc said:

He has a large part of the country and media on tenterhooks...just waiting.

Have they gone to your rose garden by mistake?

[BigFish 1,986]

Just now, ricardo said:

Have they gone to your rose garden by mistake?

Nothing shows humility more than rocking up 30 minutes late to give your apology

[sonyc 5,481]

1 minute ago, ricardo said:

Have they gone to your rose garden by mistake?

Last minute shave perhaps?

New tee shirt?

[ricardo 7,328]

Just now, sonyc said:

Last minute shave perhaps?

New tee shirt?

Spraying the black fly and rust I think.

[Aggy 747]

5 minutes ago, sonyc said:

Last minute shave perhaps?

New tee shirt?

Roadworks on the A1