Coronavirus

Shop workers at a much higher risk due to convid19:

“The death rate of sales and retail assistants is 75 per cent higher amongst men and 60 per cent higher amongst women than in the general population. So as we restore shopping, we must keep our shopkeepers safe. There's also evidence that face coverings increase confidence in people to shop.”


On March 18, the Czech Republic became the first European country to make wearing masks mandatory in supermarkets, pharmacies, and public transport.

Talk about mixed messaging.

Earlier in this thread there was a lot of discussion about the costs/economics of lock-down. This article in The Economist is a very interesting read (for those interested), outlining the pros/cons of a multitude of different options that economists are debating.

https://www.economist.com/brie.....ntent=article-link-1

Interesting development on data collection.

Local lockdowns across most of the north west announced close to midnight last night. Seems socialising is banned, unless you’re doing it somewhere with a card reader present.

Is this “common sense“ or “following the science” this time, serfs?

I think the daily briefings allowed the press and public to ask the questions swirling round in most peoples heads. No chance it will return though as it gave some semblance of scrutiny and accountability.

Across the north west today you could be sacked for refusing to go and spend 8 hours in an office next to someone, fined £100 for sitting with them at home and given a money-off voucher to sit with them in a restaurant.


This is the government YOU voted for. 75,000 deaths and a tanked economy on your heads. Drink it in, boys.  

Quoted from ska face

Across the north west today you could be sacked for refusing to go and spend 8 hours in an office next to someone, fined £100 for sitting with them at home and given a money-off voucher to sit with them in a restaurant.


This is the government YOU voted for. 75,000 deaths and a tanked economy on your heads. Drink it in, boys.  

I agree. The government has been rubbish but that only reinforces the need for a new right of centre party who will say things that need saying and implement difficult decisions.

The Labour party will continue to be out of power for a long time for several reasons including no one is buying what they have for sale, and the chances of overturning an 80 seat majority and regaining Scotland which they need is virtually zero.

The future seems uncertain with the 2 main parties miles away from the majority of law abiding taxpayers; we thought that was going to be the Conservative party hence an 80 seat majority but sadly as you say they have been a disappointment.

Whoever won last years election would have faced difficulties due to covid but the Conservatives have been a massive disappointment thus far.

The Conservatives not being favourable to the working class electorate. Well I never!

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I agree. The government has been rubbish but that only reinforces the need for a new right of centre party who will say things that need saying and implement difficult decisions.

The Labour party will continue to be out of power for a long time for several reasons including no one is buying what they have for sale, and the chances of overturning an 80 seat majority and regaining Scotland which they need is virtually zero.

The future seems uncertain with the 2 main parties miles away from the majority of law abiding taxpayers; we thought that was going to be the Conservative party hence an 80 seat majority but sadly as you say they have been a disappointment.

Whoever won last years election would have faced difficulties due to covid but the Conservatives have been a massive disappointment thus far.

A new right of centre party? Are you on glue? You‘ve had a “right of centre” party for the last decade, deporting retired British citizens, decimating public spending, bombing most of the Middle East and training/arming extremists to fight proxy wars in the rest, overseeing the biggest transfer of wealth into the hands of private interests ever seen. You could even argue Blair and Brown were right of centre, with their PFI, illegal wars, detention centres and extraordinary renditions. Murdoch certainly didn’t back them because Blair was a charming person. If the current govt move any further to the right they’ll be handing out brown shirts.

The problems the country faces, and difficult decisions that need to be made, certainly - demonstrably - cannot be made under the current economic orthodoxy.  You can not solve the climate crisis by banning plastic straws - you need to build green economies and move away from fossil fuel reliance. You can not solve the ageing and social care crisis by funnelling more elderly people into care homes run for profit. You can not solve the housing crisis by allowing hundreds of thousands of homes to sit empty and then give bungs to your housebuilder backers in spurious govt schemes.

That’s what needs to be said, but who’s saying it? If you think the “things that need saying” are things along the lines of “no more immigrants”, then you need to open your eyes.

As for the Conservatives being a disappointment...what did you think you were voting for? Funnily enough, they didn’t just turn into corrupt, incompetent, grubby little-englanders at the stroke of midnight on 12th Dec. They always have been, and always will be, and you were warned over and over.

Quoted from ska face

A new right of centre party? Are you on glue? You‘ve had a “right of centre” party for the last decade, deporting retired British citizens, decimating public spending, bombing most of the Middle East and training/arming extremists to fight proxy wars in the rest, overseeing the biggest transfer of wealth into the hands of private interests ever seen. You could even argue Blair and Brown were right of centre, with their PFI, illegal wars, detention centres and extraordinary renditions. Murdoch certainly didn’t back them because Blair was a charming person. If the current govt move any further to the right they’ll be handing out brown shirts.

The problems the country faces, and difficult decisions that need to be made, certainly - demonstrably - cannot be made under the current economic orthodoxy.  You can not solve the climate crisis by banning plastic straws - you need to build green economies and move away from fossil fuel reliance. You can not solve the ageing and social care crisis by funnelling more elderly people into care homes run for profit. You can not solve the housing crisis by allowing hundreds of thousands of homes to sit empty and then give bungs to your housebuilder backers in spurious govt schemes.

That’s what needs to be said, but who’s saying it? If you think the “things that need saying” are things along the lines of “no more immigrants”, then you need to open your eyes.

As for the Conservatives being a disappointment...what did you think you were voting for? Funnily enough, they didn’t just turn into corrupt, incompetent, grubby little-englanders at the stroke of midnight on 12th Dec. They always have been, and always will be, and you were warned over and over.

Superb post