Coronavirus

[Jimmy HaveHave]

What kind of details did you want?

More clarity would be a start. How is ok to go and buy paint & plants etc from B&Q yet there's still no sign of high street stores like Next opening when they could and would apply the same social distancing measures which would be small steps in getting the economy going

[pauld]

Just to clarify was it the Tories who didn't lock down early enough in Wales, Scotland, NI?

No, although the devolved governments have tried to stay in step with national govt. But you're right, they should have had the balls to call out the national govt's complacency for what it was and lock down earlier. TBF, we're not alone in this, most Western European govts have made a right fuck of it. We did however have two massive advantages over many of them: we had three weeks' additional warning time where we could see what was happening in Spain, Italy and France in particular; and we are an island (and partial island in N Ireland), making it much easier to seal ourselves off from the rest of the world. We squandered both those advantages and have the highest death rates in Europe as a result.

[Dr Pierre Chang]

You forgot to mention Cygnus, Paul! Your standards are slipping.

[theakston2k]

I see a lot of people saying this is disguised pursuit of the herd immunity agenda by the government. Genuine question though what are the alternatives to herd immunity in the next year to 18 months. To be honest I wouldn’t want to be taking any vaccine anytime soon without long term clinical trials completed as some have been known to be more deadly than the disease they are aimed at. I don’t really see what the options are?

[Outletred]

No, although the devolved governments have tried to stay in step with national govt. But you're right, they should have had the balls to call out the national govt's complacency for what it was and lock down earlier. TBF, we're not alone in this, most Western European govts have made a right fuck of it. We did however have two massive advantages over many of them: we had three weeks' additional warning time where we could see what was happening in Spain, Italy and France in particular; and we are an island (and partial island in N Ireland), making it much easier to seal ourselves off from the rest of the world. We squandered both those advantages and have the highest death rates in Europe as a result.

Nobody knows we have the highest death rate in Europe- as most countries are counting differently so you cannot make a fair comparison. I don’t understand why you cannot grasp this.

[STFC_Manc]

Nobody knows we have the highest death rate in Europe- as most countries are counting differently so you cannot make a fair comparison. I don’t understand why you cannot grasp this.

It doesn't fit with his agenda?

[Batch]

What kind of details did you want?

presumably is absolutely fine to drive to Weston tomorrow for my exercise if I want? did he really mean that? it sounds insane.

I'd like to see the details of the proposed school openings, though that isn't urgent.

I guess there are no real changes,

you are to be encouraged to go to work of you can't work at home, yet not see your family even if you socially distance yourself? what's the plan for allowing that?

what kind of entertainment industries are they looking at opening first?


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it's all too vague.

the supporting documents should have been released at the same time.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Knocking shops. But keep your distance!

[mexico red]

Does it matter if you’re the highest in Europe? There’s over 30,000 dead. Stop the bickering. 30,000 dead.

Fucks sake , crack on all going out in packed trains and buses. I think you’ve all lost it .

[Arriba]

There are more questions than answers after that tonight. Considering they had time to prepare for that statement that was pretty dire

[bathford]

Personally, I think that broadcast was a master class in Political ambiguity!

[4D]

This is the politics thread part 2. I'm out.

[Ardiles]

It felt to me like a speech given by a man who was being pulled in several directions at once, trying to please everyone.  Possibly why the messages are mixed.  There are epidemiologists advising that it's too soon to lift the lockdown restrictions, businesses telling him they're on their knees (& a Chancellor reporting a huge forecast fiscal deficit).  And then there is the libertarian/small state wing of his own party that dogmatically favours personal freedom over collective responsibility.  He's trying (& failing) to please all these groups.

The leaders in Scotland, Wales & NI do not have right-wing libertarian factions to worry about in their own parties, so are able to provide more coherent guidance about staying at home without losing support.

I do believe that a braver - perhaps, more Churchillian - leader would have faced down the right-wing ideologues in his party.  Sadly, he's rather reliant on them now, having culled much of the more moderate talent in his party at the Brexit altar late last year.

[StfcRusty]

Does it matter if you’re the highest in Europe? There’s over 30,000 dead. Stop the bickering. 30,000 dead.

Fucks sake , crack on all going out in packed trains and buses. I think you’ve all lost it .

This.  And that lefty rag, the Financial Times, estimates the true death figure to be well over 50,000.

[StfcRusty]

Johnson just tweeted this formula to calculate the current threat level.

I have a maths degree but by my workings our threat level is about 219,000 out of 5