Sebastian Payne @SebastianEPayne Whitehall officials say contingency planning is underway in case more curbs are needed, starting with mandatory masks for all indoor settings.
Officials also examining potential WFH order over Christmas, but some govt insisters suggest it’s unlikely.
WFH over Christmas? Bugger that, I'm having a week off.
One of the perks of academic life - two weeks off at Christmas. Uni closes on the 23rd, plus a bit of leave, so stop on the 21st, back on 4th.
I should have stuck with my Media Studies degree
Give me some credit, PhD in chemistry, now in a Pharmacy department.
Sebastian Payne @SebastianEPayne Whitehall officials say contingency planning is underway in case more curbs are needed, starting with mandatory masks for all indoor settings.
Officials also examining potential WFH order over Christmas, but some govt insisters suggest it’s unlikely.
WFH over Christmas? Bugger that, I'm having a week off.
One of the perks of academic life - two weeks off at Christmas. Uni closes on the 23rd, plus a bit of leave, so stop on the 21st, back on 4th.
Do you only stop on the 21st? We break up the previous Friday.
Watch as Health Secretary @sajidjavid persuades Sky's chief political correspondent @joncraig to get his booster jab while the pair were preparing for an interview at St Thomas' Hospital vaccination centre.
Sebastian Payne @SebastianEPayne Whitehall officials say contingency planning is underway in case more curbs are needed, starting with mandatory masks for all indoor settings.
Officials also examining potential WFH order over Christmas, but some govt insisters suggest it’s unlikely.
These contingency planning stories are easy headlines though - as it’s contingency planners’ job to, er, plan for contingencies.
A lot of positive comments about Starmer's new shadow Cabinet, but a lot of work remains to be done.
Although I agree with previous posters who make the point of how this could improve general media reporting for Starmer this is now make or break time. With his A team in place he becomes very vulnerable if the narrative and polls turn against him.
And that's to say nothing of the very serious strategic political problems that Labour face. What now for Brexit? What policies do they have that don't involve spending more money? Are they for them, or for us? Can they really be trusted?
Sebastian Payne @SebastianEPayne Whitehall officials say contingency planning is underway in case more curbs are needed, starting with mandatory masks for all indoor settings.
Officials also examining potential WFH order over Christmas, but some govt insisters suggest it’s unlikely.
These contingency planning stories are easy headlines though - as it’s contingency planners’ job to, er, plan for contingencies.
Do you not remember last winter? This is how it works. What they do.
A rumour spreads on Twitter. It is officially denied. Then it is begrudgingly accepted as possible. Then it happens. A further restriction, then another, then another. The only difference is that it is happening a lot faster and at least there is no weepy bullshit about “saving Christmas”
There is still a decent chance the data on Omicron surprises on the upside. Then We’re Out of Jail
But the actions of global governments tell me they do not expect this
More information of spread in SA from infectious disease academic...
Reason for anecdotal stories of mild symptoms is the initial outbreak is students, particular university students, vast bulk of cases in 10-30 age group. Is spreading rapidly among a population that have high level of immunity either from vaccination or prior infection.
As previously reported hospitalisations are mostly unvaxxed but all far too early to make any statements about severity or change in symptons.
Sebastian Payne @SebastianEPayne Whitehall officials say contingency planning is underway in case more curbs are needed, starting with mandatory masks for all indoor settings.
Officials also examining potential WFH order over Christmas, but some govt insisters suggest it’s unlikely.
We’ve been here before. I’d be alarmed if they weren’t looking at options.
They'd bloody well better be looking at options for compensating hospitality businesses who will suffer if masks / closures / loss of business are mandated again.
I’d put the chances of a significant UK lockdown now at about 70%
Everything has moved so fast, governments are so alarmed, the trend is unfortunately very clear
If anything I think the noise and panic has quelled slightly today
John McDonnell MP @johnmcdonnellMP · 1h Reviving the careers of former Blairite ministers & simply reappointing existing Shadow Cabinet ministers to new posts does give the impression of Christmas Past not Christmas Future.
Sir K must be delighted with all the moaning from the left tonight
And also from the moaning from Tory right AND Boris-right-or-wrong
Sebastian Payne @SebastianEPayne Whitehall officials say contingency planning is underway in case more curbs are needed, starting with mandatory masks for all indoor settings.
Officials also examining potential WFH order over Christmas, but some govt insisters suggest it’s unlikely.
We’ve been here before. I’d be alarmed if they weren’t looking at options.
They'd bloody well better be looking at options for compensating hospitality businesses who will suffer if masks / closures / loss of business are mandated again.
I’d put the chances of a significant UK lockdown now at about 70%
Everything has moved so fast, governments are so alarmed, the trend is unfortunately very clear
If anything I think the noise and panic has quelled slightly today
Sebastian Payne @SebastianEPayne Whitehall officials say contingency planning is underway in case more curbs are needed, starting with mandatory masks for all indoor settings.
Officials also examining potential WFH order over Christmas, but some govt insisters suggest it’s unlikely.
These contingency planning stories are easy headlines though - as it’s contingency planners’ job to, er, plan for contingencies.
Do you not remember last winter? This is how it works. What they do.
A rumour spreads on Twitter. It is officially denied. Then it is begrudgingly accepted as possible. Then it happens. A further restriction, then another, then another. The only difference is that it is happening a lot faster and at least there is no weepy bullshit about “saving Christmas”
There is still a decent chance the data on Omicron surprises on the upside. Then We’re Out of Jail
But the actions of global governments tell me they do not expect this
Of course I remember last winter. It was the worst of my life.
But…
We had a load of hoo haa about contingency planning in the summer, and it never happened.
In fact, we had four months of blissful restriction free living.
I take little to nothing from Whitehall being asked to plan for things in terms of severity or not.
The things to take are just how rapid the JCVI response was and how it was even more wide ranging than briefed from a group who have until very recently have been very much of the opinion that boosters outside of a very small number of people was an overindulgent luxury by a rich Western country. Plus the reaction of the likes of Israel and Japan.
I take little to nothing from Whitehall being asked to plan for things in terms of severity or not.
The things to take are just how rapid the JCVI response was and how it was even more wide ranging than briefed, plus the reaction of the likes of Israel and Japan.
More information of spread in SA from infectious disease academic...
Reason for anecdotal stories of mild symptoms is the initial outbreak is students, particular university students, vast bulk of cases in 10-30 age group. Is spreading rapidly among a population that have high level of immunity either from vaccination or prior infection.
As previously reported hospitalisations are mostly unvaxxed but all far too early to make any statements about severity or change in symptons.
Sebastian Payne @SebastianEPayne Whitehall officials say contingency planning is underway in case more curbs are needed, starting with mandatory masks for all indoor settings.
Officials also examining potential WFH order over Christmas, but some govt insisters suggest it’s unlikely.
These contingency planning stories are easy headlines though - as it’s contingency planners’ job to, er, plan for contingencies.
Do you not remember last winter? This is how it works. What they do.
A rumour spreads on Twitter. It is officially denied. Then it is begrudgingly accepted as possible. Then it happens. A further restriction, then another, then another. The only difference is that it is happening a lot faster and at least there is no weepy bullshit about “saving Christmas”
There is still a decent chance the data on Omicron surprises on the upside. Then We’re Out of Jail
But the actions of global governments tell me they do not expect this
Of course I remember last winter. It was the worst of my life.
But…
We had a load of hoo haa about contingency planning in the summer, and it never happened.
In fact, we had four months of blissful restriction free living.
Perhaps this is doom porn? You choose
“South Africa has recorded a sharp increase in coronavirus cases, including among children under 2 years old, a top epidemiologist said Monday, as the country reckons with the consequences of being among the first to report the omicron variant of the coronavirus
Health-care providers and officials said they are making preparations to deal with what is effectively a fourth wave of the pandemic in the country — including by ensuring there are enough pediatric hospital beds to deal with the possible increase in young children’s hospital admissions.
“I am expecting we will top over 10,000 cases by the end of the week per day,” South African epidemiologist Salim Abdool Karim said during a virtual government-led news briefing.”
Starmer has made substantial changes and this must largely be his team for the next GE
It does look a better team than previously but Yvette was poor as shadow home secretary and even worse on hips
Time will tell but Corbyn looks to have been vanquished
Oh FFS. Not Hips again.
Wait and see how she is with Patel in the Commons in next few months. Forensic demolition comes to my mind.
HIPS are her marquee achievement from a lifetime in politics…
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
You cannot honestly be bringing up HIPS again? For crying out loud it’s a policy from a generation ago that nobody even remembers, save a bunch of seemingly completely obsessed PB Tories.
Sebastian Payne @SebastianEPayne Whitehall officials say contingency planning is underway in case more curbs are needed, starting with mandatory masks for all indoor settings.
Officials also examining potential WFH order over Christmas, but some govt insisters suggest it’s unlikely.
We’ve been here before. I’d be alarmed if they weren’t looking at options.
They'd bloody well better be looking at options for compensating hospitality businesses who will suffer if masks / closures / loss of business are mandated again.
I’d put the chances of a significant UK lockdown now at about 70%
Everything has moved so fast, governments are so alarmed, the trend is unfortunately very clear
If anything I think the noise and panic has quelled slightly today
You are delusional
Maybe I am, but that’s my sense today. It might change tomorrow.
Starmer has made substantial changes and this must largely be his team for the next GE
It does look a better team than previously but Yvette was poor as shadow home secretary and even worse on hips
Time will tell but Corbyn looks to have been vanquished
Oh FFS. Not Hips again.
Wait and see how she is with Patel in the Commons in next few months. Forensic demolition comes to my mind.
HIPS are her marquee achievement from a lifetime in politics…
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
You cannot honestly be bringing up HIPS again? For crying out loud it’s a policy from a generation ago that nobody even remembers, save a bunch of seemingly completely obsessed PB Tories.
Isn’t that sort of the point? If HIPS had been a success then everybody who buys or sells a house would know about it.
Sebastian Payne @SebastianEPayne Whitehall officials say contingency planning is underway in case more curbs are needed, starting with mandatory masks for all indoor settings.
Officials also examining potential WFH order over Christmas, but some govt insisters suggest it’s unlikely.
We’ve been here before. I’d be alarmed if they weren’t looking at options.
They'd bloody well better be looking at options for compensating hospitality businesses who will suffer if masks / closures / loss of business are mandated again.
I’d put the chances of a significant UK lockdown now at about 70%
Everything has moved so fast, governments are so alarmed, the trend is unfortunately very clear
If anything I think the noise and panic has quelled slightly today
Well, there's no new news really, we're still waiting for the information that resolves the key uncertainties: How fast? How deadly? How much vaccine-dodging?
Until we have better answers to those questions we have a wide range of possible futures from "no worries, we have this beat" to "2020 wasn't that bad really".
And in the meantime the government have been proactive, which is reassuring. So we wait.
I take little to nothing from Whitehall being asked to plan for things in terms of severity or not.
The things to take are just how rapid the JCVI response was and how it was even more wide ranging than briefed, plus the reaction of the likes of Israel and Japan.
Spooked is the word.
Yes, but is it all based on looking at the number of modifications in the spike? Rather than waiting for actual real world stats?
Starmer has made substantial changes and this must largely be his team for the next GE
It does look a better team than previously but Yvette was poor as shadow home secretary and even worse on hips
Time will tell but Corbyn looks to have been vanquished
Oh FFS. Not Hips again.
Wait and see how she is with Patel in the Commons in next few months. Forensic demolition comes to my mind.
HIPS are her marquee achievement from a lifetime in politics…
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
You cannot honestly be bringing up HIPS again? For crying out loud it’s a policy from a generation ago that nobody even remembers, save a bunch of seemingly completely obsessed PB Tories.
I remember it well as I was advising the DCLG and took 18 trips to London and Yvette just never understood it
I take little to nothing from Whitehall being asked to plan for things in terms of severity or not.
The things to take are just how rapid the JCVI response was and how it was even more wide ranging than briefed, plus the reaction of the likes of Israel and Japan.
Spooked is the word.
Yes, but is it all based on looking at the number of modifications in the spike? Rather than waiting for actual real world stats?
Waiting for real world stats might be too late. Better to be cautious now and relax if/when the real world stats are positive.
Can I ask your advice as a seasoned eBay trader in automotive geegaws? I've been looking for a single Keihin FCR41 to go with one I already have. Does this look kosher? I assume it's a pattern copy but not really bothered as long as it works.
It’s clear that we are going to have this stuff every single night from Leon. I think I’ll stick to mornings in future when he is either not around or sober.
I take little to nothing from Whitehall being asked to plan for things in terms of severity or not.
The things to take are just how rapid the JCVI response was and how it was even more wide ranging than briefed, plus the reaction of the likes of Israel and Japan.
Spooked is the word.
Yes, but is it all based on looking at the number of modifications in the spike? Rather than waiting for actual real world stats?
I think that's right. They should get a reasonable idea of how the vaccine effectiveness will change just by looking at which bits have changed. The magnitude of the effect might be harder to estimate.
Starmer has made substantial changes and this must largely be his team for the next GE
It does look a better team than previously but Yvette was poor as shadow home secretary and even worse on hips
Time will tell but Corbyn looks to have been vanquished
Oh FFS. Not Hips again.
Wait and see how she is with Patel in the Commons in next few months. Forensic demolition comes to my mind.
HIPS are her marquee achievement from a lifetime in politics…
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
You cannot honestly be bringing up HIPS again? For crying out loud it’s a policy from a generation ago that nobody even remembers, save a bunch of seemingly completely obsessed PB Tories.
Isn’t that sort of the point? If HIPS had been a success then everybody who buys or sells a house would know about it.
Who cares? It's not like she launched a war in the middle east or something.
I've been carefully reviewing what the real experts - those who actually know what they're talking about - say about Omicron. Of course there are a lot of uncertainties, but it looks as though a consensus is emerging, so that we can narrow it down to one of five possibilities:
1. It might be a really bad development, making vaccines ineffective; 2. It might be somewhat bad, but the vaccines will still give some protection; 3. It might make little difference either way; 4. It might actually be slightly positive, if it spreads more but is less severe; 5. Or it might be very good news, if it out-competes Delta and is much milder.
Starmer has made substantial changes and this must largely be his team for the next GE
It does look a better team than previously but Yvette was poor as shadow home secretary and even worse on hips
Time will tell but Corbyn looks to have been vanquished
Oh FFS. Not Hips again.
Wait and see how she is with Patel in the Commons in next few months. Forensic demolition comes to my mind.
HIPS are her marquee achievement from a lifetime in politics…
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
You cannot honestly be bringing up HIPS again? For crying out loud it’s a policy from a generation ago that nobody even remembers, save a bunch of seemingly completely obsessed PB Tories.
Isn’t that sort of the point? If HIPS had been a success then everybody who buys or sells a house would know about it.
I just tried to Google it to remind myself what was involved and what HIPS stood for: I can’t find it. It seems to have sunk without trace (although I expect if I used the full name rather than the acronym it would show up).
More information of spread in SA from infectious disease academic...
Reason for anecdotal stories of mild symptoms is the initial outbreak is students, particular university students, vast bulk of cases in 10-30 age group. Is spreading rapidly among a population that have high level of immunity either from vaccination or prior infection.
As previously reported hospitalisations are mostly unvaxxed but all far too early to make any statements about severity or change in symptons.
It’s clear that we are going to have this stuff every single night from Leon. I think I’ll stick to mornings in future when he is either not around or sober.
I tell you what, when you’re online I shall only post encouraging news from the Covid frontline
Eg Amongst the millions of stinking human corpses piled on the Newent-Tewkesbury bypass today, a good news story emerged as a little kitten, presumed eaten by crows, walked casually free, to the delight of her owners, a pair of cockroaches in hazmat suits
Starmer has made substantial changes and this must largely be his team for the next GE
It does look a better team than previously but Yvette was poor as shadow home secretary and even worse on hips
Time will tell but Corbyn looks to have been vanquished
Oh FFS. Not Hips again.
Wait and see how she is with Patel in the Commons in next few months. Forensic demolition comes to my mind.
HIPS are her marquee achievement from a lifetime in politics…
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
You cannot honestly be bringing up HIPS again? For crying out loud it’s a policy from a generation ago that nobody even remembers, save a bunch of seemingly completely obsessed PB Tories.
Ok. What has Yvette Cooper done that justifies the high regard which so many hold her in?
Starmer has made substantial changes and this must largely be his team for the next GE
It does look a better team than previously but Yvette was poor as shadow home secretary and even worse on hips
Time will tell but Corbyn looks to have been vanquished
Oh FFS. Not Hips again.
Wait and see how she is with Patel in the Commons in next few months. Forensic demolition comes to my mind.
HIPS are her marquee achievement from a lifetime in politics…
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
You cannot honestly be bringing up HIPS again? For crying out loud it’s a policy from a generation ago that nobody even remembers, save a bunch of seemingly completely obsessed PB Tories.
Isn’t that sort of the point? If HIPS had been a success then everybody who buys or sells a house would know about it.
I just tried to Google it to remind myself what was involved and what HIPS stood for: I can’t find it. It seems to have sunk without trace (although I expect if I used the full name rather than the acronym it would show up).
I've been carefully reviewing what the real experts - those who actually know what they're talking about - say about Omicron. Of course there are a lot of uncertainties, but it looks as though a consensus is emerging, so that we can narrow it down to one of five possibilities:
1. It might be a really bad development, making vaccines ineffective; 2. It might be somewhat bad, but the vaccines will still give some protection; 3. It might make little difference either way; 4. It might actually be slightly positive, if it spreads more but is less severe; 5. Or it might be very good news, if it out-competes Delta and is much milder.
Anything else is just ignorant speculation.
Thanks for that, I shall have nightmares / sleep easy tonight.
Totally off topic, i just watched an interview with that Eric zemmour, he makes nigel farage look like an open borders leftie. Its Tommy Robinson level stuff. And this is in interviews openly to established journalists on the record, not covert footage.
Starmer has made substantial changes and this must largely be his team for the next GE
It does look a better team than previously but Yvette was poor as shadow home secretary and even worse on hips
Time will tell but Corbyn looks to have been vanquished
Oh FFS. Not Hips again.
Wait and see how she is with Patel in the Commons in next few months. Forensic demolition comes to my mind.
HIPS are her marquee achievement from a lifetime in politics…
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
You cannot honestly be bringing up HIPS again? For crying out loud it’s a policy from a generation ago that nobody even remembers, save a bunch of seemingly completely obsessed PB Tories.
Isn’t that sort of the point? If HIPS had been a success then everybody who buys or sells a house would know about it.
I just tried to Google it to remind myself what was involved and what HIPS stood for: I can’t find it. It seems to have sunk without trace (although I expect if I used the full name rather than the acronym it would show up).
Starmer has made substantial changes and this must largely be his team for the next GE
It does look a better team than previously but Yvette was poor as shadow home secretary and even worse on hips
Time will tell but Corbyn looks to have been vanquished
Oh FFS. Not Hips again.
Wait and see how she is with Patel in the Commons in next few months. Forensic demolition comes to my mind.
HIPS are her marquee achievement from a lifetime in politics…
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
You cannot honestly be bringing up HIPS again? For crying out loud it’s a policy from a generation ago that nobody even remembers, save a bunch of seemingly completely obsessed PB Tories.
Ok. What has Yvette Cooper done that justifies the high regard which so many hold her in?
What she has done is that she's learnt a lot since her HIPs days.
I've been carefully reviewing what the real experts - those who actually know what they're talking about - say about Omicron. Of course there are a lot of uncertainties, but it looks as though a consensus is emerging, so that we can narrow it down to one of five possibilities:
1. It might be a really bad development, making vaccines ineffective; 2. It might be somewhat bad, but the vaccines will still give some protection; 3. It might make little difference either way; 4. It might actually be slightly positive, if it spreads more but is less severe; 5. Or it might be very good news, if it out-competes Delta and is much milder.
Just completed five and a half hours of tantric meditation over 4 sessions today. Frankly, I can't care.
The world is ending and it is waaaaay past the lagershed, so I feel able to make this confession: I have only had one “successful” handjob in my life. ie one not delivered by myself (I’m very good at it, I know what I like)
And it was during a group Tantric sex workshop in Covent Garden, in a basement filled with couples we’d never met. Explosive
Make of that what you will. At least it isn’t doom porn?
Seems like Yvette Cooper was unfortunate to inherit the policy from my old MP, who was housing minister before her, when the legislation went through Parliament.
Starmer has made substantial changes and this must largely be his team for the next GE
It does look a better team than previously but Yvette was poor as shadow home secretary and even worse on hips
Time will tell but Corbyn looks to have been vanquished
Oh FFS. Not Hips again.
Wait and see how she is with Patel in the Commons in next few months. Forensic demolition comes to my mind.
HIPS are her marquee achievement from a lifetime in politics…
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
You cannot honestly be bringing up HIPS again? For crying out loud it’s a policy from a generation ago that nobody even remembers, save a bunch of seemingly completely obsessed PB Tories.
Isn’t that sort of the point? If HIPS had been a success then everybody who buys or sells a house would know about it.
I just tried to Google it to remind myself what was involved and what HIPS stood for: I can’t find it. It seems to have sunk without trace (although I expect if I used the full name rather than the acronym it would show up).
Google “Yvette copper Hips” and lots of relevant stories come up
I've been carefully reviewing what the real experts - those who actually know what they're talking about - say about Omicron. Of course there are a lot of uncertainties, but it looks as though a consensus is emerging, so that we can narrow it down to one of five possibilities:
1. It might be a really bad development, making vaccines ineffective; 2. It might be somewhat bad, but the vaccines will still give some protection; 3. It might make little difference either way; 4. It might actually be slightly positive, if it spreads more but is less severe; 5. Or it might be very good news, if it out-competes Delta and is much milder.
Anything else is just ignorant speculation.
I reckon it’s 3.5 on that scale
I reckon it is about 2.8 but since its got the Government and JCVI to pull their fingers out of their arse and offer boosters to everyone its probably a 4.5 now
More information of spread in SA from infectious disease academic...
Reason for anecdotal stories of mild symptoms is the initial outbreak is students, particular university students, vast bulk of cases in 10-30 age group. Is spreading rapidly among a population that have high level of immunity either from vaccination or prior infection.
As previously reported hospitalisations are mostly unvaxxed but all far too early to make any statements about severity or change in symptons.
Seems like Yvette Cooper was unfortunate to inherit the policy from my old MP, who was housing minister before her, when the legislation went through Parliament.
The brief summary on Wikipedia certainly doesn’t seem to indicate much of the blame to her. I do have vague memories of her being the face of the policy at the time though.
It’s clear that we are going to have this stuff every single night from Leon. I think I’ll stick to mornings in future when he is either not around or sober.
I tell you what, when you’re online I shall only post encouraging news from the Covid frontline
Eg Amongst the millions of stinking human corpses piled on the Newent-Tewkesbury bypass today, a good news story emerged as a little kitten, presumed eaten by crows, walked casually free, to the delight of her owners, a pair of cockroaches in hazmat suits
That’s not much of a surprise to me the kitten is okay, the crows can feast on the corpses. The good news about the kitten predictably being bigged up by obvious newspapers. Far bigger news stories around at the moment. The one I would pick out is the young girl killed by Manchester bomb, and the brave and spot on testimony of her parents. She was alive for an hour scared of dying. The ambulances should have been allowed in quicker I think.
At a summer fair I had a tour of a modern ambulance with a friend who was ambulance man in the sixties. And he said all they had back then was blankets and a stretcher.
Re: the PM's comradeship with Peppa Pig, why doesn't some intrepid & well-financed PBer create and market a sure-fire hit for children of all ages - the Boris Boar!
IF Teddy Roosevelt could do it, why not Boris Johnson?
Which if nothing else, would force Labour and the LOTO to compete - the Starmy Squirrel?
Note that supporters & eager salesmen attempted to establish Billy Possum in the hearts and minds of the American public circa 1910, in honor (sort of) of William Howard Taft. But the cute & cuddly marsupial (see link) never caught on
ADDENDUM - Might (or might not) Theresa May have saved her prime ministerial career IF she & her backers had popularized her very own plush toy - Theresa Tiger!
With stripes matching a range of TM's famous shoes.
I've been carefully reviewing what the real experts - those who actually know what they're talking about - say about Omicron. Of course there are a lot of uncertainties, but it looks as though a consensus is emerging, so that we can narrow it down to one of five possibilities:
1. It might be a really bad development, making vaccines ineffective; 2. It might be somewhat bad, but the vaccines will still give some protection; 3. It might make little difference either way; 4. It might actually be slightly positive, if it spreads more but is less severe; 5. Or it might be very good news, if it out-competes Delta and is much milder.
Anything else is just ignorant speculation.
Post of the day, Richard. There's so many variables and people seem very certain about it being one or the other of those options. I really think we just need to wait and see and keep our fingers crossed it isn't option 1. I'm very pleased about the booster programme expansion, Javid has really brought a lot of speed and direction to this compared to Hancock. That video leaker did the nation a massive service, deservers a new year's honour!
Seems like Yvette Cooper was unfortunate to inherit the policy from my old MP, who was housing minister before her, when the legislation went through Parliament.
The brief summary on Wikipedia certainly doesn’t seem to indicate much of the blame to her. I do have vague memories of her being the face of the policy at the time though.
She was and I was involved directly with her and her department
Starmer has made substantial changes and this must largely be his team for the next GE
It does look a better team than previously but Yvette was poor as shadow home secretary and even worse on hips
Time will tell but Corbyn looks to have been vanquished
Oh FFS. Not Hips again.
Wait and see how she is with Patel in the Commons in next few months. Forensic demolition comes to my mind.
HIPS are her marquee achievement from a lifetime in politics…
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
You cannot honestly be bringing up HIPS again? For crying out loud it’s a policy from a generation ago that nobody even remembers, save a bunch of seemingly completely obsessed PB Tories.
I remember it well as I was advising the DCLG and took 18 trips to London and Yvette just never understood it
It was very frustrating
Sounds like it was a good idea, so what was the problem? Too complicated & complex assembling all the certifications, information, forms & whatnot? And what did YC not get?
I've been carefully reviewing what the real experts - those who actually know what they're talking about - say about Omicron. Of course there are a lot of uncertainties, but it looks as though a consensus is emerging, so that we can narrow it down to one of five possibilities:
1. It might be a really bad development, making vaccines ineffective; 2. It might be somewhat bad, but the vaccines will still give some protection; 3. It might make little difference either way; 4. It might actually be slightly positive, if it spreads more but is less severe; 5. Or it might be very good news, if it out-competes Delta and is much milder.
Anything else is just ignorant speculation.
I reckon it’s 3.5 on that scale
I'd have guessed between a 2 and a 3 from what the uni crew were saying yesterday, but the booster action might make it much closer to a 3 in practical terms even of there is some efficacy dilution. Could be a 1 though, we'll need to wait and see what the lab tests say in two weeks.
Starmer has made substantial changes and this must largely be his team for the next GE
It does look a better team than previously but Yvette was poor as shadow home secretary and even worse on hips
Time will tell but Corbyn looks to have been vanquished
Oh FFS. Not Hips again.
Wait and see how she is with Patel in the Commons in next few months. Forensic demolition comes to my mind.
HIPS are her marquee achievement from a lifetime in politics…
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
You cannot honestly be bringing up HIPS again? For crying out loud it’s a policy from a generation ago that nobody even remembers, save a bunch of seemingly completely obsessed PB Tories.
I remember it well as I was advising the DCLG and took 18 trips to London and Yvette just never understood it
It was very frustrating
Sounds like it was a good idea, so what was the problem? Too complicated & complex assembling all the certifications, information, forms & whatnot? And what did YC not get?
She would not listen to advice from those who knew the subject and tried to ameliorate the worst effects of it
Starmer has made substantial changes and this must largely be his team for the next GE
It does look a better team than previously but Yvette was poor as shadow home secretary and even worse on hips
Time will tell but Corbyn looks to have been vanquished
Oh FFS. Not Hips again.
Wait and see how she is with Patel in the Commons in next few months. Forensic demolition comes to my mind.
HIPS are her marquee achievement from a lifetime in politics…
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
You cannot honestly be bringing up HIPS again? For crying out loud it’s a policy from a generation ago that nobody even remembers, save a bunch of seemingly completely obsessed PB Tories.
I remember it well as I was advising the DCLG and took 18 trips to London and Yvette just never understood it
It was very frustrating
Sounds like it was a good idea, so what was the problem? Too complicated & complex assembling all the certifications, information, forms & whatnot? And what did YC not get?
It was an absolutely daft policy, which should have been dropped early on. To be fair, the original idea seemed superficially sensible - get everything organised in advance, to speed up transactions and avoid the need for repeated work if a sale fell through. But it soon became clear that it was totally unworkable, no-one would rely on the HIPs, and buyers would just throw them in the bin and do their own surveys, searches etc. So by the time it was enacted it was simply an extra cost and delay. It should have been abandoned long before the Cameron government came in and axed it, to literally everyone's relief except for the poor saps who had been conned into training up as HIPS surveyors.
Can I ask your advice as a seasoned eBay trader in automotive geegaws? I've been looking for a single Keihin FCR41 to go with one I already have. Does this look kosher? I assume it's a pattern copy but not really bothered as long as it works.
There is very high chance it's a fake based on the country of origin in my opinion. It might be fine and it might be crap! Personally, I don't buy parts off eBay that originate in SE Asia but I am an OEM obsessive and, frankly, a parts snob.
Re: YC's HIPS (hope the moderators will let me get away with that, with apologies to Ms C) yours truly recalls that Winston Churchill once said, "Every dog deserves one bite".
In the same way, is it true that every minister who proves worthy of their salt, will have at least one pile of dog you-know-what to answer for blotting their official copybook?
Speaking of WSC, he is THE poster child for this theory,
Which absolves a LOT of foulness that's floated down the Thames for centuries. What you might call a byproduct!
EDIT - have no major feeling for Cooper one way or the other, though hope for the best from her & her fellow frontbenchers on that side of the House.
Just think it's possible to learn from mistakes, indeed one of the great learning tools of all time.
Can I ask your advice as a seasoned eBay trader in automotive geegaws? I've been looking for a single Keihin FCR41 to go with one I already have. Does this look kosher? I assume it's a pattern copy but not really bothered as long as it works.
There is very high chance it's a fake based on the country of origin in my opinion. It might be fine and it might be crap! Personally, I don't buy parts off eBay that originate in SE Asia but I am an OEM obsessive and, frankly, a parts snob.
Thanks, at that price it’s not too much of a gamble. Being a weirdo I have a sudden urge to get a bike going that’s been sat on its arse all summer.
Watch as Health Secretary @sajidjavid persuades Sky's chief political correspondent @joncraig to get his booster jab while the pair were preparing for an interview at St Thomas' Hospital vaccination centre.
Watch as Health Secretary @sajidjavid persuades Sky's chief political correspondent @joncraig to get his booster jab while the pair were preparing for an interview at St Thomas' Hospital vaccination centre.
Watch as Health Secretary @sajidjavid persuades Sky's chief political correspondent @joncraig to get his booster jab while the pair were preparing for an interview at St Thomas' Hospital vaccination centre.
Earlier discussion of covers of rock songs reminded me of my favourite soul cover of a rock song: Spanky Wilson doing Sunshine Of Your Love, recorded in 1968 on her album Doin' It. https://youtu.be/UIPL1NwQAY0
Spanky is well worth looking up if you like a bit of soul.
I take little to nothing from Whitehall being asked to plan for things in terms of severity or not.
The things to take are just how rapid the JCVI response was and how it was even more wide ranging than briefed from a group who have until very recently have been very much of the opinion that boosters outside of a very small number of people was an overindulgent luxury by a rich Western country. Plus the reaction of the likes of Israel and Japan.
Japan has almost entirely squished covid within its borders - we had 82 new cases yesterday for the entire country. They'd just relaxed the entry restrictions a few weeks ago, and what they just did was to return to the pre-relaxation state. I think this is the obvious response to something that *might* be bad and we're not quite sure. I don't think it indicates some special analysis about omicron or anything, it's just the obvious precaution to take.
Re: Javid the Jabster, there are some that say they staged his urging of the journo to get his booster on the spot.
Personally my impression is that it was spontaneous, at least in the sense it wasn't planned. Though would NOT hold it against either the pushful minister or the bashful journalist for quickly grasping the media potential.
I've been carefully reviewing what the real experts - those who actually know what they're talking about - say about Omicron. Of course there are a lot of uncertainties, but it looks as though a consensus is emerging, so that we can narrow it down to one of five possibilities:
1. It might be a really bad development, making vaccines ineffective; 2. It might be somewhat bad, but the vaccines will still give some protection; 3. It might make little difference either way; 4. It might actually be slightly positive, if it spreads more but is less severe; 5. Or it might be very good news, if it out-competes Delta and is much milder.
Anything else is just ignorant speculation.
You do realise that ignorant speculation is practically the modus operandi of this site, right?
I've been carefully reviewing what the real experts - those who actually know what they're talking about - say about Omicron. Of course there are a lot of uncertainties, but it looks as though a consensus is emerging, so that we can narrow it down to one of five possibilities:
1. It might be a really bad development, making vaccines ineffective; 2. It might be somewhat bad, but the vaccines will still give some protection; 3. It might make little difference either way; 4. It might actually be slightly positive, if it spreads more but is less severe; 5. Or it might be very good news, if it out-competes Delta and is much milder.
Anything else is just ignorant speculation.
You do realise that ignorant speculation is practically the modus operandi of this site, right?
Correction: semi-ignorant. Or quasi-knowledgeable which is arguably worse!
Watch as Health Secretary @sajidjavid persuades Sky's chief political correspondent @joncraig to get his booster jab while the pair were preparing for an interview at St Thomas' Hospital vaccination centre.
I have to say that is brilliant. Javid goes up in my estimation there.
It is. Amidst the encroaching dark, that’s a lovely moment. Well done The Saj
We've got our boosters booked for exactly six months after our second jab (the 16th of December). We'd love to bring it forward, but are concerned that we might lose our current slot. Some guidance on this would be brilliant.
Pony analysis of the reshuffle so far on NewsNight. Focusing on fiery PB fave Angela being a bit cross that she wasn’t told.
Starmer's party management is still very blunt, and I'm not sure this reshiffle will help him as much as it might, in that respect. All he needs to is signal more clearly the continuing influence of figures like Rayner and Miliband, and parts of the party will be much more willing to accept the promotion of Blair era figures like Cooper. It looks again as if Mandelson is having an outsize influence to me. For the moment he's still lifted by Johnson's woes, though.
From a personal point of view, I also hope we'll be seeing more of Cooper's constructive intellect, and that aspect to her, and less of the outdated authoritarianism that linked her to the appointment of Atos and the creation of failed benefit sanctions ; setting the scene for Osborne's socially disastrous welfare cuts in 2014-15. That is not the current public mood.
Going to be another grim month for Prince Andrew with the Maxwell trial underway. He may get lucky by the planet being swamped with even worse stories. Blair’s knack of good days to bury bad news.
Corbyn lost in a landslide on 32% of the vote, are you finally admitting that was a poor performance?
Why are you obsessed with Corbyn?
In 2017 he achieved the biggest increase in the Lab vote since WW2
In 2019 he was forced into a disastrous 2nd referendum position devised by the man you fanboy for.
Your party is going to lose in 2024
Did Corbyn ever give an answer as to which side he fell on on the defining issue of the day whilst he was leader of Her Majesty's Official Opposition?
Imo Corbyn and May were both Leavers pretending to be Remainers. Neither May nor Corbyn was sighted during the referendum. Boris was imo the other way round: a Remainer pretending to be a Leaver in order to advance his career, which worked, so well done Boris.
Comments
Or take out the bit after journalist and it could probably be Lord Sumption.
Maybe this is what Christmas 1915 felt like.
Although I agree with previous posters who make the point of how this could improve general media reporting for Starmer this is now make or break time. With his A team in place he becomes very vulnerable if the narrative and polls turn against him.
And that's to say nothing of the very serious strategic political problems that Labour face. What now for Brexit? What policies do they have that don't involve spending more money? Are they for them, or for us? Can they really be trusted?
A rumour spreads on Twitter. It is officially denied. Then it is begrudgingly accepted as possible. Then it happens. A further restriction, then another, then another. The only difference is that it is happening a lot faster and at least there is no weepy bullshit about “saving Christmas”
There is still a decent chance the data on Omicron surprises on the upside. Then We’re Out of Jail
But the actions of global governments tell me they do not expect this
But wouldn’t picking on someone as inadequate as Patel be bullying?
We’ve had the Somme and the first Ypres and all that. Just the other Ypres, some Verdun and Passchendaele to go. Doddle
But…
We had a load of hoo haa about contingency planning in the summer, and it never happened.
In fact, we had four months of blissful restriction free living.
The things to take are just how rapid the JCVI response was and how it was even more wide ranging than briefed from a group who have until very recently have been very much of the opinion that boosters outside of a very small number of people was an overindulgent luxury by a rich Western country. Plus the reaction of the likes of Israel and Japan.
Nor myself in a couple of years !!
“South Africa has recorded a sharp increase in coronavirus cases, including among children under 2 years old, a top epidemiologist said Monday, as the country reckons with the consequences of being among the first to report the omicron variant of the coronavirus
Health-care providers and officials said they are making preparations to deal with what is effectively a fourth wave of the pandemic in the country — including by ensuring there are enough pediatric hospital beds to deal with the possible increase in young children’s hospital admissions.
“I am expecting we will top over 10,000 cases by the end of the week per day,” South African epidemiologist Salim Abdool Karim said during a virtual government-led news briefing.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/11/29/south-africa-omicron-fourth-wave-vaccine/
Until we have better answers to those questions we have a wide range of possible futures from "no worries, we have this beat" to "2020 wasn't that bad really".
And in the meantime the government have been proactive, which is reassuring. So we wait.
It was very frustrating
Erm? How. Xmas is less than four weeks away. The boosters take a couple of weeks even when you have got people to be jabbed.
“BREAKING: Toddlers make up 10% of hospital cases in omicron epicenter”
https://twitter.com/davidjoachim/status/1465378513842847747?s=21
https://tinyurl.com/y5u9rr77
1. It might be a really bad development, making vaccines ineffective;
2. It might be somewhat bad, but the vaccines will still give some protection;
3. It might make little difference either way;
4. It might actually be slightly positive, if it spreads more but is less severe;
5. Or it might be very good news, if it out-competes Delta and is much milder.
Anything else is just ignorant speculation.
https://twitter.com/BDStanley/status/1465454878789095433
Frankly, I can't care.
Eg Amongst the millions of stinking human corpses piled on the Newent-Tewkesbury bypass today, a good news story emerged as a little kitten, presumed eaten by crows, walked casually free, to the delight of her owners, a pair of cockroaches in hazmat suits
The world is ending and it is waaaaay past the lagershed, so I feel able to make this confession: I have only had one “successful” handjob in my life. ie one not delivered by myself (I’m very good at it, I know what I like)
And it was during a group Tantric sex workshop in Covent Garden, in a basement filled with couples we’d never met. Explosive
Make of that what you will. At least it isn’t doom porn?
At a summer fair I had a tour of a modern ambulance with a friend who was ambulance man in the sixties. And he said all they had back then was blankets and a stretcher.
IF Teddy Roosevelt could do it, why not Boris Johnson?
Which if nothing else, would force Labour and the LOTO to compete - the Starmy Squirrel?
Note that supporters & eager salesmen attempted to establish Billy Possum in the hearts and minds of the American public circa 1910, in honor (sort of) of William Howard Taft. But the cute & cuddly marsupial (see link) never caught on
https://www.ohiohistory.org/learn/education/resource-roundup/november-2019-(1)/billy-possum
ADDENDUM - Might (or might not) Theresa May have saved her prime ministerial career IF she & her backers had popularized her very own plush toy - Theresa Tiger!
With stripes matching a range of TM's famous shoes.
In the same way, is it true that every minister who proves worthy of their salt, will have at least one pile of dog you-know-what to answer for blotting their official copybook?
Speaking of WSC, he is THE poster child for this theory,
Which absolves a LOT of foulness that's floated down the Thames for centuries. What you might call a byproduct!
EDIT - have no major feeling for Cooper one way or the other, though hope for the best from her & her fellow frontbenchers on that side of the House.
Just think it's possible to learn from mistakes, indeed one of the great learning tools of all time.
Certainly that way for yours truly.
Being a weirdo I have a sudden urge to get a bike going that’s been sat on its arse all summer.
In 2017 he achieved the biggest increase in the Lab vote since WW2
In 2019 he was forced into a disastrous 2nd referendum position devised by the man you fanboy for.
Your party is going to lose in 2024
Have a good evening Swinson Fanboy
https://youtu.be/UIPL1NwQAY0
Spanky is well worth looking up if you like a bit of soul.
The only leader to win recently was Blair, who actually won seats.
Personally my impression is that it was spontaneous, at least in the sense it wasn't planned. Though would NOT hold it against either the pushful minister or the bashful journalist for quickly grasping the media potential.
Indeed, the opposite in both cases, esp. Javid's.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_United_Kingdom_general_election
Incidentally, the nearest walk-in booster centres to Cambridge is Letchworth or Bedford. Not exactly convenient...
https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-walk-in-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-site/results?query=cambridge&longitude=0.11968033908695427&latitude=52.204863601475
“Moderna chief predicts existing vaccines will struggle with Omicron”
- FT (££)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-59470584