Within the lottery of holiday stats I am willing to stick my neck out and say London has actually peaked.
Hmm, I wonder how much of that is people not getting PCR tests because they don't want to be bound by the isolation rules this week. Naming no names I know a few people who did it, my wife and I regret reporting our positive results as well given we had no symptoms and we're locked up for a week of our time off that we would otherwise have spent with friends.
On the actual data, the ventilated patients stat for England is barely moving while in hospital is way up, this is unlike anything we've seen before. I think we get the incidental admissions report tomorrow, I think that might solve the riddle of why one number is shooting up and the other which until now has been intrinsically linked hasn't moved at all.
I presume that ICU has a more rigorous infection protocol than general wards so less chance of hospital acquired infection.
(reposted from previous thread) Sorry for going off topic but I wondered if people still use BT for their broadband. I have stuck with them, on the assumption that they would be no better than anyone else. But I have found them to be hard work. I had a problem with my router which means that it cuts out continually, I kept being told that I was imagining it or it was my computer that was at fault, I proved otherwise to them and they eventually sent an engineer around and it seemed to be fixed, only now the problems are starting up again, and I am stuck with another 9 months on my contract. The current situation is really bad because the WIFI is now so unreliable that I can't use it for work, mobile broadband is more reliable. I fear that I will need to go in to some kind of energy sapping consumer rights battle with BT. Am I just unfortunate or do other people experience/hear of these problems with BT?
BT have been great for me.
Avoid Virgin like the plague.
I have never met someone with a good word to say about Virgin fibre/broadband.
Virgin when it is great is utterly brilliant but far too often it is terrible and their customer services are even worse.
One of the reasons I'm migrating from O2 is I know they'll infect O2's brilliant customer services.
All companies are the same. Every service is great when things go well and appalling as soon as there is a problem. Not just ISPs but shops, banks, delivery services, everyone. The suppliers probably do not use their own service, and certainly not their own complaints procedure. Nothing is tested. Customer services consists of a badly-programmed chatbot and two bored housewives in a far-off country of which we know little.
Nah, I had a few issues with O2 and BT in the past, they were magnificent.
Ditto Lloyds and Coutts.
Also big shoutout to Sky when I had a faulty box or two.
Do you really bank with NatWest?
I used to bank with RBS and was upgraded to Coutts.
I hope you don’t still bank there.
If you are going for a vanity chequebook at least be classy and work with Childs or Drummonds
I don't have a chequebook anymore. No point, it is one those areas that is a cause of a lot of frauds and scams.
I'm with Lloyds Mayfair these days.
I know, I know, the shame, the shame, but I have to show my working class credentials somehow.
I banked with Lloyds when I was a teenager 😂
Banking snobbery is pretty damn sad,.
Quite. Everyone knows you should keep quiet about banking with Coutts.
I was in the same class at school as the son of the then CEO of Coutts
My Dad’s first proper job was as executive assistant to David Money Coutts
Just watched Wes Anderson's "The French Dispatch".
Joy. Utter joy.
Just the odd throw away idea that makes you realise how brilliant the whole thing is.
While it was entertaining, I thought it was far from his best. No matter how beautiful and inventive and whimsical it was, the lack of an overarching narrative was a big turn off for me. And he has such extraordinary casts, but you only see each actor for a few moments. It means you don't really connect with any of them.
I can't believe we're still having to explain "deaths a day" nearly 2 years into this whole thing. Today's 332 newly reported deaths can be seen in orange on this chart. Spread across a whole week and leaves the rolling average now well below 100. #notinthelast24hours
If anybody is interested, my profile picture is a clipped part of a painting an AI created for me after being given the title "the dispatched child".....the machines are coming for all of us.
Seems to be borrowing a lot from Rembrandt
You can ask it to "borrow" the style from lots of different artists across a wide range of styles. In this case I didn't ask any more than a painting that matches the title.
The zoomed out view is this young person sitting in a dim room with small amount of natural light coming from an unseen window bouncing off one of the walls.
There's been a steady fall in deaths from a peak of 173 at the start of Nov to slightly below 100 a day now (Moving averages of course). Must have been to the booster rollout as cases have been rising throughout
Yes, I think that is the boosters.
Sorry but what about Omicron? Complicated because it seems to be more infectious but CFR in South Africa went through the floor.
It's too early to discern any Omicron effect (On deaths), remember at the start of December there were literally about 5 cases in the whole of the UK. With all the lag involved in catching Omicron, passing it to your nan, your unvaxxed Nan's mate dieing and then reporting it we'll see the effect more in January I think.
There's been a steady fall in deaths from a peak of 173 at the start of Nov to slightly below 100 a day now (Moving averages of course). Must have been to the booster rollout as cases have been rising throughout
Yeah, thete is what I think is a really obvious booster effect to the age segregated stats. The priority groups fall off in the stats as the booster programme rolls out.
Without boosters the exit "wave" would have got pretty nasty even without Omicron.
"If anyone says the UK’s 332 reported Covid deaths today are due to the Omicron surge*, that’s a useful sign that you can ignore anything else they say about Covid, ever."
*They’re not, they’re due to a big reporting backlog over Christmas. No rise in deaths by date of death.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Can't believe I've just seen a blatantly mixed-race couple on a commercial British TV advert
I know - and I celebrate - the fact that race relations have vastly improved in the UK in recent decades. We are all Brits. But open miscegenation, apparently celebrated in a TV advertisement?
Thank God it seems to be a rarity. I haven't seen any others. Perhaps it is just a one-off, and no cause for alarm
Who are you? Austin Powers.
I am fine with the narrative, but even as a woke liberal I notice it at pretty well every commercial break over the last ten years.
I can't believe someone as open minded as yourself would find it problematic either.
(reposted from previous thread) Sorry for going off topic but I wondered if people still use BT for their broadband. I have stuck with them, on the assumption that they would be no better than anyone else. But I have found them to be hard work. I had a problem with my router which means that it cuts out continually, I kept being told that I was imagining it or it was my computer that was at fault, I proved otherwise to them and they eventually sent an engineer around and it seemed to be fixed, only now the problems are starting up again, and I am stuck with another 9 months on my contract. The current situation is really bad because the WIFI is now so unreliable that I can't use it for work, mobile broadband is more reliable. I fear that I will need to go in to some kind of energy sapping consumer rights battle with BT. Am I just unfortunate or do other people experience/hear of these problems with BT?
BT have been great for me.
Avoid Virgin like the plague.
I have never met someone with a good word to say about Virgin fibre/broadband.
Virgin when it is great is utterly brilliant but far too often it is terrible and their customer services are even worse.
One of the reasons I'm migrating from O2 is I know they'll infect O2's brilliant customer services.
All companies are the same. Every service is great when things go well and appalling as soon as there is a problem. Not just ISPs but shops, banks, delivery services, everyone. The suppliers probably do not use their own service, and certainly not their own complaints procedure. Nothing is tested. Customer services consists of a badly-programmed chatbot and two bored housewives in a far-off country of which we know little.
Nah, I had a few issues with O2 and BT in the past, they were magnificent.
Ditto Lloyds and Coutts.
Also big shoutout to Sky when I had a faulty box or two.
Do you really bank with NatWest?
I used to bank with RBS and was upgraded to Coutts.
I hope you don’t still bank there.
If you are going for a vanity chequebook at least be classy and work with Childs or Drummonds
I don't have a chequebook anymore. No point, it is one those areas that is a cause of a lot of frauds and scams.
I'm with Lloyds Mayfair these days.
I know, I know, the shame, the shame, but I have to show my working class credentials somehow.
I banked with Lloyds when I was a teenager 😂
Banking snobbery is pretty damn sad,.
Quite. Everyone knows you should keep quiet about banking with Coutts.
I was in the same class at school as the son of the then CEO of Coutts
My Dad’s first proper job was as executive assistant to David Money Coutts
Well I knew I still could not outsnob you Charles!
Can't believe I've just seen a blatantly mixed-race couple on a commercial British TV advert
I know - and I celebrate - the fact that race relations have vastly improved in the UK in recent decades. We are all Brits. But open miscegenation, apparently celebrated in a TV advertisement?
Thank God it seems to be a rarity. I haven't seen any others. Perhaps it is just a one-off, and no cause for alarm
Who are you? Austin Powers.
I am fine with the narrative, but even as a woke liberal I notice it at pretty well every commercial break over the last ten years.
I can't believe someone as open minded as yourself would find it problematic either.
My admissions tutor colleague tells of a recruitment fair in Africa where every single UK university had found something to number 1 about, e.g. student services, most hot teenage girls, drunkest students etc. His other favourite story was a welsh university using a picture of the Severn bridge, and the lovely land beyond, on all their advertising, prospectus etc. He pointed out they were showing the English side... It led to much pulping of prospecti etc.
Can't believe I've just seen a blatantly mixed-race couple on a commercial British TV advert
I know - and I celebrate - the fact that race relations have vastly improved in the UK in recent decades. We are all Brits. But open miscegenation, apparently celebrated in a TV advertisement?
Thank God it seems to be a rarity. I haven't seen any others. Perhaps it is just a one-off, and no cause for alarm
Who are you? Austin Powers.
I am fine with the narrative, but even as a woke liberal I notice it at pretty well every commercial break over the last ten years.
I can't believe someone as open minded as yourself would find it problematic either.
Can't believe I've just seen a blatantly mixed-race couple on a commercial British TV advert
I know - and I celebrate - the fact that race relations have vastly improved in the UK in recent decades. We are all Brits. But open miscegenation, apparently celebrated in a TV advertisement?
Thank God it seems to be a rarity. I haven't seen any others. Perhaps it is just a one-off, and no cause for alarm
Who are you? Austin Powers.
I am fine with the narrative, but even as a woke liberal I notice it at pretty well every commercial break over the last ten years.
I can't believe someone as open minded as yourself would find it problematic either.
There's been a steady fall in deaths from a peak of 173 at the start of Nov to slightly below 100 a day now (Moving averages of course). Must have been to the booster rollout as cases have been rising throughout
Yeah, thete is what I think is a really obvious booster effect to the age segregated stats. The priority groups fall off in the stats as the booster programme rolls out.
Without boosters the exit "wave" would have got pretty nasty even without Omicron.
I see you read from the same good books as St Bart.
Wasn’t the alleged modus operandi to have influential people to ‘parties’, where they got lucky with attractive young women, who sadly turned out to be under age, and oh dear, there are photos? Would that work with Mandelson?
Kevin Spacey also allegedly was on Epstein's plane trips, I doubt he would have gone if it was just ladies involved
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
(reposted from previous thread) Sorry for going off topic but I wondered if people still use BT for their broadband. I have stuck with them, on the assumption that they would be no better than anyone else. But I have found them to be hard work. I had a problem with my router which means that it cuts out continually, I kept being told that I was imagining it or it was my computer that was at fault, I proved otherwise to them and they eventually sent an engineer around and it seemed to be fixed, only now the problems are starting up again, and I am stuck with another 9 months on my contract. The current situation is really bad because the WIFI is now so unreliable that I can't use it for work, mobile broadband is more reliable. I fear that I will need to go in to some kind of energy sapping consumer rights battle with BT. Am I just unfortunate or do other people experience/hear of these problems with BT?
BT have been great for me.
Avoid Virgin like the plague.
I have never met someone with a good word to say about Virgin fibre/broadband.
Virgin when it is great is utterly brilliant but far too often it is terrible and their customer services are even worse.
One of the reasons I'm migrating from O2 is I know they'll infect O2's brilliant customer services.
All companies are the same. Every service is great when things go well and appalling as soon as there is a problem. Not just ISPs but shops, banks, delivery services, everyone. The suppliers probably do not use their own service, and certainly not their own complaints procedure. Nothing is tested. Customer services consists of a badly-programmed chatbot and two bored housewives in a far-off country of which we know little.
Nah, I had a few issues with O2 and BT in the past, they were magnificent.
Ditto Lloyds and Coutts.
Also big shoutout to Sky when I had a faulty box or two.
Do you really bank with NatWest?
I used to bank with RBS and was upgraded to Coutts.
I hope you don’t still bank there.
If you are going for a vanity chequebook at least be classy and work with Childs or Drummonds
Friend of mine was nearly turned down by the chairman of one of those twattish niche banks the other day because he was caught behind in the Eton Winchester match 1979 and didn't walk.
How very childish of them both
Yeah
Can't remember name of bank. Began with H.
If it was the bank you are implying your story doesn’t stack up. The chairman is a former civil servant and not involved into client matters
Within the lottery of holiday stats I am willing to stick my neck out and say London has actually peaked.
Blimey! Coming from you that means a lot. I vividly remember your excellent early works on weekly cycles and hubris!
I reserve the right to reverse ferret on this in about 8 days time.
I'm not convinced the London data is particularly meaningful right now - London empties out for Christmas, as people go back to family. So the population is artificially depressed, and a lot of positive tests relating to Londoners will have been recorded across the rest of the country instead.
I'm expecting the rest of the country to catch up pretty quickly, due to pre-Christmas travel spreading the virus more evenly around, and it's possible we'll see a second London peak in early January, caused by Londoners picking up the virus over Christmas and then taking it back home with them.
My admissions tutor colleague tells of a recruitment fair in Africa where every single UK university had found something to number 1 about, e.g. student services, most hot teenage girls, drunkest students etc. His other favourite story was a welsh university using a picture of the Severn bridge, and the lovely land beyond, on all their advertising, prospectus etc. He pointed out they were showing the English side... It led to much pulping of prospecti etc.
If they were included in the data right now I would imagine the real figures would be eye watering...
I suspect close to 10% of the UK population have Omicron/Covid right now.
The Zoe app doctor was reported as stating earlier today that he thought three-quarters of all the people in the UK currently experiencing common cold symptoms actually had symptomatic Covid-19.
I think that the most recent ONS infection survey figures had the case rate in London as 1 in 20, and they're compiled a couple of weeks in arrears. 10% therefore seems a plausible guess for the capital, but the country as a whole might be closer to 5%...?
Regardless, the current 7-day case rate for cases confirmed by test is now 1.2%, double the peak in last years disastrous January death wave, and I think we can all be confident that the actual total case rate is a great deal higher than that.
They used to say where there's muck there's money but these days they say where there's money there's Mandy
Wasnt he known to the black book owner as Petey.
Not sure it's the same big hearted Socialist we all love though
It could be mistaken identity. I burned all my Chris Rea records when I heard he financed the Conservative Party. It was years later that he denied it and said he was mistaken for a South Yorkshire (?) Businessman.
If anybody is interested, my profile picture is a clipped part of a painting an AI created for me after being given the title "the dispatched child".....the machines are coming for all of us.
Seems to be borrowing a lot from Rembrandt
You can ask it to "borrow" the style from lots of different artists across a wide range of styles. In this case I didn't ask any more than a painting that matches the title.
The zoomed out view is this young person sitting in a dim room with small amount of natural light coming from an unseen window bouncing off one of the walls.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
The 🇬🇧 2021 Presidency of the #G7 is coming to an end. As 🇩🇪 takes over the G7 Presidency for 2022, here are some of the things the G7 has achieved this year.
My admissions tutor colleague tells of a recruitment fair in Africa where every single UK university had found something to number 1 about, e.g. student services, most hot teenage girls, drunkest students etc. His other favourite story was a welsh university using a picture of the Severn bridge, and the lovely land beyond, on all their advertising, prospectus etc. He pointed out they were showing the English side... It led to much pulping of prospecti etc.
Aust Cliff? Now that is pretty distinctive ...!
Apparently a great photo too. A sad waste. They should have sold it to Bristol.
Can't believe I've just seen a blatantly mixed-race couple on a commercial British TV advert
I know - and I celebrate - the fact that race relations have vastly improved in the UK in recent decades. We are all Brits. But open miscegenation, apparently celebrated in a TV advertisement?
Thank God it seems to be a rarity. I haven't seen any others. Perhaps it is just a one-off, and no cause for alarm
Who are you? Austin Powers.
I am fine with the narrative, but even as a woke liberal I notice it at pretty well every commercial break over the last ten years.
I can't believe someone as open minded as yourself would find it problematic either.
problem is black part of couple highly likely to be unvaccinated
Can't believe I've just seen a blatantly mixed-race couple on a commercial British TV advert
I know - and I celebrate - the fact that race relations have vastly improved in the UK in recent decades. We are all Brits. But open miscegenation, apparently celebrated in a TV advertisement?
Thank God it seems to be a rarity. I haven't seen any others. Perhaps it is just a one-off, and no cause for alarm
Who are you? Austin Powers.
I am fine with the narrative, but even as a woke liberal I notice it at pretty well every commercial break over the last ten years.
I can't believe someone as open minded as yourself would find it problematic either.
problem is black part of couple highly likely to be unvaccinated
Do you not believe in the use of capital letters, even with your capital based nom de plume?
If they were included in the data right now I would imagine the real figures would be eye watering...
I suspect close to 10% of the UK population have Omicron/Covid right now.
The Zoe app doctor was reported as stating earlier today that he thought three-quarters of all the people in the UK currently experiencing common cold symptoms actually had symptomatic Covid-19.
I think that the most recent ONS infection survey figures had the case rate in London as 1 in 20, and they're compiled a couple of weeks in arrears. 10% therefore seems a plausible guess for the capital, but the country as a whole might be closer to 5%...?
Regardless, the current 7-day case rate for cases confirmed by test is now 1.2%, double the peak in last years disastrous January death wave, and I think we can all be confident that the actual total case rate is a great deal higher than that.
I'm looking at the South Africa numbers, and using them as a model. Simply, the South African wave took less than a month from Nov 22 (312 cases) to a peak with 37,000 cases (more than a hundred-fold increase) on Dec 12. That's three weeks.
This means one of two things:
Either (a) there are a lot of cases that don't get picked up because to the vaxxed/previously infected, Omicron is usually just like a cold.
Or (b) it turns out that voluntary social distancing can get R below 1 pretty sharpish.
I suspect it is (a).
In which case, one would expect the UK numbers to start heading down in a week or 10 days.
Can't believe I've just seen a blatantly mixed-race couple on a commercial British TV advert
I know - and I celebrate - the fact that race relations have vastly improved in the UK in recent decades. We are all Brits. But open miscegenation, apparently celebrated in a TV advertisement?
Thank God it seems to be a rarity. I haven't seen any others. Perhaps it is just a one-off, and no cause for alarm
Who are you? Austin Powers.
I am fine with the narrative, but even as a woke liberal I notice it at pretty well every commercial break over the last ten years.
I can't believe someone as open minded as yourself would find it problematic either.
problem is black part of couple highly likely to be unvaccinated
Define "highly likely"?
Vaccination rates among Black britons are well over 50%, even if they lag their paler bretheren. It's also important to remember different age profiles: White Brits are more likely to be older.
If they were included in the data right now I would imagine the real figures would be eye watering...
I suspect close to 10% of the UK population have Omicron/Covid right now.
The Zoe app doctor was reported as stating earlier today that he thought three-quarters of all the people in the UK currently experiencing common cold symptoms actually had symptomatic Covid-19.
I think that the most recent ONS infection survey figures had the case rate in London as 1 in 20, and they're compiled a couple of weeks in arrears. 10% therefore seems a plausible guess for the capital, but the country as a whole might be closer to 5%...?
Regardless, the current 7-day case rate for cases confirmed by test is now 1.2%, double the peak in last years disastrous January death wave, and I think we can all be confident that the actual total case rate is a great deal higher than that.
I'm looking at the South Africa numbers, and using them as a model. Simply, the South African wave took less than a month from Nov 22 (312 cases) to a peak with 37,000 cases (more than a hundred-fold increase) on Dec 12. That's three weeks.
This means one of two things:
Either (a) there are a lot of cases that don't get picked up because to the vaxxed/previously infected, Omicron is usually just like a cold.
Or (b) it turns out that voluntary social distancing can get R below 1 pretty sharpish.
I suspect it is (a).
In which case, one would expect the UK numbers to start heading down in a week or 10 days.
Is there even any evidence that South Africans are, or can even employ that much, voluntary social distancing in significant parts of the community?
The authorities didn't bring in any restrictions at all right? So I presume everybody was still going to work as normal, e.g those from the townships, getting on the packed buses, as many in South Africa have to do just to get by.
Can't believe I've just seen a blatantly mixed-race couple on a commercial British TV advert
I know - and I celebrate - the fact that race relations have vastly improved in the UK in recent decades. We are all Brits. But open miscegenation, apparently celebrated in a TV advertisement?
Thank God it seems to be a rarity. I haven't seen any others. Perhaps it is just a one-off, and no cause for alarm
Who are you? Austin Powers.
I am fine with the narrative, but even as a woke liberal I notice it at pretty well every commercial break over the last ten years.
I can't believe someone as open minded as yourself would find it problematic either.
problem is black part of couple highly likely to be unvaccinated
Do you not believe in the use of capital letters, even with your capital based nom de plume?
Capitals are only available with the mark2 PutinBot
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
It is remarkable, given both that the problems identified with the Union are legion and that hardly anyone in Scotland seems to have anything good to say about the British Government, that no stable majority can be found in Scottish public opinion for dissolution. Somewhere in the ballpark of half the population doesn't want to go - and not even the deaths of large numbers of elderly Unionists since 2014, and the addition to the electoral roll of large numbers of independence-leaning youth in their place, have swung the argument decisively.
Incidentally I mentioned previoisly that I thought Omicron might well be the saviour of the southern United States. I hope i am right.
They were tee'd up to have a horrible winter (massive self backslapping about 'defeating' the eye watteringly horrendous summer wave) but now Omicron has rapidly pushed out Delta tonpants wettingly massive numbers. One hospital group in texas is going to have to recaliberate it's gauge metrics as thebl arrow is about to go 360 degrees round the circle for infections.
Can't believe I've just seen a blatantly mixed-race couple on a commercial British TV advert
I know - and I celebrate - the fact that race relations have vastly improved in the UK in recent decades. We are all Brits. But open miscegenation, apparently celebrated in a TV advertisement?
Thank God it seems to be a rarity. I haven't seen any others. Perhaps it is just a one-off, and no cause for alarm
Who are you? Austin Powers.
I am fine with the narrative, but even as a woke liberal I notice it at pretty well every commercial break over the last ten years.
I can't believe someone as open minded as yourself would find it problematic either.
problem is black part of couple highly likely to be unvaccinated
Define "highly likely"?
Vaccination rates among Black britons are well over 50%, even if they lag their paler bretheren. It's also important to remember different age profiles: White Brits are more likely to be older.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
I am quite happy for you to have your English National Parliament. But wouldn't regional ones be less cumbersome?
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
I'm not sure England can be trusted with its own parliament. I mean, you do need a little bit of looking after, if you're honest.
If they were included in the data right now I would imagine the real figures would be eye watering...
I suspect close to 10% of the UK population have Omicron/Covid right now.
The Zoe app doctor was reported as stating earlier today that he thought three-quarters of all the people in the UK currently experiencing common cold symptoms actually had symptomatic Covid-19.
I think that the most recent ONS infection survey figures had the case rate in London as 1 in 20, and they're compiled a couple of weeks in arrears. 10% therefore seems a plausible guess for the capital, but the country as a whole might be closer to 5%...?
Regardless, the current 7-day case rate for cases confirmed by test is now 1.2%, double the peak in last years disastrous January death wave, and I think we can all be confident that the actual total case rate is a great deal higher than that.
I'm looking at the South Africa numbers, and using them as a model. Simply, the South African wave took less than a month from Nov 22 (312 cases) to a peak with 37,000 cases (more than a hundred-fold increase) on Dec 12. That's three weeks.
This means one of two things:
Either (a) there are a lot of cases that don't get picked up because to the vaxxed/previously infected, Omicron is usually just like a cold.
Or (b) it turns out that voluntary social distancing can get R below 1 pretty sharpish.
I suspect it is (a).
In which case, one would expect the UK numbers to start heading down in a week or 10 days.
You're probably right on South Africa, but it completely changed it's testing regimen on christmas day. They're testing far too few people to have any idea of general prevalence I think.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
I would love to see England having her own parliament.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
It is remarkable, given both that the problems identified with the Union are legion and that hardly anyone in Scotland seems to have anything good to say about the British Government, that no stable majority can be found in Scottish public opinion for dissolution. Somewhere in the ballpark of half the population doesn't want to go - and not even the deaths of large numbers of elderly Unionists since 2014, and the addition to the electoral roll of large numbers of independence-leaning youth in their place, have swung the argument decisively.
Why is that?
Brexit. I know a few younger people who have clocked that they are similar, in some respect.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
I am quite happy for you to have your English National Parliament. But wouldn't regional ones be less cumbersome?
Why should England be broken up into regions? Ontario for example is also far bigger than most other Canadian provinces but still has its own parliament.
It seems the only time England is allowed to exist is on the sports field (excluding the Olympics)
This made me smile "Michael Gove ,Minister for levelling up, questioned over why £330,000 of taxpayer's money spent to fill former Conservative peer's driveway potholes"
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
The FLSOJ has spoken. I believe his word is law in HYUFD world?
“We have an England-only parliament. It’s in Westminster. It’s been there for a long time. I’m not disposed to create another parliament.”
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
The FLSOJ has spoken. I believe his word is law in HYUFD world?
“We have an England-only parliament. It’s in Westminster. It’s been there for a long time. I’m not disposed to create another parliament.”
Wrong. In 1950, 1964 and February 1974 England voted Tory but got a Labour government at Westminster.
In 2010 and 2017 most English MPs were Tory but most Westminster MPs were not
Personally I see no issue with an English parliament, but I think you'd have to substantially change how Westminster/the UK Parliament works for it to make any sense.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
It is remarkable, given both that the problems identified with the Union are legion and that hardly anyone in Scotland seems to have anything good to say about the British Government, that no stable majority can be found in Scottish public opinion for dissolution. Somewhere in the ballpark of half the population doesn't want to go - and not even the deaths of large numbers of elderly Unionists since 2014, and the addition to the electoral roll of large numbers of independence-leaning youth in their place, have swung the argument decisively.
Why is that?
Well obviously because the union is the conservative choice. When your life is good, you tend to want to keep things as they are. When you look around and you see things you'd like to change, you are tempted by radical change. As people get older they roughly tend to get more settled and usually richer. The average unionist is closer to death but the average nationalist drifts slowly towards unionism. In recent years, the two rates have been roughly equal give or take.
Lots of people can be found in England who've not got much good to say about Westminster too, by the way.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
I am quite happy for you to have your English National Parliament. But wouldn't regional ones be less cumbersome?
Why should England be broken up into regions? Ontario for example is also far bigger than most other Canadian provinces but still has its own parliament.
It seems the only time England is allowed to exist is on the sports field (excluding the Olympics)
In Canada, there is a parliament for Ontario as well as an overall parliament at Ottawa.
We could have an English National Parliament in the House of Lords Chamber and a UK parliament in the House of Commons.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
I am quite happy for you to have your English National Parliament. But wouldn't regional ones be less cumbersome?
Why should England be broken up into regions? Ontario for example is also far bigger than most other Canadian provinces but still has its own parliament.
It seems the only time England is allowed to exist is on the sports field (excluding the Olympics)
Have whatever you want. How about elections to your English Parliament based on a proportional scheme?
This made me smile "Michael Gove ,Minister for levelling up, questioned over why £330,000 of taxpayer's money spent to fill former Conservative peer's driveway potholes"
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
I am quite happy for you to have your English National Parliament. But wouldn't regional ones be less cumbersome?
Why should England be broken up into regions? Ontario for example is also far bigger than most other Canadian provinces but still has its own parliament.
It seems the only time England is allowed to exist is on the sports field (excluding the Olympics)
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
The FLSOJ has spoken. I believe his word is law in HYUFD world?
“We have an England-only parliament. It’s in Westminster. It’s been there for a long time. I’m not disposed to create another parliament.”
Wrong. In 1950, 1964 and February 1974 England voted Tory but got a Labour government at Westminster.
In 2010 and 2017 most English MPs were Tory but most Westminster MPs were not
Golly. That's once you have denied your saviour Boris, let's see if we can get it up to three.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
I am quite happy for you to have your English National Parliament. But wouldn't regional ones be less cumbersome?
Why should England be broken up into regions? Ontario for example is also far bigger than most other Canadian provinces but still has its own parliament.
It seems the only time England is allowed to exist is on the sports field (excluding the Olympics)
Ontario isn't a great example really. There isn't any Federation anywhere which has one of its units as 84% of the population. The problem with regional Parliaments is that some have a definite regional identity. The others think they actually ARE proper England.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
I am quite happy for you to have your English National Parliament. But wouldn't regional ones be less cumbersome?
The problems with regional government in England (as distinct from local government) are well known: the regions would be mostly artificial, people don't particularly want regional government, and from my own POV I see no value in Balkanising what is, after all, quite a small country in geographic terms into a load of cantons all with their own separate domestic policies, civic institutions and laws. It's unnecessary.
The easiest way to reform the Union, so as to resolve all these problems, is to get rid of it. But England doesn't devote any thought to this matter because it's over 8/10ths of the Union to begin with, and none of the other constituent parts, for whom the matter of secession is vastly more important, currently wants to go. The alternative of an English Parliament is also a non-starter, firstly because no Tory or Labour leader wants to have to choose between being English First Minister and British Prime Minister when they can play with the whole train set; and secondly because most Unionists are frightened that the English Government would end up overshadowing the British one, and it wouldn't take very long for an ENP to appear on the scene and bulldoze the whole edifice from the inside out. So it looks like we'll have to make do and mend for the foreseeable.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
It is remarkable, given both that the problems identified with the Union are legion and that hardly anyone in Scotland seems to have anything good to say about the British Government, that no stable majority can be found in Scottish public opinion for dissolution. Somewhere in the ballpark of half the population doesn't want to go - and not even the deaths of large numbers of elderly Unionists since 2014, and the addition to the electoral roll of large numbers of independence-leaning youth in their place, have swung the argument decisively.
Why is that?
On the flipside, the 2014 referendum is some time ago now and the polling is even more of a coin toss now than the result of the day.
Support is certainly edging up quite slowly, though that these days seems to be despite the SNP rather than because of the SNP, given they don't actually do a great deal of work to campaign for indy but merely present themselves as the vehicle for those who want it.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
I am quite happy for you to have your English National Parliament. But wouldn't regional ones be less cumbersome?
Why should England be broken up into regions? Ontario for example is also far bigger than most other Canadian provinces but still has its own parliament.
It seems the only time England is allowed to exist is on the sports field (excluding the Olympics)
In Canada, there is a parliament for Ontario as well as an overall parliament at Ottawa.
We could have an English National Parliament in the House of Lords Chamber and a UK parliament in the House of Commons.
The Ontario Parliament is in the Capital. Toronto.
This made me smile "Michael Gove ,Minister for levelling up, questioned over why £330,000 of taxpayer's money spent to fill former Conservative peer's driveway potholes"
This made me smile "Michael Gove ,Minister for levelling up, questioned over why £330,000 of taxpayer's money spent to fill former Conservative peer's driveway potholes"
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
I am quite happy for you to have your English National Parliament. But wouldn't regional ones be less cumbersome?
Why should England be broken up into regions? Ontario for example is also far bigger than most other Canadian provinces but still has its own parliament.
It seems the only time England is allowed to exist is on the sports field (excluding the Olympics)
The population of Ontario is ~38% of the population of Canada. The population of England is ~84% of the population of the UK. The comparison actually makes opposite the point that you intend. Having a devolved Parliament for 5/6ths of the Federal state would be an absurdity. A complete waste of time. You'd be missing the opportunity to devolve power away from London.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
Because it is Conservative Party policy not to have an English parliament, apart of course from the one there already is at Westminster.
This made me smile "Michael Gove ,Minister for levelling up, questioned over why £330,000 of taxpayer's money spent to fill former Conservative peer's driveway potholes"
Because there is an excellent museum at the end of the shared drive and the potholes were limiting public access
Doesn't change the fact that he owned the drive, and the museum doesn't.
I think it just shows that the civil servants were a bit over-literal in interpreting the 'levelling' bit of 'levelling up', so that this was the first application they'd had which seemed to meet the criteria.
BREAKING: U.S. reports more than 500,000 new coronavirus cases, with some states yet to report
Go big or go home....
"With a caseload nearly twice that of the worst single days of last winter, the United States shattered its record for new daily coronavirus cases, a milestone that may still fall short of describing the true toll of the Delta and Omicron variants because testing has slowed over the holidays."
BREAKING: U.S. reports more than 500,000 new coronavirus cases, with some states yet to report
Go big or go home....
"With a caseload nearly twice that of the worst single days of last winter, the United States shattered its record for new daily coronavirus cases, a milestone that may still fall short of describing the true toll of the Delta and Omicron variants because testing has slowed over the holidays."
NY Times
'It's Just Something We Got To Do,' Drivers Wait Hours In Cars For COVID-19 Tests In Brockton
BREAKING: U.S. reports more than 500,000 new coronavirus cases, with some states yet to report
Go big or go home....
"With a caseload nearly twice that of the worst single days of last winter, the United States shattered its record for new daily coronavirus cases, a milestone that may still fall short of describing the true toll of the Delta and Omicron variants because testing has slowed over the holidays."
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
Because it is Conservative Party policy not to have an English parliament, apart of course from the one there already is at Westminster.
It is Conservative party policy to have English votes for English laws though.
If and when we go back into opposition within a few years I expect party policy would shift towards an English parliament as the first and quickest route back to power before building a UK majority again
BREAKING: U.S. reports more than 500,000 new coronavirus cases, with some states yet to report
Go big or go home....
"With a caseload nearly twice that of the worst single days of last winter, the United States shattered its record for new daily coronavirus cases, a milestone that may still fall short of describing the true toll of the Delta and Omicron variants because testing has slowed over the holidays."
NY Times
Way to go. USA. Number One.
The more the merrier. 👍
Rip off the bandage, have the virus burn through a vaccinated population and if anyone's unvaccinated then they can claim their Darwin Award on the way out.
My case seems to be nothing more than a common cold and I'm glad I've got it now while triple vaccinated rather than when immunity has waned or pre-vaccines.
Those like me who are interested in questions of "What does the Union mean and why bother with it?", will find this article and thread well worth the read.
Yes, he’s on the sane wing of the Unionist movement, an increasingly insignificant sect.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
So it is fine for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have their own parliaments within the UK but not fine for England to have its own parliament? If we ever get a Labour led government without a majority in England that will be a major issue in England
Because it is Conservative Party policy not to have an English parliament, apart of course from the one there already is at Westminster.
It is Conservative party policy to have English votes for English laws though.
If and when we go back into opposition within a few years I expect party policy would shift towards an English parliament as the first and quickest route back to power before building a UK majority again
So. It's all about the interests of the Tory Party then?
BREAKING: U.S. reports more than 500,000 new coronavirus cases, with some states yet to report
Go big or go home....
"With a caseload nearly twice that of the worst single days of last winter, the United States shattered its record for new daily coronavirus cases, a milestone that may still fall short of describing the true toll of the Delta and Omicron variants because testing has slowed over the holidays."
NY Times
Way to go. USA. Number One.
relative to the population they have much fewer cases than us....and this in a more unvaccinated population
Comments
https://twitter.com/RP131/status/1476668062225027076?s=20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EDBJBmlvXY
Without boosters the exit "wave" would have got pretty nasty even without Omicron.
https://twitter.com/NoContextBrits/status/1468869733990780928
https://mobile.twitter.com/redhistorian/status/1476138261814857728
Not sure it's the same big hearted Socialist we all love though
I am fine with the narrative, but even as a woke liberal I notice it at pretty well every commercial break over the last ten years.
I can't believe someone as open minded as yourself would find it problematic either.
His other favourite story was a welsh university using a picture of the Severn bridge, and the lovely land beyond, on all their advertising, prospectus etc. He pointed out they were showing the English side... It led to much pulping of prospecti etc.
https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/jeffrey-epsteins-pilot-reveals-names-of-hollywood-stars-who-flew-on-his-plane/news-story/fe606910578101232f7b89fdc363c724
They could have said top dozen, I guess.
I'm expecting the rest of the country to catch up pretty quickly, due to pre-Christmas travel spreading the virus more evenly around, and it's possible we'll see a second London peak in early January, caused by Londoners picking up the virus over Christmas and then taking it back home with them.
I think that the most recent ONS infection survey figures had the case rate in London as 1 in 20, and they're compiled a couple of weeks in arrears. 10% therefore seems a plausible guess for the capital, but the country as a whole might be closer to 5%...?
Regardless, the current 7-day case rate for cases confirmed by test is now 1.2%, double the peak in last years disastrous January death wave, and I think we can all be confident that the actual total case rate is a great deal higher than that.
“If muscular unionism changes the basis of British government in the way it intends, where is the political home for those outside England who are comfortable with complex and multiple identities, and prefer a strong degree of national autonomy within a multinational state? (The remaining centre ground, such as it is, seems increasingly focused on developing an impractical and electorally unviable federal model for the UK: impractical because England is too big for such a model, and unviable because England will never vote for it.)”
I love it whenever folk (eg Gordon Brown) wibble on about federalism. Never disturb an enemy while they’re in the middle of making a mistake.
The 🇬🇧 2021 Presidency of the #G7 is coming to an end. As 🇩🇪 takes over the G7 Presidency for 2022, here are some of the things the G7 has achieved this year.
https://twitter.com/G7/status/1476569744060915721?s=20
This means one of two things:
Either (a) there are a lot of cases that don't get picked up because to the vaxxed/previously infected, Omicron is usually just like a cold.
Or (b) it turns out that voluntary social distancing can get R below 1 pretty sharpish.
I suspect it is (a).
In which case, one would expect the UK numbers to start heading down in a week or 10 days.
Vaccination rates among Black britons are well over 50%, even if they lag their paler bretheren. It's also important to remember different age profiles: White Brits are more likely to be older.
https://twitter.com/JamesHuntrods/status/1476524450455724035?s=20
Concordia
Innovations
Lonely Bears
Trekking the World
Barenpark
Wingspan
The authorities didn't bring in any restrictions at all right? So I presume everybody was still going to work as normal, e.g those from the townships, getting on the packed buses, as many in South Africa have to do just to get by.
Why is that?
They were tee'd up to have a horrible winter (massive self backslapping about 'defeating' the eye watteringly horrendous summer wave) but now Omicron has rapidly pushed out Delta tonpants wettingly massive numbers. One hospital group in texas is going to have to recaliberate it's gauge metrics as thebl arrow is about to go 360 degrees round the circle for infections.
The rates are somewhat err... divergent now.
Go big or go home....
MAIL: ‘Andrew should be quaking in his boots’
https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1476678617606336518?s=20
It seems the only time England is allowed to exist is on the sports field (excluding the Olympics)
Are we about to see first pro-reunification FM?
https://news.sky.com/story/michael-gove-questioned-over-why-163330000-of-taxpayers-money-spent-to-fill-former-conservative-peers-driveway-potholes-12505847
“We have an England-only parliament. It’s in Westminster. It’s been there for a long time. I’m not disposed to create another parliament.”
In 2010 and 2017 most English MPs were Tory but most Westminster MPs were not
As people get older they roughly tend to get more settled and usually richer. The average unionist is closer to death but the average nationalist drifts slowly towards unionism. In recent years, the two rates have been roughly equal give or take.
Lots of people can be found in England who've not got much good to say about Westminster too, by the way.
We could have an English National Parliament in the House of Lords Chamber and a UK parliament in the House of Commons.
That would then collapse the TUV vote back to the DUP
That's once you have denied your saviour Boris, let's see if we can get it up to three.
The problem with regional Parliaments is that some have a definite regional identity.
The others think they actually ARE proper England.
The easiest way to reform the Union, so as to resolve all these problems, is to get rid of it. But England doesn't devote any thought to this matter because it's over 8/10ths of the Union to begin with, and none of the other constituent parts, for whom the matter of secession is vastly more important, currently wants to go. The alternative of an English Parliament is also a non-starter, firstly because no Tory or Labour leader wants to have to choose between being English First Minister and British Prime Minister when they can play with the whole train set; and secondly because most Unionists are frightened that the English Government would end up overshadowing the British one, and it wouldn't take very long for an ENP to appear on the scene and bulldoze the whole edifice from the inside out. So it looks like we'll have to make do and mend for the foreseeable.
Support is certainly edging up quite slowly, though that these days seems to be despite the SNP rather than because of the SNP, given they don't actually do a great deal of work to campaign for indy but merely present themselves as the vehicle for those who want it.
Toronto.
https://twitter.com/JamesWard73/status/1476675000136519685
Probably not surprising, but further evidence that you really need to treat figures over the Xmas/New Year period with enormous caution.
Edit: I see that @Benpointer got there first!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10355305/PM-faces-headache-No-11-Downing-Street-flat-noisy-builders-doing-renovations.html
NY Times
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/its-just-something-we-got-to-do-drivers-wait-hours-in-cars-for-covid-19-tests-in-brockton/vi-AASht51
If and when we go back into opposition within a few years I expect party policy would shift towards an English parliament as the first and quickest route back to power before building a UK majority again
Rip off the bandage, have the virus burn through a vaccinated population and if anyone's unvaccinated then they can claim their Darwin Award on the way out.
My case seems to be nothing more than a common cold and I'm glad I've got it now while triple vaccinated rather than when immunity has waned or pre-vaccines.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-57828406