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.
No it wouldn't, what difference does it make to Scotland or Wales whether England has its own parliament with equivalent powers to theirs whether England made up 1% of the UK, 84% or 99%?
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
Which was stupid then and the likes of Redwood correctly opposed. As if Starmer becomes PM without an English majority he could still get his way on English domestic laws
Aris Katzourakis @ArisKatzourakis · 1h If there is one decision maker who doesn’t still believe the pressure on healthcare will be mild, it is whoever decided to convert car parks into nightingale hospitals.
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?
The Tory party is the party that normally most represents and wins in England yes
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.
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.
Of those cases death rate still under 1% as most Americans still vaccinated
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?
The Tory party is the party that normally most represents and wins in England yes
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.
Just to say, it's not 'civil servants' who approved this funding but the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, the funding approvals board of which (the Accountability Board) comprises 6 local councillors (5 Conservative, 1 independent), a private sector Chair, a Further Education representative and a Higher Education representative.
So not civil servants but in the majority elected councillors; indeed elected Conservative councillors have a majority on the approval board.
I note that the next Stormont election is just around the corner, and SF have held a polling lead for two years now.
Are we about to see first pro-reunification FM?
Quite possibly SF both North and south of the bordering a couple of years. Surely that would mean a border poll?
Yepp.
SF have led in every poll in NI for two years, and in last 15 Irish polls in a row.
Yebbut that doesn't mean much in the Irish PR system, given that they are not very transfer-friendly and are regarded, unsurprisingly, as toxic by most of the other parties,
I note that the next Stormont election is just around the corner, and SF have held a polling lead for two years now.
Are we about to see first pro-reunification FM?
Quite possibly SF both North and south of the bordering a couple of years. Surely that would mean a border poll?
Not if FF and FG in the South and the combined Unionist parties in the North still have more seats than SF.
In any case the latest poll shows that while voters in the Republic are in theory in favour of a united Ireland they are not if it means they have to pay higher taxes to subsidise the North
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.
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?
The Tory party is the party that normally most represents and wins in England yes
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?
It's a fair point but I would turn it round and ask why no-one can articulate what the Union is for and why we should have it - especially no-one in England seems able to articulate that. Scots are divided but they do have ideas on what they want. English and Scottish reasons for having a union don't necessarily need to align, but the arrangement has to work for both parties or it's over.
I can see a range of possible English views on their union with Scotland (apologies to Wales and Northern Ireland for their exclusion):
1. We're English and have zero interest in Scotland. 2. We're going to do what we want. Scotland will do what it's told. 3. We're going to do what we want. Scotland is welcome to come along or leave. 4. We will mostly do what we want. Within that constraint Scotland can mostly do what it wants in certain areas. There may be a discussion about Scottish decisions that impact England.
No-one in England is giving this much thought. Historically I would say the Union has operating on 4, now moving to a 2 under the Johnson government.
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.
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.
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.
I am beginning to wonder whether it is better to actively catch it now while its mild omicron and I'm boosted rather than hide away.
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.
Should Winchester or York be the English capital
Winchester.
Traditional heart of Wessex, not sure it was ever capital of England?
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
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.
Should Winchester or York be the English capital
Winchester.
Winchester.
Not the place - I mean Ed Winchester from The Fast Show. He should be the English capital.
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.
Should Winchester or York be the English capital
Hartlepool might be a better site. A little bit of levelling up for our would be masters.
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.
I am beginning to wonder whether it is better to actively catch it now while its mild omicron and I'm boosted rather than hide away.
Game Theory Optimal approach. You want it while your booster is still fresh.....but the hospitals aren't over stretched in case you do need a trip there. But also have to factor in the new anti-virals that aren't available yet....
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
No, they aren’t. UK deaths are just over a hundred a day. US 1,500.
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.
I am beginning to wonder whether it is better to actively catch it now while its mild omicron and I'm boosted rather than hide away.
Tbh your immune system will probably be fine now, or in 6 months. The waning so beloved of @CorrectHorseBattery is more the nABs. Yes it might stop you even getting symptoms, but the evidence is stacking up that vaccination is holding up well against severe disease and 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.
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.
Should Winchester or York be the English capital
Winchester.
Traditional heart of Wessex, not sure it was ever capital of England?
After NI has voted to join the south maybe Scotland could unite with Ireland to form a Federal Celtic Republic, thus side-stepping the difficulty of how to rejoin the EU?
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
The vast majority of U.K. deaths occurred before the widespread vaccination programme.
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?
It's a fair point but I would turn it round and ask why no-one can articulate what the Union is for and why we should have it - especially no-one in England seems able to articulate that. Scots are divided but they do have ideas on what they want. English and Scottish reasons for having a union don't necessarily need to align, but the arrangement has to work for both parties or it's over.
I can see a range of possible English views on their union with Scotland (apologies to Wales and Northern Ireland for their exclusion):
1. We're English and have zero interest in Scotland. 2. We're going to do what we want. Scotland will do what it's told. 3. We're going to do what we want. Scotland is welcome to come along or leave. 4. We will mostly do what we want. Within that constraint Scotland can mostly do what it wants in certain areas. There may be a discussion about Scottish decisions that impact England.
No-one in England is giving this much thought. Historically I would say the Union has operating on 4, now moving to a 2 under the Johnson government.
4 dominated until recently, ie the English had (an often grudging) respect for the Scots. That’s now history.
Current environment is 2, with significant minority at 1. The more folk in 1,2&3 the happier I become.
After NI has voted to join the south maybe Scotland could form a union with Ireland to form a Federal Celtic Republic, thus side-stepping the difficulty of how to rejon the EU?
Why would Scotland vote to leave one union only to immediately join another?
Prof. Christina Pagel @chrischirp · 4h The usual people are out there saying all will be fine soon - we just have to let people get infected and it will be done. Just as they did at previous waves.
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
No, they aren’t. UK deaths are just over a hundred a day. US 1,500.
Has there even been any virus, any time in history, in any species, which has spread as fast over the whole world as omicron?
Facebook ?
There are currently 286m confirmed Covid cases worldwide, in a little over two years. Facebook removed its eligibility criteria for opening an account in September 2006 and got past 286m accounts sometime in early 2009, so close, but probably no cigar.
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
No, they aren’t. UK deaths are just over a hundred a day. US 1,500.
im talking deaths in total
So the vaccination status is completely irrelevant.
Prof. Christina Pagel @chrischirp · 4h The usual people are out there saying all will be fine soon - we just have to let people get infected and it will be done. Just as they did at previous waves.
Except it’s NOT the usual people - I don’t recall nhs leaders saying it will be fine in March 2020, or December 2020?
After NI has voted to join the south maybe Scotland could form a union with Ireland to form a Federal Celtic Republic, thus side-stepping the difficulty of how to rejon the EU?
Why would Scotland vote to leave one union only to immediately join another?
For the same reason that England is outside the European Union and still plays Rugby Union.
Concordia Innovations Lonely Bears Trekking the World Barenpark Wingspan
We have Wingspan. I like it a lot. The art is wonderful, there are lots of different ways you can play. The way that different birds have attributes which reflect reality is fun. The weaknesses are that, there isn't necessarily much interaction between the players - to a certain extent your are playing separate games in parallel, with only a limited ability to affect what other people are doing, much less than in games like Carcassonne or Ticket to Ride. On the other hand this could be seen as an advantage, as it can prevent bad feeling if some players might feel they are being picked on. Also the final turns of the game can be a bit anticlimatic, as your options become quite narrow when you have only a couple of turns left.
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.
After NI has voted to join the south maybe Scotland could unite with Ireland to form a Federal Celtic Republic, thus side-stepping the difficulty of how to rejoin the EU?
People in the Republic do not want to have to subsidise the North, let alone Scotland too.
York is more accessible, and central, both geographically and population wise than Winchester. And further from London's orbit too. We are already ludicrously Southern oriented. Put loads of civil servants and politicians in an already wealthy area. Plus. It fills in the gap. My Mother gets outraged when the weather is given for London, Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh. "I don't live near any of them!" she complains. She's right too. Winchester would be yet another slap in the face of the North.
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.
Should Winchester or York be the English capital
York.
My vote goes for Carlisle
Shades of Eurovision... The county of Wiltshire awards 12 points to... Carlisle.
York is more accessible, and central, both geographically and population wise than Winchester. And further from London's orbit too. We are already ludicrously Southern oriented. Put loads of civil servants and politicians in an already wealthy area. Plus. It fills in the gap. My Mother gets outraged when the weather is given for London, Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh. "I don't live near any of them!" she complains. She's right too. Winchester would be yet another slap in the face of the North.
I'm a born and bred southerner but York gets my vote for the reasons @dixiedean outlines.
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.
I am beginning to wonder whether it is better to actively catch it now while its mild omicron and I'm boosted rather than hide away.
It’s difficult mentally to take that step, but I know what you mean. The fear isn’t there in the same way anymore.
We’ve taken the deliberate decision to go out and spend money in restaurants and pubs this week because hospitality is on its knees. At our local Turkish this evening the owner told us he had 500 covers cancelled in the 2 weeks up to Christmas out of 600 bookings. All the Christmas parties and most family bookings. The place was half empty this evening. It used to be heaving even on weekdays.
When an industry is laid low by consumer fear - as the tourist and airline industries after terrorist attacks, or the beef industry after BSE - it can take a long time to come back. I think this January, as the rent invoices come in, is going to be hard for many.
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.
You might be right. Brexit is, possibly, the best explanation. Indeed, given how tortuous the process has been and how many negative headlines it has generated for many years, it might even be regarded as surprising that support for independence has held up as well as it has.
After all, much of the sound and fury over Brexit has been about how the Leave voters were sold a pup. People can and will argue until the cows come home about the extent to which this is true, but the fact remains: the Scottish electorate has seen and experienced all the difficulties associated with leaving one Union, and a crucial fraction of public opinion at least is unlikely to be taken in by trite tales of how easy it will be to engineer separation from another.
And then, of course, whereas EU membership was effectively about leaving a souped-up free trade area, the Scottish Government has got to convince the population to dispense with a full political union and deal with a whole heap of other existential issues that weren't on the table with Brexit, notably the currency union and the fiscal transfers. Some people won't care about having proper answers about how all of these kinds of issues are going to be handled before taking the plunge, but the swing voters that are going to decide any rematch of the independence referendum will.
It seems to me, as a casual observer, that the argument for secession remains winnable, but it requires some hard work that doesn't appear to have been done yet. The 2014 blueprint wasn't enough to persuade the people and, insofar as I understand it, nothing potentially more palatable has been put in its place.
You could say that, with Brexit, the country has experienced a trade-off between escape from the oversight of an unpopular central authority on the one hand, and manifold inconveniences and expenses that have left many people worse off (and therefore dissatisfied with the revolution) on the other. The sovereignty aspect was played up, and the inconvenience and expense played down, very successfully by the UK Leave campaign. With that example lodged in the voters' minds, the Scottish Leave campaign won't find pulling off the same trick so easy. That's problematic for them.
Prof. Christina Pagel @chrischirp · 4h The usual people are out there saying all will be fine soon - we just have to let people get infected and it will be done. Just as they did at previous waves.
Except it’s NOT the usual people - I don’t recall nhs leaders saying it will be fine in March 2020, or December 2020?
maybe the nhs leaders are being unduly reckless this time....who knows
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.
I am beginning to wonder whether it is better to actively catch it now while its mild omicron and I'm boosted rather than hide away.
Tbh your immune system will probably be fine now, or in 6 months. The waning so beloved of @CorrectHorseBattery is more the nABs. Yes it might stop you even getting symptoms, but the evidence is stacking up that vaccination is holding up well against severe disease and death.
Me and eldest been several times sicker (at 6 months from jab) than Missus and youngest ( nearer 6 weeks) mind. So there is that.
Has there even been any virus, any time in history, in any species, which has spread as fast over the whole world as omicron?
Facebook ?
There are currently 286m confirmed Covid cases worldwide, in a little over two years. Facebook removed its eligibility criteria for opening an account in September 2006 and got past 286m accounts sometime in early 2009, so close, but probably no cigar.
Gangnam Style - hit the first 1 billion views in 6 months, between July and December 2012
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
No, they aren’t. UK deaths are just over a hundred a day. US 1,500.
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
At the turn of the year when the vaccine rollout was beginning the USA had [a slightly] lower excess death rate than the UK.
Since the vaccine rollout the UK's excess deaths have all-but-stopped, but the USA's excess death rate is now 50% higher than the UK's.
So I'm going to certify your claim as Grade A Bullshit.
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.
Should Winchester or York be the English capital
York.
My vote goes for Carlisle
It does have a cocktail bar. And an impressive railway shed I'll grant you.
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.
Two reasons. The SNP have not actively campaigned for independence since Nicola Sturgeon replaced Alex Salmond. Too many young Scots are emigrating and being replaced by retired English people.
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?
It's a fair point but I would turn it round and ask why no-one can articulate what the Union is for and why we should have it - especially no-one in England seems able to articulate that. Scots are divided but they do have ideas on what they want. English and Scottish reasons for having a union don't necessarily need to align, but the arrangement has to work for both parties or it's over.
I can see a range of possible English views on their union with Scotland (apologies to Wales and Northern Ireland for their exclusion):
1. We're English and have zero interest in Scotland. 2. We're going to do what we want. Scotland will do what it's told. 3. We're going to do what we want. Scotland is welcome to come along or leave. 4. We will mostly do what we want. Within that constraint Scotland can mostly do what it wants in certain areas. There may be a discussion about Scottish decisions that impact England.
No-one in England is giving this much thought. Historically I would say the Union has operating on 4, now moving to a 2 under the Johnson government.
I'm 3) in theory, and closer to 4) in practice. However, the problem you've missed is what happens if Scotland decides to leave the Union - my attitude there is very much 2). In particular, the ridiculous ideas about sharing the Bank of England, and the UK Treasury paying pensions on an ongoing basis, are non-starters.
As a committer EU Remainer, I'm sure you can appreciate why this is an issue.
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
No, they aren’t. UK deaths are just over a hundred a day. US 1,500.
Pointless whimsical activity. Spent the day reviving old G4 PPC iBook. Installed new operating system (Sorbet Leopard). Surprisingly hard, but now works like a dream. And now posting here on PB, much as I did back in the day in 2005.
After NI has voted to join the south maybe Scotland could unite with Ireland to form a Federal Celtic Republic, thus side-stepping the difficulty of how to rejoin the EU?
Loads would want to break away to the Federal Rangers Monarchy?
After NI has voted to join the south maybe Scotland could unite with Ireland to form a Federal Celtic Republic, thus side-stepping the difficulty of how to rejoin the EU?
People in the Republic do not want to have to subsidise the North, let alone Scotland too.
Wales voted for Brexit anyway
Why do you assume there would be any cross-subsidisation in my proposed Celtic Union?
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
No, they aren’t. UK deaths are just over a hundred a day. US 1,500.
Well they have 5* our pop.
Yep, but 15x the deaths.
no only recently is death rate higher overall they have similar death rate to us in a much more unvaccinated population
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.
I am beginning to wonder whether it is better to actively catch it now while its mild omicron and I'm boosted rather than hide away.
Just had it. It was like a mild cold. I had my booster late November, so it's a second booster. Totally knackered my social life this week though.
It's a fair point but I would turn it round and ask why no-one can articulate what the Union is for and why we should have it - especially no-one in England seems able to articulate that. Scots are divided but they do have ideas on what they want. English and Scottish reasons for having a union don't necessarily need to align, but the arrangement has to work for both parties or it's over.
I feel somewhat that if we're already at the point when we're defining it as two parties, England and Scotland, rather than as one large country full of people who are all British, the union is already badly, perhaps fatally weakened.
(My personal view is that I don't want to keep anybody in the country against their will, whether that's the Scots or the people on the Isle of Wight. I suspect leaving would be economically disadvantageous to the Scots but would not blame them at all if they decided they'd had quite enough of London pissing them around and they'd rather take their chances on their own. I might have a more nuanced view when I finish reading _Imagined Communities_, which was one of my Christmas presents.)
Prof. Christina Pagel @chrischirp · 4h The usual people are out there saying all will be fine soon - we just have to let people get infected and it will be done. Just as they did at previous waves.
Except it’s NOT the usual people - I don’t recall nhs leaders saying it will be fine in March 2020, or December 2020?
maybe the nhs leaders are being unduly reckless this time....who knows
Unlikely. There is nothing in it for nhs trust leaders to be gung ho. As @MaxPB says, they have the data on why patients are admitted and how ill they are(n’t).
After NI has voted to join the south maybe Scotland could form a union with Ireland to form a Federal Celtic Republic, thus side-stepping the difficulty of how to rejon the EU?
Why would Scotland vote to leave one union only to immediately join another?
The SNP proposal is for Scotland to join the EU is it not?
My proposed Celtic Union would be one of equals, unlike the current UK.
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.
Two reasons. The SNP have not actively campaigned for independence since Nicola Sturgeon replaced Alex Salmond. Too many young Scots are emigrating and being replaced by retired English people.
Indeed, the real Nationalist party is now Salmond's Alba.
Sturgeon is happy just being a social democrat FM of Scotland who controls most Scottish domestic policy within the UK
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.
I am beginning to wonder whether it is better to actively catch it now while its mild omicron and I'm boosted rather than hide away.
Tbh your immune system will probably be fine now, or in 6 months. The waning so beloved of @CorrectHorseBattery is more the nABs. Yes it might stop you even getting symptoms, but the evidence is stacking up that vaccination is holding up well against severe disease and death.
Me and eldest been several times sicker (at 6 months from jab) than Missus and youngest ( nearer 6 weeks) mind. So there is that.
True, but not necessarily because of time. It could be just chance. Although I think you are probably right.
Prof. Christina Pagel @chrischirp · 4h The usual people are out there saying all will be fine soon - we just have to let people get infected and it will be done. Just as they did at previous waves.
Except it’s NOT the usual people - I don’t recall nhs leaders saying it will be fine in March 2020, or December 2020?
maybe the nhs leaders are being unduly reckless this time....who knows
Said no one ever. The idea that NHS people will be any kind of reckless is laughable.
After NI has voted to join the south maybe Scotland could unite with Ireland to form a Federal Celtic Republic, thus side-stepping the difficulty of how to rejoin the EU?
People in the Republic do not want to have to subsidise the North, let alone Scotland too.
Wales voted for Brexit anyway
Why do you assume there would be any cross-subsidisation in my proposed Celtic Union?
Who mentioned Wales?
In every nation or Union the richer parts always part subsidise the poorer parts
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
No, they aren’t. UK deaths are just over a hundred a day. US 1,500.
Well they have 5* our pop.
Yep, but 15x the deaths.
no only recently is death rate higher overall they have similar death rate to us in a much more unvaccinated population
You just said that you are taking about total deaths, over the entire pandemic. So what has that got to do with vaccination status?
Maybe your desperate to prove a point about vaccines not working or something?
I note that the next Stormont election is just around the corner, and SF have held a polling lead for two years now.
Are we about to see first pro-reunification FM?
Quite possibly SF both North and south of the bordering a couple of years. Surely that would mean a border poll?
Yepp.
SF have led in every poll in NI for two years, and in last 15 Irish polls in a row.
I really do think. For all the obsessing about Scotland, that this is the immediate issue coming down the road.
A Sinn Féin First Minister will be a psychological blow to Unionism in NI but it doesn't matter much in the dysfunctional political arrangement of that place
Prof. Christina Pagel @chrischirp · 4h The usual people are out there saying all will be fine soon - we just have to let people get infected and it will be done. Just as they did at previous waves.
Except that’s not what “the usual people” (by which I assume she means the like of Francois Balloux or Andrew Lillico) are saying. By and large the message is that this is endemic now, it will never go away, and those in favour of restrictions aren’t articulating what their end game is.
She and the other public health authoritarians need to be honest about what their long term alternative is. If it’s to wait for more anti viral treatments then find, say so. If it’s that we should live with permanent restrictions then fine (we’ll, not fine), say so. Some are now saying exactly this.
In reality the “usual people” is increasingly the British public at large, and not just the young.
Has there even been any virus, any time in history, in any species, which has spread as fast over the whole world as omicron?
Facebook ?
There are currently 286m confirmed Covid cases worldwide, in a little over two years. Facebook removed its eligibility criteria for opening an account in September 2006 and got past 286m accounts sometime in early 2009, so close, but probably no cigar.
After NI has voted to join the south maybe Scotland could unite with Ireland to form a Federal Celtic Republic, thus side-stepping the difficulty of how to rejoin the EU?
People in the Republic do not want to have to subsidise the North, let alone Scotland too.
Wales voted for Brexit anyway
Why do you assume there would be any cross-subsidisation in my proposed Celtic Union?
Who mentioned Wales?
In every nation or Union the richer parts always part subsidise the poorer parts
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
No, they aren’t. UK deaths are just over a hundred a day. US 1,500.
Well they have 5* our pop.
Yep, but 15x the deaths.
no only recently is death rate higher overall they have similar death rate to us in a much more unvaccinated population
You just said that you are taking about total deaths, over the entire pandemic. So what has that got to do with vaccination status?
Maybe your desperate to prove a point about vaccines not working or something?
mmm i just look at data...maybe you are the one getting a teeny bit obsessed with this
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
No, they aren’t. UK deaths are just over a hundred a day. US 1,500.
Well they have 5* our pop.
Yep, but 15x the deaths.
no only recently is death rate higher overall they have similar death rate to us in a much more unvaccinated population
You just said that you are taking about total deaths, over the entire pandemic. So what has that got to do with vaccination status?
Maybe your desperate to prove a point about vaccines not working or something?
mmm i just look at data...maybe you are the one getting a teeny bit obsessed with this
You just look at data and make comments that don’t make sense. What have deaths before the introduction of the vaccines got to do with the vaccines?
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
No, they aren’t. UK deaths are just over a hundred a day. US 1,500.
Well they have 5* our pop.
Yep, but 15x the deaths.
no only recently is death rate higher overall they have similar death rate to us in a much more unvaccinated population
US share of population vaccinated = 73.1%; UK share of population vaccinated = 75.8%. So not much difference there.
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
Their positivity and death rates are much higher than ours though.
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
deaths in us are similar to uk relative to population again in a more unvaccinated population
No, they aren’t. UK deaths are just over a hundred a day. US 1,500.
Well they have 5* our pop.
Yep, but 15x the deaths.
no only recently is death rate higher overall they have similar death rate to us in a much more unvaccinated population
US share of population vaccinated = 73.1%; UK share of population vaccinated = 75.8%. So not much difference there.
UK doing much better recently on boosters but lo and behold that coincides with the UK doing much better recently on deaths. What a coincidence, eh?
Comments
London has its own Mayor and assembly too
THE TIMES: No need for more Covid curbs, say NHS chiefs
https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1476686549966364676?s=20
So why not share some other antivaxx memes.
We know all COVID loves an early night.
Aris Katzourakis
@ArisKatzourakis
·
1h
If there is one decision maker who doesn’t still believe the pressure on healthcare will be mild, it is whoever decided to convert car parks into nightingale hospitals.
SF have led in every poll in NI for two years, and in last 15 Irish polls in a row.
So not civil servants but in the majority elected councillors; indeed elected Conservative councillors have a majority on the approval board.
In any case the latest poll shows that while voters in the Republic are in theory in favour of a united Ireland they are not if it means they have to pay higher taxes to subsidise the North
https://www.newstalk.com/news/public-want-irish-unity-but-dont-want-to-pay-for-it-poll-suggests-1282985
I can see a range of possible English views on their union with Scotland (apologies to Wales and Northern Ireland for their exclusion):
1. We're English and have zero interest in Scotland.
2. We're going to do what we want. Scotland will do what it's told.
3. We're going to do what we want. Scotland is welcome to come along or leave.
4. We will mostly do what we want. Within that constraint Scotland can mostly do what it wants in certain areas. There may be a discussion about Scottish decisions that impact England.
No-one in England is giving this much thought. Historically I would say the Union has operating on 4, now moving to a 2 under the Johnson government.
With Omicron there isn't really a middle way.
Not the place - I mean Ed Winchester from The Fast Show. He should be the English capital.
We should ask SPI-M to model it ;-)
Current environment is 2, with significant minority at 1. The more folk in 1,2&3 the happier I become.
@chrischirp
·
4h
The usual people are out there saying all will be fine soon - we just have to let people get infected and it will be done. Just as they did at previous waves.
Omicron's speed is stunning, true, but it is close to unique in the global mass testing, surely.
Wales voted for Brexit anyway
We are already ludicrously Southern oriented.
Put loads of civil servants and politicians in an already wealthy area.
Plus. It fills in the gap.
My Mother gets outraged when the weather is given for London, Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh. "I don't live near any of them!" she complains.
She's right too.
Winchester would be yet another slap in the face of the North.
It is really fucking obvious people stopped testing their children when term ended.
So when schools go back i reserve the right to revise any "cases have peaked" calls I may have made between then and now.
We’ve taken the deliberate decision to go out and spend money in restaurants and pubs this week because hospitality is on its knees. At our local Turkish this evening the owner told us he had 500 covers cancelled in the 2 weeks up to Christmas out of 600 bookings. All the Christmas parties and most family bookings. The place was half empty this evening. It used to be heaving even on weekdays.
When an industry is laid low by consumer fear - as the tourist and airline industries after terrorist attacks, or the beef industry after BSE - it can take a long time to come back. I think this January, as the rent invoices come in, is going to be hard for many.
After all, much of the sound and fury over Brexit has been about how the Leave voters were sold a pup. People can and will argue until the cows come home about the extent to which this is true, but the fact remains: the Scottish electorate has seen and experienced all the difficulties associated with leaving one Union, and a crucial fraction of public opinion at least is unlikely to be taken in by trite tales of how easy it will be to engineer separation from another.
And then, of course, whereas EU membership was effectively about leaving a souped-up free trade area, the Scottish Government has got to convince the population to dispense with a full political union and deal with a whole heap of other existential issues that weren't on the table with Brexit, notably the currency union and the fiscal transfers. Some people won't care about having proper answers about how all of these kinds of issues are going to be handled before taking the plunge, but the swing voters that are going to decide any rematch of the independence referendum will.
It seems to me, as a casual observer, that the argument for secession remains winnable, but it requires some hard work that doesn't appear to have been done yet. The 2014 blueprint wasn't enough to persuade the people and, insofar as I understand it, nothing potentially more palatable has been put in its place.
You could say that, with Brexit, the country has experienced a trade-off between escape from the oversight of an unpopular central authority on the one hand, and manifold inconveniences and expenses that have left many people worse off (and therefore dissatisfied with the revolution) on the other. The sovereignty aspect was played up, and the inconvenience and expense played down, very successfully by the UK Leave campaign. With that example lodged in the voters' minds, the Scottish Leave campaign won't find pulling off the same trick so easy. That's problematic for them.
Since the vaccine rollout the UK's excess deaths have all-but-stopped, but the USA's excess death rate is now 50% higher than the UK's.
So I'm going to certify your claim as Grade A Bullshit.
It was already unlikely despite Warwick's new model.
As a committer EU Remainer, I'm sure you can appreciate why this is an issue.
Pointless whimsical activity. Spent the day reviving old G4 PPC iBook. Installed new operating system (Sorbet Leopard). Surprisingly hard, but now works like a dream. And now posting here on PB, much as I did back in the day in 2005.
A total complete waste of time. How delightful.
Who mentioned Wales?
(My personal view is that I don't want to keep anybody in the country against their will, whether that's the Scots or the people on the Isle of Wight. I suspect leaving would be economically disadvantageous to the Scots but would not blame them at all if they decided they'd had quite enough of London pissing them around and they'd rather take their chances on their own. I might have a more nuanced view when I finish reading _Imagined Communities_, which was one of my Christmas presents.)
My proposed Celtic Union would be one of equals, unlike the current UK.
Sturgeon is happy just being a social democrat FM of Scotland who controls most Scottish domestic policy within the UK
Maybe your desperate to prove a point about vaccines not working or something?
She and the other public health authoritarians need to be honest about what their long term alternative is. If it’s to wait for more anti viral treatments then find, say so. If it’s that we should live with permanent restrictions then fine (we’ll, not fine), say so. Some are now saying exactly this.
In reality the “usual people” is increasingly the British public at large, and not just the young.
https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations
UK doing much better recently on boosters but lo and behold that coincides with the UK doing much better recently on deaths. What a coincidence, eh?