I don't know what Kier Starmer sounds like. Never heard him interviewed or a speech. Haven't been going out there to avoid him, but equally can't be bothered to seek out something to watch. Never heard RLB either. I've heard Lisa Nandy and Emily Thornberry quite a lot. The latter before the leadership election, the former only during it.
He sounds bunged up, a bit like Ed Miliband or the bloke in the Tunes advert in the 80s.
Keir's speaking voice sounds a bit like a 70's Pythonesque Eric Idle accountant on the radio...
That said...he was voted QC of the year, and headed the CPS. He is of humble origins, has a great back story and is perhaps the most formidable, able and experienced political leader we have seen in generations.....I don't want to big him up...but I think he is the real deal...
Do not forget...he managed to completely demolish the Corbyn project in one quick move, take over the full control of the Labour Party...and do this when many people here though all was lost to the Corbynite mob....
Just watched the fourth or fifth news story on BBC1 News. Laura's analysis of Starmer's victory and the future of the Labour Party on his watch. To say she is underwhelmed would be a distinct understatement. And earlier in the day, in the midst of this pandemic, I saw Starmer's win and the back of Corbyn as a tiny glimmer of hope for the future.
Ah well, back to lockdown reality.
Laura K is normally so enthusiastic about Labour, too...
Maybe she is just fucking knackered with it all, and worrying about her own health in this nightmare?
Unless I'm mistaken, the virus reached France and Germany at about the same time. Today France posted 1,053 deaths and Germany 169. I look forward to the research on why this is.
It is quite bizarre. If I had to point to a large country that would do well it would be France. Excellent health system, quite healthy population, warmer climate.
Yet no.
I wonder how much the ethnic minority factor is skewing stats (in ways I can’t quite work out). The West Midlands is probably the worst hotspot in the UK and there is much speculation this is because of particular demographics. Asian people live in more multigenerational households. Go to mosques, gudwaras, etc. Cf Orthodox Jews in london
I also think it's a factor. Did some Googling about it today and came across this:
He's now said "sorry" so that's all fucking right. It was his second funeral and his tweet says he was an observer!!!
Yes. I'm pretty sure everyone except the late lamented at the funeral is an observer aren't they?
I think he meant that he had no other reason to be there - a funeral junkie probably.
The whole story seems a bit odd. The police found only 15 mourners who were properly socially-distanced. Now, while 15 is more than double the proscribed limit of six, it is a lot less than 100. Anyway, it is done now.
The oldest rule in politics. If things get really, really bad, blame foreigners.
Quite. The Chinese Government are absolutely blameless in all of this.
We should be writing them a thank you letter.
No of course not, but neither do we have much to gain from bellicose language and posturing. The very last thing we need.
I think what everyone should be focussed on is massive economic and political pressure for China to put their house in order.
Long term I think supporting the demise of the Chinese Communist Party and a transition to democracy in China should be the primary Western policy goal.
Regime change? Ok. Since we have less than no money, how are we going to achieve this through economic means?
We need to understand that there is a real ideological competition between political systems, and hold ourselves to higher standards.
[Starmer] managed to completely demolish the Corbyn project in one quick move, take over the full control of the Labour Party...and do this when many people here though all was lost to the Corbynite mob....
After the Corbynite mob had lost two elections, the last to an 80 majority that bagged Labour seats never Tory in many decades. A balloon on a stick with Anyone But Corbyn written in felt tip would have won.
Think she'd stuck with the fags up until quite recently, as might be deduced from her 60s voice >2020 voice.
I've known about this for a few days. She's tough - she lived on a wall in Soho for two years during the heroin years - but she has been frail of late. The Wife has been working with her on the biopic. Lucy Boynton is signed up to play her:
You gotta love The Guardian. "Her most recent album was 2018’s Negative Capability, described as “a masterly meditation on ageing and death” in a five-star Observer review." Which links to the review below. Giving it four stars.....
You can see how the world could end up split into 3 different zones, with minimal travel between them:
1) Virus-controlled zones like China where the virus is close as possible to eradicated, and there are lots of internal checks with rapid quarantine, and very strict external quarantines as described in that Sky piece 2) Uncontrolled zones where containment has completely failed and the susceptible people have died, and life has gone back to normal 3) Slow-transmission zones where there are sporadic lockdowns, bans on events etc.
It's a weird new kind of globalization where travel reconfigures itself on quite different axes, where young people in slow-transmission zones may decide to move to an uncontrolled zone, and old or sick people will want to get into a slow-transmission zone or better a virus-controlled zone...
You can see how the world could end up split into 3 different zones, with minimal travel between them:
1) Virus-controlled zones like China where the virus is close as possible to eradicated, and there are lots of internal checks with rapid quarantine, and very strict external quarantines as described in that Sky piece 2) Uncontrolled zones where containment has completely failed and the susceptible people have died, and life has gone back to normal 3) Slow-transmission zones where there are sporadic lockdowns, bans on events etc.
It's a weird new kind of globalization where travel reconfigures itself on quite different axes, where young people in slow-transmission zones may decide to move to an uncontrolled zone, and old or sick people will want to get into a slow-transmission zone or better a virus-controlled zone...
Europe, Australasia in Zone 3.
Americas, Africa, Asian sub-continent in Zone 2 - after massive numbers of deaths?
In the novel, it is uncertain whether China has "won". It crafted the virus to wreak economic havoc once its own fortress was built - but suffered greatly when it had the virus released from a Wuhan lab by foreign powers, appalled after having learnt of its plans. Of course, neither side could admit what had occurred.
The foreign powers hadn't won either, not with so many tens of million dead. But along with the rest of the world, they had settled into a policy of "buy China last". China was gradually crumbling from this lack of trade. The Chinese Communist Party was riven with factions. We join as a military plot on whether to invade Taiwan is being decided upon....
Can someone wiser than I - basically anyone - enlighten me: If Starmer immediately purged the party of the stupid people causing all the bother in the antisemitism scandal, would the EHRC still conclude their report and give recommendations? If he does it so's there's nothing left to recommend?
[Starmer] managed to completely demolish the Corbyn project in one quick move, take over the full control of the Labour Party...and do this when many people here though all was lost to the Corbynite mob....
After the Corbynite mob had lost two elections, the last to an 80 majority that bagged Labour seats never Tory in many decades. A balloon on a stick with Anyone But Corbyn written in felt tip would have won.
Not that Keith Stormer is that exciting.
What worries me is how many people voted for Richard Burgon for deputy. I mean, that's a problem on it's own.
"A draft version of Starmer’s plans reveals he intends to appoint “soft left” MPs who served under Jeremy Corbyn to the most senior roles.
Anneliese Dodds, 42, is among the favourites to become shadow chancellor, having served in John McDonnell’s shadow Treasury team. Jo Stevens, 53, who resigned as shadow Welsh secretary from Corbyn’s team in 2017 in order to oppose Brexit, is tipped to become shadow foreign secretary, while Nick Thomas-Symonds, 39, a former barrister, is under consideration to become shadow home secretary."
So none of Cooper, Benn, Reeves in the top jobs - it does sound as if he's not planning to move as far back to the centre as many might have expected.
You can see how the world could end up split into 3 different zones, with minimal travel between them:
1) Virus-controlled zones like China where the virus is close as possible to eradicated, and there are lots of internal checks with rapid quarantine, and very strict external quarantines as described in that Sky piece 2) Uncontrolled zones where containment has completely failed and the susceptible people have died, and life has gone back to normal 3) Slow-transmission zones where there are sporadic lockdowns, bans on events etc.
It's a weird new kind of globalization where travel reconfigures itself on quite different axes, where young people in slow-transmission zones may decide to move to an uncontrolled zone, and old or sick people will want to get into a slow-transmission zone or better a virus-controlled zone...
Europe, Australasia in Zone 3.
Americas, Africa, Asian sub-continent in Zone 2 - after massive numbers of deaths?
In the novel, it is uncertain whether China has "won". It crafted the virus to wreak economic havoc once its own fortress was built - but suffered greatly when it had the virus released from a Wuhan lab by foreign powers, appalled after having learnt of its plans. Of course, neither side could admit what had occurred.
The foreign powers hadn't won either, not with so many tens of million dead. But along with the rest of the world, they had settled into a policy of "buy China last". China was gradually crumbling from this lack of trade. The Chinese Communist Party was riven with factions. We join as a military plot on whether to invade Taiwan is being decided upon....
"A draft version of Starmer’s plans reveals he intends to appoint “soft left” MPs who served under Jeremy Corbyn to the most senior roles.
Anneliese Dodds, 42, is among the favourites to become shadow chancellor, having served in John McDonnell’s shadow Treasury team. Jo Stevens, 53, who resigned as shadow Welsh secretary from Corbyn’s team in 2017 in order to oppose Brexit, is tipped to become shadow foreign secretary, while Nick Thomas-Symonds, 39, a former barrister, is under consideration to become shadow home secretary."
So none of Cooper, Benn, Reeves in the top jobs - it does sound as if he's not planning to move as far back to the centre as many might have expected.
Dodds - she's not going to shut up about Europe. Stevens, ditto.
"A draft version of Starmer’s plans reveals he intends to appoint “soft left” MPs who served under Jeremy Corbyn to the most senior roles.
Anneliese Dodds, 42, is among the favourites to become shadow chancellor, having served in John McDonnell’s shadow Treasury team. Jo Stevens, 53, who resigned as shadow Welsh secretary from Corbyn’s team in 2017 in order to oppose Brexit, is tipped to become shadow foreign secretary, while Nick Thomas-Symonds, 39, a former barrister, is under consideration to become shadow home secretary."
So none of Cooper, Benn, Reeves in the top jobs - it does sound as if he's not planning to move as far back to the centre as many might have expected.
Dodds - she's not going to shut up about Europe. Stevens, ditto.
Not starting a party civil war sounds like a good plan for any new leader, whatever one's opinion of individual appointments.
"A draft version of Starmer’s plans reveals he intends to appoint “soft left” MPs who served under Jeremy Corbyn to the most senior roles.
Anneliese Dodds, 42, is among the favourites to become shadow chancellor, having served in John McDonnell’s shadow Treasury team. Jo Stevens, 53, who resigned as shadow Welsh secretary from Corbyn’s team in 2017 in order to oppose Brexit, is tipped to become shadow foreign secretary, while Nick Thomas-Symonds, 39, a former barrister, is under consideration to become shadow home secretary."
So none of Cooper, Benn, Reeves in the top jobs - it does sound as if he's not planning to move as far back to the centre as many might have expected.
Dodds - she's not going to shut up about Europe. Stevens, ditto.
Not starting a party civil war sounds like a good plan for any new leader, whatever one's opinion of individual appointments.
I think both Labour and Conservative will agree on that.....I can see a nice row brewing up over delaying BREXIT once (if?) C-19 quietens down.
Comments
https://twitter.com/andybonar/status/1246578086881173504?s=20
Not that Keith Stormer is that exciting.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lucy-boynton-marianne-faithfull-biopic-947385/
1) Virus-controlled zones like China where the virus is close as possible to eradicated, and there are lots of internal checks with rapid quarantine, and very strict external quarantines as described in that Sky piece
2) Uncontrolled zones where containment has completely failed and the susceptible people have died, and life has gone back to normal
3) Slow-transmission zones where there are sporadic lockdowns, bans on events etc.
It's a weird new kind of globalization where travel reconfigures itself on quite different axes, where young people in slow-transmission zones may decide to move to an uncontrolled zone, and old or sick people will want to get into a slow-transmission zone or better a virus-controlled zone...
Only water is to be consumed in break time.
Americas, Africa, Asian sub-continent in Zone 2 - after massive numbers of deaths?
In the novel, it is uncertain whether China has "won". It crafted the virus to wreak economic havoc once its own fortress was built - but suffered greatly when it had the virus released from a Wuhan lab by foreign powers, appalled after having learnt of its plans. Of course, neither side could admit what had occurred.
The foreign powers hadn't won either, not with so many tens of million dead. But along with the rest of the world, they had settled into a policy of "buy China last". China was gradually crumbling from this lack of trade. The Chinese Communist Party was riven with factions. We join as a military plot on whether to invade Taiwan is being decided upon....
"A draft version of Starmer’s plans reveals he intends to appoint “soft left” MPs who served under Jeremy Corbyn to the most senior roles.
Anneliese Dodds, 42, is among the favourites to become shadow chancellor, having served in John McDonnell’s shadow Treasury team. Jo Stevens, 53, who resigned as shadow Welsh secretary from Corbyn’s team in 2017 in order to oppose Brexit, is tipped to become shadow foreign secretary, while Nick Thomas-Symonds, 39, a former barrister, is under consideration to become shadow home secretary."
So none of Cooper, Benn, Reeves in the top jobs - it does sound as if he's not planning to move as far back to the centre as many might have expected.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/coronavirus-turkey-spain-ventilators-medical-equipment-seized-a9447216.html