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  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,720
    eek said:

    kinabalu said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Has "thin" got some new meaning I'm unaware of ?

    "Boris Johnson looked pale and thin today" (Mail)

    He has lost a fair amount of weight due to the virus. Less fat, which is probably good, but some of the previous muscle tone might have been lost too, which is not so good.
    I need a doctor to confirm but I thought the body had a nasty habit of attacking muscle before fat when ill.
    Yes, muscle metabolises to carbohydrate fairly easily, and severe illness significantly elevates the metabolic rate.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,119
    edited May 2020

    Putting aside the potentially slightly misleading headline. Even just 40-50 new cases a day on london is a lot lower than i imagined was the situation & this is with more people back to work etc.

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11664513/london-reports-coronavirus-cases-lockdown/

    Maybe that Israeli virologist was right - it just.....goes away.
    With supposedly only 10% of Londoners having had this, i do find it quite interesting. Is it that actually a lot more have had it than the sampling suggests, is it that somehow a significant proportion of the population are immune or is it that the social distancing measures are highly effective. Or all of the above.
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 8,755

    Maybe. You may or may not agree with the UK's new trade arrangements, but they stem from decidedly conservative principles. Cleverness right now isn't that important. Political bottle is.

    Look at Rishi Sunak. I think yesterday it actually dawned on him he might go down in history as the man who broke Britain. Anybody with an ounce of courage would have resigned weeks ago.

    You've been posting some interesting stuff there. I'm particularly interested to discover that there is a second person on the world (second after Liz Truss herself) who thinks that she has achieved anything at all.
    Third here.
    Have we opened up new pork markets or reduced imports of foreign cheese? I guess the end of Brexit transition might make it hard to import anything perishable :wink:

    Ok, serious question: what has she achieved? I'm honestly struggling to think of an example and would like to be better informed. Sunak's overseen the implementation of furlough, Hancock's improved testing (other errors of course), even Patel is pushing through the immigration stuff if that's your cup of tea, but with Truss I come to a complete blank.
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,992
    edited May 2020
    isam said:

    .

    TOPPING said:

    isam said:

    TOPPING said:

    The new Lib Dem leader would surely be wise to get behind Starmer.

    What!?

    How do you figure that? You do realise the Lib Dems are not a subordinate branch of the Labour Party. Why doesn't Starmer just get behind Johnson? Why doesn't Carlaw just get behind Sturgeon? That's what you've just proposed.
    The fact Tories are so rattled by the idea of the Lib Dems getting behind Starmer says it all really.
    I'm not rattled I'm confused!

    Why doesn't the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer just get behind Manchester City?

    Why doesn't whoever Arsenal's manager is now just get behind Chelsea?

    Why doesn't Biden just get behind Trump?

    snip
    OI!!

    Arsenal's manager is...er...no he's gone...er...no give up. Dammit
    Good interview with Arsenal's last manager here. I feel he was very unfairly scapegoated

    https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/may/15/unai-emery-arsenal-couldnt-protect-me-truth-is-i-felt-alone
    For me, the rot started when we lost Ashley Cole to Chelsea for an extra £5,000/week, plus the over-30 rule was infuriating when you had the likes of Viera, Pires, Freddie, and Thierry getting the ball from Jens and scoring in 40 seconds.

    Cole of course went on to become arguably the best left back on the planet.

    I am an Arsene fan but appreciate he needed refreshing and I saw some shocking decisions of his (of which one, switching Iwobi, who was playing down the left flank and getting past everyone, to playing in the centre and not getting a touch for the rest of the game, was particularly notable).

    I don't think many, including perhaps the players, took Arsenal seriously after he left. They needed an old and safe pair of hands to guide them through the inevitable rough patch. The comment that Arteta should have gone to Everton, and Ancelotti to Arsenal was absolutely spot on.
    As an Arsenal fan I have seen us win the league in the last minute, possibly the happiest day of my life, 2-0 away at the team of the decade, four other league titles including two doubles and an invincible season, countless FA Cups, a Champions League final and lots of beautiful football. We have been spoilt rotten, and if we never won anything again while I was alive I couldnt complain.

    So I am happy we chose an ex player with love for the club, (and who Arsene chose as captain) over someone safe who has been around the block. If it succeeds then great - if not, oh well. I almost had an anxiety attack when I read we might aget Mourinho last Autumn; that would have been the ultimate betrayal of everything AW built. Emery was an outsider and I didn't want him appointed, but I feel he was unfairly mocked and was sad to see him go.
    There was a study once which proved that football fans are almost always unhappy because the ratio of their team winning to losing was so skewed (towards losing!) so I appreciate your point and it's great that you can die a happy man (thinking of Lauren's penalty, perhaps)

    As an Arsenal fan since Charlie George's lying down FA Cup final I agree that we have had it good. There was that golden period where we either won or were second in the PL. But that's not to say I am happy seeing us relegated to the status of so many teams of getting used to not winning and to muddle along.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,149

    Boris is not impressing

    He looks as if he is still under the weather

    He needs to either take some leave or step up to the plate

    Or resign.
    Be serious. Since when do any PMs quit because they arent very good. And consider who might replace him. Happy with PM Raab or Patel?
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Also, no matter how much partisans such as @Philip_Thompson and @HYUFD want it to be, politics is not, and should not, be like supporting a football team.

    It’s about achieving aims, not about “your team” winning for the sake of it.

    Says Labour partisan Gallowgate
    Good one. I’ve been a Labour party member for the best part of 5 months. Prior to that I was a member of the Lib Dems.

    I’m as far from being a “Labour partisan” as can be.
    So you are just an anti Tory partisan, thanks for confirming
    Not necessarily, I would consider voting Tory under certain circumstances. However the only Tory governments in my adult life has been Cameron’s austerity binge, and now May and Johnson’s Brexit bonanza, so it’s not exactly compelling.
    Please state when you last voted Tory then?
    Never, and I just explained why. That doesn’t mean I wont in the future.

    You on the other hand would never vote Labour, as you constantly belittle @Big_G_NorthWales for doing during the Blair years, as the Tory party is “your team”.
    You would never vote Tory, you are clearly an ideological leftwinger so stop pretending otherwise.

    I have never pretended to be anything but on the right
    Oh, well if you say I would never vote Tory then it must be true.

    Thanks for putting me right on that.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,370

    Putting aside the potentially slightly misleading headline. Even just 40-50 new cases a day on london is a lot lower than i imagined was the situation & this is with more people back to work etc.

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11664513/london-reports-coronavirus-cases-lockdown/

    Maybe that Israeli virologist was right - it just.....goes away.
    With supposedly only 10% of Londoners having had this, i do find it quite interesting. Is it that actually a lot more have had it than the sampling suggests, is it that somehow a significant proportion of the population are immune or is it that the social distancing measures are working.
    Quite possibly a combination - at *effective* R moves towards 1, even small amounts of immunity become significant.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    If the NHS and Care sector need foreign workers why don't they offer to pay the health surcharge for them? Why does the charge need to be abolished, why can't they be sponsored so its paid by their employer?
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,992
    Boris on his way out, btw. On health grounds. My bets for him to be out by next September feeling good. Sad for BoJo, that said but that's life.
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468

    If the NHS and Care sector need foreign workers why don't they offer to pay the health surcharge for them? Why does the charge need to be abolished, why can't they be sponsored so its paid by their employer?

    You want the NHS (ie the Government) to pay themselves the surcharge? What?
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,676
    SKS not as good as last couple of outings IMO

    Or BJ slightly better prepared
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    Selebian said:

    Maybe. You may or may not agree with the UK's new trade arrangements, but they stem from decidedly conservative principles. Cleverness right now isn't that important. Political bottle is.

    Look at Rishi Sunak. I think yesterday it actually dawned on him he might go down in history as the man who broke Britain. Anybody with an ounce of courage would have resigned weeks ago.

    You've been posting some interesting stuff there. I'm particularly interested to discover that there is a second person on the world (second after Liz Truss herself) who thinks that she has achieved anything at all.
    Third here.
    Have we opened up new pork markets or reduced imports of foreign cheese? I guess the end of Brexit transition might make it hard to import anything perishable :wink:

    Ok, serious question: what has she achieved? I'm honestly struggling to think of an example and would like to be better informed. Sunak's overseen the implementation of furlough, Hancock's improved testing (other errors of course), even Patel is pushing through the immigration stuff if that's your cup of tea, but with Truss I come to a complete blank.
    Wasn't she behind the new tariff schedule that came out yesterday that abolished a lot of tariffs that we would have kept if we'd copied and pasted the EU's tariff schedule, as many claimed we would have been doing?
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,139
    TOPPING said:

    Boris on his way out, btw. On health grounds. My bets for him to be out by next September feeling good. Sad for BoJo, that said but that's life.

    Rubbish, Boris is staying as the best Tory election winner since Thatcher
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,176

    If the NHS and Care sector need foreign workers why don't they offer to pay the health surcharge for them? Why does the charge need to be abolished, why can't they be sponsored so its paid by their employer?

    What's the argument here? Is it that the charge is stopping us being able to bring in staff from abroad (or to keep them here), or is it that we should get rid of the charge because it would be a nice thing to do?
  • eekeek Posts: 28,405
    edited May 2020

    Johnson: "We will have track and trace operational by 1 June:"

    Starmer next question: "Will we have track and trace operational by 1 June?"

    Oops, going ahead with the prescripted questions like Corbyn did.

    It was a request for confirmation by offering a bit of wiggle room.

    Wait and see the questions in 2 weeks time when track and trace isn't working 100%.
  • TGOHF666TGOHF666 Posts: 2,052
    Is that Nicola's shadow that Blackford is in ?
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 8,755

    Selebian said:

    Maybe. You may or may not agree with the UK's new trade arrangements, but they stem from decidedly conservative principles. Cleverness right now isn't that important. Political bottle is.

    Look at Rishi Sunak. I think yesterday it actually dawned on him he might go down in history as the man who broke Britain. Anybody with an ounce of courage would have resigned weeks ago.

    You've been posting some interesting stuff there. I'm particularly interested to discover that there is a second person on the world (second after Liz Truss herself) who thinks that she has achieved anything at all.
    Third here.
    Have we opened up new pork markets or reduced imports of foreign cheese? I guess the end of Brexit transition might make it hard to import anything perishable :wink:

    Ok, serious question: what has she achieved? I'm honestly struggling to think of an example and would like to be better informed. Sunak's overseen the implementation of furlough, Hancock's improved testing (other errors of course), even Patel is pushing through the immigration stuff if that's your cup of tea, but with Truss I come to a complete blank.
    Wasn't she behind the new tariff schedule that came out yesterday that abolished a lot of tariffs that we would have kept if we'd copied and pasted the EU's tariff schedule, as many claimed we would have been doing?
    That appears to be the case, yes. Thank you.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    edited May 2020

    If the NHS and Care sector need foreign workers why don't they offer to pay the health surcharge for them? Why does the charge need to be abolished, why can't they be sponsored so its paid by their employer?

    You want the NHS (ie the Government) to pay themselves the surcharge? What?
    Why not? You are aware the government isn't exempt from paying itself taxes.

    No money needs to change hands, just accrue it, its an accounting exercise. Principle of keeping a universal surcharge is kept, but the cost is removed from the staff themselves.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,149
    isam said:

    HYUFD said:

    Boris still comfortably leads Starmer on preferred PM still.

    Net approval ratings are not enough on their own either eg in 1979 Thatcher's Tories unlike Starmer's Labour led on voting intention as well as Thatcher leading on net approval even when she trailed Callaghan as preferred PM

    Starmer has halved Johnson's lead in a month - and this is the easy part for the Tories politically. The next bit, when the furlough ends and a no deal is approaching, will be a lot more challenging.

    How do you think Starmer is doing with WWC?

    Judging by the approval ratings, much better than Corbyn. Though the bar is exceptionally low. The damage done to Labour over recent years has been so severe that it is going to take a long time to undo. The first step in the process is to get a hearing. Starmer is creating the space for that to happen. But, as I say, that is only the start. What he says also has to resonate. On that the jury remains very much out.

    Strange that Corbyn in his worst GE got so many more votes than Brown and Miliband yet is spoke of as if he did much worse, and that the Labour malaise started with him
    It's not strange in the slightest as people are judged in full context taking account of outcomes.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102
    Starmer coming over all 'holier than thou' and playing on emotions

    Boris is not upto speed but not a complete walkover for Starmer today

    Boris has a lot more to do to convince me he is back where he was before covid
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    LOL at voiceover "He is rather dark today." Should have put that tartan blanket over the window again.
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468

    If the NHS and Care sector need foreign workers why don't they offer to pay the health surcharge for them? Why does the charge need to be abolished, why can't they be sponsored so its paid by their employer?

    You want the NHS (ie the Government) to pay themselves the surcharge? What?
    Why not? You are aware the government isn't exempt from paying itself taxes.

    No money needs to change hands, just accrue it, its an accounting exercise. Principle of keeping a universal surcharge is kept, but the cost is removed from the staff themselves.
    It would make more sense to just exempt the NHS, and then that’s the state undercutting the private sector. Not very Tory. Funny.
  • Ave_itAve_it Posts: 2,411

    Starmer coming over all 'holier than thou' and playing on emotions

    Boris is not upto speed but not a complete walkover for Starmer today

    Boris has a lot more to do to convince me he is back where he was before covid

    I thought Boris did ok today. Starmer = typical LAB metropolitan windbag, all whinging, no solutions
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,176
    Ave_it said:

    Starmer coming over all 'holier than thou' and playing on emotions

    Boris is not upto speed but not a complete walkover for Starmer today

    Boris has a lot more to do to convince me he is back where he was before covid

    I thought Boris did ok today. Starmer = typical LAB metropolitan windbag, all whinging, no solutions
    I think Starmer is doing fine, but he's in a comfort zone at the moment. He needs to be planning for the next six months. How will he react to the government offering the public sector a choice between pay cuts or redundancies, for example?
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Also, no matter how much partisans such as @Philip_Thompson and @HYUFD want it to be, politics is not, and should not, be like supporting a football team.

    It’s about achieving aims, not about “your team” winning for the sake of it.

    Says Labour partisan Gallowgate
    Good one. I’ve been a Labour party member for the best part of 5 months. Prior to that I was a member of the Lib Dems.

    I’m as far from being a “Labour partisan” as can be.
    So you are just an anti Tory partisan, thanks for confirming
    Not necessarily, I would consider voting Tory under certain circumstances. However the only Tory governments in my adult life has been Cameron’s austerity binge, and now May and Johnson’s Brexit bonanza, so it’s not exactly compelling.
    Please state when you last voted Tory then?
    Never, and I just explained why. That doesn’t mean I wont in the future.

    You on the other hand would never vote Labour, as you constantly belittle @Big_G_NorthWales for doing during the Blair years, as the Tory party is “your team”.
    You would never vote Tory, you are clearly an ideological leftwinger so stop pretending otherwise.

    I have never pretended to be anything but on the right
    Oh, well if you say I would never vote Tory then it must be true.

    Thanks for putting me right on that.
    As long as HYUFD epouses his hard right stuff why would you

    However, if Boris fully recovers and moves to the compassionate liberal one nation conservative, I would hope you would give it consideratiom
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226

    There are some constants even in these chaotic times.

    https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1263052473591377920?s=20

    Still tbc if Nigel rammed the hapless refugees with his Schnellboot.

    Cynical take. Most unlike you. How do we know that Nigel is not using his lockdown time to go out every day on his boat, braving the elements, with a determined intention to save those in peril, regardless of creed or colour?
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    Ave_it said:

    Starmer coming over all 'holier than thou' and playing on emotions

    Boris is not upto speed but not a complete walkover for Starmer today

    Boris has a lot more to do to convince me he is back where he was before covid

    I thought Boris did ok today. Starmer = typical LAB metropolitan windbag, all whinging, no solutions
    It’s not his job to offer solutions, it’s his job to hold the Prime Minister to account for his decisions and policies.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited May 2020
    TOPPING said:

    isam said:

    .

    TOPPING said:

    isam said:

    TOPPING said:

    The new Lib Dem leader would surely be wise to get behind Starmer.

    What!?

    How do you figure that? You do realise the Lib Dems are not a subordinate branch of the Labour Party. Why doesn't Starmer just get behind Johnson? Why doesn't Carlaw just get behind Sturgeon? That's what you've just proposed.
    The fact Tories are so rattled by the idea of the Lib Dems getting behind Starmer says it all really.
    I'm not rattled I'm confused!

    Why doesn't the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer just get behind Manchester City?

    Why doesn't whoever Arsenal's manager is now just get behind Chelsea?

    Why doesn't Biden just get behind Trump?

    snip
    OI!!

    Arsenal's manager is...er...no he's gone...er...no give up. Dammit
    Good interview with Arsenal's last manager here. I feel he was very unfairly scapegoated

    https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/may/15/unai-emery-arsenal-couldnt-protect-me-truth-is-i-felt-alone
    For me, the rot started when we lost Ashley Cole to Chelsea for an extra £5,000/week, plus the over-30 rule was infuriating when you had the likes of Viera, Pires, Freddie, and Thierry getting the ball from Jens and scoring in 40 seconds.

    Cole of course went on to become arguably the best left back on the planet.

    I am an Arsene fan but appreciate he needed refreshing and I saw some shocking decisions of his (of which one, switching Iwobi, who was playing down the left flank and getting past everyone, to playing in the centre and not getting a touch for the rest of the game, was particularly notable).

    I don't think many, including perhaps the players, took Arsenal seriously after he left. They needed an old and safe pair of hands to guide them through the inevitable rough patch. The comment that Arteta should have gone to Everton, and Ancelotti to Arsenal was absolutely spot on.
    As an Arsenal fan I have seen us win the league in the last minute, possibly the happiest day of my life, 2-0 away at the team of the decade, four other league titles including two doubles and an invincible season, countless FA Cups, a Champions League final and lots of beautiful football. We have been spoilt rotten, and if we never won anything again while I was alive I couldnt complain.

    So I am happy we chose an ex player with love for the club, (and who Arsene chose as captain) over someone safe who has been around the block. If it succeeds then great - if not, oh well. I almost had an anxiety attack when I read we might aget Mourinho last Autumn; that would have been the ultimate betrayal of everything AW built. Emery was an outsider and I didn't want him appointed, but I feel he was unfairly mocked and was sad to see him go.
    There was a study once which proved that football fans are almost always unhappy because the ratio of their team winning to losing was so skewed (towards losing!) so I appreciate your point and it's great that you can die a happy man (thinking of Lauren's penalty, perhaps)

    As an Arsenal fan since Charlie George's lying down FA Cup final I agree that we have had it good. There was that golden period where we either won or were second in the PL. But that's not to say I am happy seeing us relegated to the status of so many teams of getting used to not winning and to muddle along.
    No, I'm not happy with it either I guess, but I don't think we have cause to complain, and alsoI think our sucess has earned us the right to stay true to our principles rather than chase silverware by betraying them.

    I wasn't around for the 71 double, the first game I remember was us losing 1-0 to West Ham nine years later. I met Trevor Brooking 3 days after the game, my Dad scored a 25 yarder against West Ham for Aveley in a testimonial, and refused to say hello!

    I did get to lift the Cup though
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,149
    Foxy said:

    eek said:

    kinabalu said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Has "thin" got some new meaning I'm unaware of ?

    "Boris Johnson looked pale and thin today" (Mail)

    He has lost a fair amount of weight due to the virus. Less fat, which is probably good, but some of the previous muscle tone might have been lost too, which is not so good.
    I need a doctor to confirm but I thought the body had a nasty habit of attacking muscle before fat when ill.
    Yes, muscle metabolises to carbohydrate fairly easily, and severe illness significantly elevates the metabolic rate.
    What intelligent designer thought that was a good idea?
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,608
    Scott_xP said:

    OllyT said:

    It' s no coincidence that there is 100% correlation between those wanting to curtail his posts and those who don't like the message!

    Takes me back to the days of tim
    tim had a sharp sense of humour.
  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,313

    Starmer coming over all 'holier than thou' and playing on emotions

    Boris is not upto speed but not a complete walkover for Starmer today

    Boris has a lot more to do to convince me he is back where he was before covid

    Nope he was shit back then too, but he was faced by a LoTO who was even worse. Even a donkey can look good when compared with another donkey.
  • Ave_itAve_it Posts: 2,411

    Ave_it said:

    Starmer coming over all 'holier than thou' and playing on emotions

    Boris is not upto speed but not a complete walkover for Starmer today

    Boris has a lot more to do to convince me he is back where he was before covid

    I thought Boris did ok today. Starmer = typical LAB metropolitan windbag, all whinging, no solutions
    It’s not his job to offer solutions, it’s his job to hold the Prime Minister to account for his decisions and policies.
    Er yes it is. If LAB can't come up with any ideas/policies no one is going to vote for them!
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102
    TOPPING said:

    Boris on his way out, btw. On health grounds. My bets for him to be out by next September feeling good. Sad for BoJo, that said but that's life.

    Which September.

    2021 maybe but not before brexit on the 31st December
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,720

    The FT estimates of excess mortality by country are especially interesting when you also look at their estimates for specific large cities or areas. For example (figures shown are the 2020 increase to date in mortality from all causes compared with an average year):

    UK +61%, London +135%
    France +31%, Ile de France +137%
    Sweden +29%, Stockholm +87%
    US +19%, New York City +408%
    Italy +55%, Bergamo province +496%

    https://www.ft.com/content/a26fbf7e-48f8-11ea-aeb3-955839e06441

    What this probably shows is that crude death leagues by country are incredibly misleading, because so much depends on sudden high-speed exponential growth in crowded areas. It probably also suggests that there could be a lot more big outbreaks to come as things relax a bit.

    Worth noting that those excess deaths are occurring in the epicentres of Covid-19, not across the whole areas of lockdown. This is quite a strong pointer that these were indeed undiagnosed Covid-19. Deaths from other causes would be more evenly spread.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,929
    HYUFD said:

    TOPPING said:

    Boris on his way out, btw. On health grounds. My bets for him to be out by next September feeling good. Sad for BoJo, that said but that's life.

    Rubbish, Boris is staying as the best Tory election winner since Thatcher
    If Boris retires on health grounds then his election record and poll ratings are neither here nor there.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,676
    Tory MP for West Dorset thanks PM for his hard work

    Blimey
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    IshmaelZ said:

    LOL at voiceover "He is rather dark today." Should have put that tartan blanket over the window again.

    The "Rupert" comments must have got to him.....
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    Ave_it said:

    Ave_it said:

    Starmer coming over all 'holier than thou' and playing on emotions

    Boris is not upto speed but not a complete walkover for Starmer today

    Boris has a lot more to do to convince me he is back where he was before covid

    I thought Boris did ok today. Starmer = typical LAB metropolitan windbag, all whinging, no solutions
    It’s not his job to offer solutions, it’s his job to hold the Prime Minister to account for his decisions and policies.
    Er yes it is. If LAB can't come up with any ideas/policies no one is going to vote for them!
    That’s not what PMQs is for. Stop whinging. You’re worse than the “metropolitan windbags” you deride so much.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,676
    "Give them a medal"

    FFS
  • TGOHF666TGOHF666 Posts: 2,052
    Didn't know the farmer from Shaun the Sheep was a Con MP.
  • Ave_itAve_it Posts: 2,411

    Ave_it said:

    Ave_it said:

    Starmer coming over all 'holier than thou' and playing on emotions

    Boris is not upto speed but not a complete walkover for Starmer today

    Boris has a lot more to do to convince me he is back where he was before covid

    I thought Boris did ok today. Starmer = typical LAB metropolitan windbag, all whinging, no solutions
    It’s not his job to offer solutions, it’s his job to hold the Prime Minister to account for his decisions and policies.
    Er yes it is. If LAB can't come up with any ideas/policies no one is going to vote for them!
    That’s not what PMQs is for. Stop whinging. You’re worse than the “metropolitan windbags” you deride so much.
    HAHAHA I leave the whinging to people like you! Enjoy opposition for another 20 years.
  • Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 8,163
    kle4 said:

    Boris is not impressing

    He looks as if he is still under the weather

    He needs to either take some leave or step up to the plate

    Or resign.
    Be serious. Since when do any PMs quit because they arent very good. And consider who might replace him. Happy with PM Raab or Patel?
    Serious? With the Keystone Cops for govt?

    But you are quite correct about the dearth of talent to choose a successor from, but the complicating factor is that they will crave the job, even if they are useless at, because of power, prestige, etc. Raab has even had the glory of being deputy PM so maybe he sees his next step as PM?

    Of course, in recent history, it has been common for chancellors to move to No 10. Sunak's problem is that he may have made himself irreplaceable as chancellor and irreplaceble people cannot be promoted.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,720
    kle4 said:

    Foxy said:

    eek said:

    kinabalu said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Has "thin" got some new meaning I'm unaware of ?

    "Boris Johnson looked pale and thin today" (Mail)

    He has lost a fair amount of weight due to the virus. Less fat, which is probably good, but some of the previous muscle tone might have been lost too, which is not so good.
    I need a doctor to confirm but I thought the body had a nasty habit of attacking muscle before fat when ill.
    Yes, muscle metabolises to carbohydrate fairly easily, and severe illness significantly elevates the metabolic rate.
    What intelligent designer thought that was a good idea?
    There are a number of other similar issues, but I wasn't on the design committee.
  • TGOHF666TGOHF666 Posts: 2,052
    Scott_xP said:
    Labour - prioritising immigrants over all since...
  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,313
    Ave_it said:

    Starmer coming over all 'holier than thou' and playing on emotions

    Boris is not upto speed but not a complete walkover for Starmer today

    Boris has a lot more to do to convince me he is back where he was before covid

    I thought Boris did ok today. Starmer = typical LAB metropolitan windbag, all whinging, no solutions
    You are clearly a person capable of a nuanced unbiased view lol! "Boris did ok today": faint praise indeed. I'll let you into a not well disguised secret; he was shit again. PMQs will soon be known as "remind ourselves what a joke our elected head of government is".
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    SNP MP complaining that Scottish Secretary traveled to be in HoC - alternatively he would have "held HoC in contempt" by not.....

    Boris also praising Scottish Govt for cooperation, despite sniping from Westminster SNP MPs....
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    Scott_xP said:

    OllyT said:

    It' s no coincidence that there is 100% correlation between those wanting to curtail his posts and those who don't like the message!

    Takes me back to the days of tim
    tim had a sharp sense of humour.
    Tim had original thoughts.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,225
    Cyclefree said:

    Cyclefree said:


    If lockdown is lifted, “social distancing” has to stop. Basic, sensible hygiene measures: yes. But the idea that you can have venues and activities where social closeness is integral to the very nature of what is going on at the same time as “social distancing” is contradictory nonsense.

    Why? It's not a binary on/off switch.

    The shape of what's coming, internationally, is, I think, becoming clear. In economic terms, we are going to see neither a 'V' nor a 'U' nor an 'L' shaped recession. Instead, the profile going to be something like an 'L' initially but with the bottom glyph gradually turning upwards in a slow, incremental recovery. It will probably take some years before economies are back to pre-Covid-19 levels, even if a vaccine becomes widely available some time next year..

    On a sector level, we are going to see a very mixed picture. Factories will largely re-open, provided they are making things which are still in demand. Offices will partially return to semi-normal with social distancing and other precautions in place, but with many or most workers still working from home. Retail - or the bit of it which survives - is going to run at reduced capacity, with social distancing precautions in place for quite a while. Schools will reopen tentatively. Universities, hotels, restaurants, pubs, theatres, concert halls, airlines, civil aviation manufacturing are completely stuffed. Non-Covid healthcare will stutter back into life but at reduced capacity.
    If social distancing is maintained as a policy then all forms of social closeness and intimacy and the activities by which humans express and show and enjoy this will effectively be banned or impossible. This is pretty much every form of human activity save for that work which can be done from home or while tooled up in protective gear

    This is not an economic issue fundamentally but about how we want to live.

    Pretending that lockdown can be lifted and these activities can continue “with social distancing measures” in place is a big fat lie.

    A life, a society where can there be no social closeness is unbearable, to me anyway. And a huge overreaction. Societies have lived with contagious and deadly diseases before without closing down everything in sight for months or years on end.

    A modest proposal while we wait for solutions:

    I Have a “Quarantine Bubble” With People Outside My House. You Should Too.
    We put a lot of thought into doing this responsibly. It makes me feel like I can live this way for a lot longer.
    https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/05/why-i-decided-to-join-a-quarantine-bubble-and-you-should-too.html

  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    Scott_xP said:
    I must say, years ago when I posted that some of the Cameroons on PB were actually lefties, I had no idea how accurate I was
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,002
    Did BoZo announce a reshuffle by mistake?

    https://twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1263069438368194562
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,935

    Putting aside the potentially slightly misleading headline. Even just 40-50 new cases a day on london is a lot lower than i imagined was the situation & this is with more people back to work etc.

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11664513/london-reports-coronavirus-cases-lockdown/

    Maybe that Israeli virologist was right - it just.....goes away.
    With supposedly only 10% of Londoners having had this, i do find it quite interesting. Is it that actually a lot more have had it than the sampling suggests, is it that somehow a significant proportion of the population are immune or is it that the social distancing measures are highly effective. Or all of the above.
    I'd bet on social distancing rather than it magically fizzling out for no apparent reason whatsoever.
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    Ave_it said:

    Ave_it said:

    Ave_it said:

    Starmer coming over all 'holier than thou' and playing on emotions

    Boris is not upto speed but not a complete walkover for Starmer today

    Boris has a lot more to do to convince me he is back where he was before covid

    I thought Boris did ok today. Starmer = typical LAB metropolitan windbag, all whinging, no solutions
    It’s not his job to offer solutions, it’s his job to hold the Prime Minister to account for his decisions and policies.
    Er yes it is. If LAB can't come up with any ideas/policies no one is going to vote for them!
    That’s not what PMQs is for. Stop whinging. You’re worse than the “metropolitan windbags” you deride so much.
    HAHAHA I leave the whinging to people like you! Enjoy opposition for another 20 years.
    Clearly you don’t...
  • contrariancontrarian Posts: 5,818
    In borrowing news, The UK tapped a 2023 gilt today and borrowed GBP3.75bn at a marginally negative yield on average (- 0.003%).
  • Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 8,163

    Ave_it said:

    Starmer coming over all 'holier than thou' and playing on emotions

    Boris is not upto speed but not a complete walkover for Starmer today

    Boris has a lot more to do to convince me he is back where he was before covid

    I thought Boris did ok today. Starmer = typical LAB metropolitan windbag, all whinging, no solutions
    You are clearly a person capable of a nuanced unbiased view lol! "Boris did ok today": faint praise indeed. I'll let you into a not well disguised secret; he was shit again. PMQs will soon be known as "remind ourselves what a joke our elected head of government is".
    It was not PMQs that did Brown in...
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102
    HOC goes on holiday tomorrow for two weeks and then a few weeks later will be on their summer holidays

    This is just wrong at a time like this
  • Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 8,163
    Foxy said:

    kle4 said:

    Foxy said:

    eek said:

    kinabalu said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Has "thin" got some new meaning I'm unaware of ?

    "Boris Johnson looked pale and thin today" (Mail)

    He has lost a fair amount of weight due to the virus. Less fat, which is probably good, but some of the previous muscle tone might have been lost too, which is not so good.
    I need a doctor to confirm but I thought the body had a nasty habit of attacking muscle before fat when ill.
    Yes, muscle metabolises to carbohydrate fairly easily, and severe illness significantly elevates the metabolic rate.
    What intelligent designer thought that was a good idea?
    There are a number of other similar issues, but I wasn't on the design committee.
    The larengyal nerve (sp?) springs to mind ;)
  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,313

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Also, no matter how much partisans such as @Philip_Thompson and @HYUFD want it to be, politics is not, and should not, be like supporting a football team.

    It’s about achieving aims, not about “your team” winning for the sake of it.

    Says Labour partisan Gallowgate
    Good one. I’ve been a Labour party member for the best part of 5 months. Prior to that I was a member of the Lib Dems.

    I’m as far from being a “Labour partisan” as can be.
    So you are just an anti Tory partisan, thanks for confirming
    Not necessarily, I would consider voting Tory under certain circumstances. However the only Tory governments in my adult life has been Cameron’s austerity binge, and now May and Johnson’s Brexit bonanza, so it’s not exactly compelling.
    Please state when you last voted Tory then?
    Never, and I just explained why. That doesn’t mean I wont in the future.

    You on the other hand would never vote Labour, as you constantly belittle @Big_G_NorthWales for doing during the Blair years, as the Tory party is “your team”.
    You would never vote Tory, you are clearly an ideological leftwinger so stop pretending otherwise.

    I have never pretended to be anything but on the right
    Oh, well if you say I would never vote Tory then it must be true.

    Thanks for putting me right on that.
    As long as HYUFD epouses his hard right stuff why would you

    However, if Boris fully recovers and moves to the compassionate liberal one nation conservative, I would hope you would give it consideratiom
    Johnson sold his soul to the populist hard right wing of the Tory Party, and he will have to keep paying them. Compassionate liberal conservatism was largely purged from the Tory Party when he supinely agreed to Cummings's removal of the whip from the likes of Nick Soames
  • contrariancontrarian Posts: 5,818
    edited May 2020
    Earlier this week the UK sold GBP7bn of syndicated debt due in 41 years with a coupon of 0.50%.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,676
    edited May 2020
    I agree with JRM

    Takes temperature
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,862
    Foxy said:

    The FT estimates of excess mortality by country are especially interesting when you also look at their estimates for specific large cities or areas. For example (figures shown are the 2020 increase to date in mortality from all causes compared with an average year):

    UK +61%, London +135%
    France +31%, Ile de France +137%
    Sweden +29%, Stockholm +87%
    US +19%, New York City +408%
    Italy +55%, Bergamo province +496%

    https://www.ft.com/content/a26fbf7e-48f8-11ea-aeb3-955839e06441

    What this probably shows is that crude death leagues by country are incredibly misleading, because so much depends on sudden high-speed exponential growth in crowded areas. It probably also suggests that there could be a lot more big outbreaks to come as things relax a bit.

    Worth noting that those excess deaths are occurring in the epicentres of Covid-19, not across the whole areas of lockdown. This is quite a strong pointer that these were indeed undiagnosed Covid-19. Deaths from other causes would be more evenly spread.
    I still think that in Care Homes we are going to find that a lot of excess deaths were caused by the disruptive movement of an ill, elderly person who was "bed blocking" in a hospital into an alien environment without access to family. Whether these unlucky and unhappy people actually had the virus or not is almost irrelevant.
  • Wulfrun_PhilWulfrun_Phil Posts: 4,780
    edited May 2020
    glw said:

    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/benatipsosmori/status/1263061750292848640

    Does anyone need me to explain this Tweet?

    Did you have a close look before posting? Because the period being reported for each country varies considerably. As a result it's quite misleading at first glance.
    The period being reported for each country does indeed vary but it's no less damning of the UK once you go beyond a first glance and make adjustments.

    For example, as Belgium's 8,300 excess deaths end at 3 May rather than the 8 May date used for the UK's 54,000, you should really add on an estimate of a few more to Belgium's figure for the remaining 5 days. However, as Belgium's excess death figure had clearly dropped back close to the norm by 3 May what you add on will be pretty minimal. The longer time frame also means that the divisor needs to be increased to arrive at the % excess deaths, which will reduce the % slightly just as the slight increase in the numerator increases it. So take all that into account and its pretty clear that the Belgium average over the period won't vary markedly from the 55% shown, so the conclusion that the UK's excess death rate (67%) is higher than Belgium's stands. So the conclusion is that the UK in fact has fared worse in terms of deaths than the country which until now had been credited with the highest per capita death rate based on daily counts. That was already suspected, because Belgium had the most permissive method of counting deaths in its daily counts, such that they could be included based only on the suspected cause. Now it's been confirmed.

    LIkewise while France's mushc lower excess deaths figures are only up to 26 April, that matters not given that they seem well ahead of the UK in their cycle with their excess deaths dropping back to the norm by that date.

    Of the developed countries shown on that tweet, the UK is coming out the worst of all save possibly for Italy, with which it is more difficult to make comparisons because their data ends at 31 March when their excess deaths were still significant. And Italy was unfortunate to be at the vanguard of cases hitting Europe, whereas we squandered the extra time we had to react.

    So the international comparisons are utterly damning of the UK using Johnson's chosen measure.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,370

    Foxy said:

    kle4 said:

    Foxy said:

    eek said:

    kinabalu said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Has "thin" got some new meaning I'm unaware of ?

    "Boris Johnson looked pale and thin today" (Mail)

    He has lost a fair amount of weight due to the virus. Less fat, which is probably good, but some of the previous muscle tone might have been lost too, which is not so good.
    I need a doctor to confirm but I thought the body had a nasty habit of attacking muscle before fat when ill.
    Yes, muscle metabolises to carbohydrate fairly easily, and severe illness significantly elevates the metabolic rate.
    What intelligent designer thought that was a good idea?
    There are a number of other similar issues, but I wasn't on the design committee.
    The larengyal nerve (sp?) springs to mind ;)
    A casual look at the human eye suggests that, if intelligent design is to be believed, God is an idiot.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,862

    Earlier this week the UK sold USD7bn of syndicated debt due in 41 years with a coupon of 0.50%.

    In dollars?? Why on earth did we do that? We can't print dollars.
  • contrariancontrarian Posts: 5,818
    DavidL said:

    Earlier this week the UK sold USD7bn of syndicated debt due in 41 years with a coupon of 0.50%.

    In dollars?? Why on earth did we do that? We can't print dollars.
    apols...should be GBP!!!!

    Well done Wilson, I was waiting to see who would be the first to spot that.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    Earlier this week the UK sold USD7bn of syndicated debt due in 41 years with a coupon of 0.50%.

    $7bn worth of debt, or $7bn in debt? Are you sure?
  • contrariancontrarian Posts: 5,818

    Earlier this week the UK sold USD7bn of syndicated debt due in 41 years with a coupon of 0.50%.

    $7bn worth of debt, or $7bn in debt? Are you sure?
    Sorry was GBP should have corrected. You were just beaten by DavidL
  • MikeSmithsonMikeSmithson Posts: 7,382
    Let's see if Boris's ratings go up or down.

    I thought that it was his worst PMQs so far against Starmer.

    TMay would have done far better
  • Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 8,163

    Boris is not impressing

    He looks as if he is still under the weather

    He needs to either take some leave or step up to the plate

    Or resign.
    He will not do that as much as you wish it
    I do not really care, TBH. Some other talentless jerk will fill his shoes. Even the Tories will have to work really hard to lose an 80 seat lead so no doubt we have Truss, Patel, Hancock, Raab, et al to look forwards to as next up.

    And, no doubt, you would loyally support any of them.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,862
    So we don't even get to reduce any pension fund deficits because the wrong type of pensioner is dying? Jeez.
  • kjhkjh Posts: 11,805
    edited May 2020

    kjh said:

    kjh said:

    kjh said:

    kjh said:

    kjh said:

    More or Less worth a listen again. Comparison with Germany very interesting, but ran the testing story again. The deception here really is disgraceful.

    They picked the 15/5 when 136,000 tests were done but they are not only including posted tests but also non diagnosed tests carried out by Uni and Research Labs (30,000) so useful for other reasons but not tests to determine if people have or don't have Covid. Also 2nd tests are not generally because the previous test needs verifying, but because say the test was dropped on the floor or the testee vomited on the first test. Also a spit and nasal test is counted as two.

    Total people tested = 43,000 out of a quoted figure of 136,000

    It really is an appalling deception.

    I have never heard 'More or Less' get so annoyed in its fact checking.

    Again not news.

    On the very day the 100,000 test target was announced, they announced five strands of testing including diagnostic and yes non-diagnostic testing etc - someone from the media asked what was meant by the 100,000 and Hancock replied that it was "all tests from all strands".

    So that some are non-diagnostic is not news. It was what was said would be counted literally on day one.
    A dropped test counts as 2 tests? You are defending the indefensible
    Not the dropped test no, that's ridiculous to log that, but the non-diagnostic is what I referred to.

    Who's dropping tests though and why are they logging them? I'd doubt that's a high proportion, at least I'd hope not.
    It appears that the 2nd tests are because of failures to take the test in the first place largely not because they are going back to retest, but because of vomiting on the test, dropping the test, etc because of the difficulty in taking the test. Also a throat and nasal test is counted as 2 tests! I don't know why some tests are single swabs and some are 2 swabs, but it is still 1 test in my book if the test consists of 2 swabs (nose and throat). The lab might do 2 tests but it is 1 person tested. The number of 2 tests on that day was 26,000 for all reasons.
    I disagree, a swab test and a nasal test is 2 tests. It literally is 2 tests - one person, 2 tests.

    Would you consider a swab test and a blood test to be just one test?
    I said the lab will do 2 tests but only 1 person has been tested and the Govt has been misrepresenting this quite blatantly to massage figures and pointlessly so.

    Most people don't look at the data, they look at the headline figure. It is interesting that professional statisticians and their professional bodies have been backing up the misrepresentation claims quite loudly.

    People will refer to the fact that they have gone to the Doctors for a test, when that will consist of several blood samples, urine sample, swab, etc.

    The only purpose of making it a plural is for stock or knowing the number of tests the labs carry out. As far as the individual is concerned they have been for a test.

    Just the same as when you go for an xray. You will never have 1.

    Yes multiple xrays, number of examinations/test = 1

    Plus what about all the other stuff that took 136K to 43K.

    You think the population by and large understands that 30K weren't used to see if specific individuals had Covid or not, regardless of what was put in the small print of the announcement.
    There's no misrepesentation. The headline data the government sets out includes the number of people tested. They have that in the headline chart they send out.

    If the media aren't reporting that well blame the media. The data is there and clear. Numbers of tests and number of people are reported simultaneously.
    That is clearly nonsense as statisticians will tell you. The Royal Statistical Society President has written to the Government expressing its concerns quite forcefully about the Govt presentation of the data. And the data is not all there. More or Less has been asking the Govt for some of the figures for sometime which the Govt claims not to have. One for instance was the returns of postal tests. There was concern for sometime that these were being counted twice in the figure (eg when going out and coming back). The Govt couldn't initially confirm that they weren't. They have now, but still can't give the figure.

    This has sod all to do with the media. I am listening to what is said by the minister. It is far from transparent. Most of the data supplied on More or Less for that day was not announced by the minister.
    That's a different matter. That's an issue with how you count the number of tests, not the number of people. You were complaining about people being tested twice being reported as two in the headline figures but they're reported as one person in the headline figures.
    That is not correct. I was complaining about a lot of stuff not just that as the thread shows. If it were just one item I wouldn't be annoyed as stuff happens.

    Just because you understand what is being announced (although how, when much of the data is missing or not announced) does not mean the person on the Clapham Omnibus does and it is to the man on the Clapham Omnibus that it is aimed. You seem ideologically accepting when reputable independent persons criticise the presentation of the data (edit - I don't mean me of course!).

    The trouble with this (as you should know as you liked a comment by me on the topic a little while ago) is that I was impressed by the Govt presentation of this pandemic. Not anymore. The playing around with the data to deceive to meet an artificial target was an appalling mistake and I can only assume for political advantage.
  • SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 39,653
    Johnson has clearly spent a week preparing for PMQs and still can’t do it. He is going to come to detest Starmer in a very personal way. Starmer is making him work and then relentlessly showing that he is not up to the task.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Also, no matter how much partisans such as @Philip_Thompson and @HYUFD want it to be, politics is not, and should not, be like supporting a football team.

    It’s about achieving aims, not about “your team” winning for the sake of it.

    Says Labour partisan Gallowgate
    Good one. I’ve been a Labour party member for the best part of 5 months. Prior to that I was a member of the Lib Dems.

    I’m as far from being a “Labour partisan” as can be.
    So you are just an anti Tory partisan, thanks for confirming
    Not necessarily, I would consider voting Tory under certain circumstances. However the only Tory governments in my adult life has been Cameron’s austerity binge, and now May and Johnson’s Brexit bonanza, so it’s not exactly compelling.
    Please state when you last voted Tory then?
    Never, and I just explained why. That doesn’t mean I wont in the future.

    You on the other hand would never vote Labour, as you constantly belittle @Big_G_NorthWales for doing during the Blair years, as the Tory party is “your team”.
    You would never vote Tory, you are clearly an ideological leftwinger so stop pretending otherwise.

    I have never pretended to be anything but on the right
    Oh, well if you say I would never vote Tory then it must be true.

    Thanks for putting me right on that.
    As long as HYUFD epouses his hard right stuff why would you

    However, if Boris fully recovers and moves to the compassionate liberal one nation conservative, I would hope you would give it consideratiom
    Johnson sold his soul to the populist hard right wing of the Tory Party, and he will have to keep paying them. Compassionate liberal conservatism was largely purged from the Tory Party when he supinely agreed to Cummings's removal of the whip from the likes of Nick Soames
    If Boris recovers fully you are going to see a Boris-Rishi government like no other conservative government as it moves straight onto labours ground, largely because they are both that way minded, but also out of necessity

    You hate Boris with a passion so any contributions you make must be seen from that aspect to be fair
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,935

    Johnson has clearly spent a week preparing for PMQs and still can’t do it. He is going to come to detest Starmer in a very personal way. Starmer is making him work and then relentlessly showing that he is not up to the task.

    Clearly spent the entire week on it? Any evidence for this claim...
  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,313
    isam said:

    Scott_xP said:
    I must say, years ago when I posted that some of the Cameroons on PB were actually lefties, I had no idea how accurate I was
    Well, compared to strutting populist right wingers like yourself everyone is a lefty. Most of Margaret Thatcher's cabinet, and even Margaret herself (God bless her) would be lefties compared to you.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,885

    Foxy said:

    kle4 said:

    Foxy said:

    eek said:

    kinabalu said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Has "thin" got some new meaning I'm unaware of ?

    "Boris Johnson looked pale and thin today" (Mail)

    He has lost a fair amount of weight due to the virus. Less fat, which is probably good, but some of the previous muscle tone might have been lost too, which is not so good.
    I need a doctor to confirm but I thought the body had a nasty habit of attacking muscle before fat when ill.
    Yes, muscle metabolises to carbohydrate fairly easily, and severe illness significantly elevates the metabolic rate.
    What intelligent designer thought that was a good idea?
    There are a number of other similar issues, but I wasn't on the design committee.
    The larengyal nerve (sp?) springs to mind ;)
    A casual look at the human eye suggests that, if intelligent design is to be believed, God is an idiot.
    Or a squid. The squid eye is much more rational.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,676
    TGOHF666 said:

    Scott_xP said:
    Labour - prioritising immigrants over all since...
    I see it more on the side of our NHS and SC heroes.

    Rather than clap and tax Tories
  • AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    DavidL said:

    So we don't even get to reduce any pension fund deficits because the wrong type of pensioner is dying? Jeez.
    Sorry about that.

    I always thought I might go into a career after my retirement as an executive hitman, dealing with those particularly awkward individuals that blight organisations. Wealthy pensioners and serial complainers to HR would be obvious work generators.

    In the end, I decided that the hours would probably be too unsocial.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    Johnson has clearly spent a week preparing for PMQs and still can’t do it. He is going to come to detest Starmer in a very personal way. Starmer is making him work and then relentlessly showing that he is not up to the task.

    I'm biased but I gave last weeks PMQs to Starmer. This week I think it was a score draw. Starmer was asking questions he knew had no answer and Boris was able to bat them off - and managed to answer Starmer's question 4 in advance of him asking it in his answer 3 which was amusing, so when Starmer went on to ask his question still he was able to say he'd already answered that.
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 22,837

    HOC goes on holiday tomorrow for two weeks and then a few weeks later will be on their summer holidays

    This is just wrong at a time like this

    Last year they got over 20 weeks off!
  • Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 8,163
    Carnyx said:

    Foxy said:

    kle4 said:

    Foxy said:

    eek said:

    kinabalu said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Has "thin" got some new meaning I'm unaware of ?

    "Boris Johnson looked pale and thin today" (Mail)

    He has lost a fair amount of weight due to the virus. Less fat, which is probably good, but some of the previous muscle tone might have been lost too, which is not so good.
    I need a doctor to confirm but I thought the body had a nasty habit of attacking muscle before fat when ill.
    Yes, muscle metabolises to carbohydrate fairly easily, and severe illness significantly elevates the metabolic rate.
    What intelligent designer thought that was a good idea?
    There are a number of other similar issues, but I wasn't on the design committee.
    The larengyal nerve (sp?) springs to mind ;)
    A casual look at the human eye suggests that, if intelligent design is to be believed, God is an idiot.
    Or a squid. The squid eye is much more rational.
    Yes. Our eyes are wired back to front. A super intelligent, pan-dimensional being capable of creating universes would not make such a schoolgirl error. ;)
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,002

    Johnson has clearly spent a week preparing for PMQs and still can’t do it. He is going to come to detest Starmer in a very personal way. Starmer is making him work and then relentlessly showing that he is not up to the task.

    He will just skive off. Again.
  • JonCisBackJonCisBack Posts: 911
    edited May 2020
    tlg86 said:

    Ave_it said:

    Starmer coming over all 'holier than thou' and playing on emotions

    Boris is not upto speed but not a complete walkover for Starmer today

    Boris has a lot more to do to convince me he is back where he was before covid

    I thought Boris did ok today. Starmer = typical LAB metropolitan windbag, all whinging, no solutions
    I think Starmer is doing fine, but he's in a comfort zone at the moment. He needs to be planning for the next six months. How will he react to the government offering the public sector a choice between pay cuts or redundancies, for example?
    He will say that neither is acceptable and wave some shrouds.
  • Wulfrun_PhilWulfrun_Phil Posts: 4,780
    DavidL said:

    So we don't even get to reduce any pension fund deficits because the wrong type of pensioner is dying? Jeez.
    However, I imagine that some bean counters at the Treasury are making plans to reduce local authority and NHS funding given the substantial reduction in the number of places in care homes that will need public funding in the next year or two, because so many of those who were being funded are now 6 feet under.
  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,313

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Also, no matter how much partisans such as @Philip_Thompson and @HYUFD want it to be, politics is not, and should not, be like supporting a football team.

    It’s about achieving aims, not about “your team” winning for the sake of it.

    Says Labour partisan Gallowgate
    Good one. I’ve been a Labour party member for the best part of 5 months. Prior to that I was a member of the Lib Dems.

    I’m as far from being a “Labour partisan” as can be.
    So you are just an anti Tory partisan, thanks for confirming
    Not necessarily, I would consider voting Tory under certain circumstances. However the only Tory governments in my adult life has been Cameron’s austerity binge, and now May and Johnson’s Brexit bonanza, so it’s not exactly compelling.
    Please state when you last voted Tory then?
    Never, and I just explained why. That doesn’t mean I wont in the future.

    You on the other hand would never vote Labour, as you constantly belittle @Big_G_NorthWales for doing during the Blair years, as the Tory party is “your team”.
    You would never vote Tory, you are clearly an ideological leftwinger so stop pretending otherwise.

    I have never pretended to be anything but on the right
    Oh, well if you say I would never vote Tory then it must be true.

    Thanks for putting me right on that.
    As long as HYUFD epouses his hard right stuff why would you

    However, if Boris fully recovers and moves to the compassionate liberal one nation conservative, I would hope you would give it consideratiom
    Johnson sold his soul to the populist hard right wing of the Tory Party, and he will have to keep paying them. Compassionate liberal conservatism was largely purged from the Tory Party when he supinely agreed to Cummings's removal of the whip from the likes of Nick Soames
    If Boris recovers fully you are going to see a Boris-Rishi government like no other conservative government as it moves straight onto labours ground, largely because they are both that way minded, but also out of necessity

    You hate Boris with a passion so any contributions you make must be seen from that aspect to be fair
    Oh no, I don't hate him. I don't hate any politician I can think of in this country. I just hold with the view that Johnson is a liar, an incompetent, and totally unsuited to high office. All of those assertions are becoming more and more apparent by the day, and will continue to do so.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226
    eek said:

    kinabalu said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Has "thin" got some new meaning I'm unaware of ?

    "Boris Johnson looked pale and thin today" (Mail)

    He has shed a fair amount of weight due to the virus. Less fat, which is probably good, but some of the previous muscle tone might have been lost too, which is not so good.
    I need a doctor to confirm but I thought the body had a nasty habit of attacking muscle before fat when ill.
    Bet that is true. Sod's law.

    I do find the Johnson claims on this confusing. I recall clearly that he got himself in shape for the election. Hit the gym and it worked. He looked quite trim. Quite good in fact. No Daniel Craig, obvs, but for a man of 55, pretty decent.

    Then he comes along recently and tells the world that when he got the virus he was 17.5 stone! Meaning he went from 'in great shape' to 'mister blobby' in the space of a just a few weeks.

    Odd.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,676

    Johnson has clearly spent a week preparing for PMQs and still can’t do it. He is going to come to detest Starmer in a very personal way. Starmer is making him work and then relentlessly showing that he is not up to the task.

    I'm biased but I gave last weeks PMQs to Starmer. This week I think it was a score draw. Starmer was asking questions he knew had no answer and Boris was able to bat them off - and managed to answer Starmer's question 4 in advance of him asking it in his answer 3 which was amusing, so when Starmer went on to ask his question still he was able to say he'd already answered that.
    I think a score draw too.

    SKS missed an open goal
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,862

    DavidL said:

    So we don't even get to reduce any pension fund deficits because the wrong type of pensioner is dying? Jeez.
    Sorry about that.

    I always thought I might go into a career after my retirement as an executive hitman, dealing with those particularly awkward individuals that blight organisations. Wealthy pensioners and serial complainers to HR would be obvious work generators.

    In the end, I decided that the hours would probably be too unsocial.
    Would you make an exception for nutters who complain to the SLCC? Asking for a friend.
  • BluestBlueBluestBlue Posts: 4,556

    Johnson has clearly spent a week preparing for PMQs and still can’t do it. He is going to come to detest Starmer in a very personal way. Starmer is making him work and then relentlessly showing that he is not up to the task.

    Some of the short-termism on here is really quite comical. Boris is already doing better against Starmer than last time, and he has another 4+ years to practise!

    I think he'll crack Sir Keira Knightly long before then :smile:
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,139

    HYUFD said:

    TOPPING said:

    Boris on his way out, btw. On health grounds. My bets for him to be out by next September feeling good. Sad for BoJo, that said but that's life.

    Rubbish, Boris is staying as the best Tory election winner since Thatcher
    If Boris retires on health grounds then his election record and poll ratings are neither here nor there.
    He won't, he was excellent at PMQs today, clearly beat Starmer and is on fine form
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    TOPPING said:

    Boris on his way out, btw. On health grounds. My bets for him to be out by next September feeling good. Sad for BoJo, that said but that's life.

    Rubbish, Boris is staying as the best Tory election winner since Thatcher
    If Boris retires on health grounds then his election record and poll ratings are neither here nor there.
    He won't, he was excellent at PMQs today, clearly beat Starmer and is on fine form
    :D:D:D
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    kjh said:

    kjh said:

    kjh said:

    kjh said:

    kjh said:

    kjh said:

    More or Less worth a listen again. Comparison with Germany very interesting, but ran the testing story again. The deception here really is disgraceful.

    They picked the 15/5 when 136,000 tests were done but they are not only including posted tests but also non diagnosed tests carried out by Uni and Research Labs (30,000) so useful for other reasons but not tests to determine if people have or don't have Covid. Also 2nd tests are not generally because the previous test needs verifying, but because say the test was dropped on the floor or the testee vomited on the first test. Also a spit and nasal test is counted as two.

    Total people tested = 43,000 out of a quoted figure of 136,000

    It really is an appalling deception.

    I have never heard 'More or Less' get so annoyed in its fact checking.

    Again not news.

    On the very day the 100,000 test target was announced, they announced five strands of testing including diagnostic and yes non-diagnostic testing etc - someone from the media asked what was meant by the 100,000 and Hancock replied that it was "all tests from all strands".

    So that some are non-diagnostic is not news. It was what was said would be counted literally on day one.
    A dropped test counts as 2 tests? You are defending the indefensible
    Not the dropped test no, that's ridiculous to log that, but the non-diagnostic is what I referred to.

    Who's dropping tests though and why are they logging them? I'd doubt that's a high proportion, at least I'd hope not.
    It appears that the 2nd tests are because of failures to take the test in the first place largely not because they are going back to retest, but because of vomiting on the test, dropping the test, etc because of the difficulty in taking the test. Also a throat and nasal test is counted as 2 tests! I don't know why some tests are single swabs and some are 2 swabs, but it is still 1 test in my book if the test consists of 2 swabs (nose and throat). The lab might do 2 tests but it is 1 person tested. The number of 2 tests on that day was 26,000 for all reasons.
    I disagree, a swab test and a nasal test is 2 tests. It literally is 2 tests - one person, 2 tests.

    Would you consider a swab test and a blood test to be just one test?
    I said the lab will do 2 tests but only 1 person has been tested and the Govt has been misrepresenting this quite blatantly to massage figures and pointlessly so.

    Most people don't look at the data, they look at the headline figure. It is interesting that professional statisticians and their professional bodies have been backing up the misrepresentation claims quite loudly.

    People will refer to the fact that they have gone to the Doctors for a test, when that will consist of several blood samples, urine sample, swab, etc.

    The only purpose of making it a plural is for stock or knowing the number of tests the labs carry out. As far as the individual is concerned they have been for a test.

    Just the same as when you go for an xray. You will never have 1.

    Yes multiple xrays, number of examinations/test = 1

    Plus what about all the other stuff that took 136K to 43K.

    You think the population by and large understands that 30K weren't used to see if specific individuals had Covid or not, regardless of what was put in the small print of the announcement.
    There's no misrepesentation. The headline data the government sets out includes the number of people tested. They have that in the headline chart they send out.

    If the media aren't reporting that well blame the media. The data is there and clear. Numbers of tests and number of people are reported simultaneously.
    That is clearly nonsense as statisticians will tell you. The Royal Statistical Society President has written to the Government expressing its concerns quite forcefully about the Govt presentation of the data. And the data is not all there. More or Less has been asking the Govt for some of the figures for sometime which the Govt claims not to have. One for instance was the returns of postal tests. There was concern for sometime that these were being counted twice in the figure (eg when going out and coming back). The Govt couldn't initially confirm that they weren't. They have now, but still can't give the figure.

    This has sod all to do with the media. I am listening to what is said by the minister. It is far from transparent. Most of the data supplied on More or Less for that day was not announced by the minister.
    That's a different matter. That's an issue with how you count the number of tests, not the number of people. You were complaining about people being tested twice being reported as two in the headline figures but they're reported as one person in the headline figures.
    That is not correct. I was complaining about a lot of stuff not just that as the thread shows. If it were just one item I wouldn't be annoyed as stuff happens.

    Just because you understand what is being announced (although how, when much of the data is missing or not announced) does not mean the person on the Clapham Omnibus does and it is to the man on the Clapham Omnibus that it is aimed. You seem ideologically accepting when reputable independent persons criticise the presentation of the data (edit - I don't mean me of course!).

    The trouble with this (as you should know as you liked a comment by me on the topic a little while ago) is that I was impressed by the Govt presentation of this pandemic. Not anymore. The playing around with the data to deceive to meet an artificial target was an appalling mistake and I can only assume for political advantage.
    I agree of course that playing with data is bad.

    I don't agree that reporting 2 tests on 1 person as 2 tests in the test column and 1 person in the person column is misleading.

    I think if someone takes a test, drops it on the floor, then takes it again the test dropped on the floor should be binned and the data should be logged as 1 test.

    Is that unreasonable?
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    TOPPING said:

    Boris on his way out, btw. On health grounds. My bets for him to be out by next September feeling good. Sad for BoJo, that said but that's life.

    Rubbish, Boris is staying as the best Tory election winner since Thatcher
    If Boris retires on health grounds then his election record and poll ratings are neither here nor there.
    He won't, he was excellent at PMQs today, clearly beat Starmer and is on fine form
    No. Just no.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,139

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Also, no matter how much partisans such as @Philip_Thompson and @HYUFD want it to be, politics is not, and should not, be like supporting a football team.

    It’s about achieving aims, not about “your team” winning for the sake of it.

    Says Labour partisan Gallowgate
    Good one. I’ve been a Labour party member for the best part of 5 months. Prior to that I was a member of the Lib Dems.

    I’m as far from being a “Labour partisan” as can be.
    So you are just an anti Tory partisan, thanks for confirming
    Not necessarily, I would consider voting Tory under certain circumstances. However the only Tory governments in my adult life has been Cameron’s austerity binge, and now May and Johnson’s Brexit bonanza, so it’s not exactly compelling.
    Please state when you last voted Tory then?
    Never, and I just explained why. That doesn’t mean I wont in the future.

    You on the other hand would never vote Labour, as you constantly belittle @Big_G_NorthWales for doing during the Blair years, as the Tory party is “your team”.
    You would never vote Tory, you are clearly an ideological leftwinger so stop pretending otherwise.

    I have never pretended to be anything but on the right
    Oh, well if you say I would never vote Tory then it must be true.

    Thanks for putting me right on that.
    As long as HYUFD epouses his hard right stuff why would you

    However, if Boris fully recovers and moves to the compassionate liberal one nation conservative, I would hope you would give it consideratiom
    You are naive sometimes BigG, Gallowgate did not vote for Cameron or May either, he is about as likely to vote Tory as Jeremy Corbyn!
This discussion has been closed.