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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » As the measles outbreak continues YouGov finds that UKIP vo

SystemSystem Posts: 11,007
edited April 2013 in General

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » As the measles outbreak continues YouGov finds that UKIP voters are much more likely to believe that MMR is unsafe

Chart from YouGov data on how Ukip voters are far more likely than others to believe that MMR vaccine is unsafe. twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st…

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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,924
    Since they're over 65, does it matter very much?

    More seriously it does suggest a disconnection with reality. To some of us, of course, that's evident, anyway!
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    FPT:

    Other moves in YouGov:

    Coalition working well together net: -26 (+8)
    Good for people like you: -30 (+12)
    Handling Economy well: -30 (+5)

    Also stuff on school lunches, MMR, politeness (UKIP least classist, in general but don't like the Upper class) and crying in public perfectly ok - even if its the Chancellor (net) +70.

    http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploads/document/zbqwj81wqu/YG-Archive-Pol-Sunday-Times-results-190413.pdf


    Although this is the 4th "bottom of the range" poll in a week, worth remembering that the average Labour lead of +10 in March is sustained April to date (actually +9.7, but still well within moe Con: 26.5 - 30 - 33.5, Lab 37.2 - 40 - 42.8). You need to go back to Jan/Feb to see Labour numbers outside this(45) and Con (35)- but then the gap was also ~10 - so both have drifted slightly lower. We have also seen runs of "narrowing leads" swiftly reversed
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    JohnLoonyJohnLoony Posts: 1,790
    One significant factor in my decision to join the Conservative Party was the final realisation that UKIP was, on the issue of same-sex marriage, determined to go up itself with a bigots' crusade of purging and bullying its libertarian members. More generally, UKIP is not bothered about being a realistic or responsible party in forming or delivering viable costed policies (rather than vague wish-lists). If the MMR issue is further evidence that UKIPpers are inherently nincompoopismatic, this will only help to bring about the collapse in its vote in time for the general election.
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    And the MOE on 15 respondents in a sample of 145 is?

    24.
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    Also worth pointing out that UKIP support for MMR is within MOE of Labour support - they fruitcakes too tim?
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    edited April 2013

    Since they're over 65, does it matter very much?

    Safe:
    18-24: 78
    25-39: 81
    40-59: 85
    60+ 92
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,916
    edited April 2013
    tim said:

    Frighteningly the Swansea local paper's campaign which led to the fall in vaccine take up rates predates the Wakefield hoax and was based on scare stories about general side effects
    Although the solicitor who employed Wakefield was involved

    http://m.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/19/swansea-measles-local-anti-mmr-stories

    "Their misconduct arose out of a fishing expedition, in which Malcolm ward was the pond for the measles theory. Since February 1996, seven months before child 2’s admission, Wakefield had been engaged by a lawyer named Richard Barr, who hoped to bring a lawsuit against vaccine manufacturers.7 8 Barr was a high street solicitor, and an expert in home conveyancing,9 but also acted for an anti-vaccine group, JABS. And, through this connection, the man nowadays popularly dubbed the “MMR doctor” had found a supply of research patients for Walker-Smith."

    http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c5258

    There was an interesting segment on this on Radio 4 sometime last week - the first measles immunisation scare was in the 1970s, at a similar time to the whooping cough scare that did lead to excess deaths.

    Some information here:
    http://jdc325.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/vaccine-scares-mistakes-fraud-and-media-scaremongering/
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    FinancierFinancier Posts: 3,916
    FPT:

    Re; Opinium Poll:

    Cons 29/LAB 35/ LD 8/ UKIP 17

    Which, if any, of the following would you say you trust more to handle the economy?

    DC&GO/EM&EB/NC&VC/ NONE/DK

    Con Voters: 83/1/1/8/7
    LAB Voters: 4/64/4/21/7
    LD Voters: 15/7/56/14/8
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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    @JohnLoony Given your political defection, are you considering a namechange, or are you reaching out to the Loonies who are already in the Conservative party?
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    tim said:

    The MMR poll Yougov released in the week had these figures

    From a public health perspective, as SO pointed out, surely the more worrying figure is the "only" 85% of Labour voters who think it safe and the 12% who "don't know"?

    In absolute numbers its twice as many as UKIP, and given the demographics, likely to be significantly more than that.

    Could the lower Labour numbers be down to Leo Blair?

    http://www.badscience.net/2008/08/the-medias-mmr-hoax/

    " Leo Blair was a bigger player than Wakefield, and it all happened much later than you think."
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    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    edited April 2013
    No one can be this mad surely?

    Ed Miliband last night faced an angry backlash from Labour MPs after it emerged he held a secret meeting with George Galloway, who was thrown out of the party ten years ago.

    The Labour leader invited Respect MP Mr Galloway to his Commons office, where they had a ‘cordial and friendly conversation’ for nearly an hour.

    It has sparked rumours that Mr Miliband is considering allowing Mr Galloway to rejoin the party.

    But Labour MPs warned their leader against taking such action. ‘Galloway is a traitor,’ said one. ‘It’s naive lunacy for the leader to have anything to do with him. I thought he wanted to get rid of the Red Ed tag. He will rejoin Labour over my dead body.’

    Mr Galloway was expelled from Labour after he was accused of inciting foreign forces to rise up against British troops invading Iraq – military action he strongly opposed. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2312375/Naive-Miliband-attacked-party-secret-George-Galloway-meeting.html
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    FinancierFinancier Posts: 3,916
    FPT:

    YouGov

    Leaders Well/Badly: Now/Prev/Diff:
    DC: -16/-24/(+8): 7% of Cons say badly
    EM: -29/-25/(-4): 30% of LAB say badly
    NC: -48/-54/(+6): 33% of LD say badly

    Do you think each of the following would make
    a better or worse Conservative leader and Prime
    Minister than David Cameron?

    Better/Worse/Neither/DK

    GO: 3/53/23/21

    MG: 5/42/32/22

    WH: 23/28/29/20

    TM: 13/36/26/25

    N Farage: 12/36/19/33

    Generally speaking, do you think children these
    days eat more healthily than twenty years ago,
    less healthily than twenty years ago or about
    the same?

    More/Less/Same/DK
    13/65/16/7

    Would you support or oppose making all
    schools teach children basic cookery before
    they left school?

    Support/Oppose/DK:
    87/6/7
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    Chris_AChris_A Posts: 1,237
    UKIP supporters anti-science? I have heard the Pope's a Catholic too.
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    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    edited April 2013
    JohnLoony said:

    One significant factor in my decision to join the Conservative Party ....

    UKIPpers are inherently nincompoopismatic, this will only help to bring about the collapse in its vote in time for the general election.

    So Loonies prefer the conservatives, while nincompoops prefer UKIP. The British right wing in a nutshell.
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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    Considering how awful the economic mood music has been this week, the Sunday papers are ridiculously good for the Conservatives. The left of centre broadsheets are picking holes all over the place in Ed Miliband, while the Telegraph has a succession of articles suggesting that David Cameron might not, after all, be the devil incarnate.

    Paul Goodman and James Kirkup both come to the conclusion (separately?) that the odds of a leadership challenge are lengthening and that David Cameron is newly reinvigorated:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/10006972/Why-Tories-must-win-the-hearts-and-minds-of-Bolton.html

    "He [David Cameron] lingered in the Chamber while Tory MPs paid their respects, and moved on afterwards to the Strangers’ Bar in the Commons to mingle with backbenchers. Eyebrow-raisingly, he was seen deep in amicable conversation with Mark Pritchard, the independent-minded backbencher who once told a startled Commons that Downing Street had attempted to silence him. Next week, Mr Cameron will hope to meet this happy mood again when he mixes with MPs at a party to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the 1922 Committee, the body that represents them.

    Only a few weeks ago, the odds of a post-local elections leadership challenge to Mr Cameron were shortening. In the wake both of Lady Thatcher’s funeral and Labour’s incoherent muddle over welfare reform, they have lengthened again, though a strong Ukip showing in the elections is sure to stir Conservative MPs up again.

    But more than manners and tact are shoring up the Prime Minister’s position. There is a sense within the Tory tribe that their leader is at last trying to be the heir not to a Labour prime minister, but to the Conservative one whose funeral rites he helped to lead."

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/10005897/Does-David-Cameron-have-the-stomach-for-a-fight-like-Lady-Thatcher-did.html

    "But now, while the task before him remains mountainous, Mr Cameron has less to fear from his colleagues. The mood among Tory MPs is lifting. Some have been cheered by his willingness to go into battle on welfare, and revel in the resultant Labour disarray; others believe that the UK economy is finally about to turn the corner (though one old hand warns against “drinking the Treasury Kool-Aid”).

    Whatever the reasons Tories are finding to be cheerful, more of them are willing to give Mr Cameron the benefit of the doubt for now. That will ease the pain of what will be miserable results in next month’s local elections.

    One Conservative who has discussed electoral strategy with Mr Cameron in recent days detects a new spirit in him, a rekindling of the optimism that once defined him. “It might be that he’s had a good couple of weeks with welfare and the rest, so he’s feeling a bit more like himself,” that Conservative says. “Or it might be that with Margaret gone he feels a shadow has been lifted. Either way, he’s looking a lot more up for it than he was.” "
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    NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,321
    The Labour lead is clearly down a bit, and these things feed on themselves for a while, as pundits opine on why it's down. It's awkward that it's just before the county elections. But I wouldn't over-react - it would be a mistake to rush out some semi-baked policies in response, and I don't expect the notably steady Miliband to do it. An 6-8 points lead isn't as good as a 9-12 point lead, but it's not something to tear our hair over.

    I've just started a two-week "holiday" canvassing for the County in Broxtowe. I can't remember an election with less public awareness. The impression so far is that Labour will do quite well because more people feel we're the least rubbish party, but turnout will be pretty low. UKIP should do well partly as a result, as Mike noted on a previous thread.
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    Jonathan said:

    JohnLoony said:

    One significant factor in my decision to join the Conservative Party ....

    UKIPpers are inherently nincompoopismatic, this will only help to bring about the collapse in its vote in time for the general election.

    So Loonies prefer the conservatives, while nincompoops prefer UKIP. The British right wing in a nutshell.
    MMR Unsafe/Don't Know:

    Con: 1
    Lab: 15
    Lib Dem: 15
    UKIP: 28

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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    @tim - so what's your theory for higher Labour mistrust of MMR - more Daily Mail readers?
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    tim said:

    @carlotta

    I'm sure that anti-MMR conspiracy nut Julie Kirkbride's use of Leo Blair, and the subsequent joy at the Daily Mail had an impact.

    Goldacre:

    "But the biggest public health disaster of all – which everyone misses – was a sweet little baby called Leo. In December 2001 the Blairs were asked if their infant son had been given the MMR vaccine, and refused to answer, on the grounds that this would invade their child’s right to privacy. This stance was not entirely unreasonable, but its validity was somewhat undermined by Cherie Blair when she chose to reveal Leo’s vaccination history, in the process of promoting her autobiography, and also described the specific act of sexual intercourse which conceived him.

    And while most other politicians were happy to clarify whether their children had had the vaccine, you could see how people might believe the Blairs were the kind of family not to have their children immunised: essentially, they had surrounded themselves with health cranks. There was Cherie Blair’s closest friend and aide, Carole Caplin, a new age guru and “life coach”. Cherie was reported to visit Carole’s mum, Sylvia Caplin, a spiritual guru who was viciously anti-MMR (“for a tiny child, the MMR is a ridiculous thing to do. It has definitely caused autism,” she told the Mail). They were also prominently associated with a new age healer called Jack Temple, who offered crystal dowsing, homeopathy, neolithic-circle healing in his suburban back garden, and some special breastfeeding technique which he reckoned made vaccines unnecessary."
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    nigel4englandnigel4england Posts: 4,800
    Plato said:

    No one can be this mad surely?

    Ed Miliband last night faced an angry backlash from Labour MPs after it emerged he held a secret meeting with George Galloway, who was thrown out of the party ten years ago.

    The Labour leader invited Respect MP Mr Galloway to his Commons office, where they had a ‘cordial and friendly conversation’ for nearly an hour.

    It has sparked rumours that Mr Miliband is considering allowing Mr Galloway to rejoin the party.

    But Labour MPs warned their leader against taking such action. ‘Galloway is a traitor,’ said one. ‘It’s naive lunacy for the leader to have anything to do with him. I thought he wanted to get rid of the Red Ed tag. He will rejoin Labour over my dead body.’

    Mr Galloway was expelled from Labour after he was accused of inciting foreign forces to rise up against British troops invading Iraq – military action he strongly opposed. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2312375/Naive-Miliband-attacked-party-secret-George-Galloway-meeting.html

    Excellent, all we need now is a General Strike and the voters will see the real Miliband.

    I've always said the Labour lead was soft and a little while ago posted that it would gradually slide the closer we get to the election, and it is beginning to happen.

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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    tim said:

    @Carlotta
    You've posted the answer yourself, age profile will play a big part.

    That does not explain "why". Why should voters of one major party have substantially poorer views than those of another? This needs fixing ASAP, but ignoring the behaviour of a former PM in his pomp teaches us nothing for the future. Perhaps Blair could usefully say something now ?

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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    So about 5% of voters think MMR is safe, of whom 1% are UKIPers, about 2% are Labour voters and 1.5% are Conservatives with a few others. This leads to both a dubious subgroup analysis and a dodgy bar graph. The local elections are surely here!

    Overall there is extremely high support for vaccination, and we need to keep perspective. A single person has died apparently of measles. Yet we have calls for the compulsory medication of the population with the sanction of not permitting schooling if they refuse. It is like the dangerous dogs act repeated, a few incidents and knee jerk calls for legislation. Sometimes I despair of the UK.
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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    Politicians' children are not public figures (even if the politicians themselves make use of them for political purposes). It was a complete disgrace that Leo Blair's vaccination status ever became part of this particular debate.
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    edited April 2013
    tim said:

    @Carlotta
    Londons vaccination rates suggest it'll take a lot of fixing, I'm not sure whether Camerons children are a part of that campaign,although I'm sure he and Hunt will be asked.

    Why would Cameron and Hunt be more persuasive in motivating Labour voters than a former Labour PM who inadvertently contributed towards the crisis - and on whose watch the crisis blew up?

    Cameron went on the record in 2006 on MMR:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4758062.stm
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    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    tim said:

    @foxinsox

    They do it in Australia and the USA, and here we compel parents to put a seat belt on their child when they drive them to school or nursery but are seemingly content that they constitue a health risk to others once on the premises.

    It comes down to a fundamental view on state vs. the individual.

    For me it is most analogous to compulsary organ harvesting (vs a voluntary donor scheme). I believe that you "own" your own body and you (or in the case of a minor your parents) have the right to decide what gets done to it.

    For the state to have the right to insist on compulsory vaccination would not just be an extension of its power, but would be a fundamental reversal of the relationship between the state and the individual.

    (and p.s., are you sure they insist on vaccination in the US? I thought it was that they wouldn't allow you to attend a state nursery school without proof of vaccination. If that's the case it is a subtle but philosophically critical distinction)
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    MikeKMikeK Posts: 9,053
    Good morning.
    I see that the UKIP are nutters brigade is holding sway this morning. Perhaps that will give them solace of what is about to happen in the coming weeks. I wonder how that MMR question was framed by YouGov, also the number of UKIP supporters in relation to the other parties?
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    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    edited April 2013
    Charles said:

    tim said:

    @foxinsox

    They do it in Australia and the USA, and here we compel parents to put a seat belt on their child when they drive them to school or nursery but are seemingly content that they constitue a health risk to others once on the premises.

    It comes down to a fundamental view on state vs. the individual.

    For me it is most analogous to compulsary organ harvesting (vs a voluntary donor scheme). I believe that you "own" your own body and you (or in the case of a minor your parents) have the right to decide what gets done to it.

    For the state to have the right to insist on compulsory vaccination would not just be an extension of its power, but would be a fundamental reversal of the relationship between the state and the individual.

    (and p.s., are you sure they insist on vaccination in the US? I thought it was that they wouldn't allow you to attend a state nursery school without proof of vaccination. If that's the case it is a subtle but philosophically critical distinction)
    Doesn't the USA or at least some states require medical screening/blood tests before approving marriage?

    I'm with you on organ donation - if your own body doesn't belong to you...
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    tim said:

    @Carlotta

    Vaccination take up fell below 60% in London at one stage, I'm not sure that makes Boris' children part of the campaign

    Edit

    Camerons stance in the piece you linked to on single vaccines is mad, I assume he's dropped it now he's in power?

    Cameron's stance was

    "He said: "My children have had the MMR vaccine and the new one will have it.

    "But I think the NHS needs to look out very carefully. If the amount of children having the injection falls, it has to look at how to encourage parents and that might mean single jabs."

    The MMR crisis blew up on Labour's watch and its Labour voters children potentially at greatest risk - what should be done?
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,969
    Good morning, everyone.

    Welcome back, Mr. Tyndall. That's a useful observation.
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    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    tim said:

    @Charles

    (and p.s., are you sure they insist on vaccination in the US? I thought it was that they wouldn't allow you to attend a state nursery school without proof of vaccination. If that's the case it is a subtle but philosophically critical distinction)

    Nurseries,schools and universities all demand vaccination certificates, that's what I'm advocating, some people still don't vaccinate, there's a process of objection you can go through and you sign a "I am a wanker" form.can't remember the formal title

    Ok. That is absolutely *not* the same as compulsary vaccination though. I'd suggest you rephrase - important distinction.

    Out of interest, has anyone see research on a correlation between non-vaccination and home-schooling? I suspect there may be a correlation, although not clear if direct causality vs the same root cause.
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    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    @Richard_Tyndall

    Well said. And hope you post again.
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    MikeKMikeK Posts: 9,053

    Not posted for a long time. As I said to a few people who contacted me at the time, I got tired of Mike's partial reading of polls when it came to UKIP and his support for the accusations of racism.

    I see he is still being partial in his reading of poll results - picking issues that support his view whilst ignoring others.

    In this case the one I find most amusing is that he picks up on UKIP supporters' (incorrect in my opinion) beliefs but ignores their actions.

    If you actually look at the Yougov results you will see that although 10% of UKIP supporters believe that the MMR jab may be "not very safe or unsafe" (not as Mike claims all 10% believing it is unsafe) 100% of them with children of the suitable age have had them vaccinated through the MMR jab. They have expressed their doubts but in the end have done the right thing and followed the professional advice.

    By contrast only 2% of declared Lib Dem supporters believe their might be an issue with the MMR and yet 25% of them have not had their children vaccinated through the MMR.

    Should not the real story here be that when it comes to the crunch the UKIP supporters might be sceptical but will do the right thing by their children whilst Lib Dem supporters are happy to believe the authorities but are too lazy, thoughtless or unreasonable to get their children protected against something they know to be a threat both to their own offspring and the wider population.

    So who exactly is being unreasonable and reckless here?

    Thanks for giving me part of the answer to my question, Richard. :)

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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Not often you see a number going from -24 to -16 which is a 33% drop described as an "edge"....
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    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    edited April 2013
    OT for photography geeks this is stunning

    View of a sunset from within a wave...

    https://twitter.com/ThatsEarth/status/325876580704468992/photo/1
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    nigel4englandnigel4england Posts: 4,800
    MikeK said:

    Good morning.
    I see that the UKIP are nutters brigade is holding sway this morning. Perhaps that will give them solace of what is about to happen in the coming weeks. I wonder how that MMR question was framed by YouGov, also the number of UKIP supporters in relation to the other parties?

    Expect more of the anti-UKIP bashing in the next couple of weeks, the likes of Smithson are terrified of the unstoppable march, and of the treacherous Lib Dems being relegated to fourth party.

    What depresses me is that most people on here only care about their own party and not the good of the country.
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    edited April 2013
    Compulsory MMR vaccination was discussed throughout Labour's last government.

    Stories from 2002:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/2088426.stm

    And 2009:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8078500.stm

    "The BBC has learned, however, through a freedom of information request that the strategic health authority in London asked the government if it could introduce compulsory vaccination.

    Specifically the SHA asked about the "feasibility of requiring an immunisation certificate for measles before children go to school."
    In documents seen by the BBC, the Department of Health acknowledges that immunisation rates in London are consistently lower than the rest of the country.

    But officials said: "Our strategy is to maintain a voluntary immunisation system and invest efforts in educating parents about the benefits of vaccination and dispelling 'myths' about vaccine safety."
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,916
    tim said:

    @Carlotta

    Vaccination take up fell below 60% in London at one stage, I'm not sure that makes Boris' children part of the campaign

    Edit

    Camerons stance in the piece you linked to on single vaccines is mad, I assume he's dropped it now he's in power?

    Why was Cameron's stance mad? After saying his children have had the MMR jab, he added:

    "But I think the NHS needs to look out very carefully. If the amount of children having the injection falls, it has to look at how to encourage parents and that might mean single jabs."

    Which (as a non-medically trained person) makes sense. There are issues with single jabs, but surely having the single jabs is better than having nothing if you want to try and maintain herd immunity? And he did not promise to do it: he said it (and possibly other measures) needs examining.

    Hardly mad.

    And it's far better than Blair's approach. I know Nick Palmer'll disagree with me, but with the Blairs' track record with loony health cranks, they should have said.

    It's called leadership.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    MikeK said:

    Good morning.
    I see that the UKIP are nutters brigade is holding sway this morning. Perhaps that will give them solace of what is about to happen in the coming weeks. I wonder how that MMR question was framed by YouGov, also the number of UKIP supporters in relation to the other parties?

    Expect more of the anti-UKIP bashing in the next couple of weeks, the likes of Smithson are terrified of the unstoppable march, and of the treacherous Lib Dems being relegated to fourth party.

    What depresses me is that most people on here only care about their own party and not the good of the country.
    If Farage cared about the country over his party why is he putting up candidates against BOO MPs ?

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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,969
    Mr. England, 'unstoppable march' does make me think of Mao.
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    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    edited April 2013
    @CarlottaVance

    If a Jehovah's Witness can prevent a blood transfusion for their offspring because of religious beliefs - I can't begin to imagine the fuss that compulsory vaccination would generate... in a substantially bigger % of the population.
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    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    tim said:

    @Carlotta

    Vaccination take up fell below 60% in London at one stage, I'm not sure that makes Boris' children part of the campaign

    Edit

    Camerons stance in the piece you linked to on single vaccines is mad, I assume he's dropped it now he's in power?

    Cameron's stance was

    "He said: "My children have had the MMR vaccine and the new one will have it.

    "But I think the NHS needs to look out very carefully. If the amount of children having the injection falls, it has to look at how to encourage parents and that might mean single jabs."

    The MMR crisis blew up on Labour's watch and its Labour voters children potentially at greatest risk - what should be done?
    The only reason for pushing MMR vs single vaccines is that it improves compliance and reduces cost.

    Both these are advantages for the state, but not for the individual.

    The disadvantage for the individual is the risk of viral overload (injecting a young child with a 3vLa multivalent). The safety evidence is not statistically significant between the two, although there is evidence to suggest that single vaccines have better tolerability. And, to my mind, the fact that they are given at a later point (15 months vs. 12/13 months) is important because how fast the child is developing at that point.

    The most important thing is that the kids get vaccinated. Beyond that, the attitude where the state says 'This is better for me, I don't care if it is less good for you, you will do it' is one I don't like. Making sure that single vaccines are available and then requiring a vaccination certificate to attend school may be a good way forward.
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    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    ConHome tweet made me smile :^)

    Miliband's troubles lead our newslinks. Woe, woe and thrice woe! bit.ly/17bosBf

    I must watch Up Pompeii again - haven't seen it in a decade or two, hope it hasn't dated too much.
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    Plato said:

    @CarlottaVance

    If a Jehovah's Witness can prevent a blood transfusion for their offspring because of religious beliefs - I can't begin to imagine the fuss that compulsory vaccination would generate... in a substantially bigger % of the population.

    The only risk in that case is to their own child. The issue with vaccination is risk to others, in particular those who for medical reasons cannot be vaccinated. Life is about choices and if a school chooses only to admit children who have had a complete set of vaccinations, then the parents of children who do not wish their children to be vaccinated have a choice too.
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    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    tim said:

    @Josias

    It's madness as there's no safe mumps single vaccine available

    Lots of other public health reasons put that's a rather large hole.
    Anyway all the scare stories about MMR apply to the single vaccines.

    Yes - the CDC leaning on Merck/MSD (about Mumpvax) was one of the less edifying examples of abuse of authority in the last decade.

    And, no, there is a possible difference in the side effect profile of the MMR vs single vaccines
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    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    @Charles

    "Making sure that single vaccines are available and then requiring a vaccination certificate to attend school may be a good way forward"

    I'm still uncomfortable with the notion of excluding children who aren't vaccinated - I've no problem with inoculation myself and a firm believer in it - but there are parents who will be concerned and forcing them to comply or home-school is coercive.
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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    tim said:

    @foxinsox

    They do it in Australia and the USA, and here we compel parents to put a seat belt on their child when they drive them to school or nursery but are seemingly content that they constitue a health risk to others once on the premises.

    The seatbelt law is enforced by traffic police, not doctors. To have doctors and nurses compulsorally treat children against their parents wishes fundamently alters the relationship, and opens the door to other coercive public health measures.

    Is the state there to serve the people? Or vice versa?
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    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    tim said:

    @Charles

    "The safety evidence is not statistically significant between the two"

    Here we go again with you peddling your statistically insignificant theories based solely, as you've admitted, on circumstantial evidence.

    And there's still no single mumps vaccine which is safe

    tim, can I ask (again): what are your statistic qualifications and experience of reading clinical study results?

    The difference between the the results on MMR vs. single vaccines are "clinically significant" but not "statistically significant". That puts them in the category of something that researchers may wish to consider (and perform further work on).

    If the trend was statistically significant the MMR vaccine would not be licenced.

    Hence why I am always so cautious: it is a "possible" risk or a "potential link".
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    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,095
    Plato said:



    Miliband's troubles lead our newslinks. Woe, woe and thrice woe! bit.ly/17bosBf.

    Not been paying much attention lately - what are Miliband's troubles? (Apart from being crap, obviously....)

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    NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,321
    edited April 2013

    Not posted for a long time...

    Welcome back, richard. Without getting into the vaccine issue, I think it's objectively true that UKIP supporters are on average more resistant to the idea that they should go with the prevailing view on any issue - the 'sod that, I'll do what makes sense to me' instinct is quite strong in UKIP. Sometimes that's a healthy human instinct, sometimes it can become pig-headed.

    To give a baroque example, when my mother grew up in Danzig and moved in classy circles, she said the family impression was that the old German Junckers (rural aristos, basically) were generally awkward, arrogant and indeed pig-headed. But it made them resistant to the Nazis, who they regardless as a bunch of ranting plebs, and they were stiff-necked enough to express their dislike and eventually get executed for it. So being hard to convince of current orthodoxy isn't always a bad thing. But sometimes it is (I'd see resistance to vaccination as one such case).

    Anyway, do keep posting. We need to keep pb multicultural. :-)

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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    A cynic might suggest that this constant MMR debate keeps the discussion away from ed is crap....
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,916
    tim said:

    @Josias

    It's madness as there's no safe mumps single vaccine available

    Lots of other public health reasons put that's a rather large hole.
    Anyway all the scare stories about MMR apply to the single vaccines.

    I thought (and IANAE) that the Mumps vaccine was unavailable not because of any intrinsic safety problems, but because there was no market due to the take-up of MMR? There was no mumps vaccine in the UK before MMR was introduced, therefore it has never been licenced.

    As for your second paragraph: there was a demand for single jabs. The parents may have been foolish, but better to get as much protection as possible rather than none. (If someone with medical qualifications can correct me, thanks).

    That does not mean that the push should not have been towards MMR. But that battle was lost. Perhaps the Welsh outbreak might mean that, long-term, we win the war as vaccination levels increase.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumps_vaccine
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    boulayboulay Posts: 3,885
    Did the pollster also ask what percentage of voters for each party believe in other crazy things such as middle eastern sky fairies?

    If a larger proportion of con/lab/lib voters believed in and lived their lives whilst indoctrinating their children in something that does not stand up to scientific scrutiny such as Christianity or Islam would they also be disparaged as fruitcakes and looneys?
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    nigel4englandnigel4england Posts: 4,800
    TGOHF said:

    MikeK said:

    Good morning.
    I see that the UKIP are nutters brigade is holding sway this morning. Perhaps that will give them solace of what is about to happen in the coming weeks. I wonder how that MMR question was framed by YouGov, also the number of UKIP supporters in relation to the other parties?

    Expect more of the anti-UKIP bashing in the next couple of weeks, the likes of Smithson are terrified of the unstoppable march, and of the treacherous Lib Dems being relegated to fourth party.

    What depresses me is that most people on here only care about their own party and not the good of the country.
    If Farage cared about the country over his party why is he putting up candidates against BOO MPs ?

    Because he doesn't trust Cameron and who can blame him?

    What's the point of allowing a BOO candidate a free run when Cameron either won't have the chance of having a referendum, will duck the issue once again and will campaign against it even if he does have one?

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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    "POLITICAL and economic union is the price to pay for sticking with the pound, George Osborne will argue ­today ahead of a major UK government attack on the SNP’s plans for ­independence.

    In a joint article with Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, the Chancellor claims that pro-independence campaigners are “tying themselves in knots” by calling for independence within a monetary union with the UK.

    Scotland’s leading economic development body will also enter the row over Scotland’s use of the pound in the event of independence this week by declaring that the UK was likely to place curbs on the freedom of the new country to act as it pleases.

    The Scottish Council for Development and Industry concludes in a new paper that London could be expected to limit Scotland’s room for manoeuvre.

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/scottish-independence-george-osborne-attacks-snp-1-2903994
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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    Charles said:

    tim said:

    @foxinsox

    They do it in Australia and the USA, and here we compel parents to put a seat belt on their child when they drive them to school or nursery but are seemingly content that they constitue a health risk to others once on the premises.

    It comes down to a fundamental view on state vs. the individual.

    For me it is most analogous to compulsary organ harvesting (vs a voluntary donor scheme). I believe that you "own" your own body and you (or in the case of a minor your parents) have the right to decide what gets done to it.

    For the state to have the right to insist on compulsory vaccination would not just be an extension of its power, but would be a fundamental reversal of the relationship between the state and the individual.

    (and p.s., are you sure they insist on vaccination in the US? I thought it was that they wouldn't allow you to attend a state nursery school without proof of vaccination. If that's the case it is a subtle but philosophically critical distinction)
    Charles,

    Interestingly I believe that dead people are the states property, in that they belong to the coroner until released back to the family or undertaker. Compulsory harvesting of organs does strike me as a very dangerous step, not least because of the hysteria generated by the Alder Hey pathology scandal.

    My kids had MMR at the height of the furore, but I know many who did not, often strong willed educated people with rather cranky ideas on health.

    My favourite anecdote was from south London, where a doctor was offering single vaccines for MMR. Clearly more inconvenient for the mumsnet crowd, but if you asked him nicely he would give the single vaccines at the same time to save visits!

    You could not make it up etc.
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,916
    tim said:

    @Charles

    Your MMR viral overload theory is debunked voodoo science

    "Combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine did not increase the risk of hospitalisation with invasive bacterial infection in the three months after vaccination; rather there was a protective effect. These results provide no support for the concept of “immunological overload” induced by multiple antigen vaccinations, nor calls for sin- gle antigen vaccines."

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1719482/pdf/v088p00222.pdf

    Abstract

    Combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine did not increase the risk of hospitalisation with invasive bacterial infection in the three months after vaccination; rather there was a protective effect. These results provide no support for the concept of “immunological overload” induced by multiple antigen vaccinations, nor calls for single antigen vaccines.

    http://m.adc.bmj.com/content/88/3/222.full

    Abstract
    The suggestion that multi-antigen vaccines might overload the immune system has led to calls for single antigen vaccines. In 2003 we showed that rather than an increase there appeared to be a reduced risk of severe bacterial infection in the three months following Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine (MMR). The present analysis of illnesses in a general population is based on an additional 10 years of data for bacterial infections and also includes admissions with viral infections. Analyses were carried out using the self-controlled case-series method and separately for bacterial and viral infection cases, using risk periods of 0–30 days, 31–60 days and 61–90 days post MMR vaccine. An analysis was also carried out for those cases which were given MMR and Meningococcal serogroup C (MCC) vaccines concomitantly.
    A reduced risk was seen in the 0–30-day period for both bacterial infection (relative incidence = 0.68, 95% CI 0.54–0.86) and viral infections (relative incidence = 0.68, 95% CI 0.49–0.93). There was no increased risk in any period when looking at combined viral or bacterial infections or for individual infections with the single exception of an increased risk in the 31–60 days post vaccination period for herpes infections (relative incidence = 1.69, 95% CI 1.06–2.70). For the children given Meningococcal group C vaccines concomitantly no significantly increased risk was seen in either the bacterial (relative incidence = 0.54, 95% CI 0.26–1.13) or viral cases (relative incidence = 0.46, 95% CI 0.11–1.93).
    Our study confirms that the MMR vaccine does not increase the risk of invasive bacterial or viral infection in the 90 days after the vaccination and does not support the hypothesis that there is an induced immune deficiency due to overload from multi-antigen vaccines.

    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X08017635

    We're about to go out for a lovely walk on this sunny morning, but my last thoughts on this: sadly the vast majority of people will not have the background knowledge to parse what you copied above and work out if it makes sense. Instead they will follow whatever the media says.

    As I have said passim, the public (and I include myself) are terrible at risk analysis and assessment. If the media say that there is a slight risk, then many people will see the 'risk' bit, and not the slight. Few will dive into the article, or even into the professional literature, to work out what the 'slight' bit actually means.

    I wouldn't trust myself to read detailed medical literature and come up with a firm conclusion; I could probably only understand the abstracts, if at all. It's not my area of expertise, and much of the terminology is obtuse.

    In the same way, I wouldn't expect the layman to understand RFC 2397.

    http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2397
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    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    RT @ThatcheriteLee: YouGov: David Cameron has net + 85% approval from current Tory voters and net + 50% amongst 2010 Tory voters.

    North Korea is alive and well for him...
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    edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,141
    On topic, I wonder if the thing that's driving both UKIP support and believing in dodgy scientific theories advanced by British newspapers might be... reading British newspapers.

    Is there any data about whether UKIPpers tend to be part of that declining minority? I'm guessing the age profiles match up pretty well.
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    Homeopathy as applied to a tax payment:

    "Members of the Royal Court were left feeling imperceptibly satisfied today after agreeing an unprecedented remuneration settlement with a homeopathic practitioner who owes £168,000 in unpaid income tax.
    Jean Samson, 52, of ‘The Hollows’, Les Fououes, gave assurance that the outstanding arrears, accumulated from her practice’s earnings over just four years, will be, “Fully paid at a moment that will be difficult to pin down, except that one day everything will probably seem just fine.”

    http://www.gsyfutu.com/?p=2680
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    Y0kelY0kel Posts: 2,307
    Thats the headline out of an entire poll?





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    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    RT @harryph: Sunday Times says Dangerous Dogs Amendment Bill means burglar could sue if bitten by dog. This is not what people voted Conservative for!

    I quite agree. I assume this will be dealt with in further drafting but TBH, the rare cases of being killed by a dog and in someone else's home are rarer than death by falling off your own ladders or being trampled by a cow.

    There is no need for legislation - its kneejerk legislation of the worst kind.
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    redcliffe62redcliffe62 Posts: 342
    Vaccinations work.
    Whilst I understand the idea of state interference, if people pass the measles disease on I see it no different to AIDS in that people should be forced to admit they have it if they know it to be the case.
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    nigel4englandnigel4england Posts: 4,800
    Tim doing everything he can to avoid the reality of Miliband's sliding poll lead
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    tim said:
    "Asked whether he believes homeopathy works, Mr Hunt said: "I believe that my decisions as health secretary should be based on science and should be evidence-based and driven by evidence.

    "I will follow the scientific advice."

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20002094
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    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,811

    "POLITICAL and economic union is the price to pay for sticking with the pound, George Osborne will argue ­today ahead of a major UK government attack on the SNP’s plans for ­independence.

    In a joint article with Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, the Chancellor claims that pro-independence campaigners are “tying themselves in knots” by calling for independence within a monetary union with the UK.

    Scotland’s leading economic development body will also enter the row over Scotland’s use of the pound in the event of independence this week by declaring that the UK was likely to place curbs on the freedom of the new country to act as it pleases.

    The Scottish Council for Development and Industry concludes in a new paper that London could be expected to limit Scotland’s room for manoeuvre.

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/scottish-independence-george-osborne-attacks-snp-1-2903994

    George would be better employed fixing the disaster that is his UK policy rather than spreading scare stories. If anything is sure to make people vote YES it is the knowledge that that tool is in charge of squandering their money. The unionists and Scotsman get ever more desperate.
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    MikeKMikeK Posts: 9,053
    @edmundintokyo:
    "Is there any data about whether UKIPpers tend to be part of that declining minority? I'm guessing the age profiles match up pretty well.

    You've guessed wrong again! LOL
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    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,811
    Specially for Carlotta, have a look at this and see the real state of labour in Scotland. Their conference is half empty despite using smaller and smaller venues each year. The attached will show how vibrant support is in contrast to the SNP who cannot get big enough venues to hold the attendees at their conferences.
    Read and weep Carlotta.
    http://wingsoverscotland.com/smile-and-the-world-smiles-with-you/
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    CarolaCarola Posts: 1,805
    'They fear influx of weapons and think local forest will be turned into a 'sexual volcano'.'

    'Sexual volcano'? Hahahahaha! That's the best thing ever. *pleasant memories of sexual volcanoes I have known*

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2312267/Race-row-Tory-town-tells-Gove-super-head-We-dont-want-inner-city-pupils-here.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    Plato said:

    RT @ThatcheriteLee: YouGov: David Cameron has net + 85% approval from current Tory voters and net + 50% amongst 2010 Tory voters.

    North Korea is alive and well for him...

    But Ed is....well, you know:

    Cameron: +85/+50
    Miliband: +31/+22
    Clegg: +30/-33

    But hey, lets discuss a detail of UKIP voters attitude to MMR (10%) that is overwhelmed by MOE (24%)......

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    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    RT @GABaines: Labour lead back down to between 6-8%. Miliband is actually performing worse than Kinnock or Foot's Labour.
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    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,919
    Carola said:

    'They fear influx of weapons and think local forest will be turned into a 'sexual volcano'.'

    Ah, how I miss my sexual volcano :-)
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    malcolmg said:
    Why do you think I would be other than consumed with indifference as to the fate of Scottish Labour?

    I see Wings over Scotland have mounted a robust rebuttal on the currency question....not.....

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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    malcolmg said:

    "POLITICAL and economic union is the price to pay for sticking with the pound, George Osborne will argue ­today ahead of a major UK government attack on the SNP’s plans for ­independence.

    In a joint article with Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, the Chancellor claims that pro-independence campaigners are “tying themselves in knots” by calling for independence within a monetary union with the UK.

    Scotland’s leading economic development body will also enter the row over Scotland’s use of the pound in the event of independence this week by declaring that the UK was likely to place curbs on the freedom of the new country to act as it pleases.

    The Scottish Council for Development and Industry concludes in a new paper that London could be expected to limit Scotland’s room for manoeuvre.

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/scottish-independence-george-osborne-attacks-snp-1-2903994

    George would be better employed fixing the disaster that is his UK policy rather than spreading scare stories. If anything is sure to make people vote YES it is the knowledge that that tool is in charge of squandering their money. The unionists and Scotsman get ever more desperate.
    "The Scottish Council for Development and Industry concludes in a new paper that London could be expected to limit Scotland’s room for manoeuvre."

    They Tory stooges too?
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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    @CarlottaVance It's interesting that Ed Miliband is more favoured by current Labour supporters than by 2010 Labour voters, given that there are more of them. It's grist to the mill of the idea that far from being floating voters who are open to persuasion by others, the Lib Dem defectors since 2010 are enthused with the zeal of the convert.
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    CarolaCarola Posts: 1,805

    Carola said:

    'They fear influx of weapons and think local forest will be turned into a 'sexual volcano'.'

    Ah, how I miss my sexual volcano :-)
    I reckon there's something going on in that forest, natch, and the locals don't want outsiders spying on them ;)

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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    edited April 2013
    tim said:

    @Carlotta He won't follow the scientific advice though, as the Select Committee's review of all the evidence in 2010 recommended homeopathy not be available on the NHS and the Chief Medical Officer says the same,theres no way that Cameron and Hunt, who are both on record as believing homeopathy should be available as part of the "choice agenda" will follow the science.

    "Official figures show that just 16,359 NHS prescriptions for the heavily diluted treatments were written out last year, costing a record low of £122,000.
    This represents an eightfold drop on the 134,000 prescriptions recorded in 2000, which cost £831,000."

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8729588/NHS-spending-on-homeopathy-prescriptions-falls-to-122000.html

    You think this is as important as Labour's mis-management of MMR?
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    TCPoliticalBettingTCPoliticalBetting Posts: 10,819
    edited April 2013
    Is the next thread about the % of UKIP that believe in angels?

    The Conservatives biggest losses in this cycle of local elections since 1990 (County+) was 486 in 1993, that has to be the bench mark for these local elections.
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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    Carola said:

    'They fear influx of weapons and think local forest will be turned into a 'sexual volcano'.'

    'Sexual volcano'? Hahahahaha! That's the best thing ever. *pleasant memories of sexual volcanoes I have known*

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2312267/Race-row-Tory-town-tells-Gove-super-head-We-dont-want-inner-city-pupils-here.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

    That is quite awesome reporting, conjuring up Hansel and Gretel, Lord Of The Flies and Heart Of Darkness in a single story.

    (The headmaster's idea is brilliant and the locals should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.)
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    CarolaCarola Posts: 1,805
    antifrank said:

    Carola said:

    'They fear influx of weapons and think local forest will be turned into a 'sexual volcano'.'

    'Sexual volcano'? Hahahahaha! That's the best thing ever. *pleasant memories of sexual volcanoes I have known*

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2312267/Race-row-Tory-town-tells-Gove-super-head-We-dont-want-inner-city-pupils-here.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

    That is quite awesome reporting, conjuring up Hansel and Gretel, Lord Of The Flies and Heart Of Darkness in a single story.

    (The headmaster's idea is brilliant and the locals should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.)
    It's pitchfork-tastic. That's why I rarely venture out of Brighton unless I'm heading directly oop north, what with my accent an' all. Unless I fancy a banjo duel.
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    GasmanGasman Posts: 132
    antifrank said:

    Politicians' children are not public figures (even if the politicians themselves make use of them for political purposes). It was a complete disgrace that Leo Blair's vaccination status ever became part of this particular debate.

    In general I agree with you about politician's children, although I have no sympathy for the parents who are generally very keen to use their children when it suits them. Leo Blair's vaccination status however was very definitely an item of public interest. Within a vaccination program the safest state to be in is the only unvaccinated person - you benefit from the herd immunity while avoiding any possible side effects from the vaccine (and there are some, although autism is not one of them). Given that Tony Blair was insisting that MMR was safe for everyone else's children think it entirely reasonable to know whether he believes that, or whether he is trying to gain advantage for his offspring.
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    antifrank said:

    @CarlottaVance It's interesting that Ed Miliband is more favoured by current Labour supporters than by 2010 Labour voters, given that there are more of them. It's grist to the mill of the idea that far from being floating voters who are open to persuasion by others, the Lib Dem defectors since 2010 are enthused with the zeal of the convert.

    Current supporters are more likely to be positive than historic ones - and both Cameron & Miliband are in positive territory with both, Cameron more strongly with both, (unlike Clegg who is well below water with 2010 Lib Dems). 2010 LibDem voters are as likely to think Ed is crap as Cameron or Clegg:

    Cameron: -34
    Miliband: -35
    Clegg: -33
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    NeilNeil Posts: 7,983
    antifrank said:

    Politicians' children are not public figures (even if the politicians themselves make use of them for political purposes). It was a complete disgrace that Leo Blair's vaccination status ever became part of this particular debate.

    It amazes me that you even have to make this point to otherwise sensible people.

    And great to see Richard Tyndall back, I hope you hang around for a while.
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    tim said:

    @Carlotta.

    You repeated Hunt's nonsense that he'll follow the science,not me, and we both know he won't.

    And you think this is more important than Labour's mis-management of MMR - potentially putting Labour voters' children at greater risk?

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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    tim said:

    @CarlottaVance.

    You didn't bother to read the piece I posted about the Swansea vaccination rate fall predating Wakefield did you?

    I'm taking about England & Wales....but feel free to 'Look Swansea Squirrel all you wish....these are Labour Voters' children at risk.....

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    CarolaCarola Posts: 1,805
    tim said:

    Carola said:




    It's pitchfork-tastic. That's why I rarely venture out of Brighton unless I'm heading directly oop north, what with my accent an' all. Unless I fancy a banjo duel.


    Does Brighton have sealed trains to get you through the badlands up to London.

    Special roads?

    There were four routes through East Germany to West Berlin, there were checkpoints at each end manned by East German Border Guards who invigilated over the West Germans and Soviet Border Guards who checked NATO forces and dependents of NATO forces (NATO did not recognise the GDR). The routes were patrolled and exits were defended by pillboxes, they were also fenced. The time taken to travel the routes was calculated to ensure that journey times were within an average spread. Beyond each set of East German/Soviet customs posts were West German/Allied customs posts.

    They let me through if I do my little clog dance whilst ferret-charming and eating a pie.
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,131
    edited April 2013
    The economy remains key and the numbers for both Cameron and Osborne are surprisingly good in a week which has not had the best of headlines. George's latest initiative tries to address the key problem which is lack of finance for SMEs who should be providing growth: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/10008093/Osbornes-new-bid-to-help-SMEs.html

    There is an element of desperation about this and the desperation comes from the failure to grasp the deeply unpleasant nettle of publically owned and chronically undercapitalised banks left by the last government. I really have little doubt that if RBS and LLoyds had been sorted out into good and bad banks 3 years ago we would be enjoying better growth now.

    There is a story of a recommendation to this effect in the ST today by a committee of MPs. Despite this I have no doubt it really should be a priority. I am concerned that uncle Vince has been a bit of a block on this as have the enormous vested interests of our bankster community. George should be asking himself what would Maggie have done faced with such intransigence?
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576
    tim said:

    2008/9

    2012:

    In England, London had the lowest uptake at just 86.1%.

    The highest coverage was in Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight where 93.5% of children were vaccinated.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20510525

    I'm discussing attitude as shown in today's YouGov.....
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    CarolaCarola Posts: 1,805
    edited April 2013
    tim said:


    @Carola

    They let me through if I do my little clog dance whilst ferret-charming and eating a pie.

    A Wrights Pie to celebrate Port Vales promotion.

    Yep, a pitch invasion indeed. I have friends here* so couldn't really follow it. They got an award for their progs the other day... I go to see the (Mighty) Rooks now and again - their posters are fantastic. (Better than their playing lately...).

    *on which note I hear sounds of stirring and the sun's out.

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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,131
    Another piece in the ST today that rang many bells with the debates on here was David Smith's article on the economic effect of low pay. As usual a summary is available on his own website: http://www.economicsuk.com/blog/

    Put shortly, although he thinks that very low wages have helped increase employment he also thinks that you can have too much of a good thing and the consequential lack of demand is now inhibiting growth. The problem remains in the private sector where wages continue to grow much more slowly than in the public sector:

    "Total private sector pay in February was 0.5% down on a year earlier. Though this was dragged down by lower bonuses, the picture for regular pay, up just 0.6%, was barely better. Public sector pay, up 1.1%, was stronger"

    I wonder how many interviewers speaking to militant union bosses discussing the latest strike will be presented with these figures. My money is on not enough.

    Anyway, David Smith suggests that what we really need is 3% wage increases for employees of larger companies who are in general sitting on quite a lot of cash. This is a bit more targetted than simply arguing for the living wage which is thought to have a bigger impact on marginal employment. Ironically, the almost non existent power of unions in the private sector makes this more difficult to achieve.
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    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,914
    DavidL said:

    The economy remains key and the numbers for both Cameron and Osborne are surprisingly good in a week which has not had the best of headlines. George's latest initiative tries to address the key problem which is lack of finance for SMEs who should be providing growth: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/10008093/Osbornes-new-bid-to-help-SMEs.html

    There is an element of desperation about this and the desperation comes from the failure to grasp the deeply unpleasant nettle of publically owned and chronically undercapitalised banks left by the last government. I really have little doubt that if RBS and LLoyds had been sorted out into good and bad banks 3 years ago we would be enjoying better growth now.

    There is a story of a recommendation to this effect in the ST today by a committee of MPs. Despite this I have no doubt it really should be a priority. I am concerned that uncle Vince has been a bit of a block on this as have the enormous vested interests of our bankster community. George should be asking himself what would Maggie have done faced with such intransigence?

    Last week's news cycle was all about Thatcher and Boston. So it was a good week for bad news to come out. We'll need to see what happens to the polls after a week of largely non-Thatch stories to make any real judgements about whether there has been a significant shift in the polls.

    Mrs T was a huge chum of the City and it was reciprocated.

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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,131

    DavidL said:

    The economy remains key and the numbers for both Cameron and Osborne are surprisingly good in a week which has not had the best of headlines. George's latest initiative tries to address the key problem which is lack of finance for SMEs who should be providing growth: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/10008093/Osbornes-new-bid-to-help-SMEs.html

    There is an element of desperation about this and the desperation comes from the failure to grasp the deeply unpleasant nettle of publically owned and chronically undercapitalised banks left by the last government. I really have little doubt that if RBS and LLoyds had been sorted out into good and bad banks 3 years ago we would be enjoying better growth now.

    There is a story of a recommendation to this effect in the ST today by a committee of MPs. Despite this I have no doubt it really should be a priority. I am concerned that uncle Vince has been a bit of a block on this as have the enormous vested interests of our bankster community. George should be asking himself what would Maggie have done faced with such intransigence?

    Last week's news cycle was all about Thatcher and Boston. So it was a good week for bad news to come out. We'll need to see what happens to the polls after a week of largely non-Thatch stories to make any real judgements about whether there has been a significant shift in the polls.

    Mrs T was a huge chum of the City and it was reciprocated.



    I would agree with your first point Southam. The GDP figures this week will be very important for the tone of news coverage for the next 3 months.

    I disagree with your second point. Mrs T demolished existing restrictive practices in the City removing many of the monopolies that bedevilled investment in the UK. This resulted in enormous growth which combined with the Docklands opportunities resulted in the City we see today but Maggie never saw a vested interest that she did not want to challenge and I think she would have found the degree of protection that our banksters get today as offensive as subsidising the production of coal no one wanted.
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,969
    Mr. T, that's an interesting suggestion.

    I wonder if there's also a perhaps counter-intuitive response to the performance of the economy. When things go well, people want Labour to spend. When things go poorly, they want the Conservatives to cut and set things right.
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,576

    DavidL said:

    The economy remains key and the numbers for both Cameron and Osborne are surprisingly good in a week which has not had the best of headlines. George's latest initiative tries to address the key problem which is lack of finance for SMEs who should be providing growth: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/10008093/Osbornes-new-bid-to-help-SMEs.html

    There is an element of desperation about this and the desperation comes from the failure to grasp the deeply unpleasant nettle of publically owned and chronically undercapitalised banks left by the last government. I really have little doubt that if RBS and LLoyds had been sorted out into good and bad banks 3 years ago we would be enjoying better growth now.

    There is a story of a recommendation to this effect in the ST today by a committee of MPs. Despite this I have no doubt it really should be a priority. I am concerned that uncle Vince has been a bit of a block on this as have the enormous vested interests of our bankster community. George should be asking himself what would Maggie have done faced with such intransigence?

    Last week's news cycle was all about Thatcher and Boston. So it was a good week for bad news to come out. We'll need to see what happens to the polls after a week of largely non-Thatch stories to make any real judgements about whether there has been a significant shift in the polls.
    Yup - we had a run of sub-10 lead polls in late January & normal service was resumed shortly after....the only difference this time might be the narrative on Ed.....or then again, not. Its still 'the economy'......

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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,131
    SeanT said:

    DavidL said:

    The economy remains key and the numbers for both Cameron and Osborne are surprisingly good in a week which has not had the best of headlines. George's latest initiative tries to address the key problem which is lack of finance for SMEs who should be providing growth: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/10008093/Osbornes-new-bid-to-help-SMEs.html

    For an explanation of the Coalition's mildly improved polling, and the concurrent figures for Cam and Oz, I would again point to the recent rise in house prices, or, rather, the increased *expectation* that house prices will rise.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/houseprices/10003936/Help-to-Buy-turns-sentiment-positive-on-house-price-prospects.html

    http://www.independent.co.uk/property/house-and-home/england-and-wales-drive-19-increase-in-house-prices-but-scotland-and-northern-ireland-lag-behind-8575064.html

    Nothing boosts confidence like knowing your home is rising in value. It may be unjustified, but it is the case.
    That's a fair point Sean but there have been two factors restraining house prices for the last several years. One is a chronic shortage of mortages which Osborne is now trying to address (yet another example of the consequences of failing to sort out the banks) and the second is falling real wages which have reduced people's ability and inclination to borrow even when they have the deposit to do so. Taking on a large mortgage is much more attractive when you are confident that your earnings are going to grow reducing the pain in future years.

    This is a much more intractable problem and there are real limits to which house prices can increase on the back of additional finance when we still have falling real earnings.

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    welshowlwelshowl Posts: 4,460

    Not posted for a long time...

    Welcome back, richard. Without getting into the vaccine issue, I think it's objectively true that UKIP supporters are on average more resistant to the idea that they should go with the prevailing view on any issue - the 'sod that, I'll do what makes sense to me' instinct is quite strong in UKIP. Sometimes that's a healthy human instinct, sometimes it can become pig-headed.

    To give a baroque example, when my mother grew up in Danzig and moved in classy circles, she said the family impression was that the old German Junckers (rural aristos, basically) were generally awkward, arrogant and indeed pig-headed. But it made them resistant to the Nazis, who they regardless as a bunch of ranting plebs, and they were stiff-necked enough to express their dislike and eventually get executed for it. So being hard to convince of current orthodoxy isn't always a bad thing. But sometimes it is (I'd see resistance to vaccination as one such case).

    Anyway, do keep posting. We need to keep pb multicultural. :-)

    Think I'd agree about vaccination. There's not many areas where individual liberty should be curtailed but where it's harming others fairly directly is a good case for so doing. There was a mother quoted a few days ago who had an under one year old who had caught measles and was ( rightly IMO ) stating that as the baby was too young to have the jab the only protection he/ she had was in the general resistance of the population, compromised in Swansea and elsewhere by low take up of the vaccine.

    Not many examples of a similar nature ( fluoride in water maybe? Motorcycle helmets?) I'd be on the side of, but this one does seem clear enough.
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    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,914

    DavidL said:

    The economy remains key and the numbers for both Cameron and Osborne are surprisingly good in a week which has not had the best of headlines. George's latest initiative tries to address the key problem which is lack of finance for SMEs who should be providing growth: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/10008093/Osbornes-new-bid-to-help-SMEs.html

    There is an element of desperation about this and the desperation comes from the failure to grasp the deeply unpleasant nettle of publically owned and chronically undercapitalised banks left by the last government. I really have little doubt that if RBS and LLoyds had been sorted out into good and bad banks 3 years ago we would be enjoying better growth now.

    There is a story of a recommendation to this effect in the ST today by a committee of MPs. Despite this I have no doubt it really should be a priority. I am concerned that uncle Vince has been a bit of a block on this as have the enormous vested interests of our bankster community. George should be asking himself what would Maggie have done faced with such intransigence?

    Last week's news cycle was all about Thatcher and Boston. So it was a good week for bad news to come out. We'll need to see what happens to the polls after a week of largely non-Thatch stories to make any real judgements about whether there has been a significant shift in the polls.
    Yup - we had a run of sub-10 lead polls in late January & normal service was resumed shortly after....the only difference this time might be the narrative on Ed.....or then again, not. Its still 'the economy'......

    The Ed stuff would have run last week if it had not been for the Sundays clearing the decks for the Thatcher retrospectives.

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    NeilNeil Posts: 7,983
    DavidL said:

    The problem remains in the private sector where wages continue to grow much more slowly than in the public sector:

    "Total private sector pay in February was 0.5% down on a year earlier. Though this was dragged down by lower bonuses, the picture for regular pay, up just 0.6%, was barely better. Public sector pay, up 1.1%, was stronger"

    The reclassification of nearly 200,000 FE jobs last April artificially boosted public sector earnings by an estimated 0.8% and deflated private sector earnings by an estimated 0.2%. There are lots of other distorting factors (changing composition of workforces) that mean it is almost impossible to draw the conclusions you want to about public and private sector pay from this particular index.
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