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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » How long before Johnson’s “should” wear masks become a legal r
politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » How long before Johnson’s “should” wear masks become a legal requirement?
The growing big political issue in relation to controlling the pandemic is whether or not people should be required to wear masks. What is interesting is there appears to be a difference in opinion between Johnson and senior cabinet minister Michael Gove who told the BBC yesterday that face coverings should not be mandatory.
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Headline - 11 - another record low
7 Days - 9
Yesterday - 1
As ever - Monday is in the weekend reporting shadow. Last 3-5 days will subject to revision. last 5 days included for completness
Surprised Tommy Robinson isn’t all over this.
So that the Chinese premiere wouldn't get offended.
The following governments have followed the rush, around the world, to give the Chinese what they wanted.
We don't have enough numbers here to do statistics except in a very crude, broad sense.
That's got to be the real goal of getting everyone to wear masks, shops could ease a lot of the indoor restrictions and give the economy another boost.
I'm reminded of when, at an early press conference, perhaps at the 23rd March announcement he explained the restrictions on movement.
A (lefty, as I recall, certainly young female) journalist asked whether he intended to involve the police in enforcement.
Boris laughed derisively, and nervously - "police? I don't think that's how we do things here."
The next day Boris: "We will not hesitate to use the police to enforce...."
We will end up paying more for worse hardware and systems, that have had less scrutiny, and we will have fewer baskets for out critical national infrastucture eggs as will be reduced to using just two key suppliers. We will be exclusively buying kit that the US government, the world's largest surveillance power, is only too happy for us to use.
All of this will be presented as improving national security, but it is nothing of the sort, and will almost certainly reduce security.
It's a right bloody mess we and most other nations have gotten into.
* Somewhat crappy software engineering, but not really any worse than expected.
https://actiononhearingloss.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/latest-press-releases/charity-celebrates-win-on-government-guidance-for-mandatory-face-coverings-on-public-transport-for-those-who-lip-read/
But somer masks have been made witdh clear windows - there is no obvious story on what used to be RNID and is now Action on Hearing Loss, but see this
https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/face-mask-covering-transparent-deaf-clear-plastic-coronavirus-a9569331.html
The joys of group think and un-discusable problems.
As Hermann Kahn pointed out, when a problem is big enough and inconvenient enough, the person raising the issue of the problem becomes *the problem*
The British taxpayer will have to fork out £34 billion for the privilege. There are many people with very many questions to answer about what has gone on in our external relations.
I was told by civil servants under several different governments that to equalise the situation would "upset the Chinese". Which was apparently KOD to any change.
Tried wearing one the other day. Apart from comedy condensation (managed to fiddle with it a bit to remedy that) found it pretty uncomfortable. Breathing wasn't ideal. And breathing's one of my favourite things.
Before that, uneasy trading partners.
They've never been allies.
We just have to get used to being the supplicant. The balance of power has reversed.
This is more akin to a second Cold War and we should treat it as such, instead of just shrugging and saying "Yeah, Britain threw its weight around in the past so I guess this is ok."
It isn't.
Those so upset about the British Empire seem remarkably unconcerned by concentration camps and the territorial grabbing of half the South China Sea.
That's not happening centuries ago to men long dead, it's happening right now. As might military action in the area. The whole of Western politics have been shockingly complacent.
It's always been shit.
For all its faults, the US isn't China.
Mr. Nabavi, aye. Under Xi, the military's been built up and the decades-long informal understanding that senior politicians wouldn't go after one another over corruptions was discarded in the purge.
Two thirds of the world's advanced semiconductor manufacturing are based very close indeed to China.
A serious national security worry for all western leaders is what might happen should China seize Taiwan - for now an unlikely scenario, but by no means impossible, and growing more possible every year.
Without Taiwanese fab capacity, the fallback is... S Korea.
Very good poll for Keir
Say what you like about Trump, he can't be ignored - at least not until after November or more likely January.
Sure, I dont like China's repression of the Uigars, but there is nothing that we can really do about it apart from a bit of diplomatic pressure. That's Realpolitik.
But if the science shows it reduces the risks of transmission then we should do it.
As I said at the start of the pandemic, there’s no good options, only least bad ones, until we have a vaccine.
So (everyone) keeeeeeep tweeting (strictly: pasting relevant tweets to PB).
https://www.hugoboss.com/uk/face-mask-with-new-season-print/hbeu50452661_410.html?cgid=23913
https://www.hugoboss.com/uk/men-face-masks/
The only reason the Chinese are involved (and that is only in the financing of the project, I think ?) is that EDF couldn't finance it themselves.
Shades of Gordon Brown's off balance sheet financing.
Oh
Now it seems to have realised that it can break out of the corridor and go anywhere it damn well pleases which has not of late been forwards.
BUT a tweet from the Twit-in-Chief merely announcing his continuing displeasure & distemper re: Fox, or SCOTUS, or Rossie O'Donnell, etc., etc., well that AIN"T news.
And I have sort of liked the near silence of a large supermarket or out of town store during COVID, I've not felt threatened with infection by people ambling by at near 2m distances and being barely within contact radius for 20 seconds or so, or standing at a slightly exaggerated range having a couple of functional words with a shop assistant whilst positioning myself at an angle and pretending to be David Caruso.
I'm afraid at a personal level mask wearing will primarily make me feel less normal rather than more safe, and I'll probably go to shops even a little less than over the last few months. This is not so much a complaint about public policy direction, rather a personal preference.
1) Refined elegance in my expensive bespoke suits and morning suits that makes everyone else feel like a chav
And then there’s the
2) Fucking hell did you get dressed in the dark?
Sometimes I wear a mix of both concurrently.
Tory pricks.
Tried something little different - sorted on the last 7 days, and highlighted those which look... interesting...
On the topic itself - masks - I'm for mandatory in shops. It does not have to be policed - c.f. wearing of seatbelts - all it requires is for Johnson to appear as "Boris" in a TV address and say that the government instructs it. This will be sufficient. No need for a law. I really cannot see the downside in doing this. But perhaps Michael (or Dom) has put his foot down.
However, so far as I'm aware it isn't possible to do so when caring for aged and sick humans.
Patel surely has relatives in the caring and allied professions who could put her straight. If she hasn't asked or listened she's just foolish and/or cruel. And TBH, the latter's not my face-to-face (or letter) experience of her.
Edited for FFS.