Hold the Olympics in NZ, with entries from around the world taken from the local population. There are enough NZnders who have miraculously found heritage to play rugby internationally in every corner of the world.
Just a thought but when we are thin on news (I know unlikely at present) a thread on the different types of democracies would be interesting with the pros and cons. I think it interesting that for instances in the US a member of congress must resign if appointed to the executive yet is required to be a member of the house (commons or lords) in the UK to fulfill that role.
Hold the Olympics in NZ, with entries from around the world taken from the local population. There are enough NZnders who have miraculously found heritage to play rugby internationally in every corner of the world.
Tonga topping the medal table would be fun. Although the 100m might not trouble the record books....
One thing that is different from March and a tad surprising is that Scottish Courts are now deeming themselves an essential service and are intending to carry on with their existing program. That means that there will be a considerable number of remote juries sitting in cinemas etc in January. I find that really odd. If I was eligible for jury service and picked I would be seriously unhappy. Ditto witnesses and, dare one mention it, lawyers.
It comes to a pretty pass when we are getting treated worse than teachers.
I don't understand your point, do you believe the vaccines will have no positive effect on things?
This is on the same logic as claiming lockdowns fail because the virus still exists afterwards (rather than sticking to an argument about liberty or consequential impacts).
I wonder if Trump is planning to clear off after his rally today. If Britain in general and Scotland in particular locks down more than other countries, though, he would presumably have second thoughts.
Try again! I hope they arrest Trump and Melania upon touchdown for breaching Scottish travel restrictions. Yes they can land as thats a UK competency. But travel from Prestwick to a hotel in Turnberry for a holiday sounds like non-essential travel.
Lock Him Up.
Our jurisdiction is looking like a good one for avoiding extradition to the USA. Trump and Assange would have lots to talk about in Belmarsh or Barlinnie.
Fwiw I've just backed Trump at 24 (now 21) to leave before the end of his first term, and saved the stake by backing Trump to leave in 2021 at 1.03.
I have to say I have been surprised by Trump. I thought he would pop to Florida for Christmas and not come back. Proved wrong on that one. I couldn't believe that he would get dragged out of the White House on the 20th, but I now think that may be possible. That would be so entertaining, but could be rather explosive so have mixed feelings about it.
I am expecting him to try and do a full televised presidential address to the nation from the oval office either the night before Biden or even in the morning of the inauguration. Full blown mad conspiracy rant about stolen election.
He may even attempt at declare martial law or some such stunt at that point.
Hope the various services and departments are fully ready to install Biden into the WH, by force if necessary.
Can't the footy and the Olympics just do the while bio-secure bubble thing?
The football can, so long as the players don’t see getting people in and out of the bubble as a challenge.
The huge issue with the Olympics is going to be all the qualifying tournaments in each nation, in the build-up to the Games themselves. You could just about quarantine and isolate the Village, but you’d need half of Tokyo’s police to do it, as well as keeping all the local staff and volunteers accommodated in the bubble for a month or more.
An the Olympic village is usually home to the world's largest sporting event - the international bonkathon of fit young things.
8pm? So won't be in effect from midnight tonight. An additional day or two of delay where people set out to cram in all the things they won't be allowed to do.
As for travel in Scotland my understanding is that the entire mainland is Tier 4 so essential travel only. Easy for the police to enforce. What about the border? Can only find a few relevant traffic cams and the A68 and A1 look absolutely dead.
Checks should be doable: B7076 - close the road west of the M6 junction A74(M) - easy checkpoint Two minor roads to stop up A7 checkpoint Stop up the B6318 & 7 minor roads A68 checkpoint - admittedly Carter Bar isn't going to be a pleasant posting in winter but plenty of space Stop up the B6352, B6396, B6350 and a minor road, diverting all traffic towards A697 Coldstream checkpoint Stop up the B6470, B6461, A6105 A1 Lamberton checkpoint
It doesn't sound too hopeful for your planned move RP. Or is that exempted?
Was an acceptable reason to travel last time. If there is a delay it will be because the old couple who are selling decide its too dangerous to hire the skip they were planning to fill with all their accumulated debris.
You could offer to deal with the junk for them? I would if I were you.
Yes, if they get arsey that will be the response. He used to run a picture framing business. In the last lockdown he cleared out their warehouse with the intention to liquidate the stock. When I went for a tour in October progress on that front had been slow. As well as the 6-bed former bank manager's house we are buying the former bank it is attached to. The bank, complete with its various large storerooms and both floors of the double-length garage were still rammed full of stock.
If need be leave whatever you can't sell and I will skip / burn them.
Good luck with that. All of our "recycling centres" or dumps will now be closed again for a month, possibly longer. Not ideal when you are moving house.
He did say commercial skips to be fair. Lockdown hopefully shouldn't affect that. THough I am sure you are quite right about the domestic waste dumps/recycling centres being closed.
I would be amazed if you can get a commercial skip in January. I really don't see how that could be legal.
Plenty of them around here during the year, except perhaps during the tightest lockdown. Outdoor building-type work, no? Minimum social interaction. Orra loon comes in truck, drops off, drives off. Filling is DIY. No prtoblem.
But RP will need to check.
The real pain was not being able to take domestic junk to the depot - we don't have a car and the local depot was closed.
Yes - and the chap picking up/dropping off a commercial skip never needs to physically touch it - hook on/off the chains and the rest is hydraulics.
I don't understand your point, do you believe the vaccines will have no positive effect on things?
This is on the same logic as claiming lockdowns fail because the virus still exists afterwards (rather than sticking to an argument about liberty or consequential impacts).
Even worse, since the vaccine rollout hasn't happened yet - it is like claiming lockdowns don't work because the virus existed before the lockdown.
Isle of Wight and Cornwall have gone from Tier 1 to top of this table. Wherever you are, the Bastard Bug will eventually find you and make you grasp your ankles.....
It is just the sheer range of everywhere in England where cases have turned upwards and the speed with which they have done so. Let's hope with T4 and Christmas many of these places are already close to peak, because running at 1k per 100k nationally with, inevitably, places that top that, is going to be pretty terrible. I still think this reflects pre-Christmas to an extent and am hopeful that the turnaround is already in the post for many places. But you look at figures like today's and you can't just hope for that.
NI is back to disaster zone again over three unpublished days, with Wales and Scotland mostly looking less bad. Yet.
I wonder if Trump is planning to clear off after his rally today. If Britain in general and Scotland in particular locks down more than other countries, though, he would presumably have second thoughts.
Try again! I hope they arrest Trump and Melania upon touchdown for breaching Scottish travel restrictions. Yes they can land as thats a UK competency. But travel from Prestwick to a hotel in Turnberry for a holiday sounds like non-essential travel.
Lock Him Up.
Our jurisdiction is looking like a good one for avoiding extradition to the USA. Trump and Assange would have lots to talk about in Belmarsh or Barlinnie.
Fwiw I've just backed Trump at 24 (now 21) to leave before the end of his first term, and saved the stake by backing Trump to leave in 2021 at 1.03.
I have to say I have been surprised by Trump. I thought he would pop to Florida for Christmas and not come back. Proved wrong on that one. I couldn't believe that he would get dragged out of the White House on the 20th, but I now think that may be possible. That would be so entertaining, but could be rather explosive so have mixed feelings about it.
I am expecting him to try and do a full televised presidential address to the nation from the oval office either the night before Biden or even in the morning of the inauguration. Full blown mad conspiracy rant about stolen election.
He may even attempt at declare martial law or some such stunt at that point.
Hope the various services and departments are fully ready to install Biden into the WH, by force if necessary.
My bet is (essentially) that Trump will swap places with Biden for a week or so to get some emergency pardoning done, especially after the Georgia tape.
One thing that is different from March and a tad surprising is that Scottish Courts are now deeming themselves an essential service and are intending to carry on with their existing program. That means that there will be a considerable number of remote juries sitting in cinemas etc in January. I find that really odd. If I was eligible for jury service and picked I would be seriously unhappy. Ditto witnesses and, dare one mention it, lawyers.
It comes to a pretty pass when we are getting treated worse than teachers.
Where do you yourself go, so to speak?
I am a civil lawyer. In the last few weeks I was in Kilmarnock, Perth and Edinburgh courts and tribunal but I also appeared remotely in several other locations.
We are doing a lot of hearings by phone which is just terrible. You have no idea if your decision maker is nodding along, completely confused or just incredulous. You don't know when to move on to the next point. No one can concentrate to the necessary level for more than an hour, tops. Some courts are trying to set up Webex but it has been painfully slow. That's not great but it is much better. I have used that in Inverness, Perth and the Court of Session.
I don't understand your point, do you believe the vaccines will have no positive effect on things?
This is on the same logic as claiming lockdowns fail because the virus still exists afterwards (rather than sticking to an argument about liberty or consequential impacts).
Even worse, since the vaccine rollout hasn't happened yet - it is like claiming lockdowns don't work because the virus existed before the lockdown.
Indeed. This doom pornography is making PB unbearable at times and ruining what can otherwise be hearty debate and discussion. It really is childish and pathetic.
The one thing that seems to unite us all is that Williamson has to go and now
It'd be such an easy win for Boris to sack him, even if he held off a major reshuffle until later in the year. Given the stuff everyone already knows about Boris that hasn't harmed him, what the heck does Williamson know about him that he might reveal that keeps him in post?
The Scotland curves are only pointing downwards because only the headline case, test and death numbers have been reported for the last four days, with no details such as cases by specimen date.
Can't the footy and the Olympics just do the while bio-secure bubble thing?
The football can, so long as the players don’t see getting people in and out of the bubble as a challenge.
The huge issue with the Olympics is going to be all the qualifying tournaments in each nation, in the build-up to the Games themselves. You could just about quarantine and isolate the Village, but you’d need half of Tokyo’s police to do it, as well as keeping all the local staff and volunteers accommodated in the bubble for a month or more.
An the Olympic village is usually home to the world's largest sporting event - the international bonkathon of fit young things.
Vaccinate the athletes, the support staff and the condom giver-outers. Then let the Olympics go ahead, probably with Japanese-only crowds.
I don't understand your point, do you believe the vaccines will have no positive effect on things?
This is on the same logic as claiming lockdowns fail because the virus still exists afterwards (rather than sticking to an argument about liberty or consequential impacts).
Even worse, since the vaccine rollout hasn't happened yet - it is like claiming lockdowns don't work because the virus existed before the lockdown.
Indeed. This doom pornography is making PB unbearable at times and ruining what can otherwise be hearty debate and discussion. It really is childish and pathetic.
Each time I log in, I scan the comments for the doom ratio. If it is too high, I leave.
I wonder if Trump is planning to clear off after his rally today. If Britain in general and Scotland in particular locks down more than other countries, though, he would presumably have second thoughts.
Try again! I hope they arrest Trump and Melania upon touchdown for breaching Scottish travel restrictions. Yes they can land as thats a UK competency. But travel from Prestwick to a hotel in Turnberry for a holiday sounds like non-essential travel.
Lock Him Up.
Our jurisdiction is looking like a good one for avoiding extradition to the USA. Trump and Assange would have lots to talk about in Belmarsh or Barlinnie.
Fwiw I've just backed Trump at 24 (now 21) to leave before the end of his first term, and saved the stake by backing Trump to leave in 2021 at 1.03.
I have to say I have been surprised by Trump. I thought he would pop to Florida for Christmas and not come back. Proved wrong on that one. I couldn't believe that he would get dragged out of the White House on the 20th, but I now think that may be possible. That would be so entertaining, but could be rather explosive so have mixed feelings about it.
I am expecting him to try and do a full televised presidential address to the nation from the oval office either the night before Biden or even in the morning of the inauguration. Full blown mad conspiracy rant about stolen election.
He may even attempt at declare martial law or some such stunt at that point.
Hope the various services and departments are fully ready to install Biden into the WH, by force if necessary.
My bet is (essentially) that Trump will swap places with Biden for a week or so to get some emergency pardoning done, especially after the Georgia tape.
No federal pardon can effect a state matter. He broke Georgia law (as well) in that call.
Any self pardoning will only effect *federal* charges.
Trump might use the temporary incapacity thing - a an anaesthetic for detail work or something - to pass the Presidency to Pence for an afternoon, to get his pardon.... but I doubt it...
There is already a queue of states (and DAs) looking to prosecute Trump after he leaves office.
I wonder if Trump is planning to clear off after his rally today. If Britain in general and Scotland in particular locks down more than other countries, though, he would presumably have second thoughts.
Try again! I hope they arrest Trump and Melania upon touchdown for breaching Scottish travel restrictions. Yes they can land as thats a UK competency. But travel from Prestwick to a hotel in Turnberry for a holiday sounds like non-essential travel.
Lock Him Up.
Our jurisdiction is looking like a good one for avoiding extradition to the USA. Trump and Assange would have lots to talk about in Belmarsh or Barlinnie.
Fwiw I've just backed Trump at 24 (now 21) to leave before the end of his first term, and saved the stake by backing Trump to leave in 2021 at 1.03.
I have to say I have been surprised by Trump. I thought he would pop to Florida for Christmas and not come back. Proved wrong on that one. I couldn't believe that he would get dragged out of the White House on the 20th, but I now think that may be possible. That would be so entertaining, but could be rather explosive so have mixed feelings about it.
I am expecting him to try and do a full televised presidential address to the nation from the oval office either the night before Biden or even in the morning of the inauguration. Full blown mad conspiracy rant about stolen election.
He may even attempt at declare martial law or some such stunt at that point.
Hope the various services and departments are fully ready to install Biden into the WH, by force if necessary.
Yes, the first idea sounds very Trump. A dramatic address the night before, and then popping up in Scotland. But he's so unpredictable , who could possibly say.
The one thing that seems to unite us all is that Williamson has to go and now
It'd be such an easy win for Boris to sack him, even if he held off a major reshuffle until later in the year. Given the stuff everyone already knows about Boris that hasn't harmed him, what the heck does Williamson know about him that he might reveal that keeps him in post?
Didn’t he used to be the Chief Whip? He’ll have a big black book of dirt on pretty much every Tory MP, except for a few of the 2019 intake.
Can't the footy and the Olympics just do the while bio-secure bubble thing?
The football can, so long as the players don’t see getting people in and out of the bubble as a challenge.
The huge issue with the Olympics is going to be all the qualifying tournaments in each nation, in the build-up to the Games themselves. You could just about quarantine and isolate the Village, but you’d need half of Tokyo’s police to do it, as well as keeping all the local staff and volunteers accommodated in the bubble for a month or more.
An the Olympic village is usually home to the world's largest sporting event - the international bonkathon of fit young things.
The Olympic Village during a Covid lockdown would basically be the Island of Capri under Tiberius, as depicted in Caligula?
14 May 2016: “We have this massive problem of producing our own players in this country … it’s probably why we should vote out of the EU! If we can vote out then we won’t have to take Uefa law because that is crap” – Sam Allardyce, then Sunderland manager.
4 January 2021: ”I have found three players already who were capable of coming here and they’re not allowed. It’s a shame. It’s not so much the pandemic, it’s the change of rules because of Brexit” – Allardyce struggles to find foreign imports for West Brom.
I don't understand your point, do you believe the vaccines will have no positive effect on things?
This is on the same logic as claiming lockdowns fail because the virus still exists afterwards (rather than sticking to an argument about liberty or consequential impacts).
My point is that even after the vaccines are introduced, there will still be reasons to lock us down. Already some medics are suggesting the vaccines do not protect against all of the strains. Which is a reason to maintain locking us down. As the vaccines are introduced, these people will build the case for maintaining the lockdown.
One thing that is different from March and a tad surprising is that Scottish Courts are now deeming themselves an essential service and are intending to carry on with their existing program. That means that there will be a considerable number of remote juries sitting in cinemas etc in January. I find that really odd. If I was eligible for jury service and picked I would be seriously unhappy. Ditto witnesses and, dare one mention it, lawyers.
It comes to a pretty pass when we are getting treated worse than teachers.
I wonder if Trump is planning to clear off after his rally today. If Britain in general and Scotland in particular locks down more than other countries, though, he would presumably have second thoughts.
Try again! I hope they arrest Trump and Melania upon touchdown for breaching Scottish travel restrictions. Yes they can land as thats a UK competency. But travel from Prestwick to a hotel in Turnberry for a holiday sounds like non-essential travel.
Lock Him Up.
Our jurisdiction is looking like a good one for avoiding extradition to the USA. Trump and Assange would have lots to talk about in Belmarsh or Barlinnie.
Fwiw I've just backed Trump at 24 (now 21) to leave before the end of his first term, and saved the stake by backing Trump to leave in 2021 at 1.03.
I have to say I have been surprised by Trump. I thought he would pop to Florida for Christmas and not come back. Proved wrong on that one. I couldn't believe that he would get dragged out of the White House on the 20th, but I now think that may be possible. That would be so entertaining, but could be rather explosive so have mixed feelings about it.
I am expecting him to try and do a full televised presidential address to the nation from the oval office either the night before Biden or even in the morning of the inauguration. Full blown mad conspiracy rant about stolen election.
He may even attempt at declare martial law or some such stunt at that point.
Hope the various services and departments are fully ready to install Biden into the WH, by force if necessary.
Trying to think like him - a scary thought - and even though it would only be even theoretically permissable on Federal matters, he will surely try to pardon himself for potential crimes. He wouldn't say it was an admission, just trying to prevent his enemies hounding him like they stole the election, and even if it didn't work what does he have to lose in trying it?
I don't understand your point, do you believe the vaccines will have no positive effect on things?
This is on the same logic as claiming lockdowns fail because the virus still exists afterwards (rather than sticking to an argument about liberty or consequential impacts).
My point is that even after the vaccines are introduced, there will still be reasons to lock us down. Already some medics are suggesting the vaccines do not protect against all of the strains. Which is a reason to maintain locking us down. As the vaccines are introduced, these people will build the case for maintaining the lockdown.
I don't think any medic has suggested that. Some have said that further study is needed, but none have suggested it won't work.
The one thing that seems to unite us all is that Williamson has to go and now
It'd be such an easy win for Boris to sack him, even if he held off a major reshuffle until later in the year. Given the stuff everyone already knows about Boris that hasn't harmed him, what the heck does Williamson know about him that he might reveal that keeps him in post?
Didn’t he used to be the Chief Whip? He’ll have a big black book of dirt on pretty much every Tory MP, except for a few of the 2019 intake.
Call his bluff. Is Williamson going to burn his bridges with every Tory MP and potential Tory leader by releasing the dirt he has built up over the years?
I'm in two minds on listing potential excuses as on one hand you won't get all reasonable excuses and unless it literally is only those ones allowed you can bet some officious and nosy people will suggest something not contained is illegal, but on the other hand it at least is a bit more of a guide than not including any and there would be officious types anyway.
I don't understand your point, do you believe the vaccines will have no positive effect on things?
This is on the same logic as claiming lockdowns fail because the virus still exists afterwards (rather than sticking to an argument about liberty or consequential impacts).
The last thing we need with a blank cheque for authoritarian powers is someone eager to actually use them. If that sort of authoritarian power is to be wielded it should be by someone reluctant to use it, doing so as a last resort because there is no alternative.
Top form here, Philip. Constructing the argument that Johnson's dithering MO on the pandemic is a strength.
I sometimes think I am not worthy to be on the same forum as you.
I don't understand your point, do you believe the vaccines will have no positive effect on things?
This is on the same logic as claiming lockdowns fail because the virus still exists afterwards (rather than sticking to an argument about liberty or consequential impacts).
My point is that even after the vaccines are introduced, there will still be reasons to lock us down. Already some medics are suggesting the vaccines do not protect against all of the strains. Which is a reason to maintain locking us down. As the vaccines are introduced, these people will build the case for maintaining the lockdown.
I don't think any medic has suggested that. Some have said that further study is needed, but none have suggested it won't work.
My point is that even after the vaccines are introduced, there will still be reasons to lock us down. Already some medics are suggesting the vaccines do not protect against all of the strains. Which is a reason to maintain locking us down. As the vaccines are introduced, these people will build the case for maintaining the lockdown.
So there might not be a complete elimination of restrictions immediately, what of it? Restrictions are not an end in themselves, and the less the public perceives the justification the less the politicians would accept it even if advised to do it, but since at various points restrictions have been relaxed we know the advisers and decision makers don't want to keep us perpetually under restriction.
So there's nothing to worry about in their motivations. Indeed, the politicians have been slower to implement measures than the public want, so the instinctual position is clearly to relax.
I wonder if Trump is planning to clear off after his rally today. If Britain in general and Scotland in particular locks down more than other countries, though, he would presumably have second thoughts.
Try again! I hope they arrest Trump and Melania upon touchdown for breaching Scottish travel restrictions. Yes they can land as thats a UK competency. But travel from Prestwick to a hotel in Turnberry for a holiday sounds like non-essential travel.
Lock Him Up.
Our jurisdiction is looking like a good one for avoiding extradition to the USA. Trump and Assange would have lots to talk about in Belmarsh or Barlinnie.
Fwiw I've just backed Trump at 24 (now 21) to leave before the end of his first term, and saved the stake by backing Trump to leave in 2021 at 1.03.
I have to say I have been surprised by Trump. I thought he would pop to Florida for Christmas and not come back. Proved wrong on that one. I couldn't believe that he would get dragged out of the White House on the 20th, but I now think that may be possible. That would be so entertaining, but could be rather explosive so have mixed feelings about it.
I am expecting him to try and do a full televised presidential address to the nation from the oval office either the night before Biden or even in the morning of the inauguration. Full blown mad conspiracy rant about stolen election.
He may even attempt at declare martial law or some such stunt at that point.
Hope the various services and departments are fully ready to install Biden into the WH, by force if necessary.
Yes, the first idea sounds very Trump. A dramatic address the night before, and then popping up in Scotland. But he's so unpredictable , who could possibly say.
I wonder if Trump is planning to clear off after his rally today. If Britain in general and Scotland in particular locks down more than other countries, though, he would presumably have second thoughts.
Try again! I hope they arrest Trump and Melania upon touchdown for breaching Scottish travel restrictions. Yes they can land as thats a UK competency. But travel from Prestwick to a hotel in Turnberry for a holiday sounds like non-essential travel.
Lock Him Up.
Our jurisdiction is looking like a good one for avoiding extradition to the USA. Trump and Assange would have lots to talk about in Belmarsh or Barlinnie.
Fwiw I've just backed Trump at 24 (now 21) to leave before the end of his first term, and saved the stake by backing Trump to leave in 2021 at 1.03.
I have to say I have been surprised by Trump. I thought he would pop to Florida for Christmas and not come back. Proved wrong on that one. I couldn't believe that he would get dragged out of the White House on the 20th, but I now think that may be possible. That would be so entertaining, but could be rather explosive so have mixed feelings about it.
I am expecting him to try and do a full televised presidential address to the nation from the oval office either the night before Biden or even in the morning of the inauguration. Full blown mad conspiracy rant about stolen election.
He may even attempt at declare martial law or some such stunt at that point.
Hope the various services and departments are fully ready to install Biden into the WH, by force if necessary.
My bet is (essentially) that Trump will swap places with Biden for a week or so to get some emergency pardoning done, especially after the Georgia tape.
No federal pardon can effect a state matter. He broke Georgia law (as well) in that call.
Any self pardoning will only effect *federal* charges.
Trump might use the temporary incapacity thing - a an anaesthetic for detail work or something - to pass the Presidency to Pence for an afternoon, to get his pardon.... but I doubt it...
There is already a queue of states (and DAs) looking to prosecute Trump after he leaves office.
The states can be squared off, and that is beside the federal stuff. President Biden will not want American democracy fouled further: President Putin might.
The one thing that seems to unite us all is that Williamson has to go and now
It'd be such an easy win for Boris to sack him, even if he held off a major reshuffle until later in the year. Given the stuff everyone already knows about Boris that hasn't harmed him, what the heck does Williamson know about him that he might reveal that keeps him in post?
Didn’t he used to be the Chief Whip? He’ll have a big black book of dirt on pretty much every Tory MP, except for a few of the 2019 intake.
Call his bluff. Is Williamson going to burn his bridges with every Tory MP and potential Tory leader by releasing the dirt he has built up over the years?
But if he has the big book of dirt, he can release it a little at a time, to a friendly journalist or two, whenever is most advantageous to harm the person concerned. Middle of the next leadership contest is a good time for an affair or a drug bust to come out. Or a coming-out.
I don't understand your point, do you believe the vaccines will have no positive effect on things?
This is on the same logic as claiming lockdowns fail because the virus still exists afterwards (rather than sticking to an argument about liberty or consequential impacts).
My point is that even after the vaccines are introduced, there will still be reasons to lock us down. Already some medics are suggesting the vaccines do not protect against all of the strains. Which is a reason to maintain locking us down. As the vaccines are introduced, these people will build the case for maintaining the lockdown.
I don't think any medic has suggested that. Some have said that further study is needed, but none have suggested it won't work.
I wonder if Trump is planning to clear off after his rally today. If Britain in general and Scotland in particular locks down more than other countries, though, he would presumably have second thoughts.
Try again! I hope they arrest Trump and Melania upon touchdown for breaching Scottish travel restrictions. Yes they can land as thats a UK competency. But travel from Prestwick to a hotel in Turnberry for a holiday sounds like non-essential travel.
Lock Him Up.
Diplomatic immunity. But that's not a great excuse in the UK right now. And the next day he loses immunity ...
And covid immunity, considering he's already had it.
Politicians need to get a lot more adroit in avoiding daily U-turns. Yes, things change quickly, and they're right to react to them, but they really should be more careful/thoughtful:
I don't understand your point, do you believe the vaccines will have no positive effect on things?
This is on the same logic as claiming lockdowns fail because the virus still exists afterwards (rather than sticking to an argument about liberty or consequential impacts).
My point is that even after the vaccines are introduced, there will still be reasons to lock us down. Already some medics are suggesting the vaccines do not protect against all of the strains. Which is a reason to maintain locking us down. As the vaccines are introduced, these people will build the case for maintaining the lockdown.
I don't think any medic has suggested that. Some have said that further study is needed, but none have suggested it won't work.
Already the seeds for post vaccination lockdowns are being sown. This is not the end. For the people associated with this, there clearly is no end.
That title is editorialising. Read the articles and the quotes.
Here's what Sir John Bell has said
Speaking to Times Radio on Jan 3, Sir John said he was more concerned about the South African strain than the UK one "by some margin".
"The mutations associated with the South African form are really pretty substantial changes in the structure of the protein," he said, explaining that the strain had mutated in the part of the virus which allows antibodies to stick to it.
Sir John added that although there was no data yet on whether it increases severity, "it's increased the infectiousness, probably by increasing its ability to bind to the human cells".
Asked whether current Covid-19 vaccines would be able to tackle both the UK and South African variants, he said the Oxford University team was currently assessing this and there was still "room to manoeuvre" because the vaccines worked "much better than any of us thought they were going to".
"I think it's unlikely that these mutations will turn off the effects of vaccines entirely – I think they'll still have a residual effect," he said, adding that it was "perfectly possible" to make new vaccines in a matter of weeks if necessary.
"It might take a month, or six weeks, to get a new vaccine, so everybody should stay calm. It's going to be fine
The one thing that seems to unite us all is that Williamson has to go and now
It'd be such an easy win for Boris to sack him, even if he held off a major reshuffle until later in the year. Given the stuff everyone already knows about Boris that hasn't harmed him, what the heck does Williamson know about him that he might reveal that keeps him in post?
Didn’t he used to be the Chief Whip? He’ll have a big black book of dirt on pretty much every Tory MP, except for a few of the 2019 intake.
Call his bluff. Is Williamson going to burn his bridges with every Tory MP and potential Tory leader by releasing the dirt he has built up over the years?
But if he has the big book of dirt, he can release it a little at a time, to a friendly journalist or two, whenever is most advantageous to harm the person concerned. Middle of the next leadership contest is a good time for an affair or a drug bust to come out. Or a coming-out.
The one thing that seems to unite us all is that Williamson has to go and now
It'd be such an easy win for Boris to sack him, even if he held off a major reshuffle until later in the year. Given the stuff everyone already knows about Boris that hasn't harmed him, what the heck does Williamson know about him that he might reveal that keeps him in post?
Didn’t he used to be the Chief Whip? He’ll have a big black book of dirt on pretty much every Tory MP, except for a few of the 2019 intake.
Call his bluff. Is Williamson going to burn his bridges with every Tory MP and potential Tory leader by releasing the dirt he has built up over the years?
But if he has the big book of dirt, he can release it a little at a time, to a friendly journalist or two, whenever is most advantageous to harm the person concerned. Middle of the next leadership contest is a good time for an affair or a drug bust to come out. Or a coming-out.
What we learned from the last leadership election is no-one cares about sex, drugs, or most old-fashioned scandals. It was hypocrisy that did for Gove, not the class As. Even what looks like corruption under this government passes by without a flicker.
The Scotland curves are only pointing downwards because only the headline case, test and death numbers have been reported for the last four days, with no details such as cases by specimen date.
Yes - the reason why I don't fiddle with the generated spreadsheets is that I assume that everyone here is switched on enough to know this.
He's finally come round to my plan of a couple of days ago.
Has he told Drakeford
It is obvious that no one -- least of all SKS -- tells Drakeford anything.
The disparity between Starmer's proclamations & Drakeford's actions are so glaring that the the only explanation is that Labour have completely forgotten that they are running Wales.
Possibly Labour have been running Wales for so long, they just think it is the place where they can mooch around in flip-flops and nothing ever gets done there.
It is very common. OGH was earlier fulminating about the folly of keeping the schools open.
Apparently OGH is unaware that the last LibDem in power anywhere (darling Kirsty) is actually in charge of the Welsh education portfolio, and is busy keeping the schools in Wales open.
I have given up expecting any consistency between what English Labour and LibDem politicians say, and what their representatives in the Welsh Government actually do.
The last thing we need with a blank cheque for authoritarian powers is someone eager to actually use them. If that sort of authoritarian power is to be wielded it should be by someone reluctant to use it, doing so as a last resort because there is no alternative.
Top form here, Philip. Constructing the argument that Johnson's dithering MO on the pandemic is a strength.
I sometimes think I am not worthy to be on the same forum as you.
In fairness getting the balance is a challenge. We do not want people who make too rapid decisions (except when the last engine on the plane has stopped) but we also don't want ditherers (especially when the last engine on the plane has stopped [that would be me, still sorting the issue as we hit the ground])
That's well phrased for me. It is a contract. Thus far the public have done better than the government but for this final harrowing phase it needs both to perform. C'mon public. C'mon government. Eyes on the prize.
Ha I bet all you people who said Johnson would be following Sturgeon by 5pm tonight feel pretty fucking stupid now.
It seems we have two possibilities (i) Sturgeon is an indecisive idiot who nonetheless somehow has a mole deep within Downing Street enabling her to announce Johnson's restrictions as her own before they are announced in England and look like she is the one in control of the situation and decisive (ii) Johnson is the indecisive idiot
Occam's razor?
Or a third.
Officials discuss options behind the scenes and politicians announce changes when they've agreed them with their cabinets?
True. Unsportsman(lady)like though for Sturgeon to run with it first every time. Unless she's acting as canary to see what reception the restriction get and Johnson announces them a little later if they seem to have gone down well.
More like the timing. If Mr J hogs the peak teatime slot, then what else is a lady to do?
Given that NS speaks for a population about the same size as Yorkshire and half that of London she gets an awful lot of airtime, and it takes stupendous number of long winded politicians (though Ian Blackford's prime slot is unchallengeable worldwide by anyone outside North Korea) to keep the place running so marvellously.
Tomorrow is going to be a grand day for newspaper headlines writers who use "Day of Report" figures.
No the "cases by date reported" have been published every day and included in the UK total, so tomorrow's headline figure will just be one day as usual.
But all the detail including cases by specimen date and for local areas will be filled in tomorrow, so expect big jumps in the cases/week/100k figures for each area.
What sort of f***ed up meeting involves someone seriously saying, "hang on, everyone, before we decide, let's listen to what Gavin Williamson reckons we should do as he often makes really good points"?
Let alone following it up with, "so we're decided then - let's do what Gavin says".
Is it one led by a popular procrastinator who likes to have a handy scapegoat around to avoid any responsibility for a series of poor decisions?
I've got an original idea: How about . . . the border. Do you think closing that might help?
Which are longer odds: The government closes the border, or the media asks why it isn't being closed?
(And, of course, quarantining travellers in airport hotels for two weeks is not *closing* the border, it's more securing it.)
We do need to think about what to do with truckers - presumably the right thing to do would be for people to bring containers across and hand them over, and then for the truckers themselves to turn back around.
Ha I bet all you people who said Johnson would be following Sturgeon by 5pm tonight feel pretty fucking stupid now.
It seems we have two possibilities (i) Sturgeon is an indecisive idiot who nonetheless somehow has a mole deep within Downing Street enabling her to announce Johnson's restrictions as her own before they are announced in England and look like she is the one in control of the situation and decisive (ii) Johnson is the indecisive idiot
Occam's razor?
Or a third.
Officials discuss options behind the scenes and politicians announce changes when they've agreed them with their cabinets?
True. Unsportsman(lady)like though for Sturgeon to run with it first every time. Unless she's acting as canary to see what reception the restriction get and Johnson announces them a little later if they seem to have gone down well.
More like the timing. If Mr J hogs the peak teatime slot, then what else is a lady to do?
Given that NS speaks for a population about the same size as Yorkshire and half that of London she gets an awful lot of airtime, and it takes stupendous number of long winded politicians (though Ian Blackford's prime slot is unchallengeable worldwide by anyone outside North Korea) to keep the place running so marvellously.
The last thing we need with a blank cheque for authoritarian powers is someone eager to actually use them. If that sort of authoritarian power is to be wielded it should be by someone reluctant to use it, doing so as a last resort because there is no alternative.
Top form here, Philip. Constructing the argument that Johnson's dithering MO on the pandemic is a strength.
I sometimes think I am not worthy to be on the same forum as you.
In fairness getting the balance is a challenge. We do not want people who make too rapid decisions (except when the last engine on the plane has stopped) but we also don't want ditherers (especially when the last engine on the plane has stopped [that would be me, still sorting the issue as we hit the ground])
True. But you don't want dither PLUS panic and as an observer this is what I'm quite often seeing. But to cut some slack perhaps on the inside it looks different.
You know how swans look calm and graceful yet under the water they are in a flap? Well maybe this Johnson administration are the opposite of that.
The last thing we need with a blank cheque for authoritarian powers is someone eager to actually use them. If that sort of authoritarian power is to be wielded it should be by someone reluctant to use it, doing so as a last resort because there is no alternative.
Top form here, Philip. Constructing the argument that Johnson's dithering MO on the pandemic is a strength.
I sometimes think I am not worthy to be on the same forum as you.
In fairness getting the balance is a challenge. We do not want people who make too rapid decisions (except when the last engine on the plane has stopped) but we also don't want ditherers (especially when the last engine on the plane has stopped [that would be me, still sorting the issue as we hit the ground])
True. But you don't want dither PLUS panic and as an observer this is what I'm quite often seeing. But to cut some slack perhaps on the inside it looks different.
You know how swans look calm and graceful yet under the water they are in a flap? Well maybe this Johnson administration are the opposite of that.
Re your last sentence - yeah don't think so sadly.
The Scotland curves are only pointing downwards because only the headline case, test and death numbers have been reported for the last four days, with no details such as cases by specimen date.
My local Area Ayrshire and Arran say hospitals are running at 96% of the covid capacity. Does not sound very clever.
Ha I bet all you people who said Johnson would be following Sturgeon by 5pm tonight feel pretty fucking stupid now.
It seems we have two possibilities (i) Sturgeon is an indecisive idiot who nonetheless somehow has a mole deep within Downing Street enabling her to announce Johnson's restrictions as her own before they are announced in England and look like she is the one in control of the situation and decisive (ii) Johnson is the indecisive idiot
Occam's razor?
Or a third.
Officials discuss options behind the scenes and politicians announce changes when they've agreed them with their cabinets?
True. Unsportsman(lady)like though for Sturgeon to run with it first every time. Unless she's acting as canary to see what reception the restriction get and Johnson announces them a little later if they seem to have gone down well.
More like the timing. If Mr J hogs the peak teatime slot, then what else is a lady to do?
Given that NS speaks for a population about the same size as Yorkshire and half that of London she gets an awful lot of airtime, and it takes stupendous number of long winded politicians (though Ian Blackford's prime slot is unchallengeable worldwide by anyone outside North Korea) to keep the place running so marvellously.
Different country innit.
Just cannot accept that she is streets ahead of Westminster and unlike Johnson does not play it for personal gain but actually cares about the public more than filling chums pockets and self aggrandising. I hear he was booed out of Addenbrokes hospital today , maybe that focussed his mind.
Comments
Which are longer odds: The government closes the border, or the media asks why it isn't being closed?
From case data
From hospitalisation data
This is on the same logic as claiming lockdowns fail because the virus still exists afterwards (rather than sticking to an argument about liberty or consequential impacts).
He may even attempt at declare martial law or some such stunt at that point.
Hope the various services and departments are fully ready to install Biden into the WH, by force if necessary.
"Witchcraft is as scientifically valid as the Theory of Gravity. Saying otherwise is racist"
https://reason.com/2016/10/14/watch-leftist-students-say-science-is-ra/
NI is back to disaster zone again over three unpublished days, with Wales and Scotland mostly looking less bad. Yet.
https://twitter.com/devisridhar/status/1346015751128420358?s=20
We are doing a lot of hearings by phone which is just terrible. You have no idea if your decision maker is nodding along, completely confused or just incredulous. You don't know when to move on to the next point. No one can concentrate to the necessary level for more than an hour, tops. Some courts are trying to set up Webex but it has been painfully slow. That's not great but it is much better. I have used that in Inverness, Perth and the Court of Session.
You support this, right?
https://twitter.com/KateGreenSU/status/1346031723528806402?s=19
Any self pardoning will only effect *federal* charges.
Trump might use the temporary incapacity thing - a an anaesthetic for detail work or something - to pass the Presidency to Pence for an afternoon, to get his pardon.... but I doubt it...
There is already a queue of states (and DAs) looking to prosecute Trump after he leaves office.
The media need to focus on the last bit VACCINATION –– not meaningless voxpops and slut-shaming 20-year-olds at French raves.
14 May 2016: “We have this massive problem of producing our own players in this country … it’s probably why we should vote out of the EU! If we can vote out then we won’t have to take Uefa law because that is crap” – Sam Allardyce, then Sunderland manager.
4 January 2021: ”I have found three players already who were capable of coming here and they’re not allowed. It’s a shame. It’s not so much the pandemic, it’s the change of rules because of Brexit” – Allardyce struggles to find foreign imports for West Brom.
https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-schools-teachers-dfe-has-been-hindrance-every-step-way
And if current reports are accurate, it’s about to get worse.
I sometimes think I am not worthy to be on the same forum as you.
I'm afraid you are not correct.
Already the seeds for post vaccination lockdowns are being sown. This is not the end. For the people associated with this, there clearly is no end.
So there's nothing to worry about in their motivations. Indeed, the politicians have been slower to implement measures than the public want, so the instinctual position is clearly to relax.
I could not imagine Corbyn doing so
*And Guernsey
As an ex-mathematician and not a physicist I much prefer an axiom, but that theory will do.
https://twitter.com/ShehabKhan/status/1346134838718423040?s=20
For example:
https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1346141920372912128?s=20
Speaking to Times Radio on Jan 3, Sir John said he was more concerned about the South African strain than the UK one "by some margin".
"The mutations associated with the South African form are really pretty substantial changes in the structure of the protein," he said, explaining that the strain had mutated in the part of the virus which allows antibodies to stick to it.
Sir John added that although there was no data yet on whether it increases severity, "it's increased the infectiousness, probably by increasing its ability to bind to the human cells".
Asked whether current Covid-19 vaccines would be able to tackle both the UK and South African variants, he said the Oxford University team was currently assessing this and there was still "room to manoeuvre" because the vaccines worked "much better than any of us thought they were going to".
"I think it's unlikely that these mutations will turn off the effects of vaccines entirely – I think they'll still have a residual effect," he said, adding that it was "perfectly possible" to make new vaccines in a matter of weeks if necessary.
"It might take a month, or six weeks, to get a new vaccine, so everybody should stay calm. It's going to be fine
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/01/03/south-african-variant-could-resistant-vaccine-expert-suggests/
Tomorrow and Wednesday will be interesting.....
NEW THREAD
The disparity between Starmer's proclamations & Drakeford's actions are so glaring that the the only explanation is that Labour have completely forgotten that they are running Wales.
Possibly Labour have been running Wales for so long, they just think it is the place where they can mooch around in flip-flops and nothing ever gets done there.
It is very common. OGH was earlier fulminating about the folly of keeping the schools open.
Apparently OGH is unaware that the last LibDem in power anywhere (darling Kirsty) is actually in charge of the Welsh education portfolio, and is busy keeping the schools in Wales open.
I have given up expecting any consistency between what English Labour and LibDem politicians say, and what their representatives in the Welsh Government actually do.
But all the detail including cases by specimen date and for local areas will be filled in tomorrow, so expect big jumps in the cases/week/100k figures for each area.
Or was it just a little one that you could easily miss? If so, fair enough.
We do need to think about what to do with truckers - presumably the right thing to do would be for people to bring containers across and hand them over, and then for the truckers themselves to turn back around.
You know how swans look calm and graceful yet under the water they are in a flap? Well maybe this Johnson administration are the opposite of that.
I hear he was booed out of Addenbrokes hospital today , maybe that focussed his mind.