HOLYROOD'S harassment complaints committee have now been handed Whatsapp messages from the Crown Office that Alex Salmond has claimed proves there was a high level plot by Nicola Sturgeon's allies to ruin him and even send him to jail.
Strange that WhatsApp messages that have been denied even existed have now been handed over. Everybody who testified and said these messages didn’t exist are now proven liars
Do you think Nicola's been a wee bit naughty Malc?
Hello GIN, she is a total roaster, surrounded by handpicked wrong un's , should be a shedload of them heading for the pokey but we will be lucky if we see them sacked.
Why did she/they do it though? That's what I can't work out? I mean Alex had retired from front line politics so it's not like he was threat to her/her job?
Alex is a lot like Farage.
Someone who loves the limelight and regularly retires only to then come back to take the leadership "by popular demand".
Something happened to society in the Blair-Cameron years, but I don't know what. We do seem to still be fighting over it, though. And until we work out what, we can't collectively move on.
Gordon Brown happened.
That's not an entirely facetious response. Much of our current economic and social structure is the result of his legacy and policies that were carried on by the coalition.
Duke & Duchess of Sussex is an amazing modern-dress re-enactment of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor blockbuster.
Which in an odd by very direct way was responsible for creating the modern British monarchy. In somewhat similar fashion, to how the wretched excesses of the the last Hanoverians proved to be a surprising effective foundation for Queen Victoria & her successors.
In other words, the sky may NOT be falling for the House of Windsor-Mountbatten-Whatever.
However, they DO need to adapt. AND fire the chinless wonders!
It really is a strange echo, right down to her being American. HOWEVER there is a difference which makes it worse for the present royals: H&M are determined to damage the royal family in revenge (that is the only way to read what they've done, even if you completely believe them), and Meghan has much sympathy, especially amongst the young.
This is true even in Britain (obviously true in America). Look at the polls. Even within my family anyone in their 20s or below is generally on the side of H&M, everyone over 30 is the opposite. This is what makes Meghan so dangerous. Her popularity. She's like a steelier version of Diana.
Wallis Simpson did not seek to destroy the Royals, even if she could, she was also pretty unpopular with nearly everyone - visiting Hitler and so on. Yuk.
However I expect the Windsors to endure, because that is the nature of these never ending sagas, they never end. The next big drama, sadly, will probably be a significant death or two. Sympathy will swing back.
Will Harry even attend the funerals? It is brilliant theatre (which is another reason it will carry on)
If they get 100 million views from it and a hugely enhanced profile, with a lot of sympathy to go with it, then it's been hugely beneficial from their point of view and I suspect they were advised accordingly.
I think the best course for the Royal Family is to maintain a dignified silence. Commenting or stripping them of titles would simply play into their hands.
It didn't get 100 million, it got 17 million and this confirms they were certainly right to be stripped of any remaining royal titles.
Not a penny more for either of them either, if they want to make their own money let them do it and let them never set foot on these shores again
I've emailed the IBD nursing team at my hospital about it too. Hopefully they can offer some advice or even call the GP surgery on my behalf.
I think sadly that group 6 is the area where things have been fudged. I have a family member with a very rare immune disorder which isn’t on the easy computer tick list for priority. Their consultant said “make sure your gp gets you on the priority list”.
All the GP said was “oh I don’t know anything about the vaccines, it’s nothing to do with me. Email this random email address”.
Email address: < we have received your message please do no reply to this address >
MP: no answer
Yes, I'm in a similar situation. Have a fairly rare condition and should probably be vaccinated (whether I get offered the flu jab seems entirely random from year to year) but I'm not on the tick list.
It's okay, though, I'm in the 45+ group so don't expect to have to wait too many more weeks anyway. So I'm not going to pester.
--AS
Wife was invited today, 45 (to my chagrin as I have pointed out repeatedly here today, I’m 47) and can only assume it’s because her GP prioritised her because of her (albeit mild) asthma.
I am very sorry to hear that news. We had some interesting cats and he was a great poster. I used to enjoy picturing him on the veranda in the sun. Thank you for telling us and all the best wishes in the world.
I meant chats not cats.
I think cats scans better, and I prefer to picture that scene.
Do we have an estimate of the level needed for herd immunity, given the more transmissible variants? Was 80% talked about for wild type?
Herd immunity = 1 -(1/R0). So
Ro = 2.5, HI = 60% Ro = 3.0, HI = 66% Ro = 3.5, HI = 71.5% Ro = 4.0, HI = 75% Ro = 4.5, HI = 78% Ro = 5.0, HI = 80%
So probably need about 75+ for normal life.
Hopefully the trials on kids will come back with good results in the next few months so we can dovetail them onto the back of the all adult rollout. They're at low risk themselves but it would be a useful bump in terms of population immunity.
Duke & Duchess of Sussex is an amazing modern-dress re-enactment of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor blockbuster.
Which in an odd by very direct way was responsible for creating the modern British monarchy. In somewhat similar fashion, to how the wretched excesses of the the last Hanoverians proved to be a surprising effective foundation for Queen Victoria & her successors.
In other words, the sky may NOT be falling for the House of Windsor-Mountbatten-Whatever.
However, they DO need to adapt. AND fire the chinless wonders!
It really is a strange echo, right down to her being American. HOWEVER there is a difference which makes it worse for the present royals: H&M are determined to damage the royal family in revenge (that is the only way to read what they've done, even if you completely believe them), and Meghan has much sympathy, especially amongst the young.
This is true even in Britain (obviously true in America). Look at the polls. Even within my family anyone in their 20s or below is generally on the side of H&M, everyone over 30 is the opposite. This is what makes Meghan so dangerous. Her popularity. She's like a steelier version of Diana.
Wallis Simpson did not seek to destroy the Royals, even if she could, she was also pretty unpopular with nearly everyone - visiting Hitler and so on. Yuk.
However I expect the Windsors to endure, because that is the nature of these never ending sagas, they never end. The next big drama, sadly, will probably be a significant death or two. Sympathy will swing back.
Will Harry even attend the funerals? It is brilliant theatre (which is another reason it will carry on)
If they get 100 million views from it and a hugely enhanced profile, with a lot of sympathy to go with it, then it's been hugely beneficial from their point of view and I suspect they were advised accordingly.
I think the best course for the Royal Family is to maintain a dignified silence. Commenting or stripping them of titles would simply play into their hands.
It didn't get 100 million, it got 17 million and this confirms they were certainly right to be stripped of any remaining royal titles.
Not a penny more for either of them either, if they wrong to make their own money let them do it and let them never set foot on these shores again
It didn't get 17 million.
That was the live on air broadcast figure. Most people watch TV online or on demand nowadays not live and that will be factored into the proper results of how many see it.
Without counting how many see clips that go viral etc
As for saying a British citizen should be "never allowed to set foot on these shores again" I think you need to get out of your tank.
Why not just give the (frontline) NHS workers exposed to risk a one-off tax-free bonus of £2,000 each - put it in the Covid slush pot for FY20/21; may as well given the £400bn spaffed up the wall - and up their pay by 2.1%, at a cost of the extra £1.2bn per year or whatever?
These will be rounding errors over 5 years anyway.
The problem with pay rises is its permanent, exponential and there's no gratitude for it. It could be 2.1% this year and then that increases expenditure by close to a billion pounds per annum in perpetuity. Then this time next year there'll again be a clammer for pay rises with the old pay rise 'banked'.
I thought it was an interesting point by Boris that what nurses have said to him (and it is what campaigners have been saying) is that the nurses need more colleagues, more nurses and there's 10,000 extra nurses over the last year and more being recruited still. So a pay rise becomes even more expensive as numbers rise further - or you have the same budget, give a pay rise but lose the extra colleagues to come.
Do nurses want to lose the extra colleagues to come who are being hired to reduce their workload? I doubt it.
I get that, and normally I'd agree with you, and I just think the events of the last year have been so exceptional and what they've had to go through so traumatic that I think they've gone above and beyond and deserve it. They faced a level of risk I never did.
I certainly wouldn't do it every year. And I'd be firm on that.
A pay freeze but a one off bonus would have probably been smarter politics and smarter economics. Could have frozen all pay without exceptions but given a 10% bonus to nurses etc - a 10% bonus one off would cost less over a 5 year term than a 2.1% increase but would have come across as more generous.
Plus the bonus would go to people who actually worked this year, rather than future hires.
That is much what the Scottish Gmt want to do but have been savagely poohpoohed - not least because the UK Gmt woulodn't give tax relief. Though given the latter, 10% of salary that is a more realistic figure than the £500 that could be done without a Barnett consequential. Also hopefully less likely to run into UC and marginal taxation anomalies.
I think you need to check what the deal actually was with the tax.
The UK Government doesn't get the tax, the Scottish Government does, so the UK Government advised the Scottish Government to uprate for tax - they would then get the tax back so it would go through at £500 net of tax.
Not the case, surely. 50% of UK income tax rate stays in the Westminster coffers. As does all the NI. The SG has to set the rest. If it pays the income tax on £n it loses half that tax, just about.
I'm too tired after a long day working on the screen to work out mentally if it's actually possible to give £500 tax free in a reasonably sensible way that doesn't simply return money unduly, but for another thing NI would be 100% lost. as well.
Looking at that photo I've realised why Meghan slightly unnerves me, even as I am compelled to look at her. She is the spitting image of a young girlfriend I had about 20 years ago, who I loved very much but who went on to break my heart. Like Meghan she was mixed race (in her case Indian, Jewish, Portuguese, English), like Meghan she was strikingly beautiful.
It is remarkable, the power of female beauty, over men.
And maybe that's why I also sympathise with Harry
It makes you wonder how much of world history over the millennia has been actuated by female beauty and the pursuit of it by powerful men.
Pretty much most of it, I reckon
"Men test ideas. Women test men."
Solid gold, 24 carat, misogynistic drivel.
Biological fact. The desire to procreate drives all of life, it is THE goal of any living being, such that they will go hungry, thirsty. whatever to achieve it; many organisms die when it is finally done. Many creatures fight to the death for the best mates
The male pursuit of beautiful women - fitted ideally for reproduction, as that is what beauty signals - is just a particular form of this. So, yes, it is a primary driver of humanity, and thus shapes all of human society, civilisation and history
If you have an issue with this, I suggest you take it up with God, Darwin, or your psycho-therapist (you must have one) as you are arguing with basic reality, not with me
Human procreation and mating is a crux and fascinating area. But discussion of it often presents as Swiss Toni style barroom musing - as in cartoon patriarchal nonsense like "human history is driven by the pursuit of beautiful women by powerful men".
So I was kind of hoping if I jumped on that now, it wouldn't develop and potentially get even more crass. Because you know what can happen on here if you are allowed to set the tone. It gets whiffy. Not always but quite often.
Tedious
You are sometimes, yes. My point.
Be your best self.
You have an obnoxious tone of voice when you enter this ‘weary moral arbiter’ mode.
But you know it’s obnoxious. That’s why you do it. To irritate
So you carry on obnoxing and I’ll carry on ignoring your appeals to desist
Something happened to society in the Blair-Cameron years, but I don't know what. We do seem to still be fighting over it, though. And until we work out what, we can't collectively move on.
Gordon Brown happened.
That's not an entirely facetious response. Much of our current economic and social structure is the result of his legacy and policies that were carried on by the coalition.
But it’s global. Look at America.
It is lower IQs, in part. They really are dumber. Plus social media
Do we have an estimate of the level needed for herd immunity, given the more transmissible variants? Was 80% talked about for wild type?
Herd immunity = 1 -(1/R0). So
Ro = 2.5, HI = 60% Ro = 3.0, HI = 66% Ro = 3.5, HI = 71.5% Ro = 4.0, HI = 75% Ro = 4.5, HI = 78% Ro = 5.0, HI = 80%
So probably need about 75+ for normal life.
Hopefully the trials on kids will come back with good results in the next few months so we can dovetail them onto the back of the all adult rollout. They're at low risk themselves but it would be a useful bump in terms of population immunity.
I’m pretty confident that will happen. I think back to the BCG vaccinations we all had in secondary school in the late 80s and how small a deal that was.
HOLYROOD'S harassment complaints committee have now been handed Whatsapp messages from the Crown Office that Alex Salmond has claimed proves there was a high level plot by Nicola Sturgeon's allies to ruin him and even send him to jail.
Strange that WhatsApp messages that have been denied even existed have now been handed over. Everybody who testified and said these messages didn’t exist are now proven liars
Do you think Nicola's been a wee bit naughty Malc?
Hello GIN, she is a total roaster, surrounded by handpicked wrong un's , should be a shedload of them heading for the pokey but we will be lucky if we see them sacked.
Why did she/they do it though? That's what I can't work out? I mean Alex had retired from front line politics so it's not like he was threat to her/her job?
Alex is a lot like Farage.
Someone who loves the limelight and regularly retires only to then come back to take the leadership "by popular demand".
As a complete outsider it seems to me at the moment he is a a man driven for revenge and doesn’t give a flying monkeys about the cost.
I`d inquired about Nichomar who I`d noticed hadn`t posted since 19 January and was aware that he was in hospital.
I`ve received a message from Nichomar`s daughter today.
Nichomar dies of cancer on 22 January.
His daughter is pleased that we are thinking about him and has asked me to pass on the bad news to you all.
Nichomar has been posting for near-on six years and his posts totalled 7500.
Very sad day.
That was a very very considerate thing to do Stocky. Much respect to you, Sir.
Indeed, and RIP Nichomar. Always very sad news to hear when a PB regular passes away.
Yes, sorry to hear.
Indeed glad that so many of us have survived the plague year. It could have been much worse.
That's what I've been thinking. And plus nobody close to me has been hospitalized with it. Rate this quite fortunate.
Me neither (touch wood) but know of plenty that have had it.
A few of my very elderly retired colleagues died of it. And my 40-year old relative is probably not going to make it. We're waiting for his wife to be called for a final visit, any day now.
Duke & Duchess of Sussex is an amazing modern-dress re-enactment of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor blockbuster.
Which in an odd by very direct way was responsible for creating the modern British monarchy. In somewhat similar fashion, to how the wretched excesses of the the last Hanoverians proved to be a surprising effective foundation for Queen Victoria & her successors.
In other words, the sky may NOT be falling for the House of Windsor-Mountbatten-Whatever.
However, they DO need to adapt. AND fire the chinless wonders!
It really is a strange echo, right down to her being American. HOWEVER there is a difference which makes it worse for the present royals: H&M are determined to damage the royal family in revenge (that is the only way to read what they've done, even if you completely believe them), and Meghan has much sympathy, especially amongst the young.
This is true even in Britain (obviously true in America). Look at the polls. Even within my family anyone in their 20s or below is generally on the side of H&M, everyone over 30 is the opposite. This is what makes Meghan so dangerous. Her popularity. She's like a steelier version of Diana.
Wallis Simpson did not seek to destroy the Royals, even if she could, she was also pretty unpopular with nearly everyone - visiting Hitler and so on. Yuk.
However I expect the Windsors to endure, because that is the nature of these never ending sagas, they never end. The next big drama, sadly, will probably be a significant death or two. Sympathy will swing back.
Will Harry even attend the funerals? It is brilliant theatre (which is another reason it will carry on)
If they get 100 million views from it and a hugely enhanced profile, with a lot of sympathy to go with it, then it's been hugely beneficial from their point of view and I suspect they were advised accordingly.
I think the best course for the Royal Family is to maintain a dignified silence. Commenting or stripping them of titles would simply play into their hands.
It didn't get 100 million, it got 17 million and this confirms they were certainly right to be stripped of any remaining royal titles.
Not a penny more for either of them either, if they want to make their own money let them do it and let them never set foot on these shores again
Never letting them set foot on these shores again? Interesting that you seem to think Meghan and Harry should have the same justice meted out as Shamima Begum received. Seems a bit harsh.
HOLYROOD'S harassment complaints committee have now been handed Whatsapp messages from the Crown Office that Alex Salmond has claimed proves there was a high level plot by Nicola Sturgeon's allies to ruin him and even send him to jail.
Strange that WhatsApp messages that have been denied even existed have now been handed over. Everybody who testified and said these messages didn’t exist are now proven liars
Do you think Nicola's been a wee bit naughty Malc?
Hello GIN, she is a total roaster, surrounded by handpicked wrong un's , should be a shedload of them heading for the pokey but we will be lucky if we see them sacked.
Why did she/they do it though? That's what I can't work out? I mean Alex had retired from front line politics so it's not like he was threat to her/her job?
Alex is a lot like Farage.
Someone who loves the limelight and regularly retires only to then come back to take the leadership "by popular demand".
As a complete outsider it seems to me at the moment he is a a man driven for revenge and doesn’t give a flying monkeys about the cost.
If its true they tried to stitch him up and get him imprisoned and added to the sex-offenders register then he deserves to seek and get revenge.
I`d inquired about Nichomar who I`d noticed hadn`t posted since 19 January and was aware that he was in hospital.
I`ve received a message from Nichomar`s daughter today.
Nichomar dies of cancer on 22 January.
His daughter is pleased that we are thinking about him and has asked me to pass on the bad news to you all.
Nichomar has been posting for near-on six years and his posts totalled 7500.
Very sad day.
That was a very very considerate thing to do Stocky. Much respect to you, Sir.
Indeed, and RIP Nichomar. Always very sad news to hear when a PB regular passes away.
Yes, sorry to hear.
Indeed glad that so many of us have survived the plague year. It could have been much worse.
That's what I've been thinking. And plus nobody close to me has been hospitalized with it. Rate this quite fortunate.
Me neither (touch wood) but know of plenty that have had it.
A few of my very elderly retired colleagues died of it. And my 40-year old relative is probably not going to make it. We're waiting for his wife to be called for a final visit, any day now.
--AS
I’m very sorry to hear that. Sobering. At 47 I have never been that worried about catching it - this brings it home how wrong I am.
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
Duke & Duchess of Sussex is an amazing modern-dress re-enactment of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor blockbuster.
Which in an odd by very direct way was responsible for creating the modern British monarchy. In somewhat similar fashion, to how the wretched excesses of the the last Hanoverians proved to be a surprising effective foundation for Queen Victoria & her successors.
In other words, the sky may NOT be falling for the House of Windsor-Mountbatten-Whatever.
However, they DO need to adapt. AND fire the chinless wonders!
It really is a strange echo, right down to her being American. HOWEVER there is a difference which makes it worse for the present royals: H&M are determined to damage the royal family in revenge (that is the only way to read what they've done, even if you completely believe them), and Meghan has much sympathy, especially amongst the young.
This is true even in Britain (obviously true in America). Look at the polls. Even within my family anyone in their 20s or below is generally on the side of H&M, everyone over 30 is the opposite. This is what makes Meghan so dangerous. Her popularity. She's like a steelier version of Diana.
Wallis Simpson did not seek to destroy the Royals, even if she could, she was also pretty unpopular with nearly everyone - visiting Hitler and so on. Yuk.
However I expect the Windsors to endure, because that is the nature of these never ending sagas, they never end. The next big drama, sadly, will probably be a significant death or two. Sympathy will swing back.
Will Harry even attend the funerals? It is brilliant theatre (which is another reason it will carry on)
If they get 100 million views from it and a hugely enhanced profile, with a lot of sympathy to go with it, then it's been hugely beneficial from their point of view and I suspect they were advised accordingly.
I think the best course for the Royal Family is to maintain a dignified silence. Commenting or stripping them of titles would simply play into their hands.
It didn't get 100 million, it got 17 million and this confirms they were certainly right to be stripped of any remaining royal titles.
Not a penny more for either of them either, if they want to make their own money let them do it and let them never set foot on these shores again
Never letting them set foot on these shores again? Interesting that you seem to think Meghan and Harry should have the same justice meted out as Shamima Begum received. Seems a bit harsh.
If they did and attended any public events I suspect they would be booed anyway for the foreseeable future
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
You meet the definition. You’re playing by the rules so I would say go for it. I’m a lawyer admittedly. Morality is sometimes secondary.
MrsT had a rather angry response to today's news report.
Basically said "You know what, we've all had a difficult year and I couldn't give a flying f*** about these two. The news today should be full of happy smiling kids going back to school."
Can't disagree with that.
Mrs Thatcher used asterisk profanity? I don't think so!
I`d inquired about Nichomar who I`d noticed hadn`t posted since 19 January and was aware that he was in hospital.
I`ve received a message from Nichomar`s daughter today.
Nichomar dies of cancer on 22 January.
His daughter is pleased that we are thinking about him and has asked me to pass on the bad news to you all.
Nichomar has been posting for near-on six years and his posts totalled 7500.
Very sad day.
That was a very very considerate thing to do Stocky. Much respect to you, Sir.
Indeed, and RIP Nichomar. Always very sad news to hear when a PB regular passes away.
Yes, sorry to hear.
Indeed glad that so many of us have survived the plague year. It could have been much worse.
That's what I've been thinking. And plus nobody close to me has been hospitalized with it. Rate this quite fortunate.
Me neither (touch wood) but know of plenty that have had it.
A few of my very elderly retired colleagues died of it. And my 40-year old relative is probably not going to make it. We're waiting for his wife to be called for a final visit, any day now.
--AS
I’m very sorry to hear that. Sobering. At 47 I have never been that worried about catching it - this brings it home how wrong I am.
Oddly at 48, with a fascinating medical history (at least to me...) I definitely did not want to catch this.
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
I was hoping you were going to say you were 31.5 and should you massively over eat for a week or two to qualify...
I've emailed the IBD nursing team at my hospital about it too. Hopefully they can offer some advice or even call the GP surgery on my behalf.
I think sadly that group 6 is the area where things have been fudged. I have a family member with a very rare immune disorder which isn’t on the easy computer tick list for priority. Their consultant said “make sure your gp gets you on the priority list”.
All the GP said was “oh I don’t know anything about the vaccines, it’s nothing to do with me. Email this random email address”.
Email address: < we have received your message please do no reply to this address >
MP: no answer
That's what the GP said? Incredible. You can tell him that the Head of NHS, Simon Stevens, said on live TV about three weeks ago (at the evening presser) that doing Group 6 vulnerables would be the responsibility of GPs, as they know their patients who need to be in that class far better than the central NHS.
Gallowgate could gain useful professional experience, drafting Moonshine a snarky lawyer letter to send to his GP, Dr. Fuddy-Duddy.
I'm sure it would be thrown straight into the bin.
The TRUE test of your learned skill & native cunning, is drafting a letter that will be NOT be binned. OR at least absorbed BEFORE consignment to the round file.
The ones beginning 'We act for...' going on to 'unless....' and 'within 7 days...' while ending with 'proceedings in the High Court will be commenced forthwith' tend to get taken out of the bin again, but it's important to mean it.
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
They've drawn the line there for a reason.
I know someone my ages (thirties) whom I would not call obese by body fat percentage or commonsense but he would be by BMI, he's well over 6 foot. He got hit for six by the virus, ended up in ICU and on a ventillator for a couple of weeks and was very fortunate to survive.
If you're eligible to get it then I would register and I would not feel guilty about doing so.
I wonder whether its only 'fatties' who get sick or if tall, high BMI but healthy bodyline people are worse hit too. My friend was very nearly a statistic, so if the doctors have advised you're eligible don't count yourself safe.
I`d inquired about Nichomar who I`d noticed hadn`t posted since 19 January and was aware that he was in hospital.
I`ve received a message from Nichomar`s daughter today.
Nichomar dies of cancer on 22 January.
His daughter is pleased that we are thinking about him and has asked me to pass on the bad news to you all.
Nichomar has been posting for near-on six years and his posts totalled 7500.
Very sad day.
That was a very very considerate thing to do Stocky. Much respect to you, Sir.
Indeed, and RIP Nichomar. Always very sad news to hear when a PB regular passes away.
Yes, sorry to hear.
Indeed glad that so many of us have survived the plague year. It could have been much worse.
That's what I've been thinking. And plus nobody close to me has been hospitalized with it. Rate this quite fortunate.
Me neither (touch wood) but know of plenty that have had it.
A few of my very elderly retired colleagues died of it. And my 40-year old relative is probably not going to make it. We're waiting for his wife to be called for a final visit, any day now.
--AS
I’m very sorry to hear that. Sobering. At 47 I have never been that worried about catching it - this brings it home how wrong I am.
Oddly at 48, with a fascinating medical history (at least to me...) I definitely did not want to catch this.
Don’t get me wrong, I never wanted to get it, just was not worried about it personally. I was worried about passing it to my wife though as she has some respiratory issues.
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
I was hoping you were going to say you were 31.5 and should you massively over eat for a week or two to qualify...
I did just say to my wife that I should not lose any weight in the meantime, just in case ...
I've emailed the IBD nursing team at my hospital about it too. Hopefully they can offer some advice or even call the GP surgery on my behalf.
I think sadly that group 6 is the area where things have been fudged. I have a family member with a very rare immune disorder which isn’t on the easy computer tick list for priority. Their consultant said “make sure your gp gets you on the priority list”.
All the GP said was “oh I don’t know anything about the vaccines, it’s nothing to do with me. Email this random email address”.
Email address: < we have received your message please do no reply to this address >
MP: no answer
That's what the GP said? Incredible. You can tell him that the Head of NHS, Simon Stevens, said on live TV about three weeks ago (at the evening presser) that doing Group 6 vulnerables would be the responsibility of GPs, as they know their patients who need to be in that class far better than the central NHS.
Gallowgate could gain useful professional experience, drafting Moonshine a snarky lawyer letter to send to his GP, Dr. Fuddy-Duddy.
I'm sure it would be thrown straight into the bin.
The TRUE test of your learned skill & native cunning, is drafting a letter that will be NOT be binned. OR at least absorbed BEFORE consignment to the round file.
The ones beginning 'We act for...' going on to 'unless....' and 'within 7 days...' while ending with 'proceedings in the High Court will be commenced forthwith' tend to get taken out of the bin again, but it's important to mean it.
I must have written at least 200 such letters in my 20 years of practice. The percentage that made it to the High Court...is not great.
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
You meet the definition. You’re playing by the rules so I would say go for it. I’m a lawyer admittedly. Morality is sometimes secondary.
I qualify under NYS rules because I am diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I went on a strict exercise and diet regime after I was diagnosed in Feb 2020 and my A1C and glucose is back to normal levels, but diabetes is not "curable" (I am in a state of "reverse" which depends on my keeping my weight under control), so the diagnosis stands. My first shot is next Monday.
HOLYROOD'S harassment complaints committee have now been handed Whatsapp messages from the Crown Office that Alex Salmond has claimed proves there was a high level plot by Nicola Sturgeon's allies to ruin him and even send him to jail.
Strange that WhatsApp messages that have been denied even existed have now been handed over. Everybody who testified and said these messages didn’t exist are now proven liars
Do you think Nicola's been a wee bit naughty Malc?
Hello GIN, she is a total roaster, surrounded by handpicked wrong un's , should be a shedload of them heading for the pokey but we will be lucky if we see them sacked.
Why did she/they do it though? That's what I can't work out? I mean Alex had retired from front line politics so it's not like he was threat to her/her job?
Alex is a lot like Farage.
Someone who loves the limelight and regularly retires only to then come back to take the leadership "by popular demand".
As a complete outsider it seems to me at the moment he is a a man driven for revenge and doesn’t give a flying monkeys about the cost.
As 'costs' go I think bringing a corrupt Government into the sunshine isn't a huge one.
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
They've drawn the line there for a reason.
I know someone my ages (thirties) whom I would not call obese by body fat percentage or commonsense but he would be by BMI, he's well over 6 foot. He got hit for six by the virus, ended up in ICU and on a ventillator for a couple of weeks and was very fortunate to survive.
If you're eligible to get it then I would register and I would not feel guilty about doing so.
I wonder whether its only 'fatties' who get sick or if tall, high BMI but healthy bodyline people are worse hit too. My friend was very nearly a statistic, so if the doctors have advised you're eligible don't count yourself safe.
BMI ceases to work well for tall people. I am 6' 2", big set and fairly muscular. Even when my body fat was below 15%*, I had an idiot doctor look at my BMI and tell me I needed to lose weight.
* Sadly, no longer true.
PS At the time I was working with a lot of military and special forces types. They all got the same advice from the same idiot doctor (from whom we needed to get medical clearance to travel).
Just had a reply from my Red Wall Tory MP to my suggestion that 1% was not enough, and that it should be plus one two weeks extra paid leave plus £1k or £2k one off tax free. It's loooooong and reads rather like a centrally drafted reply. Very much pat on the head
A couple of decent points - one that the Indy Body will make a recommendation.
I had a better reply last time. I think they will back down on this.
-------------------------- Good Afternoon,
Thank you for getting in touch about nurses pay.
It is important to note MP’s do not set nurses pay. This is down to an Independent Pay Review Body to decide what the pay increase should be. The 1% quoted in the media is just the opening suggestion to the pay review body. The nurse’s unions will provide their own suggestion and it is then ultimately down to the Independent body to decide what the increase should be. This 1% figure is not the final decision and it part of an ongoing negotiation. It’s also worth noting that the nature of NHS pay scales means that many nursing staff will receive additional annual incremental pay rises regardless of the outcome of this pay review.
However, I appreciate your concerns and completely understand the strength of feeling on this issue. The NHS has shown why it is revered around the world over the past year and those that work in the NHS have the gratitude of us all, as do other front-line workers.
We have all seen the devastating impacts the last year has had on the country. In the budget, the Chancellor underlined the severe impacts Coronavirus has had on the economy. Whilst in times of dire economic need savings must be made, the government has ensured those in the NHS would receive a pay rise this year, unlike the rest of the public sector. The government values the hard work of nurses throughout this pandemic which is why it has ensured that this increase will happen.
Whilst we all agree that nurses deserve to be rewarded for the courageous acts they have committed over the last year, the government must look at this in the context of the wider public finances.
Most public sector staff, including others who have been working throughout COVID such as the Police and teaching staff, will see their pay frozen. Any pay increase has to be paid for, so whilst pay could theoretically rise by more, nurses (and everyone else) could actually end up being financially worse off if we had to raise income tax or national insurance in order to pay for it.
Next bit: In contrast to the secure employment of the public sector, we have also seen how devastated the private sector has been over the past year. As we come out of the pandemic, the government is focusing resources into protecting people’s jobs and livelihoods. If we were to divert money from that funding to give nurses a larger pay rise, we could risk making hundreds of thousands more people unemployed. For context, roughly three quarters of a million people are now out of work because of coronavirus and these people also need our help and support. These are incredibly difficult equations to balance and there are no easy answers.
I can assure you I understand the strength of feeling on this issue and will pass on your thoughts to ministerial colleagues. As I have said, this is not a final decision and it is the independent review body rather than the government that will ultimately decide the level of nurses pay in due course.
Some facts that you may not be aware of:
Over one million NHS staff continue to benefit from multi-year pay deals agreed with trade unions, which have delivered a pay rise of over 12% for newly qualified nurses and will increase junior doctors’ pay scales by 8.2%.
Due to the challenging economic environment, we made the tough decision to freeze pay rises for the majority of the public sector workers this year. However, we are continuing to provide pay rises for NHS workers, on top of a £513 million investment in professional development and increased recruitment.
That’s with record numbers of doctors and 10,600 more nurses working in our NHS, and with nursing university applications up by over a third.
In late Spring, we expect the independent pay review bodies issue their report. We will consider their recommendations carefully. We are delivering for our NHS:
We are delivering a pay rise of over 12 per cent for newly qualified nurses and will increase junior doctors’ pay scales by 8.2 per cent pay rise of over 12 per cent. Since 2017, our multi-year deal has delivered year on year pay increases for our much valued NHS staff and as part of this we have increased the starting salary for a newly qualified nurse by over 12 per cent and increased the lowest starting salary within the NHS by over 16 per cent.
Too late to the party once again but can I just commend the Tories on the remarkable generosity of spirit and kindness that gives Williamson a mere -44% ranking. Truly too soft and too kind for this world.
I've emailed the IBD nursing team at my hospital about it too. Hopefully they can offer some advice or even call the GP surgery on my behalf.
I think sadly that group 6 is the area where things have been fudged. I have a family member with a very rare immune disorder which isn’t on the easy computer tick list for priority. Their consultant said “make sure your gp gets you on the priority list”.
All the GP said was “oh I don’t know anything about the vaccines, it’s nothing to do with me. Email this random email address”.
Email address: < we have received your message please do no reply to this address >
MP: no answer
That's what the GP said? Incredible. You can tell him that the Head of NHS, Simon Stevens, said on live TV about three weeks ago (at the evening presser) that doing Group 6 vulnerables would be the responsibility of GPs, as they know their patients who need to be in that class far better than the central NHS.
Gallowgate could gain useful professional experience, drafting Moonshine a snarky lawyer letter to send to his GP, Dr. Fuddy-Duddy.
I'm sure it would be thrown straight into the bin.
The TRUE test of your learned skill & native cunning, is drafting a letter that will be NOT be binned. OR at least absorbed BEFORE consignment to the round file.
Such a letter is more likely to trigger a slow and laborious process of reply to a formal complaint than a speedy immunisation.
GPS don't like second hand orders from hospital specialists along the line of "tell your GP to do this". It really gets their back up.
Conceivably an immune disorder could be a contraindication to immunisation, particularly with a live vaccine. It is reasonable for a GP to defer to someone else if this is unclear.
What the Consultant should have done is to write to the GP, clarifying the nature of the condition, and that there is no contraindication to vaccination, and a recommendation that the patient is classified in group 6.
Flying off the handle at the slightest problem is not generally the best way to get things done, and indeed often counterproductive.
Will defer to your expertise on this. Indeed, most lawyer letter deserve to be written - but few should be sent!
While a lawyer writing to a GP in the States is commonplace, Sea Shanty, you underestimate the reverence in which the local GP is held in the U.K. Such reverence has markedly decreased in recent years I’ll readily admit but even so to instruct one’s solicitor to write a letter to one’s GP....shudders. I’d probably get struck off if I did that.
Anecdotally, local feeling is that some GPs have seriously let themselves down recently. Getting an appointment very difficult. Interaction with chemists appalling. Writing letters to consultants overly slow etc
A neighbour in the know puts this down to the payments for administering vaccines. Incentives creating problems. Plus ca change....
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
They've drawn the line there for a reason.
I know someone my ages (thirties) whom I would not call obese by body fat percentage or commonsense but he would be by BMI, he's well over 6 foot. He got hit for six by the virus, ended up in ICU and on a ventillator for a couple of weeks and was very fortunate to survive.
If you're eligible to get it then I would register and I would not feel guilty about doing so.
I wonder whether its only 'fatties' who get sick or if tall, high BMI but healthy bodyline people are worse hit too. My friend was very nearly a statistic, so if the doctors have advised you're eligible don't count yourself safe.
BMI ceases to work well for tall people. I am 6' 2", big set and fairly muscular. Even when my body fat was below 15%*, I had an idiot doctor look at my BMI and tell me I needed to lose weight.
* Sadly, no longer true.
Precisely my point. My friend is the same, I would not for a second say he was obese but he definitely would be by BMI. Tall, big set and fairly muscular too. At least pre-virus he was riding cross country bike rides most weekends but he was badly, badly affected by the virus.
I don't know if there's any evidence as to whether tall high BMI but healthy people are more or less risk but anecdotally my friend is lucky to be alive so if you're eligible I would get it and I would not feel guilty for a second about it.
HOLYROOD'S harassment complaints committee have now been handed Whatsapp messages from the Crown Office that Alex Salmond has claimed proves there was a high level plot by Nicola Sturgeon's allies to ruin him and even send him to jail.
Strange that WhatsApp messages that have been denied even existed have now been handed over. Everybody who testified and said these messages didn’t exist are now proven liars
Do you think Nicola's been a wee bit naughty Malc?
Hello GIN, she is a total roaster, surrounded by handpicked wrong un's , should be a shedload of them heading for the pokey but we will be lucky if we see them sacked.
Why did she/they do it though? That's what I can't work out? I mean Alex had retired from front line politics so it's not like he was threat to her/her job?
Alex is a lot like Farage.
Someone who loves the limelight and regularly retires only to then come back to take the leadership "by popular demand".
As a complete outsider it seems to me at the moment he is a a man driven for revenge and doesn’t give a flying monkeys about the cost.
If its true they tried to stitch him up and get him imprisoned and added to the sex-offenders register then he deserves to seek and get revenge.
The legal advice that was pulled out of Scot Gov like teeth was talking about a "scorched earth" attitude.
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
You meet the definition. You’re playing by the rules so I would say go for it. I’m a lawyer admittedly. Morality is sometimes secondary.
I qualify under NYS rules because I am diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I went on a strict exercise and diet regime after I was diagnosed in Feb 2020 and my A1C and glucose is back to normal levels, but diabetes is not "curable" (I am in a state of "reverse" which depends on my keeping my weight under control), so the diagnosis stands. My first shot is next Monday.
I am the same, and have been since 2009. despite never taking any diabetic medicine at anytime
HOLYROOD'S harassment complaints committee have now been handed Whatsapp messages from the Crown Office that Alex Salmond has claimed proves there was a high level plot by Nicola Sturgeon's allies to ruin him and even send him to jail.
Strange that WhatsApp messages that have been denied even existed have now been handed over. Everybody who testified and said these messages didn’t exist are now proven liars
Do you think Nicola's been a wee bit naughty Malc?
Hello GIN, she is a total roaster, surrounded by handpicked wrong un's , should be a shedload of them heading for the pokey but we will be lucky if we see them sacked.
Why did she/they do it though? That's what I can't work out? I mean Alex had retired from front line politics so it's not like he was threat to her/her job?
Alex is a lot like Farage.
Someone who loves the limelight and regularly retires only to then come back to take the leadership "by popular demand".
As a complete outsider it seems to me at the moment he is a a man driven for revenge and doesn’t give a flying monkeys about the cost.
As 'costs' go I think bringing a corrupt Government into the sunshine isn't a huge one.
Indeed but the SNP, and Scottish Independence, are causes he’s given his life to. While I appreciate that the SNP and independence are not the same he could do grievous damage to both. Probably won’t but could.
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
You meet the definition. You’re playing by the rules so I would say go for it. I’m a lawyer admittedly. Morality is sometimes secondary.
I qualify under NYS rules because I am diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I went on a strict exercise and diet regime after I was diagnosed in Feb 2020 and my A1C and glucose is back to normal levels, but diabetes is not "curable" (I am in a state of "reverse" which depends on my keeping my weight under control), so the diagnosis stands. My first shot is next Monday.
I am the same, and have been since 2009. despite never taking any diabetic medicine at anytime
My doc put me on metformin when he diagnosed me, and took me off it when I next saw him with back to normal numbers!
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
They've drawn the line there for a reason.
I know someone my ages (thirties) whom I would not call obese by body fat percentage or commonsense but he would be by BMI, he's well over 6 foot. He got hit for six by the virus, ended up in ICU and on a ventillator for a couple of weeks and was very fortunate to survive.
If you're eligible to get it then I would register and I would not feel guilty about doing so.
I wonder whether its only 'fatties' who get sick or if tall, high BMI but healthy bodyline people are worse hit too. My friend was very nearly a statistic, so if the doctors have advised you're eligible don't count yourself safe.
BMI ceases to work well for tall people. I am 6' 2", big set and fairly muscular. Even when my body fat was below 15%*, I had an idiot doctor look at my BMI and tell me I needed to lose weight.
* Sadly, no longer true.
Precisely my point. My friend is the same, I would not for a second say he was obese but he definitely would be by BMI. Tall, big set and fairly muscular too. At least pre-virus he was riding cross country bike rides most weekends but he was badly, badly affected by the virus.
I don't know if there's any evidence as to whether tall high BMI but healthy people are more or less risk but anecdotally my friend is lucky to be alive so if you're eligible I would get it and I would not feel guilty for a second about it.
Thanks for the feedback and story about your friend. My wife, (very frontline HCW) is adamant I go. So hoping it won't be too long now.
I`d inquired about Nichomar who I`d noticed hadn`t posted since 19 January and was aware that he was in hospital.
I`ve received a message from Nichomar`s daughter today.
Nichomar dies of cancer on 22 January.
His daughter is pleased that we are thinking about him and has asked me to pass on the bad news to you all.
Nichomar has been posting for near-on six years and his posts totalled 7500.
Very sad day.
That was a very very considerate thing to do Stocky. Much respect to you, Sir.
Indeed, and RIP Nichomar. Always very sad news to hear when a PB regular passes away.
Yes, sorry to hear.
Indeed glad that so many of us have survived the plague year. It could have been much worse.
That's what I've been thinking. And plus nobody close to me has been hospitalized with it. Rate this quite fortunate.
Me neither (touch wood) but know of plenty that have had it.
A few of my very elderly retired colleagues died of it. And my 40-year old relative is probably not going to make it. We're waiting for his wife to be called for a final visit, any day now.
--AS
I’m very sorry to hear that. Sobering. At 47 I have never been that worried about catching it - this brings it home how wrong I am.
Really sorry to hear that AS - I hope the prognosis improves unexpectedly.
"Starmer’s numbers almost across the board have a very high level of don’t knows reflecting that he’s not known by many yet."
That is a massive negative for him, not some kind of neutral issue - He needs to convince people he is the man to oust the incumbent from Downing St, so he needs to make an impression. A year in and he hasn't
I don't really see why the Tories should be worried as Mike says - they have the incumbent, and their likely replacement for him is polling better than the opposition leader, so why worry?
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
You meet the definition. You’re playing by the rules so I would say go for it. I’m a lawyer admittedly. Morality is sometimes secondary.
I qualify under NYS rules because I am diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I went on a strict exercise and diet regime after I was diagnosed in Feb 2020 and my A1C and glucose is back to normal levels, but diabetes is not "curable" (I am in a state of "reverse" which depends on my keeping my weight under control), so the diagnosis stands. My first shot is next Monday.
I am the same, and have been since 2009. despite never taking any diabetic medicine at anytime
My doc put me on metformin when he diagnosed me, and took me off it when I next saw him with back to normal numbers!
I didn't even do that but I do need to keep my weight in control which at times is challenging
I've emailed the IBD nursing team at my hospital about it too. Hopefully they can offer some advice or even call the GP surgery on my behalf.
I think sadly that group 6 is the area where things have been fudged. I have a family member with a very rare immune disorder which isn’t on the easy computer tick list for priority. Their consultant said “make sure your gp gets you on the priority list”.
All the GP said was “oh I don’t know anything about the vaccines, it’s nothing to do with me. Email this random email address”.
Email address: < we have received your message please do no reply to this address >
MP: no answer
That's what the GP said? Incredible. You can tell him that the Head of NHS, Simon Stevens, said on live TV about three weeks ago (at the evening presser) that doing Group 6 vulnerables would be the responsibility of GPs, as they know their patients who need to be in that class far better than the central NHS.
Gallowgate could gain useful professional experience, drafting Moonshine a snarky lawyer letter to send to his GP, Dr. Fuddy-Duddy.
I'm sure it would be thrown straight into the bin.
The TRUE test of your learned skill & native cunning, is drafting a letter that will be NOT be binned. OR at least absorbed BEFORE consignment to the round file.
Such a letter is more likely to trigger a slow and laborious process of reply to a formal complaint than a speedy immunisation.
GPS don't like second hand orders from hospital specialists along the line of "tell your GP to do this". It really gets their back up.
Conceivably an immune disorder could be a contraindication to immunisation, particularly with a live vaccine. It is reasonable for a GP to defer to someone else if this is unclear.
What the Consultant should have done is to write to the GP, clarifying the nature of the condition, and that there is no contraindication to vaccination, and a recommendation that the patient is classified in group 6.
Flying off the handle at the slightest problem is not generally the best way to get things done, and indeed often counterproductive.
Will defer to your expertise on this. Indeed, most lawyer letter deserve to be written - but few should be sent!
While a lawyer writing to a GP in the States is commonplace, Sea Shanty, you underestimate the reverence in which the local GP is held in the U.K. Such reverence has markedly decreased in recent years I’ll readily admit but even so to instruct one’s solicitor to write a letter to one’s GP....shudders. I’d probably get struck off if I did that.
Anecdotally, local feeling is that some GPs have seriously let themselves down recently. Getting an appointment very difficult. Interaction with chemists appalling. Writing letters to consultants overly slow etc
A neighbour in the know puts this down to the payments for administering vaccines. Incentives creating problems. Plus ca change....
Something happened to society in the Blair-Cameron years, but I don't know what. We do seem to still be fighting over it, though. And until we work out what, we can't collectively move on.
Gordon Brown happened.
That's not an entirely facetious response. Much of our current economic and social structure is the result of his legacy and policies that were carried on by the coalition.
But it’s global. Look at America.
It is lower IQs, in part. They really are dumber. Plus social media
That might be the underlying mechanism (though I'm not convinced), but what's the presenting issue? What's the thing-about-society that causes mutual resentment and incomprehension between (roughly) those aged 30-minus and those aged 50-plus?
(The most compelling mechanism I've heard is about education, but not higher ed. Until the late 80's you could leave school before finishing Fifth Year (Year 11 to our wannabe American readers), without any qualifications. And a certain proportion of people did. That's a key difference between those under 50 and over 50 now.)
I've emailed the IBD nursing team at my hospital about it too. Hopefully they can offer some advice or even call the GP surgery on my behalf.
I think sadly that group 6 is the area where things have been fudged. I have a family member with a very rare immune disorder which isn’t on the easy computer tick list for priority. Their consultant said “make sure your gp gets you on the priority list”.
All the GP said was “oh I don’t know anything about the vaccines, it’s nothing to do with me. Email this random email address”.
Email address: < we have received your message please do no reply to this address >
MP: no answer
That's what the GP said? Incredible. You can tell him that the Head of NHS, Simon Stevens, said on live TV about three weeks ago (at the evening presser) that doing Group 6 vulnerables would be the responsibility of GPs, as they know their patients who need to be in that class far better than the central NHS.
Gallowgate could gain useful professional experience, drafting Moonshine a snarky lawyer letter to send to his GP, Dr. Fuddy-Duddy.
I'm sure it would be thrown straight into the bin.
The TRUE test of your learned skill & native cunning, is drafting a letter that will be NOT be binned. OR at least absorbed BEFORE consignment to the round file.
Such a letter is more likely to trigger a slow and laborious process of reply to a formal complaint than a speedy immunisation.
GPS don't like second hand orders from hospital specialists along the line of "tell your GP to do this". It really gets their back up.
Conceivably an immune disorder could be a contraindication to immunisation, particularly with a live vaccine. It is reasonable for a GP to defer to someone else if this is unclear.
What the Consultant should have done is to write to the GP, clarifying the nature of the condition, and that there is no contraindication to vaccination, and a recommendation that the patient is classified in group 6.
Flying off the handle at the slightest problem is not generally the best way to get things done, and indeed often counterproductive.
Will defer to your expertise on this. Indeed, most lawyer letter deserve to be written - but few should be sent!
While a lawyer writing to a GP in the States is commonplace, Sea Shanty, you underestimate the reverence in which the local GP is held in the U.K. Such reverence has markedly decreased in recent years I’ll readily admit but even so to instruct one’s solicitor to write a letter to one’s GP....shudders. I’d probably get struck off if I did that.
Anecdotally, local feeling is that some GPs have seriously let themselves down recently. Getting an appointment very difficult. Interaction with chemists appalling. Writing letters to consultants overly slow etc
A neighbour in the know puts this down to the payments for administering vaccines. Incentives creating problems. Plus ca change....
In comparison with the States where the legal profession is in a state of open warfare with the medical profession, we are still very different!
Happy 'being allowed to leave your house for recreation' day everyone
I assume the govt are now fully aware that they're massively behind the majority of the public now, in attitudes to lockdown. My only rationalisation of this is that 'holding the line' on being slow will appease the Nick P's of this world...
Whilst many say they support the caution, the streets are really busy again, the roads back to normal levels, and the vaccinated are popping in to see one another. It was so nice to see multi generational families at the seaside over the weekend. The law went far too far on restricting social contact; I trust that we learn from this and never do it again.
I think there's now a fair to middling chance that the roadmap will be liberalised, to some extent. There are some glaring anomalies with it already – the massive England vs Scotland football match at Wembley in Euro 2021 and Royal Ascot are scheduled less than a week before the restrictions are supposed to end! That cannot hold, and I expect a fudge at the very least whereby the government calls them 'test events' and thus allows full crowds.
The bigger question is what happens outside the sporting/music arena? I mean, deaths are likely to fall to averaging double figures this week or next. Are we really going to maintain the rules through Easter and April if the numbers are barely troubling the scorers?
For the first time I am now officially a lockdown sceptic. Id be happy to accept limiting social life to the rule of six outdoors for another month or two, but stay at home orders and only meeting one other person are excessive in the current climate. They are not being followed or enforced anyway.
The trouble is, while-ever the rules are there, they are cause for the judgemental, authoritarian curtain-twitching we see on here daily. Look at the likes of Sandy Rentool – he spends most of his pixel allowance on PB calling those who dare to sidestep or bend a single rule "dickheads" and advocating punishments that wouldn't look out of place in totalitarian regimes.
It is better that rules, and laws, fit the reality, rather people just saying "oh it doesn't matter because they aren't really enforced".
Absolutely. Laws should be widely understood, accepted and enforced, bad ones that arent should be removed or changed. The continuous spew of new laws that are infrequently and incoherently enforced brings the law and govt into disrepute. This was a problem well before covid, but obviously covid has made the problem bigger.
Great post. People cannot be expected to follow the rule of law if they cannot reasonably be expected to easily figure out what the law is.
Tom Bingham put it as 'The law must be accessible and so far as possible intelligible, clear and predictable'.
Constant confusion of laws on laws can make it hard.
Will nobody think of the poor lawyers? Our chaotic and incoherent legal structure keeps some of us in business.
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
They've drawn the line there for a reason.
I know someone my ages (thirties) whom I would not call obese by body fat percentage or commonsense but he would be by BMI, he's well over 6 foot. He got hit for six by the virus, ended up in ICU and on a ventillator for a couple of weeks and was very fortunate to survive.
If you're eligible to get it then I would register and I would not feel guilty about doing so.
I wonder whether its only 'fatties' who get sick or if tall, high BMI but healthy bodyline people are worse hit too. My friend was very nearly a statistic, so if the doctors have advised you're eligible don't count yourself safe.
BMI ceases to work well for tall people. I am 6' 2", big set and fairly muscular. Even when my body fat was below 15%*, I had an idiot doctor look at my BMI and tell me I needed to lose weight.
* Sadly, no longer true.
Precisely my point. My friend is the same, I would not for a second say he was obese but he definitely would be by BMI. Tall, big set and fairly muscular too. At least pre-virus he was riding cross country bike rides most weekends but he was badly, badly affected by the virus.
I don't know if there's any evidence as to whether tall high BMI but healthy people are more or less risk but anecdotally my friend is lucky to be alive so if you're eligible I would get it and I would not feel guilty for a second about it.
A risk factor is male sex. Men are generally of higher weight and lower body fat % than women - so there might be something in pure weight, regardless of body fat being an issue.
Happy 'being allowed to leave your house for recreation' day everyone
I assume the govt are now fully aware that they're massively behind the majority of the public now, in attitudes to lockdown. My only rationalisation of this is that 'holding the line' on being slow will appease the Nick P's of this world...
Whilst many say they support the caution, the streets are really busy again, the roads back to normal levels, and the vaccinated are popping in to see one another. It was so nice to see multi generational families at the seaside over the weekend. The law went far too far on restricting social contact; I trust that we learn from this and never do it again.
I think there's now a fair to middling chance that the roadmap will be liberalised, to some extent. There are some glaring anomalies with it already – the massive England vs Scotland football match at Wembley in Euro 2021 and Royal Ascot are scheduled less than a week before the restrictions are supposed to end! That cannot hold, and I expect a fudge at the very least whereby the government calls them 'test events' and thus allows full crowds.
The bigger question is what happens outside the sporting/music arena? I mean, deaths are likely to fall to averaging double figures this week or next. Are we really going to maintain the rules through Easter and April if the numbers are barely troubling the scorers?
For the first time I am now officially a lockdown sceptic. Id be happy to accept limiting social life to the rule of six outdoors for another month or two, but stay at home orders and only meeting one other person are excessive in the current climate. They are not being followed or enforced anyway.
The trouble is, while-ever the rules are there, they are cause for the judgemental, authoritarian curtain-twitching we see on here daily. Look at the likes of Sandy Rentool – he spends most of his pixel allowance on PB calling those who dare to sidestep or bend a single rule "dickheads" and advocating punishments that wouldn't look out of place in totalitarian regimes.
It is better that rules, and laws, fit the reality, rather people just saying "oh it doesn't matter because they aren't really enforced".
Absolutely. Laws should be widely understood, accepted and enforced, bad ones that arent should be removed or changed. The continuous spew of new laws that are infrequently and incoherently enforced brings the law and govt into disrepute. This was a problem well before covid, but obviously covid has made the problem bigger.
Great post. People cannot be expected to follow the rule of law if they cannot reasonably be expected to easily figure out what the law is.
Tom Bingham put it as 'The law must be accessible and so far as possible intelligible, clear and predictable'.
Constant confusion of laws on laws can make it hard.
Will nobody think of the poor lawyers? Our chaotic and incoherent legal structure keeps some of us in business.
They'd be plenty left over for you! A good refresh and reboot in itself will generate lots of work, then the politicians can start overcomplicating it all over again, think of the excitement.
Something happened to society in the Blair-Cameron years, but I don't know what. We do seem to still be fighting over it, though. And until we work out what, we can't collectively move on.
Gordon Brown happened.
That's not an entirely facetious response. Much of our current economic and social structure is the result of his legacy and policies that were carried on by the coalition.
But it’s global. Look at America.
It is lower IQs, in part. They really are dumber. Plus social media
That might be the underlying mechanism (though I'm not convinced), but what's the presenting issue? What's the thing-about-society that causes mutual resentment and incomprehension between (roughly) those aged 30-minus and those aged 50-plus?
(The most compelling mechanism I've heard is about education, but not higher ed. Until the late 80's you could leave school before finishing Fifth Year (Year 11 to our wannabe American readers), without any qualifications. And a certain proportion of people did. That's a key difference between those under 50 and over 50 now.)
Partly it's because in developed nations younger people (rightly) feel the wealth ladder has been pulled up by the older generations who require more tax from working age people, they charge working age people rent and because they are so numerous they vote for more taxes on younger people to pay themselves larger pension incomes.
Something happened to society in the Blair-Cameron years, but I don't know what. We do seem to still be fighting over it, though. And until we work out what, we can't collectively move on.
Gordon Brown happened.
That's not an entirely facetious response. Much of our current economic and social structure is the result of his legacy and policies that were carried on by the coalition.
But it’s global. Look at America.
It is lower IQs, in part. They really are dumber. Plus social media
That might be the underlying mechanism (though I'm not convinced), but what's the presenting issue? What's the thing-about-society that causes mutual resentment and incomprehension between (roughly) those aged 30-minus and those aged 50-plus?
(The most compelling mechanism I've heard is about education, but not higher ed. Until the late 80's you could leave school before finishing Fifth Year (Year 11 to our wannabe American readers), without any qualifications. And a certain proportion of people did. That's a key difference between those under 50 and over 50 now.)
Partly it's because in developed nations younger people (rightly) feel the wealth ladder has been pulled up by the older generations who require more tax from working age people, they charge working age people rent and because they are so numerous they vote for more taxes on younger people to pay themselves larger pension incomes.
Those older people are keeping housing occupied at the correct level though Max.
Something happened to society in the Blair-Cameron years, but I don't know what. We do seem to still be fighting over it, though. And until we work out what, we can't collectively move on.
Gordon Brown happened.
That's not an entirely facetious response. Much of our current economic and social structure is the result of his legacy and policies that were carried on by the coalition.
But it’s global. Look at America.
It is lower IQs, in part. They really are dumber. Plus social media
That might be the underlying mechanism (though I'm not convinced), but what's the presenting issue? What's the thing-about-society that causes mutual resentment and incomprehension between (roughly) those aged 30-minus and those aged 50-plus?
(The most compelling mechanism I've heard is about education, but not higher ed. Until the late 80's you could leave school before finishing Fifth Year (Year 11 to our wannabe American readers), without any qualifications. And a certain proportion of people did. That's a key difference between those under 50 and over 50 now.)
Partly it's because in developed nations younger people (rightly) feel the wealth ladder has been pulled up by the older generations who require more tax from working age people, they charge working age people rent and because they are so numerous they vote for more taxes on younger people to pay themselves larger pension incomes.
Those older people are keeping housing occupied at the correct level though Max.
What a load of old crap that is. Forcing young people into the rental market to live in HMOs is something we need to fight against, not encourage. Honestly, reading those arguments this afternoon makes me want to vote for Jez so he can expropriate properties from private landlords.
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
They've drawn the line there for a reason.
I know someone my ages (thirties) whom I would not call obese by body fat percentage or commonsense but he would be by BMI, he's well over 6 foot. He got hit for six by the virus, ended up in ICU and on a ventillator for a couple of weeks and was very fortunate to survive.
If you're eligible to get it then I would register and I would not feel guilty about doing so.
I wonder whether its only 'fatties' who get sick or if tall, high BMI but healthy bodyline people are worse hit too. My friend was very nearly a statistic, so if the doctors have advised you're eligible don't count yourself safe.
BMI ceases to work well for tall people. I am 6' 2", big set and fairly muscular. Even when my body fat was below 15%*, I had an idiot doctor look at my BMI and tell me I needed to lose weight.
* Sadly, no longer true.
Precisely my point. My friend is the same, I would not for a second say he was obese but he definitely would be by BMI. Tall, big set and fairly muscular too. At least pre-virus he was riding cross country bike rides most weekends but he was badly, badly affected by the virus.
I don't know if there's any evidence as to whether tall high BMI but healthy people are more or less risk but anecdotally my friend is lucky to be alive so if you're eligible I would get it and I would not feel guilty for a second about it.
It has always puzzled me that BMI is inversely proportional to the square of the individual's height when physics tells us that the volume, and thus the mass, of an object is proportional to the cube of its linear dimensions.
Re: COVID, closest I've come to the sharp end, is former girlfriend whose ex-husband died from the virus last fall. Plus another friend who contracted it, along with her mother (care home patient) and spouse who got it, but recovered.
Best wishes to PBers who are personally confronting the virus, best wishes to you and yours!
You are NOT alone, in your pain OR in our common progress toward something better - somehow, someway.
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
They've drawn the line there for a reason.
I know someone my ages (thirties) whom I would not call obese by body fat percentage or commonsense but he would be by BMI, he's well over 6 foot. He got hit for six by the virus, ended up in ICU and on a ventillator for a couple of weeks and was very fortunate to survive.
If you're eligible to get it then I would register and I would not feel guilty about doing so.
I wonder whether its only 'fatties' who get sick or if tall, high BMI but healthy bodyline people are worse hit too. My friend was very nearly a statistic, so if the doctors have advised you're eligible don't count yourself safe.
BMI ceases to work well for tall people. I am 6' 2", big set and fairly muscular. Even when my body fat was below 15%*, I had an idiot doctor look at my BMI and tell me I needed to lose weight.
* Sadly, no longer true.
Precisely my point. My friend is the same, I would not for a second say he was obese but he definitely would be by BMI. Tall, big set and fairly muscular too. At least pre-virus he was riding cross country bike rides most weekends but he was badly, badly affected by the virus.
I don't know if there's any evidence as to whether tall high BMI but healthy people are more or less risk but anecdotally my friend is lucky to be alive so if you're eligible I would get it and I would not feel guilty for a second about it.
It has always puzzled me that BMI is inversely proportional to the square of the individual's height when physics tells us that the volume, and thus the mass, of an object is proportional to the cube of its linear dimensions.
I think the reality should be between the two but possibly closer to the square because as you scale up you are not supposed to necessarily scale out.
The formula is broken though because it definitely overestimates tall people's BMI.
I can't remember who mentioned it upthread but at times I've had sympathy for Shamima Begum as a naive young girl who travelled to Syria for what she thought would be the glamourous life of ISIS but then was married off within days, exploited by the fighters, and gave birth to three children - all of whom sadly died.
And then I remember she was inspired to travel out their by videos of them beheading hostages, earned a reputation as a strict enforcer of ISIS laws whilst she was there, sewed explosive vests into suicide bombers so they couldn't be removed without detonation, was the unfazed by a beheaded man as he was "an enemy of Islam" and still espouses their ideology and tries to justify their atrocities. And even her brother in law and father said she was massively in the wrong, and hadn't said sorry.
So, the bookings are going to open in year by year decrements. I'm minded of a, IIRC, Lonely Planet guide to the UK describing the suspensefulness of putting 10ps into a BT payphone at the last possible second, trying not b to waste a needless 10p and hoping to hell you didn't drop one at the crucial moment.
Something happened to society in the Blair-Cameron years, but I don't know what. We do seem to still be fighting over it, though. And until we work out what, we can't collectively move on.
Gordon Brown happened.
That's not an entirely facetious response. Much of our current economic and social structure is the result of his legacy and policies that were carried on by the coalition.
But it’s global. Look at America.
It is lower IQs, in part. They really are dumber. Plus social media
That might be the underlying mechanism (though I'm not convinced), but what's the presenting issue? What's the thing-about-society that causes mutual resentment and incomprehension between (roughly) those aged 30-minus and those aged 50-plus?
(The most compelling mechanism I've heard is about education, but not higher ed. Until the late 80's you could leave school before finishing Fifth Year (Year 11 to our wannabe American readers), without any qualifications. And a certain proportion of people did. That's a key difference between those under 50 and over 50 now.)
Partly it's because in developed nations younger people (rightly) feel the wealth ladder has been pulled up by the older generations who require more tax from working age people, they charge working age people rent and because they are so numerous they vote for more taxes on younger people to pay themselves larger pension incomes.
Those older people are keeping housing occupied at the correct level though Max.
What a load of old crap that is. Forcing young people into the rental market to live in HMOs is something we need to fight against, not encourage. Honestly, reading those arguments this afternoon makes me want to vote for Jez so he can expropriate properties from private landlords.
Best solution I've heard is to make the owner liable to pay Council Tax (so the landlord not the tenant) but with a 50% annual surcharge for any homes not your primary residence. So a landlord would be paying 150% of Council Tax per annum.
Just had a reply from my Red Wall Tory MP to my suggestion that 1% was not enough, and that it should be plus one two weeks extra paid leave plus £1k or £2k one off tax free. It's loooooong and reads rather like a centrally drafted reply. Very much pat on the head
A couple of decent points - one that the Indy Body will make a recommendation.
I had a better reply last time. I think they will back down on this.
-------------------------- Good Afternoon,
Thank you for getting in touch about nurses pay.
It is important to note MP’s do not set nurses pay. This is down to an Independent Pay Review Body to decide what the pay increase should be. The 1% quoted in the media is just the opening suggestion to the pay review body. The nurse’s unions will provide their own suggestion and it is then ultimately down to the Independent body to decide what the increase should be. This 1% figure is not the final decision and it part of an ongoing negotiation. It’s also worth noting that the nature of NHS pay scales means that many nursing staff will receive additional annual incremental pay rises regardless of the outcome of this pay review.
However, I appreciate your concerns and completely understand the strength of feeling on this issue. The NHS has shown why it is revered around the world over the past year and those that work in the NHS have the gratitude of us all, as do other front-line workers.
We have all seen the devastating impacts the last year has had on the country. In the budget, the Chancellor underlined the severe impacts Coronavirus has had on the economy. Whilst in times of dire economic need savings must be made, the government has ensured those in the NHS would receive a pay rise this year, unlike the rest of the public sector. The government values the hard work of nurses throughout this pandemic which is why it has ensured that this increase will happen.
Whilst we all agree that nurses deserve to be rewarded for the courageous acts they have committed over the last year, the government must look at this in the context of the wider public finances.
Most public sector staff, including others who have been working throughout COVID such as the Police and teaching staff, will see their pay frozen. Any pay increase has to be paid for, so whilst pay could theoretically rise by more, nurses (and everyone else) could actually end up being financially worse off if we had to raise income tax or national insurance in order to pay for it.
...
His office have just cut and pasted the central reply to you.
You can always tell when replies are bespoke. At the very least the MP will dictate a few thoughts to his/her assistant before they hit send.
Someone tell them there's such a thing as protesting too much. Institutions, like nations, are made up of people, they can definitely sulk, they can whinge, they can be petulant and they can be irrational.
I imagine an examination of statements about the UK government in recent years will show they believe that to be true.
Covid is a real lottery. You increase your chances by being young, in good health and female but it's not safe for anyone by any means.
FFS.......And that's different to life....how?
Well unfortunately there is no vaccine around any corner for cancer, but there IS for Covid which will either make you swerve it completely or avoid the long term damage that's becoming readily apparent with people that have suffered the illness.
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
They've drawn the line there for a reason.
I know someone my ages (thirties) whom I would not call obese by body fat percentage or commonsense but he would be by BMI, he's well over 6 foot. He got hit for six by the virus, ended up in ICU and on a ventillator for a couple of weeks and was very fortunate to survive.
If you're eligible to get it then I would register and I would not feel guilty about doing so.
I wonder whether its only 'fatties' who get sick or if tall, high BMI but healthy bodyline people are worse hit too. My friend was very nearly a statistic, so if the doctors have advised you're eligible don't count yourself safe.
BMI ceases to work well for tall people. I am 6' 2", big set and fairly muscular. Even when my body fat was below 15%*, I had an idiot doctor look at my BMI and tell me I needed to lose weight.
* Sadly, no longer true.
Precisely my point. My friend is the same, I would not for a second say he was obese but he definitely would be by BMI. Tall, big set and fairly muscular too. At least pre-virus he was riding cross country bike rides most weekends but he was badly, badly affected by the virus.
I don't know if there's any evidence as to whether tall high BMI but healthy people are more or less risk but anecdotally my friend is lucky to be alive so if you're eligible I would get it and I would not feel guilty for a second about it.
It has always puzzled me that BMI is inversely proportional to the square of the individual's height when physics tells us that the volume, and thus the mass, of an object is proportional to the cube of its linear dimensions.
Perhaps PB should undertake to sponsor some rigorous scientific experiments?
Such as pushing a fat guy off the roof of a six-story building, then measuring how high he bounces/splatters.
Nominate TSE, HYUFD and Malc to take the lead on this!
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
They've drawn the line there for a reason.
I know someone my ages (thirties) whom I would not call obese by body fat percentage or commonsense but he would be by BMI, he's well over 6 foot. He got hit for six by the virus, ended up in ICU and on a ventillator for a couple of weeks and was very fortunate to survive.
If you're eligible to get it then I would register and I would not feel guilty about doing so.
I wonder whether its only 'fatties' who get sick or if tall, high BMI but healthy bodyline people are worse hit too. My friend was very nearly a statistic, so if the doctors have advised you're eligible don't count yourself safe.
BMI ceases to work well for tall people. I am 6' 2", big set and fairly muscular. Even when my body fat was below 15%*, I had an idiot doctor look at my BMI and tell me I needed to lose weight.
* Sadly, no longer true.
Precisely my point. My friend is the same, I would not for a second say he was obese but he definitely would be by BMI. Tall, big set and fairly muscular too. At least pre-virus he was riding cross country bike rides most weekends but he was badly, badly affected by the virus.
I don't know if there's any evidence as to whether tall high BMI but healthy people are more or less risk but anecdotally my friend is lucky to be alive so if you're eligible I would get it and I would not feel guilty for a second about it.
It has always puzzled me that BMI is inversely proportional to the square of the individual's height when physics tells us that the volume, and thus the mass, of an object is proportional to the cube of its linear dimensions.
Perhaps PB should undertake to sponsor some rigorous scientific experiments?
Such as pushing a fat guy off the roof of a six-story building, then measuring how high he bounces/splatters.
Nominate TSE, HYUFD and Malc to take the lead on this!
Are you suggesting TSE, HYUFD and Malc are fat guys?!
Something happened to society in the Blair-Cameron years, but I don't know what. We do seem to still be fighting over it, though. And until we work out what, we can't collectively move on.
Gordon Brown happened.
That's not an entirely facetious response. Much of our current economic and social structure is the result of his legacy and policies that were carried on by the coalition.
But it’s global. Look at America.
It is lower IQs, in part. They really are dumber. Plus social media
That might be the underlying mechanism (though I'm not convinced), but what's the presenting issue? What's the thing-about-society that causes mutual resentment and incomprehension between (roughly) those aged 30-minus and those aged 50-plus?
(The most compelling mechanism I've heard is about education, but not higher ed. Until the late 80's you could leave school before finishing Fifth Year (Year 11 to our wannabe American readers), without any qualifications. And a certain proportion of people did. That's a key difference between those under 50 and over 50 now.)
Partly it's because in developed nations younger people (rightly) feel the wealth ladder has been pulled up by the older generations who require more tax from working age people, they charge working age people rent and because they are so numerous they vote for more taxes on younger people to pay themselves larger pension incomes.
Those older people are keeping housing occupied at the correct level though Max.
What a load of old crap that is. Forcing young people into the rental market to live in HMOs is something we need to fight against, not encourage. Honestly, reading those arguments this afternoon makes me want to vote for Jez so he can expropriate properties from private landlords.
Best solution I've heard is to make the owner liable to pay Council Tax (so the landlord not the tenant) but with a 50% annual surcharge for any homes not your primary residence. So a landlord would be paying 150% of Council Tax per annum.
Nah, a large annual surcharge and the funds hypothecated to build new affordable housing in the local area they are collected. Also a 100% annual value charge on foreign owned properties. No more using the UK property market as a bank.
Something happened to society in the Blair-Cameron years, but I don't know what. We do seem to still be fighting over it, though. And until we work out what, we can't collectively move on.
Gordon Brown happened.
That's not an entirely facetious response. Much of our current economic and social structure is the result of his legacy and policies that were carried on by the coalition.
But it’s global. Look at America.
It is lower IQs, in part. They really are dumber. Plus social media
That might be the underlying mechanism (though I'm not convinced), but what's the presenting issue? What's the thing-about-society that causes mutual resentment and incomprehension between (roughly) those aged 30-minus and those aged 50-plus?
(The most compelling mechanism I've heard is about education, but not higher ed. Until the late 80's you could leave school before finishing Fifth Year (Year 11 to our wannabe American readers), without any qualifications. And a certain proportion of people did. That's a key difference between those under 50 and over 50 now.)
Partly it's because in developed nations younger people (rightly) feel the wealth ladder has been pulled up by the older generations who require more tax from working age people, they charge working age people rent and because they are so numerous they vote for more taxes on younger people to pay themselves larger pension incomes.
That's some of it, but why does it spill though to everything else, like attitudes to Harry and Meghan? Or you-know-what (where paradoxically, it's the older, more likely to be retired and comfortable types who predominantly voted for radical change)?
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
They've drawn the line there for a reason.
I know someone my ages (thirties) whom I would not call obese by body fat percentage or commonsense but he would be by BMI, he's well over 6 foot. He got hit for six by the virus, ended up in ICU and on a ventillator for a couple of weeks and was very fortunate to survive.
If you're eligible to get it then I would register and I would not feel guilty about doing so.
I wonder whether its only 'fatties' who get sick or if tall, high BMI but healthy bodyline people are worse hit too. My friend was very nearly a statistic, so if the doctors have advised you're eligible don't count yourself safe.
BMI ceases to work well for tall people. I am 6' 2", big set and fairly muscular. Even when my body fat was below 15%*, I had an idiot doctor look at my BMI and tell me I needed to lose weight.
* Sadly, no longer true.
Precisely my point. My friend is the same, I would not for a second say he was obese but he definitely would be by BMI. Tall, big set and fairly muscular too. At least pre-virus he was riding cross country bike rides most weekends but he was badly, badly affected by the virus.
I don't know if there's any evidence as to whether tall high BMI but healthy people are more or less risk but anecdotally my friend is lucky to be alive so if you're eligible I would get it and I would not feel guilty for a second about it.
It has always puzzled me that BMI is inversely proportional to the square of the individual's height when physics tells us that the volume, and thus the mass, of an object is proportional to the cube of its linear dimensions.
It’s a really crude assessment of an individual that was devised for population study. I’d argue it’s use as the sole determinant of obesity ( or indeed being overweight) is not good science/medicine but it has the simplicity factor which makes it attractive to time pressured medical staff. It clearly fails at the edges, so rugby players with minimal fat, but high muscle content are labelled obese. It tells you little about someone’s cardiovascular condition. There are other measures that are coming into favour, such as waste measurements and waste to height ratio, and they may be a better guide. What I would say though is that unless you are at the edges then a bmi over 30 is probably a sign that you are carrying too much weight. (Like me...)
People interested in seeing house prices rise by only tweaking around the edges, I am shocked they would be so interested in not seeing their own house prices fall!
Something happened to society in the Blair-Cameron years, but I don't know what. We do seem to still be fighting over it, though. And until we work out what, we can't collectively move on.
Gordon Brown happened.
That's not an entirely facetious response. Much of our current economic and social structure is the result of his legacy and policies that were carried on by the coalition.
But it’s global. Look at America.
It is lower IQs, in part. They really are dumber. Plus social media
That might be the underlying mechanism (though I'm not convinced), but what's the presenting issue? What's the thing-about-society that causes mutual resentment and incomprehension between (roughly) those aged 30-minus and those aged 50-plus?
(The most compelling mechanism I've heard is about education, but not higher ed. Until the late 80's you could leave school before finishing Fifth Year (Year 11 to our wannabe American readers), without any qualifications. And a certain proportion of people did. That's a key difference between those under 50 and over 50 now.)
Partly it's because in developed nations younger people (rightly) feel the wealth ladder has been pulled up by the older generations who require more tax from working age people, they charge working age people rent and because they are so numerous they vote for more taxes on younger people to pay themselves larger pension incomes.
I seem to recall that, back in the 19th Century when some Western societies were beginning to evolve in a more democratic direction, many thinkers thought the system could never last because the great mass of the people would eventually learn that they could help themselves to all the resources of the rich by outvoting them.
Nobody that long ago could've anticipated that it would end with the great mass of the rich elderly vampirizing the young. But here we are.
People interested in seeing house prices rise by only tweaking around the edges, I am shocked they would be so interested in not seeing their own house prices fall!
Why would anyone with a mortgage want their own house price to fall?
I certainly don't want my own house price to fall. I'd be f*cked.
People interested in seeing house prices rise by only tweaking around the edges, I am shocked they would be so interested in not seeing their own house prices fall!
Why would anyone with a mortgage want their own house price to fall?
I certainly don't want my own house price to fall. I'd be f*cked.
People interested in seeing house prices rise by only tweaking around the edges, I am shocked they would be so interested in not seeing their own house prices fall!
Why would anyone with a mortgage want their own house price to fall?
I certainly don't want my own house price to fall. I'd be f*cked.
Ultimately unless house prices fall the problem will just roll on. If you've already got a home, I find it hard to feel sympathy for many
People interested in seeing house prices rise by only tweaking around the edges, I am shocked they would be so interested in not seeing their own house prices fall!
Why would anyone with a mortgage want their own house price to fall?
I certainly don't want my own house price to fall. I'd be f*cked.
Ultimately unless house prices fall the problem will just roll on. If you've already got a home, I find it hard to feel sympathy for many
Falling house prices will leave many people who "have already got a home" without a home. It's a difficult problem that has been debated here quite a few times. The "fairest" solution is house price stagnation in my opinion. Something I wouldn't have a problem with.
People interested in seeing house prices rise by only tweaking around the edges, I am shocked they would be so interested in not seeing their own house prices fall!
Why would anyone with a mortgage want their own house price to fall?
I certainly don't want my own house price to fall. I'd be f*cked.
No one wants negative equity.
No but I'd be happy for 50 years of no rises while wages catch up.
People interested in seeing house prices rise by only tweaking around the edges, I am shocked they would be so interested in not seeing their own house prices fall!
Why would anyone with a mortgage want their own house price to fall?
I certainly don't want my own house price to fall. I'd be f*cked.
Ultimately unless house prices fall the problem will just roll on. If you've already got a home, I find it hard to feel sympathy for many
This isn't correct. Below inflation rises achieve the same equitable end - at a slower pace - but without buggering up existing homeowners.
HOLYROOD'S harassment complaints committee have now been handed Whatsapp messages from the Crown Office that Alex Salmond has claimed proves there was a high level plot by Nicola Sturgeon's allies to ruin him and even send him to jail.
Strange that WhatsApp messages that have been denied even existed have now been handed over. Everybody who testified and said these messages didn’t exist are now proven liars
Do you think Nicola's been a wee bit naughty Malc?
Hello GIN, she is a total roaster, surrounded by handpicked wrong un's , should be a shedload of them heading for the pokey but we will be lucky if we see them sacked.
Why did she/they do it though? That's what I can't work out? I mean Alex had retired from front line politics so it's not like he was threat to her/her job?
Alex is a lot like Farage.
Someone who loves the limelight and regularly retires only to then come back to take the leadership "by popular demand".
As a complete outsider it seems to me at the moment he is a a man driven for revenge and doesn’t give a flying monkeys about the cost.
That would make a lot of sense, because according to the well-known story of the English ex-girlfriend of Salmond in the early '70s, supposedly he only joined the SNP in a fit of vengeance in the first place. Wasn't the story that after a major row, his girlfriend said : "Well if that's how you feel, why don't you go off and join the Scottish nationalists", and that day he walked tens of miles to do just that , and joined the SNP. If he helped damage the cause of Scottish independence in a second moment of vengeance, that might complete a cycle of the wrong starting motivations for doing more complex, or understandable things.
People interested in seeing house prices rise by only tweaking around the edges, I am shocked they would be so interested in not seeing their own house prices fall!
Why would anyone with a mortgage want their own house price to fall?
I certainly don't want my own house price to fall. I'd be f*cked.
Ultimately unless house prices fall the problem will just roll on. If you've already got a home, I find it hard to feel sympathy for many
This isn't correct. Below inflation rises achieve the same equitable end - at a slower pace - but without buggering up existing homeowners.
It won't happen whilst the Tories are around.
So ultimately it's going to crash through the floor when the bubble pops.
Fair point, though, you're right and that's a better solution. Ditto @Gallowgate
Just had a reply from my Red Wall Tory MP to my suggestion that 1% was not enough, and that it should be plus one two weeks extra paid leave plus £1k or £2k one off tax free. It's loooooong and reads rather like a centrally drafted reply. Very much pat on the head
A couple of decent points - one that the Indy Body will make a recommendation.
I had a better reply last time. I think they will back down on this.
-------------------------- Good Afternoon,
Thank you for getting in touch about nurses pay.
It is important to note MP’s do not set nurses pay. This is down to an Independent Pay Review Body to decide what the pay increase should be. The 1% quoted in the media is just the opening suggestion to the pay review body. The nurse’s unions will provide their own suggestion and it is then ultimately down to the Independent body to decide what the increase should be. This 1% figure is not the final decision and it part of an ongoing negotiation. It’s also worth noting that the nature of NHS pay scales means that many nursing staff will receive additional annual incremental pay rises regardless of the outcome of this pay review.
However, I appreciate your concerns and completely understand the strength of feeling on this issue. The NHS has shown why it is revered around the world over the past year and those that work in the NHS have the gratitude of us all, as do other front-line workers.
We have all seen the devastating impacts the last year has had on the country. In the budget, the Chancellor underlined the severe impacts Coronavirus has had on the economy. Whilst in times of dire economic need savings must be made, the government has ensured those in the NHS would receive a pay rise this year, unlike the rest of the public sector. The government values the hard work of nurses throughout this pandemic which is why it has ensured that this increase will happen.
Whilst we all agree that nurses deserve to be rewarded for the courageous acts they have committed over the last year, the government must look at this in the context of the wider public finances.
Most public sector staff, including others who have been working throughout COVID such as the Police and teaching staff, will see their pay frozen. Any pay increase has to be paid for, so whilst pay could theoretically rise by more, nurses (and everyone else) could actually end up being financially worse off if we had to raise income tax or national insurance in order to pay for it.
...
Good God what is the Tory party coming to?
Three apostrophe errors in the first two sentences, the third sentence is a syntactic disaster, the fifth sentence has yet another misplaced apostrophe...
Morality question. Montgomery County, MD has obesity as one of the factors that bump you up the waiting list for vaccinations. They define obese as a BMI of over 32. Mine is 32.5, but I am not obese by other definitions (body fat percentage, commonsense). Should I feel bad about pre-registering for the vaccine on the basis of obesity?
They've drawn the line there for a reason.
I know someone my ages (thirties) whom I would not call obese by body fat percentage or commonsense but he would be by BMI, he's well over 6 foot. He got hit for six by the virus, ended up in ICU and on a ventillator for a couple of weeks and was very fortunate to survive.
If you're eligible to get it then I would register and I would not feel guilty about doing so.
I wonder whether its only 'fatties' who get sick or if tall, high BMI but healthy bodyline people are worse hit too. My friend was very nearly a statistic, so if the doctors have advised you're eligible don't count yourself safe.
BMI ceases to work well for tall people. I am 6' 2", big set and fairly muscular. Even when my body fat was below 15%*, I had an idiot doctor look at my BMI and tell me I needed to lose weight.
* Sadly, no longer true.
Precisely my point. My friend is the same, I would not for a second say he was obese but he definitely would be by BMI. Tall, big set and fairly muscular too. At least pre-virus he was riding cross country bike rides most weekends but he was badly, badly affected by the virus.
I don't know if there's any evidence as to whether tall high BMI but healthy people are more or less risk but anecdotally my friend is lucky to be alive so if you're eligible I would get it and I would not feel guilty for a second about it.
It has always puzzled me that BMI is inversely proportional to the square of the individual's height when physics tells us that the volume, and thus the mass, of an object is proportional to the cube of its linear dimensions.
Perhaps PB should undertake to sponsor some rigorous scientific experiments?
Such as pushing a fat guy off the roof of a six-story building, then measuring how high he bounces/splatters.
Nominate TSE, HYUFD and Malc to take the lead on this!
Are you suggesting TSE, HYUFD and Malc are fat guys?!
Perish the thought! Other way around, reckon they've got the collective sinew, stamina AND sense of purpose, to defenestrate Fatty Arbuckle (or Chis Christie or Eric Pickles) if need be.
Comments
Someone who loves the limelight and regularly retires only to then come back to take the leadership "by popular demand".
That's not an entirely facetious response. Much of our current economic and social structure is the result of his legacy and policies that were carried on by the coalition.
Not a penny more for either of them either, if they want to make their own money let them do it and let them never set foot on these shores again
Nichomar as Blofeld.
That was the live on air broadcast figure. Most people watch TV online or on demand nowadays not live and that will be factored into the proper results of how many see it.
Without counting how many see clips that go viral etc
As for saying a British citizen should be "never allowed to set foot on these shores again" I think you need to get out of your tank.
I'm too tired after a long day working on the screen to work out mentally if it's actually possible to give £500 tax free in a reasonably sensible way that doesn't simply return money unduly, but for another thing NI would be 100% lost. as well.
But you know it’s obnoxious. That’s why you do it. To irritate
So you carry on obnoxing and I’ll carry on ignoring your appeals to desist
It is lower IQs, in part. They really are dumber. Plus social media
--AS
I know someone my ages (thirties) whom I would not call obese by body fat percentage or commonsense but he would be by BMI, he's well over 6 foot. He got hit for six by the virus, ended up in ICU and on a ventillator for a couple of weeks and was very fortunate to survive.
If you're eligible to get it then I would register and I would not feel guilty about doing so.
I wonder whether its only 'fatties' who get sick or if tall, high BMI but healthy bodyline people are worse hit too. My friend was very nearly a statistic, so if the doctors have advised you're eligible don't count yourself safe.
* Sadly, no longer true.
PS At the time I was working with a lot of military and special forces types. They all got the same advice from the same idiot doctor (from whom we needed to get medical clearance to travel).
A couple of decent points - one that the Indy Body will make a recommendation.
I had a better reply last time. I think they will back down on this.
--------------------------
Good Afternoon,
Thank you for getting in touch about nurses pay.
It is important to note MP’s do not set nurses pay. This is down to an Independent Pay Review Body to decide what the pay increase should be. The 1% quoted in the media is just the opening suggestion to the pay review body. The nurse’s unions will provide their own suggestion and it is then ultimately down to the Independent body to decide what the increase should be. This 1% figure is not the final decision and it part of an ongoing negotiation. It’s also worth noting that the nature of NHS pay scales means that many nursing staff will receive additional annual incremental pay rises regardless of the outcome of this pay review.
However, I appreciate your concerns and completely understand the strength of feeling on this issue. The NHS has shown why it is revered around the world over the past year and those that work in the NHS have the gratitude of us all, as do other front-line workers.
We have all seen the devastating impacts the last year has had on the country. In the budget, the Chancellor underlined the severe impacts Coronavirus has had on the economy. Whilst in times of dire economic need savings must be made, the government has ensured those in the NHS would receive a pay rise this year, unlike the rest of the public sector. The government values the hard work of nurses throughout this pandemic which is why it has ensured that this increase will happen.
Whilst we all agree that nurses deserve to be rewarded for the courageous acts they have committed over the last year, the government must look at this in the context of the wider public finances.
Most public sector staff, including others who have been working throughout COVID such as the Police and teaching staff, will see their pay frozen. Any pay increase has to be paid for, so whilst pay could theoretically rise by more, nurses (and everyone else) could actually end up being financially worse off if we had to raise income tax or national insurance in order to pay for it.
...
In contrast to the secure employment of the public sector, we have also seen how devastated the private sector has been over the past year. As we come out of the pandemic, the government is focusing resources into protecting people’s jobs and livelihoods. If we were to divert money from that funding to give nurses a larger pay rise, we could risk making hundreds of thousands more people unemployed. For context, roughly three quarters of a million people are now out of work because of coronavirus and these people also need our help and support. These are incredibly difficult equations to balance and there are no easy answers.
I can assure you I understand the strength of feeling on this issue and will pass on your thoughts to ministerial colleagues. As I have said, this is not a final decision and it is the independent review body rather than the government that will ultimately decide the level of nurses pay in due course.
Some facts that you may not be aware of:
Over one million NHS staff continue to benefit from multi-year pay deals agreed with trade unions, which have delivered a pay rise of over 12% for newly qualified nurses and will increase junior doctors’ pay scales by 8.2%.
Due to the challenging economic environment, we made the tough decision to freeze pay rises for the majority of the public sector workers this year. However, we are continuing to provide pay rises for NHS workers, on top of a £513 million investment in professional development and increased recruitment.
That’s with record numbers of doctors and 10,600 more nurses working in our NHS, and with nursing university applications up by over a third.
In late Spring, we expect the independent pay review bodies issue their report. We will consider their recommendations carefully. We are delivering for our NHS:
We are delivering a pay rise of over 12 per cent for newly qualified nurses and will increase junior doctors’ pay scales by 8.2 per cent pay rise of over 12 per cent. Since 2017, our multi-year deal has delivered year on year pay increases for our much valued NHS staff and as part of this we have increased the starting salary for a newly qualified nurse by over 12 per cent and increased the lowest starting salary within the NHS by over 16 per cent.
(last 400 words left out)
A neighbour in the know puts this down to the payments for administering vaccines. Incentives creating problems. Plus ca change....
I don't know if there's any evidence as to whether tall high BMI but healthy people are more or less risk but anecdotally my friend is lucky to be alive so if you're eligible I would get it and I would not feel guilty for a second about it.
I am very sad to hear the news of Nichomar.
That is a massive negative for him, not some kind of neutral issue - He needs to convince people he is the man to oust the incumbent from Downing St, so he needs to make an impression. A year in and he hasn't
I don't really see why the Tories should be worried as Mike says - they have the incumbent, and their likely replacement for him is polling better than the opposition leader, so why worry?
(The most compelling mechanism I've heard is about education, but not higher ed. Until the late 80's you could leave school before finishing Fifth Year (Year 11 to our wannabe American readers), without any qualifications. And a certain proportion of people did. That's a key difference between those under 50 and over 50 now.)
Best wishes to PBers who are personally confronting the virus, best wishes to you and yours!
You are NOT alone, in your pain OR in our common progress toward something better - somehow, someway.
The formula is broken though because it definitely overestimates tall people's BMI.
And then I remember she was inspired to travel out their by videos of them beheading hostages, earned a reputation as a strict enforcer of ISIS laws whilst she was there, sewed explosive vests into suicide bombers so they couldn't be removed without detonation, was the unfazed by a beheaded man as he was "an enemy of Islam" and still espouses their ideology and tries to justify their atrocities. And even her brother in law and father said she was massively in the wrong, and hadn't said sorry.
So, then I get a bit all "you made your bed".
https://twitter.com/AlexandravonNah/status/1368895866468196355
"No, I am NOT 6'1" as listed, but rather 5'1". Thank you very much for correcting that."
You can always tell when replies are bespoke. At the very least the MP will dictate a few thoughts to his/her assistant before they hit send.
I imagine an examination of statements about the UK government in recent years will show they believe that to be true.
What happened to the March ramp-up we were promised?
Such as pushing a fat guy off the roof of a six-story building, then measuring how high he bounces/splatters.
Nominate TSE, HYUFD and Malc to take the lead on this!
Nobody that long ago could've anticipated that it would end with the great mass of the rich elderly vampirizing the young. But here we are.
I certainly don't want my own house price to fall. I'd be f*cked.
So ultimately it's going to crash through the floor when the bubble pops.
Fair point, though, you're right and that's a better solution. Ditto @Gallowgate
Three apostrophe errors in the first two sentences, the third sentence is a syntactic disaster, the fifth sentence has yet another misplaced apostrophe...