Opinion polls and local elections – politicalbetting.com

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Opinion polls and local elections – politicalbetting.com

I wrote a thread header a few weeks ago which covered the correlation between opinion poll voting intentions (VI) and general election results.  I found that there is a strong relationship between VI and general election results, though the small size of the sample of eleven general elections on which I based the work meant that my conclusion was tentative.

Read the full story here

tlg86

First.

MikeSmithson

My only comment is that you have not included in the analysis the LDs who traditionally have outperformed their national voting polls in local elections by some margin

Morris_Dancer

FPT:
Good morning, everyone.

F1: first look at Jeddah:
https://twitter.com/adamcooperF1/status/1372474146102345729

Fishing

MikeSmithson said:

My only comment is that you have not included in the analysis the LDs who traditionally have outperformed their national voting polls in local elections by some margin

No indeed, nor UKIP which was a factor until recently, nor any other third/fourth party. Maybe another thread at some point?

tlg86

Excellent thread. That period between 1998 and 2004 is interesting. As has been mentioned on here previously, IDS did okay in his local elections but was ousted because the assumption was that the Tories would get smashed in a GE with him as leader. I'm not sure the 2005 result would have been all that different tbh.

Gallowgate

@Morris_Dancer - how many safety cars per race on average, do you think?

Big_G_NorthWales

An excellent detailed piece and far beyond my understanding of polling and trends but I do agree that it is likely to be a steady if unspectacular set of results for Boris, but of course the expectation should surely be that Starmer should show good gains for Labour in the circumstances of these elections

Theuniondivvie

Sort of on topic, there are 4 council by elections in Scotland tonight.

https://twitter.com/ballotboxscot/status/1372469070373609472?s=21

Nigelb

Mobile laboratory 80 minute PCR test capability, which could be very useful indeed for hospitals.
Not sure that the capacity is sufficient for (say) airports, but it might be of use there too for controlling arrivals from very high risk countries.

17 March 2021 – Novacyt , an international specialist in clinical diagnostics, announces the expansion of its VersaLabTM service with the launch of mobile processing laboratories (MPL) to provide rapid turnaround polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing on-site. Testing will be performed using mid-nose nasal swabs, which were found to be effective and well tolerated compared to the more invasive nasopharyngeal swabs in the interim review of Queen Mary University of London’s clinical trial in care homes, as announced by the Company on 16 November 2020.
VersaLabTM was launched in December 2020 to support private sector testing of infectious diseases, initially focused on COVID-19. This has enabled Novacyt to identify a growing number of UK and international mobile testing opportunities across the private sector.
Novacyt’s MPLs will be fully equipped with its PROmateTM assay and q16 PCR instruments. PROmateTM is the only direct-to-PCR COVID-19 assay approved by the Department of Health and Social Care’s Technology Validation Group. The PROmateTM workflow, which includes a viral inactivation buffer, means the MPLs do not require a category 2 laboratory to handle the live virus. As a result, the cost of testing is reduced, as well as the risks associated with handling the live virus in a mobile testing unit. This workflow allows Novacyt to provide rapid results to patients in under 80 minutes. Novacyt is one of the first companies to offer mobile testing units to deliver same day, on-site results using the gold standard sensitivity and specificity of PCR technology.
With an active pipeline of opportunities, Novacyt believes the addition of VersaLabTM MPLs could offer new long-term revenue growth opportunities as the private sector begins to take control of COVID-19 testing to keep businesses open and running efficiently. Novacyt is trialling the MPLs with several private testing partners (approved customers of the government “test-to-release” scheme) at various sites in the UK to support international travel.
Each MPL is able to process up to 900 COVID-19 samples per day...

Nigelb

Morris_Dancer said:

FPT:
Good morning, everyone.

F1: first look at Jeddah:
https://twitter.com/adamcooperF1/status/1372474146102345729

I second @Dura_Ace 's comment form the last thread.

Also, F1 and repressive regimes....

Morris_Dancer

Mr. Gate, generally or just Jeddah?

I imagine we'll see one or two, although it's at the end of the season so reliability should be pretty good (chance of failing parts, though) and the drivers will be entirely up to speed. No idea how wide the track is.

TheScreamingEagles

tlg86 said:

Excellent thread. That period between 1998 and 2004 is interesting. As has been mentioned on here previously, IDS did okay in his local elections but was ousted because the assumption was that the Tories would get smashed in a GE with him as leader. I'm not sure the 2005 result would have been all that different tbh.

Not quite, between 1990 and 1997 (with 1992 being the obvious exception and 1997 the not so obvious one) was a grim time for the Tories in local government elections, William Hague's and IDS's local elections was the unwinding of the smashing the Tories had experienced.

Take 1994, the Tories lost over 516 seats, they won back 256 in 1998 and 238 in 2002 which was the return to normal, ie the pendulum swinging back.

Or take 1995, the Tories lost over 2,000 seats that night, in 1999 they won back 1,348, and in 2003 they won back 566.

IDS and Hague only did well because the Tories had done so poorly before, if IDS was going to do well in the general election he needed to do much better in the locals.

williamglenn

An interesting article on the effect of Brexit on Irish trade which highlights an often ignored issue of the RoI acting as a land bridge between GB and NI. This is something that the protocol doesn't cover.

https://news.sky.com/story/how-brexit-has-changed-trade-between-britain-and-ireland-12247998

Darren Murphy, managing director of BM Transport, a family-owned haulage firm that sends 150 trailer loads every day across the Irish Sea said the added operational costs are being passed on to the customer.

He said: "You have people like me who are moving freight away from the Dublin to Holyhead route to the Northern Ireland ports because of the customs formalities and whatever else we have to do.

John Martin, policy manager in Northern Ireland for the Road Haulage Association said: "Once the COVID restrictions are lifted and the retail and hospitality sectors open up in Northern Ireland, there will be an increase in demand for products coming from GB into Northern Ireland.

"There will be insufficient capacity on the ferry servicing Northern Ireland because of the increase in the demand from the truck operators in Ireland."

NickPalmer

Convincing piece by Fishing - good to see serious statistical work. Thanks!

FPT:
Quite an interesting (if overlong) piece on why Johnson's clowning works:

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/mar/18/all-hail-the-clown-king-how-boris-johnson-made-it-by-playing-the-fool

I think it overstates his decisive role in Brexit, but the subtle appeal of a deliberately shambolic approach is perceptive. Berlusconi, Bolsanaro and Trump have all used similar cut-the-crap-just-listen-to-me styles, but Johnson is more likeable than any of those, without negating the basic point that it's a deliberate technique. The closest left-wing counterpart I can think of is Ken Livingstone, though there must be others. Generally left-wingers are boringly earnest (glances in mirror). Should we learn to be shambolic?
Flag

TheScreamingEagles

Very interesting piece Fishing, thank you.

Morris_Dancer

Mr. B, oh, I agree. Street circuits are generally rubbish, and almost all recent calendar editions have been narrow, tedious, identikit circuits (Russia and Singapore stand out).

Worth mentioning the excellent exception of the Circuit of the Americas, though.

LostPassword

MikeSmithson said:

My only comment is that you have not included in the analysis the LDs who traditionally have outperformed their national voting polls in local elections by some margin

We can infer something from the results shown.

Firstly, the degree of Lib Dem performance is relatively consistent - it doesn't affect the relationship between Con/Lab.

Secondly, as well as being consistent in time, it seems to be equal between parties - so Lib Dem local election voters are not all Labour or Tory voters in the opinion polls.

A similar analysis based on the Conservative knead over the Lib Dems would be interesting though.

tlg86

TheScreamingEagles said:

tlg86 said:

Excellent thread. That period between 1998 and 2004 is interesting. As has been mentioned on here previously, IDS did okay in his local elections but was ousted because the assumption was that the Tories would get smashed in a GE with him as leader. I'm not sure the 2005 result would have been all that different tbh.

Not quite, between 1990 and 1997 (with 1992 being the obvious exception) was a grim time for the Tories in local government elections, William Hague's and IDS's local elections was the unwinding of the smashing the Tories had experienced.

Take 1994, the Tories lost over 516 seats, they won back 256 in 1998 and 238 in 2002 which was the return to normal, ie the pendulum swinging back.

Or take 1995, the Tories lost over 2,000 seats that night, in 1999 they won back 1,348, and in 2003 they won back 566.

IDS and Hague only did well because the Tories had done so poorly before, if IDS was going to do well in the general election he needed to do much better in the locals.

I was thinking more share of the vote, though, of course, on a much smaller turnout compared with a GE.

Michael Howard did do better than IDS in 2004, but I wonder to what extent he benefitted from the European elections being held on the same day.

HYUFD

Labour won the 1998 local elections by 6% (with the LDs on 25%), Labour won the 1999 local elections by 2% (with the LDs on 24%) so Labour still translated their national lead into a local elections lead despite Tory gains.

In 2000 the Tories had a narrow lead but with the LDs on 26% and again in 2002 with the LDs on 27%.

The Tories were under 35% in each of those local elections as they were in national polls so the main difference was a large number were voting Labour nationally but LD locally

TheScreamingEagles

tlg86 said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

tlg86 said:

Excellent thread. That period between 1998 and 2004 is interesting. As has been mentioned on here previously, IDS did okay in his local elections but was ousted because the assumption was that the Tories would get smashed in a GE with him as leader. I'm not sure the 2005 result would have been all that different tbh.

Not quite, between 1990 and 1997 (with 1992 being the obvious exception) was a grim time for the Tories in local government elections, William Hague's and IDS's local elections was the unwinding of the smashing the Tories had experienced.

Take 1994, the Tories lost over 516 seats, they won back 256 in 1998 and 238 in 2002 which was the return to normal, ie the pendulum swinging back.

Or take 1995, the Tories lost over 2,000 seats that night, in 1999 they won back 1,348, and in 2003 they won back 566.

IDS and Hague only did well because the Tories had done so poorly before, if IDS was going to do well in the general election he needed to do much better in the locals.

I was thinking more share of the vote, though, of course, on a much smaller turnout compared with a GE.

Michael Howard did do better than IDS in 2004, but I wonder to what extent he benefitted from the European elections being held on the same day.

A lot, Labour thought they were going to get smashed everywhere, you had the Lib Dems hoovering up the anti war vote as well. It was said Blair decided to give Livingstone back the Labour whip so Labour could have a win in the 2004 locals night.

Although one of the Tory strategists I know said back in 2014 Labour would have finished third in the European elections if London hadn't had local elections that day, so sometimes it is the other way around.

(They didn't complain, they reckoned had Labour finished third then Miliband might have been ousted before GE2015.)

Big_G_NorthWales

williamglenn said:

An interesting article on the effect of Brexit on Irish trade which highlights an often ignored issue of the RoI acting as a land bridge between GB and NI. This is something that the protocol doesn't cover.

https://news.sky.com/story/how-brexit-has-changed-trade-between-britain-and-ireland-12247998

Darren Murphy, managing director of BM Transport, a family-owned haulage firm that sends 150 trailer loads every day across the Irish Sea said the added operational costs are being passed on to the customer.

He said: "You have people like me who are moving freight away from the Dublin to Holyhead route to the Northern Ireland ports because of the customs formalities and whatever else we have to do.

John Martin, policy manager in Northern Ireland for the Road Haulage Association said: "Once the COVID restrictions are lifted and the retail and hospitality sectors open up in Northern Ireland, there will be an increase in demand for products coming from GB into Northern Ireland.

"There will be insufficient capacity on the ferry servicing Northern Ireland because of the increase in the demand from the truck operators in Ireland."

There was a report yesterday in the North Wales news that Holyhead is to introduce new direct sailings to Belfast

NickyBreakspear

Theuniondivvie said:

Sort of on topic, there are 4 council by elections in Scotland tonight.

https://twitter.com/ballotboxscot/status/1372469070373609472?s=21

In addition to the 4 by-elections in Scotland we also have 3 in North Wales!

https://www.britainelects.com/2021/03/17/council-by-election-previews-18-march-2021/

Corwen, on the Llangollen railway; Eirias, near Colwyn Bay; and Maesydre in Wrexham.

eek

Nigelb said:

Morris_Dancer said:

FPT:
Good morning, everyone.

F1: first look at Jeddah:
https://twitter.com/adamcooperF1/status/1372474146102345729

I second @Dura_Ace 's comment form the last thread.

Also, F1 and repressive regimes....

Is it just me that likes the Baku circuit because of the narrow streets in places?

Nigel_Foremain

NickPalmer said:

Convincing piece by Fishing - good to see serious statistical work. Thanks!

FPT:
Quite an interesting (if overlong) piece on why Johnson's clowning works:

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/mar/18/all-hail-the-clown-king-how-boris-johnson-made-it-by-playing-the-fool

I think it overstates his decisive role in Brexit, but the subtle appeal of a deliberately shambolic approach is perceptive. Berlusconi, Bolsanaro and Trump have all used similar cut-the-crap-just-listen-to-me styles, but Johnson is more likeable than any of those, without negating the basic point that it's a deliberate technique. The closest left-wing counterpart I can think of is Ken Livingstone, though there must be others. Generally left-wingers are boringly earnest (glances in mirror). Should we learn to be shambolic?
Flag

It is a very interesting paradox that someone who is so inauthentic (the two Brexit articles being indicative, and a history of lies, marital betrayal, political duplicity etc.), is able to act the clown and give a lot of gullible folk the impression that he is genuine. Boris Johnson can fool some of the people all of the time!

Floater

https://twitter.com/MacaesBruno/status/1372483583043047424

Big_G_NorthWales

NickyBreakspear said:

Theuniondivvie said:

Sort of on topic, there are 4 council by elections in Scotland tonight.

https://twitter.com/ballotboxscot/status/1372469070373609472?s=21

In addition to the 4 by-elections in Scotland we also have 3 in North Wales!

https://www.britainelects.com/2021/03/17/council-by-election-previews-18-march-2021/

Corwen, on the Llangollen railway; Eirias, near Colwyn Bay; and Maesydre in Wrexham.

Eirias is actually in Colwyn Bay

MarqueeMark

TheScreamingEagles said:

tlg86 said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

tlg86 said:

Excellent thread. That period between 1998 and 2004 is interesting. As has been mentioned on here previously, IDS did okay in his local elections but was ousted because the assumption was that the Tories would get smashed in a GE with him as leader. I'm not sure the 2005 result would have been all that different tbh.

Not quite, between 1990 and 1997 (with 1992 being the obvious exception) was a grim time for the Tories in local government elections, William Hague's and IDS's local elections was the unwinding of the smashing the Tories had experienced.

Take 1994, the Tories lost over 516 seats, they won back 256 in 1998 and 238 in 2002 which was the return to normal, ie the pendulum swinging back.

Or take 1995, the Tories lost over 2,000 seats that night, in 1999 they won back 1,348, and in 2003 they won back 566.

IDS and Hague only did well because the Tories had done so poorly before, if IDS was going to do well in the general election he needed to do much better in the locals.

I was thinking more share of the vote, though, of course, on a much smaller turnout compared with a GE.

Michael Howard did do better than IDS in 2004, but I wonder to what extent he benefitted from the European elections being held on the same day.

A lot, Labour thought they were going to get smashed everywhere, you had the Lib Dems hoovering up the anti war vote as well. It was said Blair decided to give Livingstone back the Labour whip so Labour could have a win in the 2004 locals night.

Although one of the Tory strategists I know said back in 2014 Labour would have finished third in the European elections if London hadn't had local elections that day, so sometimes it is the other way around.

(They didn't complain, they reckoned had Labour finished third then Miliband might have been ousted before GE2015.)

Balls would still have been available as a candidate. Not sure if Corbyn would have even got on the ballot.

Phew!

Big_G_NorthWales

Sky Europe correspondent reporting the EMA is to endorse AZN later today, but the problem is that the EU and individual member states have created an aversion to AZN across the EU, especially by banning its use in over 65s, to the point that large numbers of the population will refuse it anyway

This consequence is unbelievable and could result in tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths and yet nobody has resigned yet or even recognised their negligence

And as for the EU image abroad they have performed a 'Ratner' on their brand in spectacular fashion

DougSeal

Imperial appear to have called the second wave best...

https://twitter.com/UKCovid19Stats/status/1372260020004478979/photo/1

Theuniondivvie

They've turned the weans, Murdo and the Herald against us!

https://twitter.com/murdo_fraser/status/1372471188161761280?s=20

'Conspiracies are in the eye of the beholder, and Mr Salmond has made a comfort blanket out of his. It’s easier being the victim than the villain...

...But to most people, I suspect, Mr Salmond just looks like a grubby has-been who can’t handle the truth.'

eek

Theuniondivvie said:

They've turned the weans, Murdo and the Herald against us!

https://twitter.com/murdo_fraser/status/1372471188161761280?s=20

'Conspiracies are in the eye of the beholder, and Mr Salmond has made a comfort blanket out of his. It’s easier being the victim than the villain...

...But to most people, I suspect, Mr Salmond just looks like a grubby has-been who can’t handle the truth.'

While true, the approach the Scottish Government have used show that something very smelly is going on there and way some of the things are set up results in powers seemingly being in the wrong place and under the control (accidently or intentionally) of the First Minister when they really should be completely separate.

MarqueeMark

Theuniondivvie said:

They've turned the weans, Murdo and the Herald against us!

https://twitter.com/murdo_fraser/status/1372471188161761280?s=20

'Conspiracies are in the eye of the beholder, and Mr Salmond has made a comfort blanket out of his. It’s easier being the victim than the villain...

...But to most people, I suspect, Mr Salmond just looks like a grubby has-been who can’t handle the truth.'

....whilst Sturgeon just looks like a grubby still-in-post who can't tell the truth...

Cookie

Off thread - and a bit niche, this - but I've been reading the National Bus Strategy. One of the things I thought remarkable was that Boris has written the foreword himself. This isn't something I'd normally expect a PM to do. If a PM did put his name to it, it would have been crafted by someone else - but unless someone has developed an AI that can write in Borisese, it clearly comes from his pen.
You couldn't imagine any of his predecessors gushing about buses so fulsomely. Whatever one might think of Boris, he can do enthusiasm like no other PM I have known.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/969205/DfT-Bus-Back-Better-national-bus-strategy-for-England.pdf

Andy_JS

Why are opinion poll questions known as VI?

Selebian

DougSeal said:

Imperial appear to have called the second wave best...

https://twitter.com/UKCovid19Stats/status/1372260020004478979/photo/1

Aren't these the predictions of what would happen if no lockdown which were used to justify the 4 week November lockdown? i.e. they all are not trying to predict what happens after locking down, but what happens if you don't?

We did lockdown in November, so deaths fell below all the no-lockdown models (of course).

We subsequently had a new, more transmissible variant, which was of course (not known at the time) not in the models.

To compare models forecasting a do-nothing scenario against what happens in a do-something scenario with later emergence of a new strain with different characteristics is not that useful!

(Apologies if I've misread what these graphs purport to show).

DougSeal

Selebian said:

DougSeal said:

Imperial appear to have called the second wave best...

https://twitter.com/UKCovid19Stats/status/1372260020004478979/photo/1

Aren't these the predictions of what would happen if no lockdown which were used to justify the 4 week November lockdown? i.e. they all are not trying to predict what happens after locking down, but what happens if you don't?

We did lockdown in November, so cases fell below all the no-lockdown models (of course).

We subsequently had a new, more transmissible variant, which was of course (not known at the time) not in the models.

To compare models forecasting a do-nothing scenario against what happens in a do-something scenario with later emergence of a new strain with different characteristics is not that useful!

(Apologies if I've misread what these graphs purport to show).

True. I should not have added my rather hasty comment.

Theuniondivvie

MarqueeMark said:

Theuniondivvie said:

They've turned the weans, Murdo and the Herald against us!

https://twitter.com/murdo_fraser/status/1372471188161761280?s=20

'Conspiracies are in the eye of the beholder, and Mr Salmond has made a comfort blanket out of his. It’s easier being the victim than the villain...

...But to most people, I suspect, Mr Salmond just looks like a grubby has-been who can’t handle the truth.'

....whilst Sturgeon just looks like a grubby still-in-post who can't tell the truth...

Is that what there telling you on the doorstep?

Selebian

DougSeal said:

Selebian said:

DougSeal said:

Imperial appear to have called the second wave best...

https://twitter.com/UKCovid19Stats/status/1372260020004478979/photo/1

Aren't these the predictions of what would happen if no lockdown which were used to justify the 4 week November lockdown? i.e. they all are not trying to predict what happens after locking down, but what happens if you don't?

We did lockdown in November, so cases fell below all the no-lockdown models (of course).

We subsequently had a new, more transmissible variant, which was of course (not known at the time) not in the models.

To compare models forecasting a do-nothing scenario against what happens in a do-something scenario with later emergence of a new strain with different characteristics is not that useful!

(Apologies if I've misread what these graphs purport to show).

True. I should not have added my rather hasty comment.

It happens You'll see that my quoted hasty comment (now corrected) goes on about 'cases', but these are graphs of deaths.

eek

Cookie said:

Off thread - and a bit niche, this - but I've been reading the National Bus Strategy. One of the things I thought remarkable was that Boris has written the foreword himself. This isn't something I'd normally expect a PM to do. If a PM did put his name to it, it would have been crafted by someone else - but unless someone has developed an AI that can write in Borisese, it clearly comes from his pen.
You couldn't imagine any of his predecessors gushing about buses so fulsomely. Whatever one might think of Boris, he can do enthusiasm like no other PM I have known.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/969205/DfT-Bus-Back-Better-national-bus-strategy-for-England.pdf

I suspect he had more joy spending the hour writing that forward (and it's clear he wrote it) than everything else he did that week.

DougSeal

https://twitter.com/timspector/status/1372267973428252674

MarqueeMark

Seems like the only geezer with a dodgy sense of humour the Japanese Olympics Committee didn't have in their number was the Ghost of Bernard Manning:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56438842

MarqueeMark

Theuniondivvie said:

MarqueeMark said:

Theuniondivvie said:

They've turned the weans, Murdo and the Herald against us!

https://twitter.com/murdo_fraser/status/1372471188161761280?s=20

'Conspiracies are in the eye of the beholder, and Mr Salmond has made a comfort blanket out of his. It’s easier being the victim than the villain...

...But to most people, I suspect, Mr Salmond just looks like a grubby has-been who can’t handle the truth.'

....whilst Sturgeon just looks like a grubby still-in-post who can't tell the truth...

Is that what there telling you on the doorstep?

No, no, no, no, no.

THEY'RE telling, not there. Jeez, Scottish education standards today under the SNP....

Fishing

Andy_JS said:

Why are opinion poll questions known as VI?

Voting intention.

Pulpstar

Andy_JS said:

Why are opinion poll questions known as VI?

Voting Intention

LostPassword

DougSeal said:

Imperial appear to have called the second wave best...

https://twitter.com/UKCovid19Stats/status/1372260020004478979/photo/1

No they didn't because the comparison shown is nonsensical.

You would not expect a model, run with the assumption of no changes in behaviour or policy, to match the outcomes when there were changes in policy and behaviour (and a new variant of the virus too!)

Andy_JS

NickPalmer said:

Convincing piece by Fishing - good to see serious statistical work. Thanks!

FPT:
Quite an interesting (if overlong) piece on why Johnson's clowning works:

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/mar/18/all-hail-the-clown-king-how-boris-johnson-made-it-by-playing-the-fool

I think it overstates his decisive role in Brexit, but the subtle appeal of a deliberately shambolic approach is perceptive. Berlusconi, Bolsanaro and Trump have all used similar cut-the-crap-just-listen-to-me styles, but Johnson is more likeable than any of those, without negating the basic point that it's a deliberate technique. The closest left-wing counterpart I can think of is Ken Livingstone, though there must be others. Generally left-wingers are boringly earnest (glances in mirror). Should we learn to be shambolic?

They don't need to be shambolic but not appearing so serious and po-faced might be a good idea. Has Keir Starmer ever told a joke?

DougSeal

LostPassword said:

DougSeal said:

Imperial appear to have called the second wave best...

https://twitter.com/UKCovid19Stats/status/1372260020004478979/photo/1

No they didn't because the comparison shown is nonsensical.

You would not expect a model, run with the assumption of no changes in behaviour or policy, to match the outcomes when there were changes in policy and behaviour (and a new variant of the virus too!)

Yes - that has been pointed out to me down thread and I did not think my comment through before making it.

Stocky

DougSeal said:

https://twitter.com/timspector/status/1372267973428252674

Don't think that is the situation with all care homes.

With my mum's, her one nominated visitor (my dad) is not allowed to hug or be close to her like in that photo. They can hold hands but both must wear a mask. And not in her room, in a communal area with staff milling about and stepping in if their masks slip down if they get too close. They are both vaccinated with first jab. It's ridiculous.

Andy_JS

Pulpstar said:

Andy_JS said:

Why are opinion poll questions known as VI?

Voting Intention

All this time I thought it was something to do with Roman numerals. Shows how wrong you can be, over a long period of time.

Stocky

My Oxford AZN jab was yesterday. No sore arm at all. Seems that some get a reaction but some don't.

Philip_Thompson

Stocky said:

DougSeal said:

https://twitter.com/timspector/status/1372267973428252674

Don't think that is the situation with all care homes.

With my mum's, her one nominated visitor (my dad) is not allowed to hug or be close to her like in that photo. They can hold hands but both must wear a mask. And not in her room, in a communal area with staff milling about and stepping in if their masks slip down if they get too close. They are both vaccinated with first jab. It's ridiculous.

That's the home's policy not the law AFAIK.

I suppose they're doing it with the best of intentions to keep her safe but still.

DougSeal

Andy_JS said:

Pulpstar said:

Andy_JS said:

Why are opinion poll questions known as VI?

Voting Intention

All this time I thought it was something to do with Roman numerals. Shows how wrong you can be, over a long period of time.

I've been lurking on this board for 7 years, posting on it for 2, there's still an awful lot I don't know about polling. And betting for that matter but there's not much discussion of that.

Carnyx

MarqueeMark said:

Theuniondivvie said:

MarqueeMark said:

Theuniondivvie said:

They've turned the weans, Murdo and the Herald against us!

https://twitter.com/murdo_fraser/status/1372471188161761280?s=20

'Conspiracies are in the eye of the beholder, and Mr Salmond has made a comfort blanket out of his. It’s easier being the victim than the villain...

...But to most people, I suspect, Mr Salmond just looks like a grubby has-been who can’t handle the truth.'

....whilst Sturgeon just looks like a grubby still-in-post who can't tell the truth...

Is that what there telling you on the doorstep?

No, no, no, no, no.

THEY'RE telling, not there. Jeez, Scottish education standards today under the SNP....

As you know perfectly well it's likely to be a mobey predictive text hiccup. But let's assume it wasn't, in which case it reflects (given TUD's maturity) a condemnation of Scottish education standards pre-devolution, and therefore under the Conservative satrap in St Andrew House in all probability.

CorrectHorseBattery

Excellent news on the surface for FTTP rollout.

tlg86

MarqueeMark said:

Seems like the only geezer with a dodgy sense of humour the Japanese Olympics Committee didn't have in their number was the Ghost of Bernard Manning:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56438842

Many many years ago my dad was at the NEC for the motorcycle show and there was some evening do or something. Anyway, someone thought it was a good idea to book Bernard Manning as the entertainment.

Of course, a lot of Japanese were in the audience and Manning had a field day. My dad said watching people kick off about how offensive he was being was quite amusing.

MattW

DougSeal said:

Andy_JS said:

Pulpstar said:

Andy_JS said:

Why are opinion poll questions known as VI?

Voting Intention

All this time I thought it was something to do with Roman numerals. Shows how wrong you can be, over a long period of time.

I've been lurking on this board for 7 years, posting on it for 2, there's still an awful lot I don't know about polling. And betting for that matter but there's not much discussion of that.

The old timers are either rich and retired, or bankrupt

(Allegedly. Very allegedly.)

CorrectHorseBattery

“Tomorrow we will build on this by publishing Project Gigabit, our plan to drive the rapid rollout of gigabit broadband across the whole of the UK, including the first places to benefit from our £5bn investment in hard to reach areas.”

Sounds encouraging

Morris_Dancer

Mr. Seal, I have fond memories of one of the Peters (I think Mr. Putney) very patiently explaining the lay value on Betfair to me.

That was quite some time ago...

Carnyx

Stocky said:

My Oxford AZN jab was yesterday. No sore arm at all. Seems that some get a reaction but some don't.

Me too, jabbed that is. But distinctly off colour today.

CarlottaVance

https://twitter.com/BrunoBrussels/status/1372474609270947841?s=20

MattW

I would suggest that this does not hold in asinine places like Ashfield.

Gallowgate

CorrectHorseBattery said:

“Tomorrow we will build on this by publishing Project Gigabit, our plan to drive the rapid rollout of gigabit broadband across the whole of the UK, including the first places to benefit from our £5bn investment in hard to reach areas.”

Sounds encouraging

Hartlepool first, London last.

LostPassword

DougSeal said:

LostPassword said:

DougSeal said:

Imperial appear to have called the second wave best...

https://twitter.com/UKCovid19Stats/status/1372260020004478979/photo/1

No they didn't because the comparison shown is nonsensical.

You would not expect a model, run with the assumption of no changes in behaviour or policy, to match the outcomes when there were changes in policy and behaviour (and a new variant of the virus too!)

Yes - that has been pointed out to me down thread and I did not think my comment through before making it.

Yes. I commented before reading the whole thread, alas.

Stocky

Carnyx said:

Stocky said:

My Oxford AZN jab was yesterday. No sore arm at all. Seems that some get a reaction but some don't.

Me too, jabbed that is. But distinctly off colour today.

Strange isn't it. I wonder whether those that do get a reaction are slightly more protected by the vaccine?

CorrectHorseBattery

Gallowgate said:

CorrectHorseBattery said:

“Tomorrow we will build on this by publishing Project Gigabit, our plan to drive the rapid rollout of gigabit broadband across the whole of the UK, including the first places to benefit from our £5bn investment in hard to reach areas.”

Sounds encouraging

Hartlepool first, London last.

To be fair London already has access to a lot of "gigabit capable" (which is a term I hate as Virgin Media is not FTTP) as Virgin Media have wide coverage.

A lot of London however is quite poorly served, especially central and oddly parts of SW London, lots of exchange-only lines, long lines and FTTC cabinets being the only thing available.

Big_G_NorthWales

EMA statement at 3.00pm UK time

LostPassword

MarqueeMark said:

Seems like the only geezer with a dodgy sense of humour the Japanese Olympics Committee didn't have in their number was the Ghost of Bernard Manning:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56438842

If you're unkind you could say that it's sometimes better for a country's reputation if they don't take the opportunity of showcasing themselves to the world.

Carnyx

Stocky said:

Carnyx said:

Stocky said:

My Oxford AZN jab was yesterday. No sore arm at all. Seems that some get a reaction but some don't.

Me too, jabbed that is. But distinctly off colour today.

Strange isn't it. I wonder whether those that do get a reaction are slightly more protected by the vaccine?

If only from a purely selfish point of view I would like to think so! But I have no idea (and no clear idea how one would design an ethical double-blinded trial to prove it ...).

Luckyguy1983

Carnyx said:

MarqueeMark said:

Theuniondivvie said:

MarqueeMark said:

Theuniondivvie said:

They've turned the weans, Murdo and the Herald against us!

https://twitter.com/murdo_fraser/status/1372471188161761280?s=20

'Conspiracies are in the eye of the beholder, and Mr Salmond has made a comfort blanket out of his. It’s easier being the victim than the villain...

...But to most people, I suspect, Mr Salmond just looks like a grubby has-been who can’t handle the truth.'

....whilst Sturgeon just looks like a grubby still-in-post who can't tell the truth...

Is that what there telling you on the doorstep?

No, no, no, no, no.

THEY'RE telling, not there. Jeez, Scottish education standards today under the SNP....

As you know perfectly well it's likely to be a mobey predictive text hiccup. But let's assume it wasn't, in which case it reflects (given TUD's maturity) a condemnation of Scottish education standards pre-devolution, and therefore under the Conservative satrap in St Andrew House in all probability.

No, no, no, no.

It's not hiccup it's hiccough. Education standards etc....


*I know hiccough is archaic and hardly anyone uses it any more.

TheWhiteRabbit

Andy_JS said:

Pulpstar said:

Andy_JS said:

Why are opinion poll questions known as VI?

Voting Intention

All this time I thought it was something to do with Roman numerals. Shows how wrong you can be, over a long period of time.

I'm sorry Andy, I did laugh at your post... 10,000 recorded posts, probably more...

CorrectHorseBattery

Also London is likely covered by BT's existing FTTP plan, albeit they've oddly published very little about London.

I would be extremely surprised if that's not a commercial plan, Gov plan tomorrow is for areas that can't make a return, i.e. rural areas

kingbongo

LostPassword said:

MarqueeMark said:

Seems like the only geezer with a dodgy sense of humour the Japanese Olympics Committee didn't have in their number was the Ghost of Bernard Manning:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56438842

If you're unkind you could say that it's sometimes better for a country's reputation if they don't take the opportunity of showcasing themselves to the world.

When I went to Japan in 2016 there were some bars and places with "Japanese Only" signs and me and my son were not allowed into a bathhouse for the same reason - Japan is a fascinating country and I enjoyed my visist a lot, but they are amazingly racist

NickPalmer

Andy_JS said:

They don't need to be shambolic but not appearing so serious and po-faced might be a good idea. Has Keir Starmer ever told a joke?

Not sure! I don't remember Gordon doing jokes either. EdM is quite good as self-deprecating humour, as was Tony. I remember him telling a PLP meeting "I don't *really* get up every Monday thinking 'How can I piss the PLP off today?'" Even some of his fiercest critics giggled.

Pulpstar

kingbongo said:

LostPassword said:

MarqueeMark said:

Seems like the only geezer with a dodgy sense of humour the Japanese Olympics Committee didn't have in their number was the Ghost of Bernard Manning:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56438842

If you're unkind you could say that it's sometimes better for a country's reputation if they don't take the opportunity of showcasing themselves to the world.

When I went to Japan in 2016 there were some bars and places with "Japanese Only" signs and me and my son were not allowed into a bathhouse for the same reason - Japan is a fascinating country and I enjoyed my visist a lot, but they are amazingly racist

Interesting. "No tattoos" was the only rule in the bathhouse I ventured into. Oh and of course single sex - one wonders if the "trans debate" has ever surfaced in Japan about bathhouses...

Carnyx

Luckyguy1983 said:

Carnyx said:

MarqueeMark said:

Theuniondivvie said:

MarqueeMark said:

Theuniondivvie said:

They've turned the weans, Murdo and the Herald against us!

https://twitter.com/murdo_fraser/status/1372471188161761280?s=20

'Conspiracies are in the eye of the beholder, and Mr Salmond has made a comfort blanket out of his. It’s easier being the victim than the villain...

...But to most people, I suspect, Mr Salmond just looks like a grubby has-been who can’t handle the truth.'

....whilst Sturgeon just looks like a grubby still-in-post who can't tell the truth...

Is that what there telling you on the doorstep?

No, no, no, no, no.

THEY'RE telling, not there. Jeez, Scottish education standards today under the SNP....

As you know perfectly well it's likely to be a mobey predictive text hiccup. But let's assume it wasn't, in which case it reflects (given TUD's maturity) a condemnation of Scottish education standards pre-devolution, and therefore under the Conservative satrap in St Andrew House in all probability.

No, no, no, no.

It's not hiccup it's hiccough. Education standards etc....


*I know hiccough is archaic and hardly anyone uses it any more.

Er, on a point of order, hiccup IS the correct form. Hiccough is an erroneous conflation with cough. See e.g. Chambers Dictionary (the proper paper one, not website).

rottenborough

https://twitter.com/andrew_lilico/status/1372455639587426306

Carnyx

Pulpstar said:

kingbongo said:

LostPassword said:

MarqueeMark said:

Seems like the only geezer with a dodgy sense of humour the Japanese Olympics Committee didn't have in their number was the Ghost of Bernard Manning:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56438842

If you're unkind you could say that it's sometimes better for a country's reputation if they don't take the opportunity of showcasing themselves to the world.

When I went to Japan in 2016 there were some bars and places with "Japanese Only" signs and me and my son were not allowed into a bathhouse for the same reason - Japan is a fascinating country and I enjoyed my visist a lot, but they are amazingly racist

Interesting. "No tattoos" was the only rule in the bathhouse I ventured into. Oh and of course single sex - one wonders if the "trans debate" has ever surfaced in Japan about bathhouses...

I have to ask, how did you know? Was it in English?

Gallowgate

NickPalmer said:

Andy_JS said:

They don't need to be shambolic but not appearing so serious and po-faced might be a good idea. Has Keir Starmer ever told a joke?

Not sure! I don't remember Gordon doing jokes either. EdM is quite good as self-deprecating humour, as was Tony. I remember him telling a PLP meeting "I don't *really* get up every Monday thinking 'How can I piss the PLP off today?'" Even some of his fiercest critics giggled.

He's not called Ed Millibantz for nothing!

williamglenn

Apologies for Comedy Dave, but this is a classic. He ponders whether the UK's success in vaccine procurement has been "worth the diplomatic damage".
https://twitter.com/DaveKeating/status/1372504806858895360

DougSeal

The Lord Chief Justice has announced that, in the civil and criminal courts, there is now to be a return to ‘in-person’ hearings - “The interests of justice are wider than the circumstances of the individual case and include the efficient despatch of business in the interest of dealing with cases in all jurisdictions expeditiously.”

He adds: “Remote and hybrid hearings will still play their part in managing footfall in courtrooms and public areas. With more people attending court everyone must continue to follow the guidance on social distancing, hand sanitising, the wearing of face coverings and any local arrangements. This will ensure that as restrictions are eased, the administration of justice continues to be delivered safely.”

One anecdotal problem with Cloud Video Platform hearings has been witnesses being coached off camera.

kinabalu

Nigel_Foremain said:

NickPalmer said:

Convincing piece by Fishing - good to see serious statistical work. Thanks!

FPT:
Quite an interesting (if overlong) piece on why Johnson's clowning works:

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/mar/18/all-hail-the-clown-king-how-boris-johnson-made-it-by-playing-the-fool

I think it overstates his decisive role in Brexit, but the subtle appeal of a deliberately shambolic approach is perceptive. Berlusconi, Bolsanaro and Trump have all used similar cut-the-crap-just-listen-to-me styles, but Johnson is more likeable than any of those, without negating the basic point that it's a deliberate technique. The closest left-wing counterpart I can think of is Ken Livingstone, though there must be others. Generally left-wingers are boringly earnest (glances in mirror). Should we learn to be shambolic?
Flag

It is a very interesting paradox that someone who is so inauthentic (the two Brexit articles being indicative, and a history of lies, marital betrayal, political duplicity etc.), is able to act the clown and give a lot of gullible folk the impression that he is genuine. Boris Johnson can fool some of the people all of the time!

It's a good article. It nails the central conceit of Brand Boris. That everything's a joke and you are invited to share in it with him. I get the appeal of this, I totally do, but it's not what I want in a political leader. No, that's not strong enough. It's expressly what I do not want in a political leader.

The notion that life is essentially meaningless and all you are is a player in the theatre of the absurd can be both liberating and exhilarating if kept in its box and managed. But if it becomes a dominant mindset it can slip all too easily into a kind of empty narcissistic nihilism. I know this very well since I am prone to it.

This is why I hate that Boris Johnson is our PM. It's not his politics. It's not Brexit. It's him. He's taking the piss and demeaning us all.

MarqueeMark

williamglenn said:

Apologies for Comedy Dave, but this is a classic. He ponders whether the UK's success in vaccine procurement has been "worth the diplomatic damage".
https://twitter.com/DaveKeating/status/1372504806858895360

Just pissed because it was never the Oxford-Merkel vaccine. Which would probably still be in trials.....

Theuniondivvie

Probably asked the wrong question

https://twitter.com/rosscolquhoun/status/1372504024323346437?s=20

Cookie

eek said:

Cookie said:

Off thread - and a bit niche, this - but I've been reading the National Bus Strategy. One of the things I thought remarkable was that Boris has written the foreword himself. This isn't something I'd normally expect a PM to do. If a PM did put his name to it, it would have been crafted by someone else - but unless someone has developed an AI that can write in Borisese, it clearly comes from his pen.
You couldn't imagine any of his predecessors gushing about buses so fulsomely. Whatever one might think of Boris, he can do enthusiasm like no other PM I have known.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/969205/DfT-Bus-Back-Better-national-bus-strategy-for-England.pdf

I suspect he had more joy spending the hour writing that forward (and it's clear he wrote it) than everything else he did that week.

Well yes - I've said this before about Boris - what gets him out of bed is how can he have fun.
But there's lots of things he does which fall into this category, only a few of which get publicity - he genuinely seems to enjoy the visiting and doing and meeting.

Pulpstar

Carnyx said:

Pulpstar said:

kingbongo said:

LostPassword said:

MarqueeMark said:

Seems like the only geezer with a dodgy sense of humour the Japanese Olympics Committee didn't have in their number was the Ghost of Bernard Manning:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56438842

If you're unkind you could say that it's sometimes better for a country's reputation if they don't take the opportunity of showcasing themselves to the world.

When I went to Japan in 2016 there were some bars and places with "Japanese Only" signs and me and my son were not allowed into a bathhouse for the same reason - Japan is a fascinating country and I enjoyed my visist a lot, but they are amazingly racist

Interesting. "No tattoos" was the only rule in the bathhouse I ventured into. Oh and of course single sex - one wonders if the "trans debate" has ever surfaced in Japan about bathhouses...

I have to ask, how did you know? Was it in English?

The no tattoo signs are in english, japanese and pictures. They're very obvious

Gallowgate

It has to be said that Matt Hancock really deserves recognition for his contribution towards the vaccine strategy. I doubt he'll get it though.

Fishing

kingbongo said:

LostPassword said:

MarqueeMark said:

Seems like the only geezer with a dodgy sense of humour the Japanese Olympics Committee didn't have in their number was the Ghost of Bernard Manning:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56438842

If you're unkind you could say that it's sometimes better for a country's reputation if they don't take the opportunity of showcasing themselves to the world.

When I went to Japan in 2016 there were some bars and places with "Japanese Only" signs and me and my son were not allowed into a bathhouse for the same reason - Japan is a fascinating country and I enjoyed my visist a lot, but they are amazingly racist

It is not just the Japanese. I was in Mozambique several years ago and there are huge apartment blocks in the capital only for Chinese people, with Chinese stores on the ground floor staffed by Chinese people so they have to interact with Africans as little as possible. I talked with a (native) hotel owner there and he said he had to certify that each towel had been washed just before it had been put in the room as the Chinese would refuse to use it if a black person had touched it. As most of his staff were black I'm still not sure how he managed that.

Like a prejudice against interracial marriage, it's a neurosis that it would never even occur to me to have.

DougSeal

Morris_Dancer said:

Mr. Seal, I have fond memories of one of the Peters (I think Mr. Putney) very patiently explaining the lay value on Betfair to me.

That was quite some time ago...

I understand the principle but I'm not good with figures. I started lurking here before the Scottish Indyref and that led me to Betfair. As it was a two horse race I didn't see the point - it wasn't until multiple "horses" became involved that I understood better. It's ironic as I had a friend at University, Daniel Gould, who made huge amounts of money on reality TV betting and, until he passed away untimely in December 2018, had a website, SofaBet.com, devoted to it. I never thought to ask him.

noneoftheabove

So it turns out its US export bans that are holding up UK vaccines from India. Wonder when the usual suspects will be calling for the RAF to get involved....or perhaps as its not the EU they will not worry about the export ban.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/adar-poonawalla-who-warn-of-delays-as-us-prioritises-pfizer/articleshow/81359554.cms?from=mdr

kle4

Charles said:

kle4 said:

Charles said:

alex_ said:

Scott_xP said:

https://twitter.com/DPJHodges/status/1372456311611342848

I don't know. Perhaps hearing a senior politician saying "there is cause for concern"?

We’re from the government. We’re here to help.

That one is just plain dumb. I find it hard to believe even small staters buy that, it just comes across as disingenuous given all the things even they like the government doing.

It’s a famous joke by Reagan

I know - but people treat it very seriously as though it is an actually coherent philosophy on how to approach government. But it only works as a joke. Because it's nonsense.

Big_G_NorthWales

Theuniondivvie said:

Probably asked the wrong question

https://twitter.com/rosscolquhoun/status/1372504024323346437?s=20

For the full picture


http://news.sky.com/story/sturgeon-on-course-to-remain-first-minister-but-snp-will-fall-short-of-holyrood-majority-poll-for-sky-news-suggests-12249350

Luckyguy1983

Carnyx said:

Luckyguy1983 said:

Carnyx said:

MarqueeMark said:

Theuniondivvie said:

MarqueeMark said:

Theuniondivvie said:

They've turned the weans, Murdo and the Herald against us!

https://twitter.com/murdo_fraser/status/1372471188161761280?s=20

'Conspiracies are in the eye of the beholder, and Mr Salmond has made a comfort blanket out of his. It’s easier being the victim than the villain...

...But to most people, I suspect, Mr Salmond just looks like a grubby has-been who can’t handle the truth.'

....whilst Sturgeon just looks like a grubby still-in-post who can't tell the truth...

Is that what there telling you on the doorstep?

No, no, no, no, no.

THEY'RE telling, not there. Jeez, Scottish education standards today under the SNP....

As you know perfectly well it's likely to be a mobey predictive text hiccup. But let's assume it wasn't, in which case it reflects (given TUD's maturity) a condemnation of Scottish education standards pre-devolution, and therefore under the Conservative satrap in St Andrew House in all probability.

No, no, no, no.

It's not hiccup it's hiccough. Education standards etc....


*I know hiccough is archaic and hardly anyone uses it any more.

Er, on a point of order, hiccup IS the correct form. Hiccough is an erroneous conflation with cough. See e.g. Chambers Dictionary (the proper paper one, not website).

Hahah - then I contend that Scottish education under the Conservative satrap in At Andrew's House was actually very good, and somewhat better than what was on offer down in sunny Sussex! (Based on a sample of 2)

Fishing

kle4 said:

Charles said:

kle4 said:

Charles said:

alex_ said:

Scott_xP said:

https://twitter.com/DPJHodges/status/1372456311611342848

I don't know. Perhaps hearing a senior politician saying "there is cause for concern"?

We’re from the government. We’re here to help.

That one is just plain dumb. I find it hard to believe even small staters buy that, it just comes across as disingenuous given all the things even they like the government doing.

It’s a famous joke by Reagan

I know - but people treat it very seriously as though it is an actually coherent philosophy on how to approach government. But it only works as a joke. Because it's nonsense.

Another chilling comment, if you work for the Government, is having the PM express "full and unshakeable confidence" in you ...

DougSeal

https://twitter.com/TheLancet/status/1372329913085263874

Simon_Peach

CorrectHorseBattery said:

Also London is likely covered by BT's existing FTTP plan, albeit they've oddly published very little about London.

I would be extremely surprised if that's not a commercial plan, Gov plan tomorrow is for areas that can't make a return, i.e. rural areas

Of course, KCom in Hull have pretty much rolled out FTTP to all properties (some flats still an issue). They ignored Ed Vaizey and his spectacularly dumb Broadband U.K. project which handed billions to BT to connect marginally commercial properties to unfutureproofed Fibre to the Cabinet, actually delivering slower speeds to remote properties.

Cookie

(Slightly) more detail on Denmark:
https://unherd.com/thepost/is-denmark-creating-an-inverted-apartheid/

Theuniondivvie

Carnyx said:

MarqueeMark said:

Theuniondivvie said:

MarqueeMark said:

Theuniondivvie said:

They've turned the weans, Murdo and the Herald against us!

https://twitter.com/murdo_fraser/status/1372471188161761280?s=20

'Conspiracies are in the eye of the beholder, and Mr Salmond has made a comfort blanket out of his. It’s easier being the victim than the villain...

...But to most people, I suspect, Mr Salmond just looks like a grubby has-been who can’t handle the truth.'

....whilst Sturgeon just looks like a grubby still-in-post who can't tell the truth...

Is that what there telling you on the doorstep?

No, no, no, no, no.

THEY'RE telling, not there. Jeez, Scottish education standards today under the SNP....

As you know perfectly well it's likely to be a mobey predictive text hiccup. But let's assume it wasn't, in which case it reflects (given TUD's maturity) a condemnation of Scottish education standards pre-devolution, and therefore under the Conservative satrap in St Andrew House in all probability.

If that's a good enough excuse for TSE it's good enough for me!
Though I'm certainly a product of pre-devolution education; sitting in a draughty 1970s Aberdeen classroom doing a project on the Spanish Armada set me up for life.

DougSeal

williamglenn said:

Apologies for Comedy Dave, but this is a classic. He ponders whether the UK's success in vaccine procurement has been "worth the diplomatic damage".
https://twitter.com/DaveKeating/status/1372504806858895360

This guy is a piss-poor commentator but the joke of reposting him is starting to wear a little bit thin.

kle4

Many thanks to Fishing - I don't understand some of this stuff, but it is good to see it!

rottenborough

https://twitter.com/oflynnsocial/status/1372486769795551234