What proportion of adults do people think the UK will end up vaccinating? We're close to 65% now on first doses, yet there's still large parts of the adult population with no access (myself included). Pretty certain well be over 80%, but it wouldn't surprise me if we manage 90% in the end.
It seems strange to look at the US where there is an excess of supply over demand at lower levels of first doses completed.
Probably between 90% and 95%. Once it becomes clear that overseas travel will mandate vaccine status a lot of the laggards from ethnic minorities will suddenly overcome their objections. I think the UK will end up closest to 100% of any country where it isn't made legally mandatory.
I also think we need a few more big pushes from the state, NHS and black, Muslim and other minority celebrities to get vaccine take up even higher. Prominent footballers like Marcus Rashford and Mo Salah taking the vaccine live on TV would be really helpful IMO.
Everything needs to be done to politely persuade black and Asian people to take the vaccine.
What proportion of adults do people think the UK will end up vaccinating? We're close to 65% now on first doses, yet there's still large parts of the adult population with no access (myself included). Pretty certain well be over 80%, but it wouldn't surprise me if we manage 90% in the end.
It seems strange to look at the US where there is an excess of supply over demand at lower levels of first doses completed.
Probably between 90% and 95%. Once it becomes clear that overseas travel will mandate vaccine status a lot of the laggards from ethnic minorities will suddenly overcome their objections. I think the UK will end up closest to 100% of any country where it isn't made legally mandatory.
I also think we need a few more big pushes from the state, NHS and black, Muslim and other minority celebrities to get vaccine take up even higher. Prominent footballers like Marcus Rashford and Mo Salah taking the vaccine live on TV would be really helpful IMO.
Mo Salah's a good idea. Sachin Tendulkar also - both for India and also his many fans over here?
25% over this? As was the case during the Prorogation Crisis, Phonegate, the Cummings Affair Mark 1, the Dark Covid Winter, and now Wallpapergate, those getting caught up in a media feeding-frenzy and blinding themselves to the big picture fundamentals in favour of a short-termist perspective have not done terribly well.
I think you're right for now. I've decided to run my 'still PM in July 2022' bet. I expect him to ride this. And winning Hartlepool will surely help. But here's the better news - the queasily credible notion of Boris Johnson sat astride this beloved Blighty of ours for a decade or more has somewhat (in my view) receded.
I know you think Hartlepool's close to nailed on, but if the Tories can take seats from the Opposition while the PM is being buried under a daily mountain of ordure, however confected, then I'd be tempted to just relax and give up on following British politics until 2029. Because Boris will truly be invincible.
Lord Mountordure - what a great name for a life peer! Almost as good as Lord Dingleberry.
It's at times like these that we must remember that one of Michael Foot's brothers was called Dingle...
An immensely talented quartet, actually. All four were Presidents of the Union at either Oxford or Cambridge (which may be an all-time record); two became MPs, two peers.
Regarding Boris, I don't think this story will cut through by itself but the narrative of sleaze will be hard to erase. It wouldn't surprise me if there is more to come over the next few years, and each time will compound the existing perception.
For the moment, everyone is too busy enjoying their new found freedoms to care about who paid for whose wallpaper.
I would also suggest the public are looking at the journalists and politicians and despairing that a wallpaper story of the media bubble is preventing the important news on vaccines, opening the economy, and of course the catastrophe that is India receiving proper attention
And we only have to wait until 7th May to have a good idea of the response from the public either way
What proportion of adults do people think the UK will end up vaccinating? We're close to 65% now on first doses, yet there's still large parts of the adult population with no access (myself included). Pretty certain well be over 80%, but it wouldn't surprise me if we manage 90% in the end.
It seems strange to look at the US where there is an excess of supply over demand at lower levels of first doses completed.
Probably between 90% and 95%. Once it becomes clear that overseas travel will mandate vaccine status a lot of the laggards from ethnic minorities will suddenly overcome their objections. I think the UK will end up closest to 100% of any country where it isn't made legally mandatory.
I also think we need a few more big pushes from the state, NHS and black, Muslim and other minority celebrities to get vaccine take up even higher. Prominent footballers like Marcus Rashford and Mo Salah taking the vaccine live on TV would be really helpful IMO.
Everything needs to be done to politely persuade black and Asian people to take the vaccine.
It's not really Asians that have an issue, it's Muslim people of any national background that have now got the lowest uptake. There's a lot of fake news and scare stories about how taking the vaccine isn't halal, or it has got pork in it, or that taking it during Ramadan means it breaks the fast during the day etc... It's not just Pakistani and Bangladeshi people that are being targeted other Muslims are too.
Non-muslim Asians like Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists have got very similar take up to white Christians. Places like Harrow, Southall and Hounslow are faring pretty well for vaccines. One of my theories is that every Indian person has got at least one doctor in their family and will get a lot of pressure from that person to take it. It happened in my family and my Indian friends have similar experiences.
What proportion of adults do people think the UK will end up vaccinating? We're close to 65% now on first doses, yet there's still large parts of the adult population with no access (myself included). Pretty certain well be over 80%, but it wouldn't surprise me if we manage 90% in the end.
It seems strange to look at the US where there is an excess of supply over demand at lower levels of first doses completed.
Probably between 90% and 95%. Once it becomes clear that overseas travel will mandate vaccine status a lot of the laggards from ethnic minorities will suddenly overcome their objections. I think the UK will end up closest to 100% of any country where it isn't made legally mandatory.
I also think we need a few more big pushes from the state, NHS and black, Muslim and other minority celebrities to get vaccine take up even higher. Prominent footballers like Marcus Rashford and Mo Salah taking the vaccine live on TV would be really helpful IMO.
Mo Salah's a good idea. Sachin Tendulkar also - both for India and also his many fans over here?
What proportion of adults do people think the UK will end up vaccinating? We're close to 65% now on first doses, yet there's still large parts of the adult population with no access (myself included). Pretty certain well be over 80%, but it wouldn't surprise me if we manage 90% in the end.
It seems strange to look at the US where there is an excess of supply over demand at lower levels of first doses completed.
Probably between 90% and 95%. Once it becomes clear that overseas travel will mandate vaccine status a lot of the laggards from ethnic minorities will suddenly overcome their objections. I think the UK will end up closest to 100% of any country where it isn't made legally mandatory.
I also think we need a few more big pushes from the state, NHS and black, Muslim and other minority celebrities to get vaccine take up even higher. Prominent footballers like Marcus Rashford and Mo Salah taking the vaccine live on TV would be really helpful IMO.
Mo Salah's a good idea. Sachin Tendulkar also - both for India and also his many fans over here?
Amir Khan was photographed and widely publicised getting his jab. Needless to say he was abused for queue jumping.
Regarding Boris, I don't think this story will cut through by itself but the narrative of sleaze will be hard to erase. It wouldn't surprise me if there is more to come over the next few years, and each time will compound the existing perception.
For the moment, everyone is too busy enjoying their new found freedoms to care about who paid for whose wallpaper.
The killer blow probably isn't the wallpaper. If the "piles of bodies" comment turns out to be true, that is probably a straight red card.
What proportion of adults do people think the UK will end up vaccinating? We're close to 65% now on first doses, yet there's still large parts of the adult population with no access (myself included). Pretty certain well be over 80%, but it wouldn't surprise me if we manage 90% in the end.
It seems strange to look at the US where there is an excess of supply over demand at lower levels of first doses completed.
Probably between 90% and 95%. Once it becomes clear that overseas travel will mandate vaccine status a lot of the laggards from ethnic minorities will suddenly overcome their objections. I think the UK will end up closest to 100% of any country where it isn't made legally mandatory.
I also think we need a few more big pushes from the state, NHS and black, Muslim and other minority celebrities to get vaccine take up even higher. Prominent footballers like Marcus Rashford and Mo Salah taking the vaccine live on TV would be really helpful IMO.
Mo Salah's a good idea. Sachin Tendulkar also - both for India and also his many fans over here?
I'm not sure it's necessary here. Maybe in India but I don't know what the hesitancy is like over there. Sachin would be a good candidate, Virat Kholi maybe more at the moment, but really it should be Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. If they ran a national campaign centred around those two then I think everyone would take it in India.
Regarding Boris, I don't think this story will cut through by itself but the narrative of sleaze will be hard to erase. It wouldn't surprise me if there is more to come over the next few years, and each time will compound the existing perception.
For the moment, everyone is too busy enjoying their new found freedoms to care about who paid for whose wallpaper.
The killer blow probably isn't the wallpaper. If the "piles of bodies" comment turns out to be true, that is probably a straight red card.
The ESL rumours are more incendiary though probably unprovable. But he'd brazen it out.
Mo Salah probably isn’t the ideal poster boy given he contracted covid at his brother’s Egyptian wedding where there was zero covid protocol. London appears to be the region with the lowest uptake (around 85%) so nationally we should be aiming for 90% or above.
The most popular TV station in France said today that supply is up to 200,000 doses per day higher than demand (which is why their vaccination rate is still miles behind the UK and Germany). I think they’ll be lucky to get 65% of the country vaccinated given current scepticism.
25% over this? As was the case during the Prorogation Crisis, Phonegate, the Cummings Affair Mark 1, the Dark Covid Winter, and now Wallpapergate, those getting caught up in a media feeding-frenzy and blinding themselves to the big picture fundamentals in favour of a short-termist perspective have not done terribly well.
I think you're right for now. I've decided to run my 'still PM in July 2022' bet. I expect him to ride this. And winning Hartlepool will surely help. But here's the better news - the queasily credible notion of Boris Johnson sat astride this beloved Blighty of ours for a decade or more has somewhat (in my view) receded.
I know you think Hartlepool's close to nailed on, but if the Tories can take seats from the Opposition while the PM is being buried under a daily mountain of ordure, however confected, then I'd be tempted to just relax and give up on following British politics until 2029. Because Boris will truly be invincible.
Labour's failure wasn't so much the fact they lost red wall seats such as Bassetlaw or Redcar, it's more that they went backwards in city seats such as Milton Keynes north & Reading West. They couldn't even get Chingford from IDS ffsake, that's low hanging fruit. Altrincham and Sale West is another constituency they really should be competitive in. Losing Northfield near Birmingham, just dire. Regardless of any sort of realignment Labour 2019 results were just awful.
Evening all, I was wondering if anyone had a high level overview of demand for vaccines by state in the US? I'm getting slightly nervous that the US South and France we could have issues reaching the 75-80% mark.
US states fall into three broad categories:
- Vaccine lovers, where they've reached 50% of adults jabbed at least once, and per day numbers remain consistently high. This is - frankly - the North East, the Midwest, Florida and the West Coast.
- The super sceptics, where only 30-33% of people have had at least one jab, and the numbers getting vaccinated fall every day. This is the Deep South.
- Everywhere else.
I think it's highly likely that Alabama and Mississippi will top out at less than 40% vaccinated.
It's also quite possible that most EU countries will have surpassed those states by the end of next week. (Finland, for example, has surpassed them even without using Sputnik-V.)
I am reasonably optimistic about the 'everywhere else' category getting to relatively high levels of uptake, albeit more slowly than the enthusiasts. I fear for Trumpland.
Alabama.
- has received close to 4 million vaccines from the Federal Government, but has put less than 2.5 million in the arms of its citizens
- Is averaging about 12-13,000 jabs a day, down 30% from last week, and down 60% from the levels of a month ago.
First jabs are now under 3,000 per day.
Currently just 30% of Alabaman adults have had at least one shot of the vaccine.
But at 3,000 a day (and dropping), that number is going to end up stalling at 35-36%.
Cheers, Alabama does sound to be in somewhat of a sub-optimal position. Given how the type of Americans who are rejecting vaccines tend to think, more (Dem/non-Trump) Government inducement is unlikely to have the desired effect. Tricky.
Mo Salah probably isn’t the ideal poster boy given he contracted covid at his brother’s Egyptian wedding where there was zero covid protocol. London appears to be the region with the lowest uptake (around 85%) so nationally we should be aiming for 90% or above.
The most popular TV station in France said today that supply is up to 200,000 doses per day higher than demand (which is why their vaccination rate is still miles behind the UK and Germany). I think they’ll be lucky to get 65% of the country vaccinated given current scepticism.
We should buy those spare doses, even at £100 per dose it's good value as we'd be able to finish the first dose programme by the end of May!
Regarding Boris, I don't think this story will cut through by itself but the narrative of sleaze will be hard to erase. It wouldn't surprise me if there is more to come over the next few years, and each time will compound the existing perception.
For the moment, everyone is too busy enjoying their new found freedoms to care about who paid for whose wallpaper.
The killer blow probably isn't the wallpaper. If the "piles of bodies" comment turns out to be true, that is probably a straight red card.
The ESL rumours are more incendiary though probably unprovable. But he'd brazen it out.
Nah, as Leon said some days ago, "Boris saved football". I think that ship has sailed. If say, Cummings' phone was on record when the alleged statement regarding bodies and lockdowns was made, it's "goodnight Vienna".
It has been alleged that the Prime Minister sought financial assistance from Tory donors towards the renovation costs of his Downing Street residence. He has been pressed to clarify whether the allegations about his apartment are true.
25% over this? As was the case during the Prorogation Crisis, Phonegate, the Cummings Affair Mark 1, the Dark Covid Winter, and now Wallpapergate, those getting caught up in a media feeding-frenzy and blinding themselves to the big picture fundamentals in favour of a short-termist perspective have not done terribly well.
I think you're right for now. I've decided to run my 'still PM in July 2022' bet. I expect him to ride this. And winning Hartlepool will surely help. But here's the better news - the queasily credible notion of Boris Johnson sat astride this beloved Blighty of ours for a decade or more has somewhat (in my view) receded.
I know you think Hartlepool's close to nailed on, but if the Tories can take seats from the Opposition while the PM is being buried under a daily mountain of ordure, however confected, then I'd be tempted to just relax and give up on following British politics until 2029. Because Boris will truly be invincible.
Lord Mountordure - what a great name for a life peer! Almost as good as Lord Dingleberry.
It's at times like these that we must remember that one of Michael Foot's brothers was called Dingle...
An immensely talented quartet, actually. All four were Presidents of the Union at either Oxford or Cambridge (which may be an all-time record); two became MPs, two peers.
True, and generous for you to say about a Lib-Lab family.
BTW, Michael Foot was a star lefty journo working for a super-Tory publisher, Lord Beaverbrook.
The Beaver nurtured an impressive & varied stable of top-notch ink-splattered wretches. Pretty bad as a politico (esp. for his own side) one of the reasons The Great British Public bounced Winston Churchill after VE Day. As an administrator rather like the Bay of Fundy in his own native New Brunswick: tide either VERY high or VERY low.
It was as a publisher that Beaverbrook was at his best. Which is NOT to say you could take what his papers printed as gospel. But then am not totally sure we can take the Gospel for gospel!
Regarding Boris, I don't think this story will cut through by itself but the narrative of sleaze will be hard to erase. It wouldn't surprise me if there is more to come over the next few years, and each time will compound the existing perception.
For the moment, everyone is too busy enjoying their new found freedoms to care about who paid for whose wallpaper.
The killer blow probably isn't the wallpaper. If the "piles of bodies" comment turns out to be true, that is probably a straight red card.
The ESL rumours are more incendiary though probably unprovable. But he'd brazen it out.
Nah, as Leon said some days ago, "Boris saved football". I think that ship has sailed. If say, Cummings' phone was on record when the alleged statement regarding bodies and lockdowns was made, it's "goodnight Vienna".
Very interesting that the Speccy is publishing such pieces. Mr Gove? But I remember what happened when similar arguments were tried in Labour - Wendy Alexander's 'Bring it on' strategy of an early indyref got her metaphorically defenestrated.
It's Fraser Nelson, the editor. This is his THANG
Boris will refuse a vote, and that will remain Tory policy until 2024. Don't get over-excited
I wouldn't be surprised. Even so, it's not just Mr Nelson. The more thinking peons are getting unsettled in ToryWorld about the wisdom of a HYUFD strategy - I've pointed out at least one other example recently.
Honest question: do you, as a Nat (an entirely respectable opinion, of course) really WANT a referendum now?
It seems to me to be eminently lose-able. A pandemic, a huge deficit, the EU looking much less attractive, the oil gone. You'd be led by Sturgeon, who wanes daily, and with Salmond lurking like some mad, drunken uncle who won't be thrown out of the wedding.
And that's it
This seems to me to be highly sub-optimal timing for a Sindy-vote. But maybe you think it is your last best chance?
If you lose again that's it for 30 years and London will (quite rightly) tell you to fuck off and start a civil war if you truly want to go
So, as an honest Nat (which you are, I feel): do you actually want a 2nd vote now?
To my mind Sturgeon's bet is best, wait another 5-10 years, chip away at Britishness, wait for a more opportune economic moment....
If they lose it, they'll be asking for another one within 5 years.
5 weeks would be my guess. That was how long it took Remainers in 2016 iirc.
Regarding Boris, I don't think this story will cut through by itself but the narrative of sleaze will be hard to erase. It wouldn't surprise me if there is more to come over the next few years, and each time will compound the existing perception.
For the moment, everyone is too busy enjoying their new found freedoms to care about who paid for whose wallpaper.
The killer blow probably isn't the wallpaper. If the "piles of bodies" comment turns out to be true, that is probably a straight red card.
The ESL rumours are more incendiary though probably unprovable. But he'd brazen it out.
Nah, as Leon said some days ago, "Boris saved football". I think that ship has sailed. If say, Cummings' phone was on record when the alleged statement regarding bodies and lockdowns was made, it's "goodnight Vienna".
It has been said he was not present
I would be highly surprised if there is no recording (assuming it happened). A duplicitous lot those Tory MPs. It all depends whether friend or Michael Gove holds the tape!
I have been saying for sometime that support for independence is falling and I expect it to continue for reason I have already stated
Which is why I expect the following. A pro-Indy majority. A Scottish government pretending to want a referendum, but hoping not to have to. A UK PM pretending not to want one, but secretly hoping for one.
Regarding Boris, I don't think this story will cut through by itself but the narrative of sleaze will be hard to erase. It wouldn't surprise me if there is more to come over the next few years, and each time will compound the existing perception.
For the moment, everyone is too busy enjoying their new found freedoms to care about who paid for whose wallpaper.
The killer blow probably isn't the wallpaper. If the "piles of bodies" comment turns out to be true, that is probably a straight red card.
The ESL rumours are more incendiary though probably unprovable. But he'd brazen it out.
Nah, as Leon said some days ago, "Boris saved football". I think that ship has sailed. If say, Cummings' phone was on record when the alleged statement regarding bodies and lockdowns was made, it's "goodnight Vienna".
It has been said he was not present
I would be highly surprised if there is no recording (assuming it happened). A duplicitous lot those Tory MPs. It all depends whether friend or Michael Gove holds the tape!
As I said earlier if there is a tape or recording of him saying the alleged words then he has to resign
I did have him for Latin for a few lessons in my first year, don't think I got a report though
I've just come across this old school report for a pupil called "Hyufd".
"Hyufd has demonstrated himself to be an able pupil this term and a keen, industrious and reliable supporter of the party line. But he has small Latin and less Greek."
Very interesting that the Speccy is publishing such pieces. Mr Gove? But I remember what happened when similar arguments were tried in Labour - Wendy Alexander's 'Bring it on' strategy of an early indyref got her metaphorically defenestrated.
It's Fraser Nelson, the editor. This is his THANG
Boris will refuse a vote, and that will remain Tory policy until 2024. Don't get over-excited
I wouldn't be surprised. Even so, it's not just Mr Nelson. The more thinking peons are getting unsettled in ToryWorld about the wisdom of a HYUFD strategy - I've pointed out at least one other example recently.
Honest question: do you, as a Nat (an entirely respectable opinion, of course) really WANT a referendum now?
It seems to me to be eminently lose-able. A pandemic, a huge deficit, the EU looking much less attractive, the oil gone. You'd be led by Sturgeon, who wanes daily, and with Salmond lurking like some mad, drunken uncle who won't be thrown out of the wedding.
And that's it
This seems to me to be highly sub-optimal timing for a Sindy-vote. But maybe you think it is your last best chance?
If you lose again that's it for 30 years and London will (quite rightly) tell you to fuck off and start a civil war if you truly want to go
So, as an honest Nat (which you are, I feel): do you actually want a 2nd vote now?
To my mind Sturgeon's bet is best, wait another 5-10 years, chip away at Britishness, wait for a more opportune economic moment....
If they lose it, they'll be asking for another one within 5 years.
5 weeks would be my guess. That was how long it took Remainers in 2016 iirc.
Losing two in such a short space of time would probably take it off the agenda for good. If the polls are right then it does seem as though peak indy has passed us by.
What proportion of adults do people think the UK will end up vaccinating? We're close to 65% now on first doses, yet there's still large parts of the adult population with no access (myself included). Pretty certain well be over 80%, but it wouldn't surprise me if we manage 90% in the end.
It seems strange to look at the US where there is an excess of supply over demand at lower levels of first doses completed.
Probably between 90% and 95%. Once it becomes clear that overseas travel will mandate vaccine status a lot of the laggards from ethnic minorities will suddenly overcome their objections. I think the UK will end up closest to 100% of any country where it isn't made legally mandatory.
I also think we need a few more big pushes from the state, NHS and black, Muslim and other minority celebrities to get vaccine take up even higher. Prominent footballers like Marcus Rashford and Mo Salah taking the vaccine live on TV would be really helpful IMO.
Everything needs to be done to politely persuade black and Asian people to take the vaccine.
It's not really Asians that have an issue, it's Muslim people of any national background that have now got the lowest uptake. There's a lot of fake news and scare stories about how taking the vaccine isn't halal, or it has got pork in it, or that taking it during Ramadan means it breaks the fast during the day etc... It's not just Pakistani and Bangladeshi people that are being targeted other Muslims are too.
Non-muslim Asians like Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists have got very similar take up to white Christians. Places like Harrow, Southall and Hounslow are faring pretty well for vaccines. One of my theories is that every Indian person has got at least one doctor in their family and will get a lot of pressure from that person to take it. It happened in my family and my Indian friends have similar experiences.
Three doctors, a pharmacist, a dentist and a vet. And that is just in my wife's immediate family. There's only one of them with a normal job. By normal, I mean someone like me who sits at a computer all day.
What proportion of adults do people think the UK will end up vaccinating? We're close to 65% now on first doses, yet there's still large parts of the adult population with no access (myself included). Pretty certain well be over 80%, but it wouldn't surprise me if we manage 90% in the end.
It seems strange to look at the US where there is an excess of supply over demand at lower levels of first doses completed.
Probably between 90% and 95%. Once it becomes clear that overseas travel will mandate vaccine status a lot of the laggards from ethnic minorities will suddenly overcome their objections. I think the UK will end up closest to 100% of any country where it isn't made legally mandatory.
I also think we need a few more big pushes from the state, NHS and black, Muslim and other minority celebrities to get vaccine take up even higher. Prominent footballers like Marcus Rashford and Mo Salah taking the vaccine live on TV would be really helpful IMO.
Everything needs to be done to politely persuade black and Asian people to take the vaccine.
It's not really Asians that have an issue, it's Muslim people of any national background that have now got the lowest uptake. There's a lot of fake news and scare stories about how taking the vaccine isn't halal, or it has got pork in it, or that taking it during Ramadan means it breaks the fast during the day etc... It's not just Pakistani and Bangladeshi people that are being targeted other Muslims are too.
Non-muslim Asians like Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists have got very similar take up to white Christians. Places like Harrow, Southall and Hounslow are faring pretty well for vaccines. One of my theories is that every Indian person has got at least one doctor in their family and will get a lot of pressure from that person to take it. It happened in my family and my Indian friends have similar experiences.
Too much of Islam is anti-science. This is the harvest of that stupidity
It is an absolute tragedy when you remember that early Islam - in Andalusia, Egypt, Iraq - essentially saved all the science of the classical world, bequeathing it to Renaissance Europe
Evening all, I was wondering if anyone had a high level overview of demand for vaccines by state in the US? I'm getting slightly nervous that the US South and France we could have issues reaching the 75-80% mark.
US states fall into three broad categories:
- Vaccine lovers, where they've reached 50% of adults jabbed at least once, and per day numbers remain consistently high. This is - frankly - the North East, the Midwest, Florida and the West Coast.
- The super sceptics, where only 30-33% of people have had at least one jab, and the numbers getting vaccinated fall every day. This is the Deep South.
- Everywhere else.
I think it's highly likely that Alabama and Mississippi will top out at less than 40% vaccinated.
It's also quite possible that most EU countries will have surpassed those states by the end of next week. (Finland, for example, has surpassed them even without using Sputnik-V.)
I am reasonably optimistic about the 'everywhere else' category getting to relatively high levels of uptake, albeit more slowly than the enthusiasts. I fear for Trumpland.
Alabama.
- has received close to 4 million vaccines from the Federal Government, but has put less than 2.5 million in the arms of its citizens
- Is averaging about 12-13,000 jabs a day, down 30% from last week, and down 60% from the levels of a month ago.
First jabs are now under 3,000 per day.
Currently just 30% of Alabaman adults have had at least one shot of the vaccine.
But at 3,000 a day (and dropping), that number is going to end up stalling at 35-36%.
There is an interesting question here - and one I do not for a minute pretend to know the answer to.
At what point does the anti-vaxxer propaganda become the equivalent of shouting fire in a theatre?
We all understand the concept of the very limited examples of limitations on freedom of speech - incitement to violence and 'shouting fire in a crowded theatre' being the two most obvious examples. At what point - if ever - can we reasonably decide that the lies being perpetuated by the anti-vaxxers is so dangerous it counts as endangerment and that if people die as a consequence then those spreading the lies should be prosecuted?
I don't know the answer to this and perhaps the answer for me is never. But I think it is a debate at least worth having as some powerful figures continue to undermine the vaccination campaigns around the world.
Never. The pandemic has already torched a good number of our civil liberties. Let's not add yet another one to the total.
I did have him for Latin for a few lessons in my first year, don't think I got a report though
I've just come across this old school report for a pupil called "Hyufd".
"Hyufd has demonstrated himself to be an able pupil this term and a keen, industrious and reliable supporter of the party line. But he has small Latin and less Greek."
Martin Hammond seems very keen on using a pupil's ficticious future moniker when addressing them in reports. First "Boris" now "HYUFD".
I did have him for Latin for a few lessons in my first year, don't think I got a report though
I've just come across this old school report for a pupil called "Hyufd".
"Hyufd has demonstrated himself to be an able pupil this term and a keen, industrious and reliable supporter of the party line. But he has small Latin and less Greek."
Keen interest in military planning, historical polling data and shipping routes.
Evening all, I was wondering if anyone had a high level overview of demand for vaccines by state in the US? I'm getting slightly nervous that the US South and France we could have issues reaching the 75-80% mark.
US states fall into three broad categories:
- Vaccine lovers, where they've reached 50% of adults jabbed at least once, and per day numbers remain consistently high. This is - frankly - the North East, the Midwest, Florida and the West Coast.
- The super sceptics, where only 30-33% of people have had at least one jab, and the numbers getting vaccinated fall every day. This is the Deep South.
- Everywhere else.
I think it's highly likely that Alabama and Mississippi will top out at less than 40% vaccinated.
It's also quite possible that most EU countries will have surpassed those states by the end of next week. (Finland, for example, has surpassed them even without using Sputnik-V.)
I am reasonably optimistic about the 'everywhere else' category getting to relatively high levels of uptake, albeit more slowly than the enthusiasts. I fear for Trumpland.
Alabama.
- has received close to 4 million vaccines from the Federal Government, but has put less than 2.5 million in the arms of its citizens
- Is averaging about 12-13,000 jabs a day, down 30% from last week, and down 60% from the levels of a month ago.
First jabs are now under 3,000 per day.
Currently just 30% of Alabaman adults have had at least one shot of the vaccine.
But at 3,000 a day (and dropping), that number is going to end up stalling at 35-36%.
Cheers, Alabama does sound to be in somewhat of a sub-optimal position. Given how the type of Americans who are rejecting vaccines tend to think, more (Dem/non-Trump) Government inducement is unlikely to have the desired effect. Tricky.
Reckon that in the Deep South of the US, above-average vaccine hesitancy or outright rejection is result of several factors, being highest among mega-MAGA Whites AND large segments of the Black community targeted by infamous Tuskegee study and other public health horror stories. Also Alabama (like Mississippi) lacks a major metro area with large urban & surburban populations, thus more rural and small town.
Very interesting that the Speccy is publishing such pieces. Mr Gove? But I remember what happened when similar arguments were tried in Labour - Wendy Alexander's 'Bring it on' strategy of an early indyref got her metaphorically defenestrated.
It's Fraser Nelson, the editor. This is his THANG
Boris will refuse a vote, and that will remain Tory policy until 2024. Don't get over-excited
I wouldn't be surprised. Even so, it's not just Mr Nelson. The more thinking peons are getting unsettled in ToryWorld about the wisdom of a HYUFD strategy - I've pointed out at least one other example recently.
Honest question: do you, as a Nat (an entirely respectable opinion, of course) really WANT a referendum now?
It seems to me to be eminently lose-able. A pandemic, a huge deficit, the EU looking much less attractive, the oil gone. You'd be led by Sturgeon, who wanes daily, and with Salmond lurking like some mad, drunken uncle who won't be thrown out of the wedding.
And that's it
This seems to me to be highly sub-optimal timing for a Sindy-vote. But maybe you think it is your last best chance?
If you lose again that's it for 30 years and London will (quite rightly) tell you to fuck off and start a civil war if you truly want to go
So, as an honest Nat (which you are, I feel): do you actually want a 2nd vote now?
To my mind Sturgeon's bet is best, wait another 5-10 years, chip away at Britishness, wait for a more opportune economic moment....
If they lose it, they'll be asking for another one within 5 years.
5 weeks would be my guess. That was how long it took Remainers in 2016 iirc.
Losing two in such a short space of time would probably take it off the agenda for good. If the polls are right then it does seem as though peak indy has passed us by.
The recent nonsense of the EU has probably brought some moderates back.
Very interesting that the Speccy is publishing such pieces. Mr Gove? But I remember what happened when similar arguments were tried in Labour - Wendy Alexander's 'Bring it on' strategy of an early indyref got her metaphorically defenestrated.
It's Fraser Nelson, the editor. This is his THANG
Boris will refuse a vote, and that will remain Tory policy until 2024. Don't get over-excited
I wouldn't be surprised. Even so, it's not just Mr Nelson. The more thinking peons are getting unsettled in ToryWorld about the wisdom of a HYUFD strategy - I've pointed out at least one other example recently.
Honest question: do you, as a Nat (an entirely respectable opinion, of course) really WANT a referendum now?
It seems to me to be eminently lose-able. A pandemic, a huge deficit, the EU looking much less attractive, the oil gone. You'd be led by Sturgeon, who wanes daily, and with Salmond lurking like some mad, drunken uncle who won't be thrown out of the wedding.
And that's it
This seems to me to be highly sub-optimal timing for a Sindy-vote. But maybe you think it is your last best chance?
If you lose again that's it for 30 years and London will (quite rightly) tell you to fuck off and start a civil war if you truly want to go
So, as an honest Nat (which you are, I feel): do you actually want a 2nd vote now?
To my mind Sturgeon's bet is best, wait another 5-10 years, chip away at Britishness, wait for a more opportune economic moment....
If they lose it, they'll be asking for another one within 5 years.
5 weeks would be my guess. That was how long it took Remainers in 2016 iirc.
Losing two in such a short space of time would probably take it off the agenda for good. If the polls are right then it does seem as though peak indy has passed us by.
Peak Indy has passed, for a while, I suspect. Brexit will further the distance between Sindy and the EU
BTW I forgot to say: so sorry to hear of your family afflictions from Covid. Your mother lost several brothers? Did I read that right?!
If so, my God. Terrible. Sobering. Best of British and Indian luck to you all
What proportion of adults do people think the UK will end up vaccinating? We're close to 65% now on first doses, yet there's still large parts of the adult population with no access (myself included). Pretty certain well be over 80%, but it wouldn't surprise me if we manage 90% in the end.
It seems strange to look at the US where there is an excess of supply over demand at lower levels of first doses completed.
Probably between 90% and 95%. Once it becomes clear that overseas travel will mandate vaccine status a lot of the laggards from ethnic minorities will suddenly overcome their objections. I think the UK will end up closest to 100% of any country where it isn't made legally mandatory.
I also think we need a few more big pushes from the state, NHS and black, Muslim and other minority celebrities to get vaccine take up even higher. Prominent footballers like Marcus Rashford and Mo Salah taking the vaccine live on TV would be really helpful IMO.
Everything needs to be done to politely persuade black and Asian people to take the vaccine.
It's not really Asians that have an issue, it's Muslim people of any national background that have now got the lowest uptake. There's a lot of fake news and scare stories about how taking the vaccine isn't halal, or it has got pork in it, or that taking it during Ramadan means it breaks the fast during the day etc... It's not just Pakistani and Bangladeshi people that are being targeted other Muslims are too.
Non-muslim Asians like Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists have got very similar take up to white Christians. Places like Harrow, Southall and Hounslow are faring pretty well for vaccines. One of my theories is that every Indian person has got at least one doctor in their family and will get a lot of pressure from that person to take it. It happened in my family and my Indian friends have similar experiences.
Three doctors, a pharmacist, a dentist and a vet. And that is just in my wife's immediate family. There's only one of them with a normal job. By normal, I mean someone like me who sits at a computer all day.
I did have him for Latin for a few lessons in my first year, don't think I got a report though
I've just come across this old school report for a pupil called "Hyufd".
"Hyufd has demonstrated himself to be an able pupil this term and a keen, industrious and reliable supporter of the party line. But he has small Latin and less Greek."
Keen interest in military planning, historical polling data and shipping routes.
"Dogged in his defense of his sometimes curious ideas as to how classical languages SHOULD be spoken, written and understood. Inclined to pound his fist on the table when taken to task for his more dubious declensions. But always ready to raise his hand in class."
I did have him for Latin for a few lessons in my first year, don't think I got a report though
I've just come across this old school report for a pupil called "Hyufd".
"Hyufd has demonstrated himself to be an able pupil this term and a keen, industrious and reliable supporter of the party line. But he has small Latin and less Greek."
Martin Hammond seems very keen on using a pupil's ficticious future moniker when addressing them in reports. First "Boris" now "HYUFD".
"He exhibits an unusual passion for the benefits of 'hot broth' and 'tanks', but is otherwise disappointing"
Somewhat ironic that Brexit both helped but could eventually harm the chances of the SNP winning another Indy vote and re-joining the EU.
The long drawn out tortuous EU UK negotiations are likely to be even more fraught if Scotland decides on independence and you can’t wish away the complexities of what would happen at the border .
The better fit for Scotland might be as an EEA member like Norway , having complete control over fisheries and agriculture and out of the customs union but in the single market . Otherwise it would have to implement the current EU UK trade deal which would further complicate the border issues.
I still feel that Scotland could make a success of independence but it would have been less complicated if the UK had remained in the EU .
Evening all, I was wondering if anyone had a high level overview of demand for vaccines by state in the US? I'm getting slightly nervous that the US South and France we could have issues reaching the 75-80% mark.
US states fall into three broad categories:
- Vaccine lovers, where they've reached 50% of adults jabbed at least once, and per day numbers remain consistently high. This is - frankly - the North East, the Midwest, Florida and the West Coast.
- The super sceptics, where only 30-33% of people have had at least one jab, and the numbers getting vaccinated fall every day. This is the Deep South.
- Everywhere else.
I think it's highly likely that Alabama and Mississippi will top out at less than 40% vaccinated.
It's also quite possible that most EU countries will have surpassed those states by the end of next week. (Finland, for example, has surpassed them even without using Sputnik-V.)
But this is the thing I keep coming back to.
Are there any GOP politicians who are anti-vax advocates ?
Even Trump was vaccinated so it cannot be emulation of him.
So what happens if open anti-vaxxers try to primary GOP politicians in Alabama etc ?
QAnon claims that Trump never actually took the vaccine.
Is that still going ?
I would have thought the complete failure of all of their predictions might have led its followers to switch to something more rational such as the lizard people.
You might want to read When Prophecy Fails, it's amazing how long people continue to believe in cult-like things, long after the evidence has become overwhelming that they're not true.
Mo Salah probably isn’t the ideal poster boy given he contracted covid at his brother’s Egyptian wedding where there was zero covid protocol. London appears to be the region with the lowest uptake (around 85%) so nationally we should be aiming for 90% or above.
The most popular TV station in France said today that supply is up to 200,000 doses per day higher than demand (which is why their vaccination rate is still miles behind the UK and Germany). I think they’ll be lucky to get 65% of the country vaccinated given current scepticism.
France and Germany aren't very far apart, and both are doing better than the EU average for first doses.
France also doesn't seem to have a big gap between doses recieved (22.3m) and doses administered (19.6m). That gap is smaller proportionally than Germany (29.7m vs 25.5m).
Somewhat ironic that Brexit both helped but could eventually harm the chances of the SNP winning another Indy vote and re-joining the EU.
The long drawn out tortuous EU UK negotiations are likely to be even more fraught if Scotland decides on independence and you can’t wish away the complexities of what would happen at the border .
The better fit for Scotland might be as an EEA member like Norway , having complete control over fisheries and agriculture and out of the customs union but in the single market . Otherwise it would have to implement the current EU UK trade deal which would further complicate the border issues.
I still feel that Scotland could make a success of independence but it would have been less complicated if the UK had remained in the EU .
Ian McEwan the Strasbourg-Syndrome-Suffering and-very-English novelist eagerly seeking the break up of the UK via the EU, just because
He disnae give us a fuck about the Scots, He just wants to hurt Brexiteers, "Britain" and Boris-Johnson-loving England. Hence his total disregard for any Scots who might want to be independent of both the EU and Britain? Or Scots who think this is all debatable? They don't matter, of course
I find it hard to distinguish between McEwan's position and actual treason. He wants to hurt his own country in any way possible
Somewhat ironic that Brexit both helped but could eventually harm the chances of the SNP winning another Indy vote and re-joining the EU.
The long drawn out tortuous EU UK negotiations are likely to be even more fraught if Scotland decides on independence and you can’t wish away the complexities of what would happen at the border .
The better fit for Scotland might be as an EEA member like Norway , having complete control over fisheries and agriculture and out of the customs union but in the single market . Otherwise it would have to implement the current EU UK trade deal which would further complicate the border issues.
I still feel that Scotland could make a success of independence but it would have been less complicated if the UK had remained in the EU .
Ian McEwan the Strasbourg-Syndrome-Suffering and-very-English novelist eagerly seeking the break up of the UK via the EU, just because
He disnae give us a fuck about the Scots, He just wants to hurt Brexiteers, "Britain" and Boris-Johnson-loving England. Hence his total disregard for any Scots who might want to be independent of both the EU and Britain? Or Scots who think this is all debatable? They don't matter, of course
I find it hard to distinguish between McEwan's position and actual treason. He wants to hurt his own country in any way possible
Somewhat ironic that Brexit both helped but could eventually harm the chances of the SNP winning another Indy vote and re-joining the EU.
The long drawn out tortuous EU UK negotiations are likely to be even more fraught if Scotland decides on independence and you can’t wish away the complexities of what would happen at the border .
The better fit for Scotland might be as an EEA member like Norway , having complete control over fisheries and agriculture and out of the customs union but in the single market . Otherwise it would have to implement the current EU UK trade deal which would further complicate the border issues.
I still feel that Scotland could make a success of independence but it would have been less complicated if the UK had remained in the EU .
Ian McEwan the Strasbourg-Syndrome-Suffering and-very-English novelist eagerly seeking the break up of the UK via the EU, just because
He disnae give us a fuck about the Scots, He just wants to hurt Brexiteers, "Britain" and Boris-Johnson-loving England. Hence his total disregard for any Scots who might want to be independent of both the EU and Britain? Or Scots who think this is all debatable? They don't matter, of course
I find it hard to distinguish between McEwan's position and actual treason. He wants to hurt his own country in any way possible
Launching the SNP manifesto earlier this month, the party leader and first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, suggested that moves to re-enter the EU would be automatic after a yes vote on independence, rather than requiring an additional referendum, stating that “the vast majority of people in Scotland want to rejoin the EU”.
Is vast majority like how a generation is a few years?
I did have him for Latin for a few lessons in my first year, don't think I got a report though
I've just come across this old school report for a pupil called "Hyufd".
"Hyufd has demonstrated himself to be an able pupil this term and a keen, industrious and reliable supporter of the party line. But he has small Latin and less Greek."
However, he does display an intimate knowledge of Imperial approval ratings during the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
The fact that they will not reveal who initially paid for the lavish works – or whether Johnson is paying back a loan – has baffled MPs and cabinet ministers. “I don’t know myself what happened, but I am not sure it wouldn’t be better to be upfront now,” one cabinet minister said.
Another MP said they thought the current dance around the use of present tense in the statements by Downing Street “will make people think there is something more serious to hide”. Therein lies the danger for Johnson and his Conservative government.
It is not just official investigations that Tories fear could cause long-term permanent damage – but some of the throwaway comments that have been used to justify the scandal, which penetrate deep into middle England. One is the description by friends of Symonds that the previous flat had been turned by Theresa May into a “John Lewis nightmare” – a subtle but brutal class signifier. Another is the comment by Sarah Vine, the columnist and wife of Michael Gove, that a prime minister could not be expected to “live in a skip” – despite images from May’s time as prime minister of gleaming glass tables and wood panelling that looks distinctly un-skiplike.
It may seem trivial, but careless lines can be the kind people remember. Politics is often more complicated than whether certain things turn the polls the following week, what matters is the impressions that formulate over time.
I have been saying for sometime that support for independence is falling and I expect it to continue for reason I have already stated
Recent polling in both Scotland and Northern Ireland suggest a shift back towards staying within the UK.
"We would have had a much higher death toll outside the UK" is a powerful argument for the Union. Probably the first potent argument in favour most have had to consider when weighing it up.
"FREEEEEDOM - to die in greater numbers." Sobering, even for the Scots.
The headline offence is snobbery: to the vast majority of Conservative voters, possibly just about all of them, John Lewis furniture represents something of a pinnacle. To homeowners, John Lewis is the idealised court portrait of the Ikea flat pack they actually bought; to renters, it is a world away from landlord-assembled tat. It makes Johnson and Symonds seem scornful, remote and painfully clueless about the lives of their compatriots.
Lol @ John Lewis & Partners @JohnLewisRetail Time for an interiors refresh? 🛋✨We pride our Home Design Service on having something for *almost* everyone 👀
The Daily Mail alleged Mr Johnson – who earns £150,000 a year as PM – was becoming alarmed at the escalating bill in February last year, as the coronavirus crisis was unfolding.
He is said to have told aides: ‘The cost is totally out of control – she’s buying gold wallpaper!’
Ms Symonds is believed to have hired upmarket interior designer, Lulu Lytle, whose Soane Britain company sells ‘Yellow Gold’ and ‘Old Gold’ wallpaper.
The Daily Mail alleged Mr Johnson – who earns £150,000 a year as PM – was becoming alarmed at the escalating bill in February last year, as the coronavirus crisis was unfolding.
He is said to have told aides: ‘The cost is totally out of control – she’s buying gold wallpaper!’
Ms Symonds is believed to have hired upmarket interior designer, Lulu Lytle, whose Soane Britain company sells ‘Yellow Gold’ and ‘Old Gold’ wallpaper.
Based on the Wilton Diptych, not exactly going to be covering Trump's bling mansions any time soon:
John Lewis today shared a photo of one of their delivery lorries park outside Downing Street with the caption: 'Good thing we have a recycling service for old pre-loved furniture’.
Daily Mail: Some reports suggest the upgrades hit the £200,000 mark, while a leaked email suggested Tory peer Lord Brownlow was making a £58,000 donation to the Conservatives 'to cover the payments the party has already made on behalf of the soon-to-be-formed 'Downing Street Trust'.
Mr Johnson's former adviser Dominic Cummings said he told Mr Johnson 'his plans to have donors secretly pay for the renovation were unethical, foolish, possibly illegal'.
Reactions to the clown’s ‘John Lewis nightmare’ gaffe:
I dream of a series of life choices that leave me furious at my paltry John Lewis furniture
Can't quite get my head around Carrie Symonds reportedly looking down on 'John Lewis furniture'. I think we had our wedding list there. For all but the tiniest section of the population, John Lewis is posh.
One of the most offensive details of the PM/Carrie Symonds reno scandal is that they had the flat redone because it was a “John Lewis nightmare”. That nightmare is aspirational and out of reach for very many people in this country. And nobody is paying for their gaffs
I have an idea for this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert. ‘Carrie Symonds wouldn’t like my sofa.’ That’s it.
The phrase ‘John Lewis furniture nightmare’ somehow insults 90% of British people. [Financial Times]
Boris Johnson’s anti-John Lewis flat refurb has united the nation – by alienating everyone The shop represents the simple pursuit of working hard for things that are of good quality. It is no surprise that this is not a concept familiar to the Prime Minister
Reactions to the clown’s ‘John Lewis nightmare’ gaffe:
I dream of a series of life choices that leave me furious at my paltry John Lewis furniture
Can't quite get my head around Carrie Symonds reportedly looking down on 'John Lewis furniture'. I think we had our wedding list there. For all but the tiniest section of the population, John Lewis is posh.
One of the most offensive details of the PM/Carrie Symonds reno scandal is that they had the flat redone because it was a “John Lewis nightmare”. That nightmare is aspirational and out of reach for very many people in this country. And nobody is paying for their gaffs
I have an idea for this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert. ‘Carrie Symonds wouldn’t like my sofa.’ That’s it.
The phrase ‘John Lewis furniture nightmare’ somehow insults 90% of British people. [Financial Times]
For a former head of Conservative party communications to make these types of errors is truly bizarre. One fears that Boris was in a position where he did not feel able to say no, quite possibly because of some peccadillo on his part, and her misjudgment has created a bit of a nightmare for him.
I still think it vanishingly unlikely that this will lead to Boris's downfall but it sure as hell will have done serious damage to their relationship. If I was advising Carrie I would be warning her to be particularly careful in the proximity of any passing buses.
Daily Mail: Some reports suggest the upgrades hit the £200,000 mark, while a leaked email suggested Tory peer Lord Brownlow was making a £58,000 donation to the Conservatives 'to cover the payments the party has already made on behalf of the soon-to-be-formed 'Downing Street Trust'.
Mr Johnson's former adviser Dominic Cummings said he told Mr Johnson 'his plans to have donors secretly pay for the renovation were unethical, foolish, possibly illegal'.
The story here is not that a leading Tory is an out of touch snob, it’s that we know they are due to some direct quotes. The story here is that someone close to Boris is trying to bring him down. What do they want? Why now? This is clearly personal.
We pay our Prime Minister a comparatively low salary for the job thev do. It is expected that they live above the shop. They have a tenure that can be short, end suddenly or last. The end date often is not of their choosing. It is absurd that decorating and furnishing is not a central government expense. It can be capped at a generous level, above which the PM pays. I don't expect any one of these to live with the interior choices of the former Thatcher Major Blair Brown Cameron May Johnson I would like the PM to have the home they use presented in a way they enjoy. They do long hours, the family should be comfortable in the surroundings.
The whole thing is basically stupid, dull, boring, insignificant and belittling of the media in particular apart from the fact there are rules which should be adhered to. Stupid rules so maybe we should change the rules for the future.
Reactions to the clown’s ‘John Lewis nightmare’ gaffe:
I dream of a series of life choices that leave me furious at my paltry John Lewis furniture
Can't quite get my head around Carrie Symonds reportedly looking down on 'John Lewis furniture'. I think we had our wedding list there. For all but the tiniest section of the population, John Lewis is posh.
One of the most offensive details of the PM/Carrie Symonds reno scandal is that they had the flat redone because it was a “John Lewis nightmare”. That nightmare is aspirational and out of reach for very many people in this country. And nobody is paying for their gaffs
I have an idea for this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert. ‘Carrie Symonds wouldn’t like my sofa.’ That’s it.
The phrase ‘John Lewis furniture nightmare’ somehow insults 90% of British people. [Financial Times]
For a former head of Conservative party communications to make these types of errors is truly bizarre. One fears that Boris was in a position where he did not feel able to say no, quite possibly because of some peccadillo on his part, and her misjudgment has created a bit of a nightmare for him.
I still think it vanishingly unlikely that this will lead to Boris's downfall but it sure as hell will have done serious damage to their relationship. If I was advising Carrie I would be warning her to be particularly careful in the proximity of any passing buses.
It looks like those were very expensive violin lessons.
We pay our Prime Minister a comparatively low salary for the job thev do. It is expected that they live above the shop. They have a tenure that can be short, end suddenly or last. The end date often is not of their choosing. It is absurd that decorating and furnishing is not a central government expense. It can be capped at a generous level, above which the PM pays. I don't expect any one of these to live with the interior choices of the former Thatcher Major Blair Brown Cameron May Johnson I would like the PM to have the home they use presented in a way they enjoy. They do long hours, the family should be comfortable in the surroundings.
The whole thing is basically stupid, dull, boring, insignificant and belittling of the media in particular apart from the fact there are rules which should be adhered to. Stupid rules so maybe we should change the rules for the future.
Are you seriously saying that someone on 150k pa + a 30k a year allowance and no rent to pay cannot afford to decorate a flat?
Are you saying it’s ok that various unknown people are able to give leading politicians gifts worth tens and hundreds of thousands of pounds and we should all take on trust that it’s all out of the goodness of their heart?
We pay our Prime Minister a comparatively low salary for the job thev do. It is expected that they live above the shop. They have a tenure that can be short, end suddenly or last. The end date often is not of their choosing. It is absurd that decorating and furnishing is not a central government expense. It can be capped at a generous level, above which the PM pays. I don't expect any one of these to live with the interior choices of the former Thatcher Major Blair Brown Cameron May Johnson I would like the PM to have the home they use presented in a way they enjoy. They do long hours, the family should be comfortable in the surroundings.
The whole thing is basically stupid, dull, boring, insignificant and belittling of the media in particular apart from the fact there are rules which should be adhered to. Stupid rules so maybe we should change the rules for the future.
Err, it is a central government expense. £30 000 per annum, and beyond that the PM pays. Therin lies the problem. Johnson didn't pay, at least not until he was caught.
To put it into perspective, that annual decorating allowance is more than median annual income in this country.
Good morning again. And a nice bright one again. Inclined to agree that this in itself won't bring an end to PM Johnson's reign. However, losing his temper in the Commons wasn't a good look, as well as the snobbery. I agree that a PM should have the flat that they like; it's not Army Married Quarters. However an allowance of £30k does sound, to a lot of people, a lot, particularly for something that's in pretty good nick in the first place,
We pay our Prime Minister a comparatively low salary for the job thev do. It is expected that they live above the shop. They have a tenure that can be short, end suddenly or last. The end date often is not of their choosing. It is absurd that decorating and furnishing is not a central government expense. It can be capped at a generous level, above which the PM pays. I don't expect any one of these to live with the interior choices of the former Thatcher Major Blair Brown Cameron May Johnson I would like the PM to have the home they use presented in a way they enjoy. They do long hours, the family should be comfortable in the surroundings.
The whole thing is basically stupid, dull, boring, insignificant and belittling of the media in particular apart from the fact there are rules which should be adhered to. Stupid rules so maybe we should change the rules for the future.
£30,000 of taxpayers’ money for decoration and furnishings, per year, for their private flat (not public rooms and offices) isn’t enough?
Looks like IanB2 is the new Scott'n Paste. Overeach alarm sounding.
Check the news. The story of the John Lewis gaffe is spreading around the world, and across local newspaper sites the length of the country. And the store is doing a great job stirring the pot and winning free publicity. We are witnessing the birth of a meme.
We pay our Prime Minister a comparatively low salary for the job thev do. It is expected that they live above the shop. They have a tenure that can be short, end suddenly or last. The end date often is not of their choosing. It is absurd that decorating and furnishing is not a central government expense. It can be capped at a generous level, above which the PM pays. I don't expect any one of these to live with the interior choices of the former Thatcher Major Blair Brown Cameron May Johnson I would like the PM to have the home they use presented in a way they enjoy. They do long hours, the family should be comfortable in the surroundings.
The whole thing is basically stupid, dull, boring, insignificant and belittling of the media in particular apart from the fact there are rules which should be adhered to. Stupid rules so maybe we should change the rules for the future.
Err, it is a central government expense. £30 000 per annum, and beyond that the PM pays. Therin lies the problem. Johnson didn't pay, at least not until he was caught.
To put it into perspective, that annual decorating allowance is more than median annual income in this country.
Well quite. The idea he’s on the breadline is absurd. The public has a right to know the gifts received by our politicians whether they come in a brown envelope or not.
Good morning again. And a nice bright one again. Inclined to agree that this in itself won't bring an end to PM Johnson's reign. However, losing his temper in the Commons wasn't a good look, as well as the snobbery. I agree that a PM should have the flat that they like; it's not Army Married Quarters. However an allowance of £30k does sound, to a lot of people, a lot, particularly for something that's in pretty good nick in the first place,
It’s tempting to start a political painters and decorators firm. Good money. Whitewashing a speciality.
Reactions to the clown’s ‘John Lewis nightmare’ gaffe:
I dream of a series of life choices that leave me furious at my paltry John Lewis furniture
Can't quite get my head around Carrie Symonds reportedly looking down on 'John Lewis furniture'. I think we had our wedding list there. For all but the tiniest section of the population, John Lewis is posh.
One of the most offensive details of the PM/Carrie Symonds reno scandal is that they had the flat redone because it was a “John Lewis nightmare”. That nightmare is aspirational and out of reach for very many people in this country. And nobody is paying for their gaffs
I have an idea for this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert. ‘Carrie Symonds wouldn’t like my sofa.’ That’s it.
The phrase ‘John Lewis furniture nightmare’ somehow insults 90% of British people. [Financial Times]
For a former head of Conservative party communications to make these types of errors is truly bizarre. One fears that Boris was in a position where he did not feel able to say no, quite possibly because of some peccadillo on his part, and her misjudgment has created a bit of a nightmare for him.
I still think it vanishingly unlikely that this will lead to Boris's downfall but it sure as hell will have done serious damage to their relationship. If I was advising Carrie I would be warning her to be particularly careful in the proximity of any passing buses.
It looks like those were very expensive violin lessons.
Reactions to the clown’s ‘John Lewis nightmare’ gaffe:
I dream of a series of life choices that leave me furious at my paltry John Lewis furniture
Can't quite get my head around Carrie Symonds reportedly looking down on 'John Lewis furniture'. I think we had our wedding list there. For all but the tiniest section of the population, John Lewis is posh.
One of the most offensive details of the PM/Carrie Symonds reno scandal is that they had the flat redone because it was a “John Lewis nightmare”. That nightmare is aspirational and out of reach for very many people in this country. And nobody is paying for their gaffs
I have an idea for this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert. ‘Carrie Symonds wouldn’t like my sofa.’ That’s it.
The phrase ‘John Lewis furniture nightmare’ somehow insults 90% of British people. [Financial Times]
For a former head of Conservative party communications to make these types of errors is truly bizarre. One fears that Boris was in a position where he did not feel able to say no, quite possibly because of some peccadillo on his part, and her misjudgment has created a bit of a nightmare for him.
I still think it vanishingly unlikely that this will lead to Boris's downfall but it sure as hell will have done serious damage to their relationship. If I was advising Carrie I would be warning her to be particularly careful in the proximity of any passing buses.
It looks like those were very expensive violin lessons.
La Repubblica: LONDON - From the "sofagate" by Ursula Von der Leyen to the "cushion-gate" by Boris Johnson.
This time, however, he is the accused, in one case, that of the renovation of the two apartments at 10 and 11 Downing Street (including new and precious wallpapers and cushions) which is growing more and more. And that today put him on the ropes also in Parliament, during the question time on Wednesday in the House of Commons.
Looks like IanB2 is the new Scott'n Paste. Overeach alarm sounding.
Check the news. The story of the John Lewis gaffe is spreading around the world, and across local newspaper sites the length of the country. And the store is doing a great job stirring the pot and winning free publicity. We are witnessing the birth of a meme.
What will worry them is the idea being put about that they are not posh. Peter Jones is Sloane heaven.
9. Assuming stocks were split 50/50 EU/UK, the number of vaccines exported to the EU would have been maybe 1.5 - 2 million a week. Not enough to make a significant improvement to the EU rollout. But enough to hinder the UK's rollout significantly.
10. So we now see litigation from the EU seeking to compel vaccine supplies from a firm whose reputation has been dragged through the mud, whose vaccine it has tarnished & whose premises it has raided, along with seizure of goods.
12. In terms of the EU's vaccine procurement with other firms: Valneva has recently declined to supply & Novavax also declined an EU order a few weeks ago. Flirtation with the Sputnik vaccine has hit an obstacle over quality control & the Chinese vaccines have efficacy issues.
15. So the EU cannot win, no matter the outcome of the litigation.
If, as expected, the EU loses, it will look like a vindictive neighbour, hell bent on causing harm & disruption to the UK & its people. UK cases were much higher than Europe's when vaccine demands were 1st made.
15. If the EU wins, eyebrows will be raised mightily high throughout the pharmaceutical & legal world & Belgian jurisdiction will take a reputation hit. In a country with several pharma firms, I'd be surprised if Belgium succumb to pressure from the power of the EU.
There seems to be lot of noise over Boris wallpaper but for me the significant thing yesterday was his rejection at the dispatch box on his alleged covid comments
If a tape or recording is produced that he did say those words than his has to resign
There seems to be lot of noise over Boris wallpaper but for me the significant thing yesterday was his rejection at the dispatch box on his alleged covid comments
If a tape or recording is produced that he did say those words than his has to resign
To be fair, it's about time someone did produce the evidence. You could say 'how about two trustworthy witnesses', but how many trustworthy people are likely to be around our current PM?
Looks like IanB2 is the new Scott'n Paste. Overeach alarm sounding.
Check the news. The story of the John Lewis gaffe is spreading around the world, and across local newspaper sites the length of the country. And the store is doing a great job stirring the pot and winning free publicity. We are witnessing the birth of a meme.
You may be right though equally this could just be seen as a bubble story
Anyway a week today the biggest UK wide poll since the GE takes place and let's see the verdict of the British people then
I can say with confidence this site will be near overload next weekend
Reactions to the clown’s ‘John Lewis nightmare’ gaffe:
I dream of a series of life choices that leave me furious at my paltry John Lewis furniture
Can't quite get my head around Carrie Symonds reportedly looking down on 'John Lewis furniture'. I think we had our wedding list there. For all but the tiniest section of the population, John Lewis is posh.
One of the most offensive details of the PM/Carrie Symonds reno scandal is that they had the flat redone because it was a “John Lewis nightmare”. That nightmare is aspirational and out of reach for very many people in this country. And nobody is paying for their gaffs
I have an idea for this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert. ‘Carrie Symonds wouldn’t like my sofa.’ That’s it.
The phrase ‘John Lewis furniture nightmare’ somehow insults 90% of British people. [Financial Times]
For a former head of Conservative party communications to make these types of errors is truly bizarre. One fears that Boris was in a position where he did not feel able to say no, quite possibly because of some peccadillo on his part, and her misjudgment has created a bit of a nightmare for him.
I still think it vanishingly unlikely that this will lead to Boris's downfall but it sure as hell will have done serious damage to their relationship. If I was advising Carrie I would be warning her to be particularly careful in the proximity of any passing buses.
It looks like those were very expensive violin lessons.
There seems to be lot of noise over Boris wallpaper but for me the significant thing yesterday was his rejection at the dispatch box on his alleged covid comments
If a tape or recording is produced that he did say those words than his has to resign
To be fair, it's about time someone did produce the evidence. You could say 'how about two trustworthy witnesses', but how many trustworthy people are likely to be around our current PM?
The fact that multiple people who were within earshot (and hence somewhere in the inner circle) are apparently prepared to testify on oath that they heard those exact words, is pretty strong evidence, surely?
We pay our Prime Minister a comparatively low salary for the job thev do. It is expected that they live above the shop. They have a tenure that can be short, end suddenly or last. The end date often is not of their choosing. It is absurd that decorating and furnishing is not a central government expense. It can be capped at a generous level, above which the PM pays. I don't expect any one of these to live with the interior choices of the former Thatcher Major Blair Brown Cameron May Johnson I would like the PM to have the home they use presented in a way they enjoy. They do long hours, the family should be comfortable in the surroundings.
The whole thing is basically stupid, dull, boring, insignificant and belittling of the media in particular apart from the fact there are rules which should be adhered to. Stupid rules so maybe we should change the rules for the future.
Err, it is a central government expense. £30 000 per annum, and beyond that the PM pays. Therin lies the problem. Johnson didn't pay, at least not until he was caught.
To put it into perspective, that annual decorating allowance is more than median annual income in this country.
Well quite. The idea he’s on the breadline is absurd. The public has a right to know the gifts received by our politicians whether they come in a brown envelope or not.
Boris has led an expensive and highly self indulgent life which involves several ex wives and more children. When in opposition or out of Parliament he could fund such a lifestyle with his writing, after dinner speeches etc which really made it no one's business except his own and that of the various women and children involved.
As PM he is paid much less than he was before and outside earning opportunities obviously don't exist. He has complained before about his financial difficulties and he is very far alone in that. Many PMs over the years have found holding the job to be expensive and potentially ruinous, Harold Wilson amongst them.
We Brits have got a strong tendency to be both puritanical and prurient about this sort of thing, noting that it is still a pretty good wage and that public money is being spent which could no doubt otherwise help a hospital or something. The result is that our PMs all too often end up distracted and worried about money which does not seem to me to be conducive to good government. I do think that we need to be a bit more grown up about this. The wages and the restrictions on earnings really should not become a bar for the job. The quality of candidates is low enough already without reducing it further.
Comments
An immensely talented quartet, actually. All four were Presidents of the Union at either Oxford or Cambridge (which may be an all-time record); two became MPs, two peers.
And we only have to wait until 7th May to have a good idea of the response from the public either way
https://twitter.com/BritainElects/status/1387534876564467712?s=20
Non-muslim Asians like Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists have got very similar take up to white Christians. Places like Harrow, Southall and Hounslow are faring pretty well for vaccines. One of my theories is that every Indian person has got at least one doctor in their family and will get a lot of pressure from that person to take it. It happened in my family and my Indian friends have similar experiences.
Needless to say he was abused for queue jumping.
But he'd brazen it out.
The most popular TV station in France said today that supply is up to 200,000 doses per day higher than demand (which is why their vaccination rate is still miles behind the UK and Germany). I think they’ll be lucky to get 65% of the country vaccinated given current scepticism.
Losing Northfield near Birmingham, just dire.
Regardless of any sort of realignment Labour 2019 results were just awful.
https://twitter.com/AdamBienkov/status/1387370577518731266?s=19
Boris has issued a flat denial.
Please, please share.
A good report (from a teacher's point of view) is a work of art. I never mastered it.
BTW, Michael Foot was a star lefty journo working for a super-Tory publisher, Lord Beaverbrook.
The Beaver nurtured an impressive & varied stable of top-notch ink-splattered wretches. Pretty bad as a politico (esp. for his own side) one of the reasons The Great British Public bounced Winston Churchill after VE Day. As an administrator rather like the Bay of Fundy in his own native New Brunswick: tide either VERY high or VERY low.
It was as a publisher that Beaverbrook was at his best. Which is NOT to say you could take what his papers printed as gospel. But then am not totally sure we can take the Gospel for gospel!
A pro-Indy majority.
A Scottish government pretending to want a referendum, but hoping not to have to.
A UK PM pretending not to want one, but secretly hoping for one.
I am not of the same opinion on the wallpapers
"Hyufd has demonstrated himself to be an able pupil this term and a keen, industrious and reliable supporter of the party line. But he has small Latin and less Greek."
It is an absolute tragedy when you remember that early Islam - in Andalusia, Egypt, Iraq - essentially saved all the science of the classical world, bequeathing it to Renaissance Europe
Now the imams are as dumb as Trumpites
BTW I forgot to say: so sorry to hear of your family afflictions from Covid. Your mother lost several brothers? Did I read that right?!
If so, my God. Terrible. Sobering. Best of British and Indian luck to you all
My grandfather DIED at Auschwitz:
He got drunk and fell out of a watchtower*
*I am happy to yield the provenance of this joke to Irvine Welsh, Jerry Sadowitz, and many others who claim its creation
The long drawn out tortuous EU UK negotiations are likely to be even more fraught if Scotland decides on independence and you can’t wish away the complexities of what would happen at the border .
The better fit for Scotland might be as an EEA member like Norway , having complete control over fisheries and agriculture and out of the customs union but in the single market . Otherwise it would have to implement the current EU UK trade deal which would further complicate the border issues.
I still feel that Scotland could make a success of independence but it would have been less complicated if the UK had remained in the EU .
Across the whole EU, the number is 26.5% of the population with first doses, and France is on 26.7% while Germany is on 28.1%. (See: https://vaccinetracker.ecdc.europa.eu/public/extensions/COVID-19/vaccine-tracker.html#uptake-tab)
France also doesn't seem to have a big gap between doses recieved (22.3m) and doses administered (19.6m). That gap is smaller proportionally than Germany (29.7m vs 25.5m).
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/apr/29/eu-should-hang-out-welcome-sign-for-independent-scotland-letter-signed-cultural-figures
Ian McEwan the Strasbourg-Syndrome-Suffering and-very-English novelist eagerly seeking the break up of the UK via the EU, just because
He disnae give us a fuck about the Scots, He just wants to hurt Brexiteers, "Britain" and Boris-Johnson-loving England. Hence his total disregard for any Scots who might want to be independent of both the EU and Britain? Or Scots who think this is all debatable? They don't matter, of course
I find it hard to distinguish between McEwan's position and actual treason. He wants to hurt his own country in any way possible
Is vast majority like how a generation is a few years?
How blackouts, fires, and a pandemic are driving shortages of pipette tips — and hobbling science
https://www.statnews.com/2021/04/28/pipette-tips-shortage/
Republican response was incoherent garbage.
Another MP said they thought the current dance around the use of present tense in the statements by Downing Street “will make people think there is something more serious to hide”. Therein lies the danger for Johnson and his Conservative government.
It is not just official investigations that Tories fear could cause long-term permanent damage – but some of the throwaway comments that have been used to justify the scandal, which penetrate deep into middle England. One is the description by friends of Symonds that the previous flat had been turned by Theresa May into a “John Lewis nightmare” – a subtle but brutal class signifier. Another is the comment by Sarah Vine, the columnist and wife of Michael Gove, that a prime minister could not be expected to “live in a skip” – despite images from May’s time as prime minister of gleaming glass tables and wood panelling that looks distinctly un-skiplike.
It may seem trivial, but careless lines can be the kind people remember. Politics is often more complicated than whether certain things turn the polls the following week, what matters is the impressions that formulate over time.
"FREEEEEDOM - to die in greater numbers." Sobering, even for the Scots.
@JohnLewisRetail
Time for an interiors refresh? 🛋✨We pride our Home Design Service on having something for *almost* everyone 👀
He is said to have told aides: ‘The cost is totally out of control – she’s buying gold wallpaper!’
Ms Symonds is believed to have hired upmarket interior designer, Lulu Lytle, whose Soane Britain company sells ‘Yellow Gold’ and ‘Old Gold’ wallpaper.
https://www.soane.co.uk/fabrics-wallpapers/wallpaper/sophie-coryndon-wilton-vine-wallpaper-yellow-gold
Mr Johnson's former adviser Dominic Cummings said he told Mr Johnson 'his plans to have donors secretly pay for the renovation were unethical, foolish, possibly illegal'.
I dream of a series of life choices that leave me furious at my paltry John Lewis furniture
Can't quite get my head around Carrie Symonds reportedly looking down on 'John Lewis furniture'. I think we had our wedding list there. For all but the tiniest section of the population, John Lewis is posh.
One of the most offensive details of the PM/Carrie Symonds reno scandal is that they had the flat redone because it was a “John Lewis nightmare”. That nightmare is aspirational and out of reach for very many people in this country. And nobody is paying for their gaffs
I have an idea for this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert. ‘Carrie Symonds wouldn’t like my sofa.’ That’s it.
The phrase ‘John Lewis furniture nightmare’ somehow insults 90% of British people. [Financial Times]
I still think it vanishingly unlikely that this will lead to Boris's downfall but it sure as hell will have done serious damage to their relationship. If I was advising Carrie I would be warning her to be particularly careful in the proximity of any passing buses.
It is expected that they live above the shop.
They have a tenure that can be short, end suddenly or last. The end date often is not of their choosing.
It is absurd that decorating and furnishing is not a central government expense. It can be capped at a generous level, above which the PM pays.
I don't expect any one of these to live with the interior choices of the former
Thatcher Major Blair Brown Cameron May Johnson
I would like the PM to have the home they use presented in a way they enjoy. They do long hours, the family should be comfortable in the surroundings.
The whole thing is basically stupid, dull, boring, insignificant and belittling of the media in particular apart from the fact there are rules which should be adhered to. Stupid rules so maybe we should change the rules for the future.
Are you saying it’s ok that various unknown people are able to give leading politicians gifts worth tens and hundreds of thousands of pounds and we should all take on trust that it’s all out of the goodness of their heart?
An interesting point of view.
To put it into perspective, that annual decorating allowance is more than median annual income in this country.
Inclined to agree that this in itself won't bring an end to PM Johnson's reign. However, losing his temper in the Commons wasn't a good look, as well as the snobbery.
I agree that a PM should have the flat that they like; it's not Army Married Quarters. However an allowance of £30k does sound, to a lot of people, a lot, particularly for something that's in pretty good nick in the first place,
Foreign aid: UK reduces £154m UN family planning pledge
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56924128
That cannot be right surely
https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1387554718621315083?s=19
This time, however, he is the accused, in one case, that of the renovation of the two apartments at 10 and 11 Downing Street (including new and precious wallpapers and cushions) which is growing more and more. And that today put him on the ropes also in Parliament, during the question time on Wednesday in the House of Commons.
https://twitter.com/BritainElects/status/1387534876564467712?s=19
9. Assuming stocks were split 50/50 EU/UK, the number of vaccines exported to the EU would have been maybe 1.5 - 2 million a week. Not enough to make a significant improvement to the EU rollout. But enough to hinder the UK's rollout significantly.
10. So we now see litigation from the EU seeking to compel vaccine supplies from a firm whose reputation has been dragged through the mud, whose vaccine it has tarnished & whose premises it has raided, along with seizure of goods.
12. In terms of the EU's vaccine procurement with other firms: Valneva has recently declined to supply & Novavax also declined an EU order a few weeks ago. Flirtation with the Sputnik vaccine has hit an obstacle over quality control & the Chinese vaccines have efficacy issues.
15. So the EU cannot win, no matter the outcome of the litigation.
If, as expected, the EU loses, it will look like a vindictive neighbour, hell bent on causing harm & disruption to the UK & its people. UK cases were much higher than Europe's when vaccine demands were 1st made.
15. If the EU wins, eyebrows will be raised mightily high throughout the pharmaceutical & legal world & Belgian jurisdiction will take a reputation hit. In a country with several pharma firms, I'd be surprised if Belgium succumb to pressure from the power of the EU.
Starts here:
https://twitter.com/BarristersHorse/status/1387595778764464131?s=20
If a tape or recording is produced that he did say those words than his has to resign
...
Anyway a week today the biggest UK wide poll since the GE takes place and let's see the verdict of the British people then
I can say with confidence this site will be near overload next weekend
As PM he is paid much less than he was before and outside earning opportunities obviously don't exist. He has complained before about his financial difficulties and he is very far alone in that. Many PMs over the years have found holding the job to be expensive and potentially ruinous, Harold Wilson amongst them.
We Brits have got a strong tendency to be both puritanical and prurient about this sort of thing, noting that it is still a pretty good wage and that public money is being spent which could no doubt otherwise help a hospital or something. The result is that our PMs all too often end up distracted and worried about money which does not seem to me to be conducive to good government. I do think that we need to be a bit more grown up about this. The wages and the restrictions on earnings really should not become a bar for the job. The quality of candidates is low enough already without reducing it further.