Amidst the utter shambles of this ludicrous shower in charge, Simon Heffer is railing in the Telegraph about The Hundred. He thinks that the MCC could, and should, have put a stop to it.
I love Simon Heffer in the way that I love flared trousers or mullet hair (neither of which you'd ever catch him sporting). He's reactionary about everything contemporary. A fortnight ago he was lambasting all forms of sculpture made since World War Two. I bumped into him once in London. He was suited walking on his own across the Jubilee footbridge on a warm day. A forlorn figure, he looked the perfect picture of malcontent. He has a particular chip about Etonians.
I'm not a massive fan of T20 and expect to avoid The Hundred, but I can see what a fantastic injection the former has given the game especially via the IPL which is sensational. Unlike the English, Indians seem capable of percolating the shorter format into their test side.
Simon Heffer is not alone in being a Telegraph columnist reactionary. You can follow more of them for 3 months @ £2 on a special offer. Despite some amusingly off-beam articles, and occasional downright nastiness, the journalism is often excellent and invariably interesting. Unlike The Times which, in my opinion, somehow contrives to make the centre of politics extremely dull.
Amidst the utter shambles of this ludicrous shower in charge, Simon Heffer is railing in the Telegraph about The Hundred. He thinks that the MCC could, and should, have put a stop to it.
I love Simon Heffer in the way that I love flared trousers or mullet hair (neither of which you'd ever catch him sporting). He's reactionary about everything contemporary. A fortnight ago he was lambasting all forms of sculpture made since World War Two. I bumped into him once in London. He was suited walking on his own across the Jubilee footbridge on a warm day. A forlorn figure, he looked the perfect picture of malcontent. He has a particular chip about Etonians.
I'm not a massive fan of T20 and expect to avoid The Hundred, but I can see what a fantastic injection the former has given the game especially via the IPL which is sensational. Unlike the English, Indians seem capable of percolating the shorter format into their test side.
Simon Heffer is not alone in being a Telegraph columnist reactionary. You can follow more of them for 3 months @ £2 on a special offer. Despite some amusingly off-beam articles, and occasional downright nastiness, the journalism is often excellent and invariably interesting. Unlike The Times which, in my opinion, somehow contrives to make the centre of politics extremely dull.
The Hundred is attempting to solve a problem that doesn't exist / provide supply for which there isn't demand.
Its like soccerball saying we want to increase attendances at Division Two, what we need is yet another competition, we will call it the Johnson Paint Trophy...what do you mean nobody turns up to watch it.
You will, I hope, forgive me for suggesting that a lump of old white men complaining on here about the newer formats is not quite at the sharp end.
The IPL has been a sensational success. As has T20 generally. The same oldies moaned back then, and were proven wrong, as Jonathan Agnew has since acknowledged.
Mind you, there's not a lot of point moving from 120 balls to 100 balls and if the ECB thought T20 wasn't exciting enough, they should attend the post-covid IPL.
I prefer Test cricket myself but that doesn't blind me to the brilliance of T20 and probably this new format.
T20 is great...there is zero point then having yet another tournament which is minimally different. As I say it is like having the Johnson Paint Trophy in football. What we have done is taken the existing cups and altered the rules a bit, some different teams...what do you mean you don't want to pay £20 and rather watch the FA Cup.
Amidst the utter shambles of this ludicrous shower in charge, Simon Heffer is railing in the Telegraph about The Hundred. He thinks that the MCC could, and should, have put a stop to it.
I love Simon Heffer in the way that I love flared trousers or mullet hair (neither of which you'd ever catch him sporting). He's reactionary about everything contemporary. A fortnight ago he was lambasting all forms of sculpture made since World War Two. I bumped into him once in London. He was suited walking on his own across the Jubilee footbridge on a warm day. A forlorn figure, he looked the perfect picture of malcontent. He has a particular chip about Etonians.
I'm not a massive fan of T20 and expect to avoid The Hundred, but I can see what a fantastic injection the former has given the game especially via the IPL which is sensational. Unlike the English, Indians seem capable of percolating the shorter format into their test side.
Simon Heffer is not alone in being a Telegraph columnist reactionary. You can follow more of them for 3 months @ £2 on a special offer. Despite some amusingly off-beam articles, and occasional downright nastiness, the journalism is often excellent and invariably interesting. Unlike The Times which, in my opinion, somehow contrives to make the centre of politics extremely dull.
Of course you edited my comment out of context. I said the Johnson Paint Trophy, nobody turns up to it....because they don't. Its like GB News viewership....they have to give away tickets to get any sort of crowd at most games.
Breaking News: The U.S. is expected to formally accuse China of hacking Microsoft and is set to organize allies to condemn Beijing, according to a senior official.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
, moron.
No it's not, Moron.
Do we really need this? Maybe you two should go and take a cold shower.
I generally only frequent this place in the early mornings because as the sun rises higher in the sky so the heat of argument builds in direct disproportion to the quality of the input.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
No it's not, it is a devolved power. Moron.
Drakeford had the authority to close the border to Wales, he chose not to. He freeloaded onto letting Boris make all the tough choices for him, while he fiddled about telling supermarkets not to sell frying pans.
TBF Brexit campaigning had to be done in simplifications, and both sides can be equally criticised.
Over Ireland it was notable that Remain never acknowledged that the reality for them was that we can't rationally leave because of the interaction of EU and GFA.
For a Brexiteer it was rational to assume that an electronic solution would be found and/or that we would compromise by both sides relaxing their red lines rather than only the UK doing so.
The issue, as I saw it, is that there was no acceptable way to leave the European Union that didn't result in the UK following EU rules on the EU's terms, because of the dominance of the EU in the part of the world we inhabit, because of our historic integration, because of what the UK wants to achieve as an open liberal democracy and because of the situation in Ireland and to some extent Scotland. And given the motivation behind Leave was to be masters of our own ship there is a huge contradiction that lies behind Brexit.
I don't believe that contradiction has gone away. The attitude of many Leavers, and certainly that of Lord Frost in his negotiations, is that it is up to the EU to remove the contradiction. But as Donald Tusk put it, it is in the interest of no-one in the EU to shield the UK from the consequences of the UK's decision to leave.
It is, if part of the consequences is that it adversely affects the EU. Free trade is mutually beneficial. In any case, the EU is supposed to be a collection of sovereign states and it should not therefore take an opinion on whether any existing member state should stay a member.
Breaking News: The U.S. is expected to formally accuse China of hacking Microsoft and is set to organize allies to condemn Beijing, according to a senior official.
And then what? Some angry tweets then? The EU aren't going to put their big deal with China in jeopardy, especially Germany, all those big bucks worth of exports.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
No it's not, it is a devolved power. Moron.
Drakeford had the authority to close the border to Wales, he chose not to. He freeloaded onto letting Boris make all the tough choices for him, while he fiddled about telling supermarkets not to sell frying pans.
not oven gloves but frying pans?....
What is the sort of big question that Drakeford is capable of addressing?
Amidst the utter shambles of this ludicrous shower in charge, Simon Heffer is railing in the Telegraph about The Hundred. He thinks that the MCC could, and should, have put a stop to it.
I love Simon Heffer in the way that I love flared trousers or mullet hair (neither of which you'd ever catch him sporting). He's reactionary about everything contemporary. A fortnight ago he was lambasting all forms of sculpture made since World War Two. I bumped into him once in London. He was suited walking on his own across the Jubilee footbridge on a warm day. A forlorn figure, he looked the perfect picture of malcontent. He has a particular chip about Etonians.
I'm not a massive fan of T20 and expect to avoid The Hundred, but I can see what a fantastic injection the former has given the game especially via the IPL which is sensational. Unlike the English, Indians seem capable of percolating the shorter format into their test side.
Simon Heffer is not alone in being a Telegraph columnist reactionary. You can follow more of them for 3 months @ £2 on a special offer. Despite some amusingly off-beam articles, and occasional downright nastiness, the journalism is often excellent and invariably interesting. Unlike The Times which, in my opinion, somehow contrives to make the centre of politics extremely dull.
A polemic about who has the upper hand - the ECB or the MCC - really is niche-of-the-niche stuff. I heard Heffer on a podcast a few years ago, discussing a book he'd recently published, and was struck by how intelligent and interesting he was. It's almost as if the real Heffer and the writer of the articles are two different people.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls
Mean of the last 9 polls is 9% and it's dropping.
But, hey, why let facts get in the way?
That 9 from 9 is now out of date. We have now had newer polls in the past 2-3 days with bigger leads meaning that your claims of "dropping" i.e. 1% "variance", isn't true now.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Its comical the way Boris is slated on here but has a 13% lead on the polls.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls
Mean of the last 9 polls is 9% and it's dropping.
But, hey, why let facts get in the way?
An interesting definition of dropping you have there. Of the last nine polls, the latest poll, with the Tories up 13%, replaced one with the Tories up 6%.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Reluctant though I am to join in a debate about swearing, here goes anyway.
Language is not fixed: it depends on context, mainly on who is saying it and in what context, and of course it evolves over time. So several of my (feminist) female friends use the word 'c**t' liberally as an insult to men they don't like, mainly public figures. Others don't. Knuckle-dragging macho men use exactly the same word as a misogynistic insult to those they abuse, usually accompanied by another similarly abusive adjective, sometimes racist. D.H. Lawrence used the same word more anatomically and rather beautifully.
To give another more everyday example, the word 'fuck'. The context and the speaker reveal the many variations. It can be used to describe making love, or to tell somebody to 'f off'. Or as a simple adjective, such as Leeds are fucking great. Or even as not caring ('I don't give a fuck' doesn't mean that you are not engaged in sex).
I guess my point is that one needs to use skills of interpretation to gauge whether the use of language is offensive or not, and some of the absolutist interpretations on here don't hold water.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
still not a majority, that's my point.
43% is about as high as you can realistically get, only what Tony Blair got at his peak. You can't really make any claim about what the "majority" think from just raw polling number, but as high a percentage of people say they will vote for Boris as would for Blair.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
Amidst the utter shambles of this ludicrous shower in charge, Simon Heffer is railing in the Telegraph about The Hundred. He thinks that the MCC could, and should, have put a stop to it.
I love Simon Heffer in the way that I love flared trousers or mullet hair (neither of which you'd ever catch him sporting). He's reactionary about everything contemporary. A fortnight ago he was lambasting all forms of sculpture made since World War Two. I bumped into him once in London. He was suited walking on his own across the Jubilee footbridge on a warm day. A forlorn figure, he looked the perfect picture of malcontent. He has a particular chip about Etonians.
I'm not a massive fan of T20 and expect to avoid The Hundred, but I can see what a fantastic injection the former has given the game especially via the IPL which is sensational. Unlike the English, Indians seem capable of percolating the shorter format into their test side.
Simon Heffer is not alone in being a Telegraph columnist reactionary. You can follow more of them for 3 months @ £2 on a special offer. Despite some amusingly off-beam articles, and occasional downright nastiness, the journalism is often excellent and invariably interesting. Unlike The Times which, in my opinion, somehow contrives to make the centre of politics extremely dull.
The Hundred is attempting to solve a problem that doesn't exist / provide supply for which there isn't demand.
The Hundred is something that they feel they will have more control over.
But it's hard to see what it offers that T20 doesn't already offer except for removing a single ball from every over.
The county T20 tournament is perfect. I can take all three daughters for £11 for the four of us. It's great fun and easy to follow and even if you're six years old there's something to look at. If Lancashire win, we leave elated. If they don't, well, it's only a game and it doesn't spoil our enjoyment.
During the 2019 season, Old Trafford was close to full every game - but not so close to full that tickets were hard to come by. The place was full of families, because of the pricing structure, but also full of people just there for a good day out.
And for no readily apparent reason, you can often see an indie band from the 90s - Cast, or Dodgy, or someone of that strips - playing on the way out. (They don't as far as I can see, make any refence to this in the promotional material; or if they do it passed me by.)
It's not cricket for the purists, but it's a gateway into cricket for a new generation.
Nothing the hundred offers is an improvement on this.
Apart from being partially on terrestrial TV. That is significant.
Incidentally, if they were really interested in creating something new and different there's loads more they could have tinkered with, such as making boundaries 5 and 10 runs, instead of 4 and 6, or scoring runs on the basis of a timer of how long the ball is airborne.
They could have metricated the game even further - 10 players. They could have got rid of lbws - players are hardly going to block out time with their pads.
Amidst the utter shambles of this ludicrous shower in charge, Simon Heffer is railing in the Telegraph about The Hundred. He thinks that the MCC could, and should, have put a stop to it.
I love Simon Heffer in the way that I love flared trousers or mullet hair (neither of which you'd ever catch him sporting). He's reactionary about everything contemporary. A fortnight ago he was lambasting all forms of sculpture made since World War Two. I bumped into him once in London. He was suited walking on his own across the Jubilee footbridge on a warm day. A forlorn figure, he looked the perfect picture of malcontent. He has a particular chip about Etonians.
I'm not a massive fan of T20 and expect to avoid The Hundred, but I can see what a fantastic injection the former has given the game especially via the IPL which is sensational. Unlike the English, Indians seem capable of percolating the shorter format into their test side.
Simon Heffer is not alone in being a Telegraph columnist reactionary. You can follow more of them for 3 months @ £2 on a special offer. Despite some amusingly off-beam articles, and occasional downright nastiness, the journalism is often excellent and invariably interesting. Unlike The Times which, in my opinion, somehow contrives to make the centre of politics extremely dull.
A polemic about who has the upper hand - the ECB or the MCC - really is niche-of-the-niche stuff. I heard Heffer on a podcast a few years ago, discussing a book he'd recently published, and was struck by how intelligent and interesting he was. It's almost as if the real Heffer and the writer of the articles are two different people.
He has been editing the diaries of "Chips" Channon - volume one, a 1,000 page monster, has just been published. There is a very interesting interview with him on YouTube about it. As you say, he seems very reasonable in person.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
, moron.
No it's not, Moron.
Do we really need this? Maybe you two should go and take a cold shower.
I generally only frequent this place in the early mornings because as the sun rises higher in the sky so the heat of argument builds in direct disproportion to the quality of the input.
Sorry both, it is a hot day, and having 2000 extra on the list is very annoying.
This man is a total fraud. Churchill wouldn’t have tolerated a buffoon like him for five minutes.
He tolerated one (Duff Cooper) for nearly thirty years.
The visceral loathing of Boris is blinding people from reality. I feel sure Boris doesn't mind. Playing g the man rather than the ball ends in failure. Ask the Ref.....
Is there visceral loathing of Boris? There are rational objections to the Prime Minister's disregard for truth, disregard for convention, disregard for the law. Some, including Conservatives, will object to his politics. Others, again including Conservatives, will have reservations about his apparently chaotic style.
But since Boris does keep winning elections, it is hard to see there are widespread visceral or reflexive horrors.
Mrs Foxy certainly loathes Johnson viscerally, makes my dislike of the oaf seem quite mild. I fear for the telly when his gunning face pops up in another piece of fancy dress. At least we are spared that for the next 10 days while he lies low in his mansion.
It’s not “his” mansion. It belongs to the taxpayers. F…ing ridiculous. Fair enough, the prime minister might need a town residence, but definitely not a country one. If and when HMG need to host a conference or similar they can hire somewhere.
Incidentally, if they were really interested in creating something new and different there's loads more they could have tinkered with, such as making boundaries 5 and 10 runs, instead of 4 and 6, or scoring runs on the basis of a timer of how long the ball is airborne.
They could have metricated the game even further - 10 players. They could have got rid of lbws - players are hardly going to block out time with their pads.
That we are not having to bear some ludicrous speech from that twat in Downing Street is the only consolation from today’s fiasco.
A typical ludicrous comment with the preempt of the attack on Boris before anything else...
I take it that you are a big supporter of his claim that at no time yesterday did he go onto the dodge lockdown trial?
No he obviously lied.. that's fair enough.. what I don't like is the preamble....
With apologies for quoting the same comment twice.
This here is why the government are still comfortably ahead in the polls. "Stop attacking Boris" says the commentator in response to Boris lying. So you check if the commentator thinks Boris is telling the truth. "no, he obviously lied".
But you still support him. We have ended up with a polity where people support a Prime Minister who lies to their face because he thinks they are stupid - despite knowing that he is lying to them because he thinks they are stupid.
Eugh, you lot attack Boris before anything else! You are so biased! Erm, we're pointing out that he is lying and treating people like fools. Yeah he does that. But he's winding you lot up so thats ok
I don't get the mentality of people who dislike people calling the PM Liar because he is a liar, yet recognise that he is lying to them.
I think the point was the @IanB2 post was crude, unpleasant and didn’t further the discussion in anyway.
Why don't you just fuck off?
Now that was crude, unpleasant and didn't further the discussion. @IanB2 's comment was simply partisan. If you find that offends you sensibilities so much, suggest you flounce off and find another site maybe?
Sure it was partisan. But I’d argue that using the word “twat” is crude and unpleasant. There are other alternatives (such as”dickhead” or “wanker”) that would convey the same sentiment but are milder in tone.
I would put twat, wanker and dickhead in the same category. The first is no more crude and unpleasant than the second two, surely?
I guess it’s a question of personal taste. I think the latter two are often used in jest, while the former is only ever an attack. But these things change over time.
I disagree , in Scotland all three just mean you are "stupid" , I could have said a plonker but that would just add to the silliness.
That’s the beauty of personal taste…we get to disagree 😄
Starmer stepping it up today, far more aggressive and personal. Not something I am in favour of, nor his policy against "freedom day", but will be interesting to see if it gets any reaction in the polling over the next months.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
still not a majority, that's my point.
43% is about as high as you can realistically get, only what Tony Blair got at his peak.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
We can all cherry pick a poll. YouGov is Tories +2 on last poll. We have had similar leads in other recent polls over the past few days. 9% I think is the least, 13% the most. All had Labour in low 30s.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% (well not just my take, the like of the Independent's model) and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
The Tory media are pretty grumpy and calling on government to bring forward the August date. I have read small print of front pages, it’s almost if the writer is incredulous, it’s a no brainier the government need to do it, by yesterday if possible.
I have been thinking about pingdemic, and what the way out is. Picking solution isn’t helped by government not really explaining why it’s a month later than freedom day, and their inaction to tackle pingdemic despite the toasting they are getting.
For example, to say any grouping, jabbed or otherwise no longer need to self isolate if in contact with a case might not actually be simple solution to pingdemic, because firstly it would be the government officially confirming let it rip/herd immunity policy - sure you can say but it is, but if it remains unofficial and needs a u turn they can deny that ever was a policy.
Secondly, I suspect lots of fierce argument behind scenes on stopping need to self isolate after Covid contact, you can imagine political cabinet in favour, but SAGE not in favour? Why would SAGE not be in favour? Many of them may not at all agree on let it rip/herd immunity, after all the whole point of test trace isolate is that it supports policy of containment, to restrict number of Covid cases, in other words to support the very opposite of herd immunity just let it rip policy. Even though vaccines have worked, the NHS shouldn’t be overwhelmed and death toll suddenly go Brazilian, some SAGE members may still be putting reasons forward not to let rip, the danger of UK spawning a nasty variant is science fact for example, new Boris variant is a huge political risk too, if it happened, just as there is such a thing of vaccine bounce there has to be a ‘you gone and ****** it’ shellacking in opinion polls.
Thirdly, how set in stone is Freedom Day 2 in August. I’m not convinced it will happen if it means decommission test trace isolate as both policy, app and greatest moon shot project UK has ever achieved (we don’t actually know the full cost yet?) lay people off, drop the infrastructure in a skip or desktop trash, right on the cusp of autumn and winter. You are confident they will do just that in August?
If SAGE aren't in favour then the government should still do the right thing.
Advisors advise, ministers decide.
Time to end people who aren't even definitely positive from being required to isolate.
It is far too easy to post to a forum about what ministers should do, without being tied to consequences as ministers will be, so you appreciate The ministers may still decide not to make this change - can you not see any reasoning for not officially abandoning isolation for contact?
Yes I could be wrong in my guesswork why isolate if been in contact hasn’t been stopped, and so won’t be in August, if you don’t agree with me what do you think actual reasoning is then?
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Its comical the way Boris is slated on here but has a 13% lead on the polls.
Its also comical how people are prepared to defend literally anything. It isn't all about the polls, sometimes its about basic standards.
It’s all context specific. Scotland is, in my experience, more sweary than England, and England is by some degrees of magnitude more sweary than the USA. In my experience, in England, the c-word is almost exclusively used to describe men, whereas on the rare occasions I’ve heard it used in the US it was in relation to women, which shocked me more - but there’s no rhyme or reason to it. It’s a question of “when in Rome” and all that.
I know women who use it frequently about both sexes, just as generally dismissive. The Sun implicitly used it about women in their front page pun about "cupid stunts".
It's all in the eye of the beholder (because my parents never swore, I thought it sexy when I met girls who did), but where you're talking to a lot of people (e.g. writing on PB) it makes sense to assume that some of them will be disturbed or alienated by serious swearing, so it's both courteous and sensible not to do it. What's "serious" swearing is changing over time - I doubt if anyone is still bothered by "damn", and "f..." has entered common usage. I'm more alienated by people abusing each other (a la MalcolmG) than expressing exasperation ("what the ... are we supposed to do now?").
Are there examples of swearwords that used to be accepted but are now taboo? I can only think of racial insults and similar abuse ("retard", for instance) in that category.
No place for jessie boys , if you cannot stand the heat get back to your knitting.
This man is a total fraud. Churchill wouldn’t have tolerated a buffoon like him for five minutes.
He tolerated one (Duff Cooper) for nearly thirty years.
The visceral loathing of Boris is blinding people from reality. I feel sure Boris doesn't mind. Playing g the man rather than the ball ends in failure. Ask the Ref.....
Is there visceral loathing of Boris? There are rational objections to the Prime Minister's disregard for truth, disregard for convention, disregard for the law. Some, including Conservatives, will object to his politics. Others, again including Conservatives, will have reservations about his apparently chaotic style.
But since Boris does keep winning elections, it is hard to see there are widespread visceral or reflexive horrors.
Mrs Foxy certainly loathes Johnson viscerally, makes my dislike of the oaf seem quite mild. I fear for the telly when his gunning face pops up in another piece of fancy dress. At least we are spared that for the next 10 days while he lies low in his mansion.
It’s not “his” mansion. It belongs to the taxpayers. F…ing ridiculous. Fair enough, the prime minister might need a town residence, but definitely not a country one. If and when HMG need to host a conference or similar they can hire somewhere.
I think Chequers was left to the nation by a benefactor, specifically as a residence for the PM. Not sure if there is a legal covenant on it. Even if there isn't I don't think flogging it off would be the right thing to do TBH.
Amidst the utter shambles of this ludicrous shower in charge, Simon Heffer is railing in the Telegraph about The Hundred. He thinks that the MCC could, and should, have put a stop to it.
I love Simon Heffer in the way that I love flared trousers or mullet hair (neither of which you'd ever catch him sporting). He's reactionary about everything contemporary. A fortnight ago he was lambasting all forms of sculpture made since World War Two. I bumped into him once in London. He was suited walking on his own across the Jubilee footbridge on a warm day. A forlorn figure, he looked the perfect picture of malcontent. He has a particular chip about Etonians.
I'm not a massive fan of T20 and expect to avoid The Hundred, but I can see what a fantastic injection the former has given the game especially via the IPL which is sensational. Unlike the English, Indians seem capable of percolating the shorter format into their test side.
Simon Heffer is not alone in being a Telegraph columnist reactionary. You can follow more of them for 3 months @ £2 on a special offer. Despite some amusingly off-beam articles, and occasional downright nastiness, the journalism is often excellent and invariably interesting. Unlike The Times which, in my opinion, somehow contrives to make the centre of politics extremely dull.
The Hundred is attempting to solve a problem that doesn't exist / provide supply for which there isn't demand.
The Hundred is something that they feel they will have more control over.
But it's hard to see what it offers that T20 doesn't already offer except for removing a single ball from every over.
The county T20 tournament is perfect. I can take all three daughters for £11 for the four of us. It's great fun and easy to follow and even if you're six years old there's something to look at. If Lancashire win, we leave elated. If they don't, well, it's only a game and it doesn't spoil our enjoyment.
During the 2019 season, Old Trafford was close to full every game - but not so close to full that tickets were hard to come by. The place was full of families, because of the pricing structure, but also full of people just there for a good day out.
And for no readily apparent reason, you can often see an indie band from the 90s - Cast, or Dodgy, or someone of that strips - playing on the way out. (They don't as far as I can see, make any refence to this in the promotional material; or if they do it passed me by.)
It's not cricket for the purists, but it's a gateway into cricket for a new generation.
Nothing the hundred offers is an improvement on this.
Almost the worst aspect of the hundred is the invention of new meaningless teams with players allocated by a draft so that Lancashire's players appear at random in all of the naffly named new teams - even if existing fans wanted to engage they've made it very hard, so it's a hard no from me.
TBF Brexit campaigning had to be done in simplifications, and both sides can be equally criticised.
Over Ireland it was notable that Remain never acknowledged that the reality for them was that we can't rationally leave because of the interaction of EU and GFA.
For a Brexiteer it was rational to assume that an electronic solution would be found and/or that we would compromise by both sides relaxing their red lines rather than only the UK doing so.
The issue, as I saw it, is that there was no acceptable way to leave the European Union that didn't result in the UK following EU rules on the EU's terms, because of the dominance of the EU in the part of the world we inhabit, because of our historic integration, because of what the UK wants to achieve as an open liberal democracy and because of the situation in Ireland and to some extent Scotland. And given the motivation behind Leave was to be masters of our own ship there is a huge contradiction that lies behind Brexit.
I don't believe that contradiction has gone away. The attitude of many Leavers, and certainly that of Lord Frost in his negotiations, is that it is up to the EU to remove the contradiction. But as Donald Tusk put it, it is in the interest of no-one in the EU to shield the UK from the consequences of the UK's decision to leave.
It is, if part of the consequences is that it adversely affects the EU. Free trade is mutually beneficial. In any case, the EU is supposed to be a collection of sovereign states and it should not therefore take an opinion on whether any existing member state should stay a member.
Obviously membership organisations want members to stay. But they also don't want ex-members keep the benefits without the fees and other obligations, even though providing the benefits to one ex-member is essentially free of cost to the overall organisation. Members don't want their organisation to do that either, if they are having to meet the obligations.
In the long run the EU may lose out by not being more accommodating to close non-members but in the short run there is little upside for them. In any case it doesn't help us.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Its comical the way Boris is slated on here but has a 13% lead on the polls.
The Boris political magic is intriguing. My theory is that he's got a massive following from the Brexit wars that will simply always remain loyal. You then combine that with a big chunk of tribal Tories and the politically unengaged who just think he's a loveable chump and you get a broad and powerful coalition.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
We can all cherry pick a poll. YouGov is Tories +2 on last poll. We have had similar leads in other recent polls over the past few days. 9% I think is the least, 13% the most. All had Labour in low 30s.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
Comres last week had Con 40% Lab 35% - a pollster which has now joined Survation in recording UK data. The GB equivalent would be Con 41% Lab 36%.
This man is a total fraud. Churchill wouldn’t have tolerated a buffoon like him for five minutes.
He tolerated one (Duff Cooper) for nearly thirty years.
The visceral loathing of Boris is blinding people from reality. I feel sure Boris doesn't mind. Playing g the man rather than the ball ends in failure. Ask the Ref.....
Is there visceral loathing of Boris? There are rational objections to the Prime Minister's disregard for truth, disregard for convention, disregard for the law. Some, including Conservatives, will object to his politics. Others, again including Conservatives, will have reservations about his apparently chaotic style.
But since Boris does keep winning elections, it is hard to see there are widespread visceral or reflexive horrors.
Mrs Foxy certainly loathes Johnson viscerally, makes my dislike of the oaf seem quite mild. I fear for the telly when his gunning face pops up in another piece of fancy dress. At least we are spared that for the next 10 days while he lies low in his mansion.
It’s not “his” mansion. It belongs to the taxpayers. F…ing ridiculous. Fair enough, the prime minister might need a town residence, but definitely not a country one. If and when HMG need to host a conference or similar they can hire somewhere.
I think Chequers was left to the nation by a benefactor, specifically as a residence for the PM. Not sure if there is a legal covenant on it. Even if there isn't I don't think flogging it off would be the right thing to do TBH.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
still not a majority, that's my point.
43% is about as high as you can realistically get, only what Tony Blair got at his peak.
In 1997 Labour's GB vote share was 44%.
If you are going to be pedantic, you and I know it depends on exactly how you measure it. Wikipedia has it as 43.2%. Same with how polling companies include / exclude NI.
The Tory media are pretty grumpy and calling on government to bring forward the August date. I have read small print of front pages, it’s almost if the writer is incredulous, it’s a no brainier the government need to do it, by yesterday if possible.
I have been thinking about pingdemic, and what the way out is. Picking solution isn’t helped by government not really explaining why it’s a month later than freedom day, and their inaction to tackle pingdemic despite the toasting they are getting.
For example, to say any grouping, jabbed or otherwise no longer need to self isolate if in contact with a case might not actually be simple solution to pingdemic, because firstly it would be the government officially confirming let it rip/herd immunity policy - sure you can say but it is, but if it remains unofficial and needs a u turn they can deny that ever was a policy.
Secondly, I suspect lots of fierce argument behind scenes on stopping need to self isolate after Covid contact, you can imagine political cabinet in favour, but SAGE not in favour? Why would SAGE not be in favour? Many of them may not at all agree on let it rip/herd immunity, after all the whole point of test trace isolate is that it supports policy of containment, to restrict number of Covid cases, in other words to support the very opposite of herd immunity just let it rip policy. Even though vaccines have worked, the NHS shouldn’t be overwhelmed and death toll suddenly go Brazilian, some SAGE members may still be putting reasons forward not to let rip, the danger of UK spawning a nasty variant is science fact for example, new Boris variant is a huge political risk too, if it happened, just as there is such a thing of vaccine bounce there has to be a ‘you gone and ****** it’ shellacking in opinion polls.
Thirdly, how set in stone is Freedom Day 2 in August. I’m not convinced it will happen if it means decommission test trace isolate as both policy, app and greatest moon shot project UK has ever achieved (we don’t actually know the full cost yet?) lay people off, drop the infrastructure in a skip or desktop trash, right on the cusp of autumn and winter. You are confident they will do just that in August?
If SAGE aren't in favour then the government should still do the right thing.
Advisors advise, ministers decide.
Time to end people who aren't even definitely positive from being required to isolate.
It is far too easy to post to a forum about what ministers should do, without being tied to consequences as ministers will be, so you appreciate The ministers may still decide not to make this change - can you not see any reasoning for not officially abandoning isolation for contact?
Yes I could be wrong in my guesswork why isolate if been in contact hasn’t been stopped, and so won’t be in August, if you don’t agree with me what do you think actual reasoning is then?
Cowardice.
The government are afraid of bad headlines and so hiding behind SAGE rather than having the balls to do the right thing. Shame on them for that. Shame there's no opposition party worth its salt willing to call them out for it either.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
We can all cherry pick a poll. YouGov is Tories +2 on last poll. We have had similar leads in other recent polls over the past few days. 9% I think is the least, 13% the most. All had Labour in low 30s.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
Comres last week had Con 40% Lab 35% - a pollster which has now joined Survation in recording UK data. The GB equivalent would be Con 41% Lab 36%.
And your point, again anybody can cherry pick an outlier....In same way there has been what 2-3 polls with 13% lead? A 12% lead. etc. In fact was there a 14% lead recently, I can't remember off the top of my head?
The point is over the course of several months the Tories hardly varying from that 42% level, lead being around 9-10%.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
We can all cherry pick a poll. YouGov is Tories +2 on last poll. We have had similar leads in other recent polls over the past few days. 9% I think is the least, 13% the most. All had Labour in low 30s.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% (well not just my take, the like of the Independent's model) and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
A clear 'house ' effect has been apparent with Yougov for several months now - Greens too high at Labour's expense.
This man is a total fraud. Churchill wouldn’t have tolerated a buffoon like him for five minutes.
He tolerated one (Duff Cooper) for nearly thirty years.
The visceral loathing of Boris is blinding people from reality. I feel sure Boris doesn't mind. Playing g the man rather than the ball ends in failure. Ask the Ref.....
Is there visceral loathing of Boris? There are rational objections to the Prime Minister's disregard for truth, disregard for convention, disregard for the law. Some, including Conservatives, will object to his politics. Others, again including Conservatives, will have reservations about his apparently chaotic style.
But since Boris does keep winning elections, it is hard to see there are widespread visceral or reflexive horrors.
Mrs Foxy certainly loathes Johnson viscerally, makes my dislike of the oaf seem quite mild. I fear for the telly when his gunning face pops up in another piece of fancy dress. At least we are spared that for the next 10 days while he lies low in his mansion.
It’s not “his” mansion. It belongs to the taxpayers. F…ing ridiculous. Fair enough, the prime minister might need a town residence, but definitely not a country one. If and when HMG need to host a conference or similar they can hire somewhere.
In defence of grace and favour residences, I’ve never had a problem with them. This is people working hard leading a Nation, grace and favour property should come with it.
Labours plan not to use them and open them to the public to use was populist *****cks.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Its comical the way Boris is slated on here but has a 13% lead on the polls.
Its also comical how people are prepared to defend literally anything. It isn't all about the polls, sometimes its about basic standards.
'Basic standards'. Weren't you a Labour supporter during Alastair Campbell's day?
You just don't like it when the same is done by the other side.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
We can all cherry pick a poll. YouGov is Tories +2 on last poll. We have had similar leads in other recent polls over the past few days. 9% I think is the least, 13% the most. All had Labour in low 30s.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
Comres last week had Con 40% Lab 35% - a pollster which has now joined Survation in recording UK data. The GB equivalent would be Con 41% Lab 36%.
Aren't you are just picking two outliers to make your point?
This man is a total fraud. Churchill wouldn’t have tolerated a buffoon like him for five minutes.
He tolerated one (Duff Cooper) for nearly thirty years.
The visceral loathing of Boris is blinding people from reality. I feel sure Boris doesn't mind. Playing g the man rather than the ball ends in failure. Ask the Ref.....
Is there visceral loathing of Boris? There are rational objections to the Prime Minister's disregard for truth, disregard for convention, disregard for the law. Some, including Conservatives, will object to his politics. Others, again including Conservatives, will have reservations about his apparently chaotic style.
But since Boris does keep winning elections, it is hard to see there are widespread visceral or reflexive horrors.
Mrs Foxy certainly loathes Johnson viscerally, makes my dislike of the oaf seem quite mild. I fear for the telly when his gunning face pops up in another piece of fancy dress. At least we are spared that for the next 10 days while he lies low in his mansion.
It’s not “his” mansion. It belongs to the taxpayers. F…ing ridiculous. Fair enough, the prime minister might need a town residence, but definitely not a country one. If and when HMG need to host a conference or similar they can hire somewhere.
Not sure why he has to isolate there. What about the Flat which we provide in Downing Street?
Unionist poster highlights anti-SNP message in a Unionist newspaper. How novel.
At some point Unionists will realise that they have to stop appealing to their core vote and start talking to normal Scots.
Even more important, stop appealing to an inchoate anti indy constituency who don't even have a vote; luckily they don't show the slightest sign of it. Of course the likes of the Herald probably depend on traffic from Outraged of non Scottish place, though tbf the National seems to have a similar following. Same stable so I guess that probably is their business model.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
We can all cherry pick a poll. YouGov is Tories +2 on last poll. We have had similar leads in other recent polls over the past few days. 9% I think is the least, 13% the most. All had Labour in low 30s.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% (well not just my take, the like of the Independent's model) and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
A clear 'house ' effect has been apparent with Yougov for several months now - Greens too high at Labour's expense.
They have the Greens on exactly the same as Survation, Redfield & Wilton, Savnanta, Opinium, and MORI.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
We can all cherry pick a poll. YouGov is Tories +2 on last poll. We have had similar leads in other recent polls over the past few days. 9% I think is the least, 13% the most. All had Labour in low 30s.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% (well not just my take, the like of the Independent's model) and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
A clear 'house ' effect has been apparent with Yougov for several months now - Greens too high at Labour's expense.
Too high so not for real? Not in terms of actual votes at elections, where Labour support is now voting green.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
still not a majority, that's my point.
43% is about as high as you can realistically get, only what Tony Blair got at his peak.
In 1997 Labour's GB vote share was 44%.
If you are going to be pedantic, you and I know it depends on exactly how you measure it. Wikipedia has it as 43.2%. Same with how polling companies include / exclude NI.
Not so. Wilkipedia shows UK data - not GB. UK polls are provided by Survation - and now Comres too. Other firms record GB data.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
We can all cherry pick a poll. YouGov is Tories +2 on last poll. We have had similar leads in other recent polls over the past few days. 9% I think is the least, 13% the most. All had Labour in low 30s.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% (well not just my take, the like of the Independent's model) and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
A clear 'house ' effect has been apparent with Yougov for several months now - Greens too high at Labour's expense.
And all the other pollsters? Labour are consistently low 30s. I don't think they are 30%, that is absolute bedrock stuff, but still low 30s.
Incidentally, if they were really interested in creating something new and different there's loads more they could have tinkered with, such as making boundaries 5 and 10 runs, instead of 4 and 6, or scoring runs on the basis of a timer of how long the ball is airborne.
They could have metricated the game even further - 10 players. They could have got rid of lbws - players are hardly going to block out time with their pads.
Completely pointless otherwise as a power grab.
Apparently FIFA are considering big changes to the rules of football, eg:
30 minutes per half Unlimited subs Kick ins not throw ins Sin bin for a yellow card Stop clock when ball not in play
It's really infuriating that the Gov't doesn't just tell the truth and say we don't have supply to do group x (Non vulnerable 12 - 17), so we're delaying a decision till we can start this group instead of providing succour for antivaxxers.
It's not just about supply. There is a risk assessment as well.
Children are not at risk from covid. At the same time the vaccines do have tiny risks - blood clots for AZ, heart enlargement for Pfizer and capillary leak syndrome for Jansen.
For over 18's the risk of covid > risk of the vaccines.
For under 18's the risk of the vaccines > risk of covid.
The only reason places like France are offering the vaccine to 12 year olds is to get their vax numbers up.
But it's unethical to vax children just to save adult anti-vaxxers. Better to try to jab the refuseniks (which the govt is doing - if you look at the daily stats on the govt website, quite a lot of over 50s are getting their first jabs still).
Mr. Thompson, some might argue that hiding in Afghanistan to avoid keeping an electoral promise, deception over the Irish Sea, and having as much success sticking to vows of fidelity as a Frenchman with a viagra addiction is not necessarily amoral so much as immoral.
Some might. Probably his critics who disliked him already mainly.
Personally I find it refreshing to have a PM who doesn't hide behind his marriage vows bleating about his morality.
He should be judged more on whether he fucks over his voters, than whether he fucks a mistress, and speaking personally as someone who voted for him, I feel like I'm getting what I voted for.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
still not a majority, that's my point.
43% is about as high as you can realistically get, only what Tony Blair got at his peak.
In 1997 Labour's GB vote share was 44%.
If you are going to be pedantic, you and I know it depends on exactly how you measure it. Wikipedia has it as 43.2%. Same with how polling companies include / exclude NI.
Not so. Wilkipedia shows UK data - not GB. UK polls are provided by Survation - and now Comres too. Other firms record GB data.
Which was my point. You are arguing over 1%, GB vs UK....Mr ultimate pedantic. When the polls themselves have a MoE greater than that.
I said 43% IS ABOUT AS HIGH as you can realistically get....not THE HIGHEST.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Its comical the way Boris is slated on here but has a 13% lead on the polls.
Its also comical how people are prepared to defend literally anything. It isn't all about the polls, sometimes its about basic standards.
Pretty sure a few of the fanbois who love the sight of a huge BJ poll also think the SNP's longstanding dominance of Scotch polling is the sign of a corrupt, one party state. Funny ol' world..
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Its comical the way Boris is slated on here but has a 13% lead on the polls.
The Boris political magic is intriguing. My theory is that he's got a massive following from the Brexit wars that will simply always remain loyal. You then combine that with a big chunk of tribal Tories and the politically unengaged who just think he's a loveable chump and you get a broad and powerful coalition.
The Borisovian Tories are now like the SNP in Scotland.
If you like Indy you approve of Sturgeon and the Nats, despite a million reasons not to do so
If you voted Brexit you approve of Boris and/or the Tories. Boris enjoys a massive hardcore vote. Maybe 35%? Brexit has raised that floor by ten points
Not sure what Labour can do about it. Eventually that hardcore will crumble, but the SNP’s endless ascendancy shows that can take a looooong time.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
We can all cherry pick a poll. YouGov is Tories +2 on last poll. We have had similar leads in other recent polls over the past few days. 9% I think is the least, 13% the most. All had Labour in low 30s.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% (well not just my take, the like of the Independent's model) and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
A clear 'house ' effect has been apparent with Yougov for several months now - Greens too high at Labour's expense.
And all the other pollsters? Labour are consistently low 30s. I don't think they are 30%, that is absolute bedrock stuff, but still low 30s.
Ipsos Mori also had Labour on 31% - but had the Tories on 40%
Unionist poster highlights anti-SNP message in a Unionist newspaper. How novel.
At some point Unionists will realise that they have to stop appealing to their core vote and start talking to normal Scots.
Even more important, stop appealing to an inchoate anti indy constituency who don't even have a vote; luckily they don't show the slightest sign of it. Of course the likes of the Herald probably depend on traffic from Outraged of non Scottish place, though tbf the National seems to have a similar following. Same stable so I guess that probably is their business model.
As ever from the Nats....great engagement with the argument.....mind you, I guess Mr Dickson is not in a great position to opine on what is (not) going on "on the ground". Perhaps TUD might be better informed?
That we are not having to bear some ludicrous speech from that twat in Downing Street is the only consolation from today’s fiasco.
A typical ludicrous comment with the preempt of the attack on Boris before anything else...
I take it that you are a big supporter of his claim that at no time yesterday did he go onto the dodge lockdown trial?
No he obviously lied.. that's fair enough.. what I don't like is the preamble....
With apologies for quoting the same comment twice.
This here is why the government are still comfortably ahead in the polls. "Stop attacking Boris" says the commentator in response to Boris lying. So you check if the commentator thinks Boris is telling the truth. "no, he obviously lied".
But you still support him. We have ended up with a polity where people support a Prime Minister who lies to their face because he thinks they are stupid - despite knowing that he is lying to them because he thinks they are stupid.
Eugh, you lot attack Boris before anything else! You are so biased! Erm, we're pointing out that he is lying and treating people like fools. Yeah he does that. But he's winding you lot up so thats ok
I don't get the mentality of people who dislike people calling the PM Liar because he is a liar, yet recognise that he is lying to them.
I think the point was the @IanB2 post was crude, unpleasant and didn’t further the discussion in anyway.
Why don't you just fuck off?
Now that was crude, unpleasant and didn't further the discussion. @IanB2 's comment was simply partisan. If you find that offends you sensibilities so much, suggest you flounce off and find another site maybe?
Sure it was partisan. But I’d argue that using the word “twat” is crude and unpleasant. There are other alternatives (such as”dickhead” or “wanker”) that would convey the same sentiment but are milder in tone.
I would put twat, wanker and dickhead in the same category. The first is no more crude and unpleasant than the second two, surely?
I guess it’s a question of personal taste. I think the latter two are often used in jest, while the former is only ever an attack. But these things change over time.
Yeah. Even the C word is often used affectionately by a lot of people. Context is everything.
I’m not sure @IanB2 was being affectionate about Boris!
Have we had you perspective on this one Charles old love? Number 10 announces that the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have been pinged and will be able to continue to work thanks to a new pilot scheme. Number 10 then sends out the Secretary of State for coincidental Tory Donors at Dinner to tell the Sunday politics shows the Good News that the pilot scheme is here so the PM will be able to continue to work from Downing Street.
Consternation and Uproar breaks out. The Chancellor of the Exchequer states "I recognise that even the sense that the rules aren’t the same for everyone is wrong." and as such will be "self isolating as normal and not taking part in the pilot."
And what happens then? The Prime Minister releases a video statement looking like he has just rushed off the set of Worzel Gummidge and says with a straight face that he will be self-isolating at Chequers and that there was never any plan to use the pilot scheme.
Politically, saying that the PM and Chancellor can get around the egregious restrictions causing havoc amongst the general populace is a bad misstep. Hence the uproar.
But the Prime Minister, lying to everyone that there was no pilot, that doesn't bother you? Its ok to be the leader of the party and the country and brazenly attempt to say the thing that just happened didn't happen?
Park the name calling and the inferences, I am using formal titles and restating undisputed facts. Do you think this is ok or not? If it is not, then at which point do you as a multi-generational Tory say that perhaps a Prime Minister who doesn't lie openly would be preferable?
Its about your standards as much as it is his standards. He doesn't have any standards. Do you?
My perspective - which was after the fact of, but before I was aware of, the U turn - was that it was like taking a shotgun and blowing both his feet off.
I’m actually relatively relaxed about the concept of different professions having different rules - like the NHS scheme launching today - and repeated testing instead of isolating seems sensible. Ideally that could be rolled out to everyone.
But the optics were horrible, and Labour’s attempt to use it as part of a “one rule for us, another for them” was spot on.
I don’t think the PM said there was no pilot - there was a press release this morning that said they had pulled out of the pilot - but he did say that he had “briefly considered” it before deciding not to. To be fair, you could probably stretch “briefly considered” to cover the 2 hours between announcement and U-turn… the main considerations being whether he could get away with it or not & how quickly he could relocate to Chequers.
The Tory media are pretty grumpy and calling on government to bring forward the August date. I have read small print of front pages, it’s almost if the writer is incredulous, it’s a no brainier the government need to do it, by yesterday if possible.
I have been thinking about pingdemic, and what the way out is. Picking solution isn’t helped by government not really explaining why it’s a month later than freedom day, and their inaction to tackle pingdemic despite the toasting they are getting.
For example, to say any grouping, jabbed or otherwise no longer need to self isolate if in contact with a case might not actually be simple solution to pingdemic, because firstly it would be the government officially confirming let it rip/herd immunity policy - sure you can say but it is, but if it remains unofficial and needs a u turn they can deny that ever was a policy.
Secondly, I suspect lots of fierce argument behind scenes on stopping need to self isolate after Covid contact, you can imagine political cabinet in favour, but SAGE not in favour? Why would SAGE not be in favour? Many of them may not at all agree on let it rip/herd immunity, after all the whole point of test trace isolate is that it supports policy of containment, to restrict number of Covid cases, in other words to support the very opposite of herd immunity just let it rip policy. Even though vaccines have worked, the NHS shouldn’t be overwhelmed and death toll suddenly go Brazilian, some SAGE members may still be putting reasons forward not to let rip, the danger of UK spawning a nasty variant is science fact for example, new Boris variant is a huge political risk too, if it happened, just as there is such a thing of vaccine bounce there has to be a ‘you gone and ****** it’ shellacking in opinion polls.
Thirdly, how set in stone is Freedom Day 2 in August. I’m not convinced it will happen if it means decommission test trace isolate as both policy, app and greatest moon shot project UK has ever achieved (we don’t actually know the full cost yet?) lay people off, drop the infrastructure in a skip or desktop trash, right on the cusp of autumn and winter. You are confident they will do just that in August?
If SAGE aren't in favour then the government should still do the right thing.
Advisors advise, ministers decide.
Time to end people who aren't even definitely positive from being required to isolate.
It is far too easy to post to a forum about what ministers should do, without being tied to consequences as ministers will be, so you appreciate The ministers may still decide not to make this change - can you not see any reasoning for not officially abandoning isolation for contact?
Yes I could be wrong in my guesswork why isolate if been in contact hasn’t been stopped, and so won’t be in August, if you don’t agree with me what do you think actual reasoning is then?
Cowardice.
The government are afraid of bad headlines and so hiding behind SAGE rather than having the balls to do the right thing. Shame on them for that. Shame there's no opposition party worth its salt willing to call them out for it either.
But they are getting the bad pingdemic headlines very bad but still won’t let go, aren’t they? So it is something other than cowardice at bad headlines.
If you look at my original post there are reasons it’s strong political foresight not to abandon the sort of isolating the PM is doing today. What is wrong with the 3 scientific and political reasoning I listed ?
Mr. Pioneers, I agree it wasn't uniquely bad, or malicious etc. Penalty was definitely on the weak side, though.
I just hope that either Verstappen takes the title or Hamilton wins it by 26 points or more. Otherwise this'll look worse.
I expect Verstappen to take the title this year. He has a faster car and despite Hamilton's skill and experience he just can't keep up with Verstappen most of the time - even at Silverstone in the Sprint Race.
And Red Bull should take the constructors. Not only will Max attack every point, in Checo they have a 2nd driver who can attack unlike Bottas. I don't care if it is tight though, races create incidents and this one was nothing unusual or outrageous.
It's really infuriating that the Gov't doesn't just tell the truth and say we don't have supply to do group x (Non vulnerable 12 - 17), so we're delaying a decision till we can start this group instead of providing succour for antivaxxers.
It's not just about supply. There is a risk assessment as well.
Children are not at risk from covid. At the same time the vaccines do have tiny risks - blood clots for AZ, heart enlargement for Pfizer and capillary leak syndrome for Jansen.
For over 18's the risk of covid > risk of the vaccines.
For under 18's the risk of the vaccines > risk of covid.
The only reason places like France are offering the vaccine to 12 year olds is to get their vax numbers up.
But it's unethical to vax children just to save adult anti-vaxxers. Better to try to jab the refuseniks (which the govt is doing - if you look at the daily stats on the govt website, quite a lot of over 50s are getting their first jabs still).
Is that right that the vaccine risk exceeds the covid risk for the miniatures? I thought it didn't.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Its comical the way Boris is slated on here but has a 13% lead on the polls.
Its also comical how people are prepared to defend literally anything. It isn't all about the polls, sometimes its about basic standards.
'Basic standards'. Weren't you a Labour supporter during Alastair Campbell's day?
You just don't like it when the same is done by the other side.
Lol, give me the example of Blair saying one thing and then two hours later saying that he didn't say the first thing. Your whataboutery skills aren't going to rescue you from your clown apology this time.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Its comical the way Boris is slated on here but has a 13% lead on the polls.
The Boris political magic is intriguing. My theory is that he's got a massive following from the Brexit wars that will simply always remain loyal. You then combine that with a big chunk of tribal Tories and the politically unengaged who just think he's a loveable chump and you get a broad and powerful coalition.
Part of his appeal, surely, is a sunny, positive disposition which many people instinctively warm to. Also a certain talent for self-deprecation. And, unashamedly, pro-flag. Reagan had a very similar appeal. Allows the lapses, mistakes, etc., to be forgiven as they seem honest and well-intentioned (perhaps, ironically).
Starmer, in this context, comes across rather more like Jimmy Carter.
I’m at the gym. For the first time in 16 months there is zero social distancing. Zero masks. Every machine available
It feels bloody good. The sun shines
Later I shall be at the pub, I shall give a sitrep on Hospitality
Apocalyptic doom mongering by 8pm with a dash of racial profiling, I can see all the signs.
I’m starting at 2.30 at the Red Lion and Sun in Highgate, so expect incoming a little sooner. 6pm?
How high above flood plain is the the Red Lion? What’s your take on Moon Wobble Leon? What sort of end of days planning should the government be doing?
Incidentally, if they were really interested in creating something new and different there's loads more they could have tinkered with, such as making boundaries 5 and 10 runs, instead of 4 and 6, or scoring runs on the basis of a timer of how long the ball is airborne.
They could have metricated the game even further - 10 players. They could have got rid of lbws - players are hardly going to block out time with their pads.
Completely pointless otherwise as a power grab.
Apparently FIFA are considering big changes to the rules of football, eg:
30 minutes per half Unlimited subs Kick ins not throw ins Sin bin for a yellow card Stop clock when ball not in play
30 mins ball in play per half is a good rule. Sin bins are also a good rule but dont think it should be all yellows, more the orange ones. Don't like unlimited subs, kick ins instinctively I dont like but probably worthy of a trial.
Incidentally, if they were really interested in creating something new and different there's loads more they could have tinkered with, such as making boundaries 5 and 10 runs, instead of 4 and 6, or scoring runs on the basis of a timer of how long the ball is airborne.
They could have metricated the game even further - 10 players. They could have got rid of lbws - players are hardly going to block out time with their pads.
Completely pointless otherwise as a power grab.
Apparently FIFA are considering big changes to the rules of football, eg:
30 minutes per half Unlimited subs Kick ins not throw ins Sin bin for a yellow card Stop clock when ball not in play
I’d ditch extra time/penalties and go for indefinite golden goal.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
We can all cherry pick a poll. YouGov is Tories +2 on last poll. We have had similar leads in other recent polls over the past few days. 9% I think is the least, 13% the most. All had Labour in low 30s.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
Comres last week had Con 40% Lab 35% - a pollster which has now joined Survation in recording UK data. The GB equivalent would be Con 41% Lab 36%.
And your point, again anybody can cherry pick an outlier....In same way there has been what 2-3 polls with 13% lead? A 12% lead. etc. In fact was there a 14% lead recently, I can't remember off the top of my head?
The point is over the course of several months the Tories hardly varying from that 42% level, lead being around 9-10%.
People react too much to individual polls here, when the random variation between polls makes any such analysis impossible. I think the graph on the wiki page does a decent job of synthesizing the polling data.
We can see that since the start of June the Tory share has declined by almost 2 percentage points, so it does look like there is an erosion of support in response to recent negative stories.
But Labour haven't benefited. It's the Lib Dems who are surging. Whether this proves more durable than the surge in 2019, or is reflected in votes and seats at the next general election, is harder to tell. We can argue that either way.
But it's hard to argue the government haven't recently lost support.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Its comical the way Boris is slated on here but has a 13% lead on the polls.
The Boris political magic is intriguing. My theory is that he's got a massive following from the Brexit wars that will simply always remain loyal. You then combine that with a big chunk of tribal Tories and the politically unengaged who just think he's a loveable chump and you get a broad and powerful coalition.
The Borisovian Tories are now like the SNP in Scotland.
If you like Indy you approve of Sturgeon and the Nats, despite a million reasons not to do so
If you voted Brexit you approve of Boris and/or the Tories. Boris enjoys a massive hardcore vote. Maybe 35%? Brexit has raised that floor by ten points
Not sure what Labour can do about it. Eventually that hardcore will crumble, but the SNP’s endless ascendancy shows that can take a looooong time.
What labour can do is offer a credible alternative. Right now, they are not a credible alternative.
Just the other day, Young Labour fell in behind the government of Cuba against the unrest in the country. Did we hear anything from Starmer about that?
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Its comical the way Boris is slated on here but has a 13% lead on the polls.
The Boris political magic is intriguing. My theory is that he's got a massive following from the Brexit wars that will simply always remain loyal. You then combine that with a big chunk of tribal Tories and the politically unengaged who just think he's a loveable chump and you get a broad and powerful coalition.
The Borisovian Tories are now like the SNP in Scotland.
If you like Indy you approve of Sturgeon and the Nats, despite a million reasons not to do so
If you voted Brexit you approve of Boris and/or the Tories. Boris enjoys a massive hardcore vote. Maybe 35%? Brexit has raised that floor by ten points
Not sure what Labour can do about it. Eventually that hardcore will crumble, but the SNP’s endless ascendancy shows that can take a looooong time.
What labour can do is offer a credible alternative. Right now, they are not a credible alternative.
Just the other day, Young Labour fell in behind the government of Cuba against the unrest in the country. Did we hear anything from Starmer about that?
Hopefully he expels enough of the lunatics so that the Yay Dictators! mob infesting Young Labour take the hint and scab off to join Socialists for Dictators against the People or whatever.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Its comical the way Boris is slated on here but has a 13% lead on the polls.
Its also comical how people are prepared to defend literally anything. It isn't all about the polls, sometimes its about basic standards.
'Basic standards'. Weren't you a Labour supporter during Alastair Campbell's day?
You just don't like it when the same is done by the other side.
Siri show me something truly desperate from a Boris Johnson apologist.
How about justifying his incessant lying as PM by reference to Tony Blair's spin doctor of 20 years ago?
I’m at the gym. For the first time in 16 months there is zero social distancing. Zero masks. Every machine available
It feels bloody good. The sun shines
Later I shall be at the pub, I shall give a sitrep on Hospitality
Are you on the pommel horse? Careful if so. People underestimate it.
Elliptical. Level 15. Wim Hof later
If I’m going to drink myself to death in a world city that is imploding, as aliens hover watchfully above in cerulean skies, I’m going to make sure I’m simultaneously BUFF and MINDFUL. Like wearing clean underpants in the expectation of being run over later
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
We can all cherry pick a poll. YouGov is Tories +2 on last poll. We have had similar leads in other recent polls over the past few days. 9% I think is the least, 13% the most. All had Labour in low 30s.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
Comres last week had Con 40% Lab 35% - a pollster which has now joined Survation in recording UK data. The GB equivalent would be Con 41% Lab 36%.
And your point, again anybody can cherry pick an outlier....In same way there has been what 2-3 polls with 13% lead? A 12% lead. etc. In fact was there a 14% lead recently, I can't remember off the top of my head?
The point is over the course of several months the Tories hardly varying from that 42% level, lead being around 9-10%.
People react too much to individual polls here, when the random variation between polls makes any such analysis impossible. I think the graph on the wiki page does a decent job of synthesizing the polling data.
We can see that since the start of June the Tory share has declined by almost 2 percentage points, so it does look like there is an erosion of support in response to recent negative stories.
But Labour haven't benefited. It's the Lib Dems who are surging. Whether this proves more durable than the surge in 2019, or is reflected in votes and seats at the next general election, is harder to tell. We can argue that either way.
But it's hard to argue the government haven't recently lost support.
According to this smoothed version of the data, its 1% "decline" since June, but literally for 5 months that Tories have always been in the 42-43% range. Basically flat as a pancake MoE stuff throughout.
I’m at the gym. For the first time in 16 months there is zero social distancing. Zero masks. Every machine available
It feels bloody good. The sun shines
Later I shall be at the pub, I shall give a sitrep on Hospitality
Apocalyptic doom mongering by 8pm with a dash of racial profiling, I can see all the signs.
I’m starting at 2.30 at the Red Lion and Sun in Highgate, so expect incoming a little sooner. 6pm?
How high above flood plain is the the Red Lion? What’s your take on Moon Wobble Leon? What sort of end of days planning should the government be doing?
Great from TfL there. Not an organisation I've associated with any sort of good cheer or a 'get out there' message over the last 16 months. Well done to them.
With that sort of positivity, I don't think I'd even have minded a 'please wear a mask' subtext.
It's really infuriating that the Gov't doesn't just tell the truth and say we don't have supply to do group x (Non vulnerable 12 - 17), so we're delaying a decision till we can start this group instead of providing succour for antivaxxers.
It's not just about supply. There is a risk assessment as well.
Children are not at risk from covid. At the same time the vaccines do have tiny risks - blood clots for AZ, heart enlargement for Pfizer and capillary leak syndrome for Jansen.
For over 18's the risk of covid > risk of the vaccines.
For under 18's the risk of the vaccines > risk of covid.
The only reason places like France are offering the vaccine to 12 year olds is to get their vax numbers up.
But it's unethical to vax children just to save adult anti-vaxxers. Better to try to jab the refuseniks (which the govt is doing - if you look at the daily stats on the govt website, quite a lot of over 50s are getting their first jabs still).
Is that right that the vaccine risk exceeds the covid risk for the miniatures? I thought it didn't.
The evidence tends to go the other way (vaccination safer than Covid) but still early days on that: - we don't really know how many children have been infected* to gauge per infection risks for Covid - the only really good studies so far are on risk of death, which is very, very low in children. More studies coming on long Covid etc - mass vaccination of children in other countries are a relatively early stages (although children more vulnerable to Covid have been vaccinated further in the past, but obviously smaller numbers) - we don't know the likelihood of a child being infected with Covid over the next x months, which itself changes the cost/benefit analysis (fixed risk of vaccination, Covid risk is per infection risk x unknown risk of infection
* there are the surveillance studies, e.g. ONS, but completeness and thoroughness of swabbing may vary for children
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
We can all cherry pick a poll. YouGov is Tories +2 on last poll. We have had similar leads in other recent polls over the past few days. 9% I think is the least, 13% the most. All had Labour in low 30s.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
Comres last week had Con 40% Lab 35% - a pollster which has now joined Survation in recording UK data. The GB equivalent would be Con 41% Lab 36%.
And your point, again anybody can cherry pick an outlier....In same way there has been what 2-3 polls with 13% lead? A 12% lead. etc. In fact was there a 14% lead recently, I can't remember off the top of my head?
The point is over the course of several months the Tories hardly varying from that 42% level, lead being around 9-10%.
People react too much to individual polls here, when the random variation between polls makes any such analysis impossible. I think the graph on the wiki page does a decent job of synthesizing the polling data.
We can see that since the start of June the Tory share has declined by almost 2 percentage points, so it does look like there is an erosion of support in response to recent negative stories.
But Labour haven't benefited. It's the Lib Dems who are surging. Whether this proves more durable than the surge in 2019, or is reflected in votes and seats at the next general election, is harder to tell. We can argue that either way.
But it's hard to argue the government haven't recently lost support.
By the Tories have lost share you mean they've reverted in July to the same share they had in February, March, April and May?
Looks to me like June was an outlier, but otherwise its been remarkably flat.
Since the end of January almost every single poll share for the Tories has been 42% +/- 3% MoE, the only exceptions are a small number of 46% outliers two of which were in June.
Is that right that the vaccine risk exceeds the covid risk for the miniatures? I thought it didn't.
There haven't been any large scale trials involving children. And the trials for adults didn't highlight the risks - those only came to light after millions had been jabbed.
Given that we know from the data from the last 15months that covid is not a risk to children, JCVI appears to be erring on the side of caution.
Meanwhile there are lots of old people still being vaxxed.
Here are the vax details for England for 18th July:
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Its comical the way Boris is slated on here but has a 13% lead on the polls.
Its also comical how people are prepared to defend literally anything. It isn't all about the polls, sometimes its about basic standards.
'Basic standards'. Weren't you a Labour supporter during Alastair Campbell's day?
You just don't like it when the same is done by the other side.
Siri show me something truly desperate from a Boris Johnson apologist.
How about justifying his incessant lying as PM by reference to Tony Blair's spin doctor of 20 years ago?
Yep, that'll do. Cheers.
Politicians lie. It happens. 🤷♂️
I'm not pretending that Boris is a whiter than white, pretty straight kind of guy.
oh dear, 2000+ more cases of the Johnson Variant in Wales from today's figures...
Why is it not the Drakeford variant there?
because he didn't keep the borders with India open, that was Johnson, keep up please.
When did Drakeford close the border with India?
He couldn't that's a UK issue, moron.
He had the power to stop all travel in and out of Wales, as he has done previously. Instead he decided to "monitor" the situation while cases numbers were low. But of course once you think you might have a problem, you have a massive problem.
I think the majority of UK people realised we had a problem when the clown was elected.
And yet 13% lead in the polls....I know I don't understand it either, but there you go.
Though this is Yougov - which just a few weeks back recorded a Tory lead of 18% - Con 46% Lab 28%.. We shall have to see what other pollsters now come up with, but it will not be surprising to see Labour's 31% vote share with Yougov matched by circa 35% elsewhere.
We can all cherry pick a poll. YouGov is Tories +2 on last poll. We have had similar leads in other recent polls over the past few days. 9% I think is the least, 13% the most. All had Labour in low 30s.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
Comres last week had Con 40% Lab 35% - a pollster which has now joined Survation in recording UK data. The GB equivalent would be Con 41% Lab 36%.
And your point, again anybody can cherry pick an outlier....In same way there has been what 2-3 polls with 13% lead? A 12% lead. etc. In fact was there a 14% lead recently, I can't remember off the top of my head?
The point is over the course of several months the Tories hardly varying from that 42% level, lead being around 9-10%.
People react too much to individual polls here, when the random variation between polls makes any such analysis impossible. I think the graph on the wiki page does a decent job of synthesizing the polling data.
We can see that since the start of June the Tory share has declined by almost 2 percentage points, so it does look like there is an erosion of support in response to recent negative stories.
But Labour haven't benefited. It's the Lib Dems who are surging. Whether this proves more durable than the surge in 2019, or is reflected in votes and seats at the next general election, is harder to tell. We can argue that either way.
But it's hard to argue the government haven't recently lost support.
According to this smoothed version of the data, its 1% "decline" since June, but literally for 5 months that Tories have always been in the 42-43% range. Basically flat as a pancake MoE stuff throughout.
Where as if you go and look at effect of Big Dom scandal, it is absolutely clear trend.
Should say Big Dom scandal and wider handling of COVID...for over the course of 6 months, clear trend, narrowing gap of from 4-5% to parity, then evens for a significant period.
Incidentally, if they were really interested in creating something new and different there's loads more they could have tinkered with, such as making boundaries 5 and 10 runs, instead of 4 and 6, or scoring runs on the basis of a timer of how long the ball is airborne.
They could have metricated the game even further - 10 players. They could have got rid of lbws - players are hardly going to block out time with their pads.
Completely pointless otherwise as a power grab.
Apparently FIFA are considering big changes to the rules of football, eg:
30 minutes per half Unlimited subs Kick ins not throw ins Sin bin for a yellow card Stop clock when ball not in play
Been in two shops today without mask - Feels really good , even better when the staff in one had no mask on either - great to chat with her and be human again
Comments
Breaking News: The U.S. is expected to formally accuse China of hacking Microsoft and is set to organize allies to condemn Beijing, according to a senior official.
https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1417082674552971265?s=20
I generally only frequent this place in the early mornings because as the sun rises higher in the sky so the heat of argument builds in direct disproportion to the quality of the input.
The boss of RyanAir boss says you’ll need to wear a mask on his planes.
But he appeals to the public to switch off the NHS App.
https://twitter.com/ruskin147/status/1417082689237266436?s=20
But, hey, why let facts get in the way?
Language is not fixed: it depends on context, mainly on who is saying it and in what context, and of course it evolves over time. So several of my (feminist) female friends use the word 'c**t' liberally as an insult to men they don't like, mainly public figures. Others don't. Knuckle-dragging macho men use exactly the same word as a misogynistic insult to those they abuse, usually accompanied by another similarly abusive adjective, sometimes racist. D.H. Lawrence used the same word more anatomically and rather beautifully.
To give another more everyday example, the word 'fuck'. The context and the speaker reveal the many variations. It can be used to describe making love, or to tell somebody to 'f off'. Or as a simple adjective, such as Leeds are fucking great. Or even as not caring ('I don't give a fuck' doesn't mean that you are not engaged in sex).
I guess my point is that one needs to use skills of interpretation to gauge whether the use of language is offensive or not, and some of the absolutist interpretations on here don't hold water.
They could have metricated the game even further - 10 players. They could have got rid of lbws - players are hardly going to block out time with their pads.
Completely pointless otherwise as a power grab.
My take is the lead is probably 9-10% (well not just my take, the like of the Independent's model) and that is basically the same it has been for months now.
Yes I could be wrong in my guesswork why isolate if been in contact hasn’t been stopped, and so won’t be in August, if you don’t agree with me what do you think actual reasoning is then?
In the long run the EU may lose out by not being more accommodating to close non-members but in the short run there is little upside for them. In any case it doesn't help us.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/7-8/55
I just hope that either Verstappen takes the title or Hamilton wins it by 26 points or more. Otherwise this'll look worse.
The government are afraid of bad headlines and so hiding behind SAGE rather than having the balls to do the right thing. Shame on them for that. Shame there's no opposition party worth its salt willing to call them out for it either.
The point is over the course of several months the Tories hardly varying from that 42% level, lead being around 9-10%.
It feels bloody good. The sun shines
Later I shall be at the pub, I shall give a sitrep on Hospitality
Labours plan not to use them and open them to the public to use was populist *****cks.
You just don't like it when the same is done by the other side.
30 minutes per half
Unlimited subs
Kick ins not throw ins
Sin bin for a yellow card
Stop clock when ball not in play
Children are not at risk from covid. At the same time the vaccines do have tiny risks - blood clots for AZ, heart enlargement for Pfizer and capillary leak syndrome for Jansen.
For over 18's the risk of covid > risk of the vaccines.
For under 18's the risk of the vaccines > risk of covid.
The only reason places like France are offering the vaccine to 12 year olds is to get their vax numbers up.
But it's unethical to vax children just to save adult anti-vaxxers. Better to try to jab the refuseniks (which the govt is doing - if you look at the daily stats on the govt website, quite a lot of over 50s are getting their first jabs still).
I said 43% IS ABOUT AS HIGH as you can realistically get....not THE HIGHEST.
Why is this still dragging on, quash them all.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57888146
If you like Indy you approve of Sturgeon and the Nats, despite a million reasons not to do so
If you voted Brexit you approve of Boris and/or the Tories. Boris enjoys a massive hardcore vote. Maybe 35%? Brexit has raised that floor by ten points
Not sure what Labour can do about it. Eventually that hardcore will crumble, but the SNP’s endless ascendancy shows that can take a looooong time.
We shall soon see what it’s like in the evening.
Fitzrovia was melancholy yesterday. Maybe 1 in 3 businesses apparently shut for good
I’m actually relatively relaxed about the concept of different professions having different rules - like the NHS scheme launching today - and repeated testing instead of isolating seems sensible. Ideally that could be rolled out to everyone.
But the optics were horrible, and Labour’s attempt to use it as part of a “one rule for us, another for them” was spot on.
I don’t think the PM said there was no pilot - there was a press release this morning that said they had pulled out of the pilot - but he did say that he had “briefly considered” it before deciding not to. To be fair, you could probably stretch “briefly considered” to cover the 2 hours between announcement and U-turn… the main considerations being whether he could get away with it or not & how quickly he could relocate to Chequers.
I’ve always been clear that I don’t like Boris.
If you look at my original post there are reasons it’s strong political foresight not to abandon the sort of isolating the PM is doing today. What is wrong with the 3 scientific and political reasoning I listed ?
And Red Bull should take the constructors. Not only will Max attack every point, in Checo they have a 2nd driver who can attack unlike Bottas. I don't care if it is tight though, races create incidents and this one was nothing unusual or outrageous.
Starmer, in this context, comes across rather more like Jimmy Carter.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_United_Kingdom_general_election
We can see that since the start of June the Tory share has declined by almost 2 percentage points, so it does look like there is an erosion of support in response to recent negative stories.
But Labour haven't benefited. It's the Lib Dems who are surging. Whether this proves more durable than the surge in 2019, or is reflected in votes and seats at the next general election, is harder to tell. We can argue that either way.
But it's hard to argue the government haven't recently lost support.
Just the other day, Young Labour fell in behind the government of Cuba against the unrest in the country. Did we hear anything from Starmer about that?
I used to enjoy going to the gym but always hated it when busy. The brief spells they had reopened were bliss due to the lack of people.
I hope you're right. Verstappen deserves the title on form so far. Even with two DNFs he's leading the title race.
How about justifying his incessant lying as PM by reference to Tony Blair's spin doctor of 20 years ago?
Yep, that'll do. Cheers.
If I’m going to drink myself to death in a world city that is imploding, as aliens hover watchfully above in cerulean skies, I’m going to make sure I’m simultaneously BUFF and MINDFUL. Like wearing clean underpants in the expectation of being run over later
https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/united-kingdom/
Where as if you go and look at effect of Big Dom scandal, it is absolutely clear trend.
Not an organisation I've associated with any sort of good cheer or a 'get out there' message over the last 16 months. Well done to them.
With that sort of positivity, I don't think I'd even have minded a 'please wear a mask' subtext.
- we don't really know how many children have been infected* to gauge per infection risks for Covid
- the only really good studies so far are on risk of death, which is very, very low in children. More studies coming on long Covid etc
- mass vaccination of children in other countries are a relatively early stages (although children more vulnerable to Covid have been vaccinated further in the past, but obviously smaller numbers)
- we don't know the likelihood of a child being infected with Covid over the next x months, which itself changes the cost/benefit analysis (fixed risk of vaccination, Covid risk is per infection risk x unknown risk of infection
* there are the surveillance studies, e.g. ONS, but completeness and thoroughness of swabbing may vary for children
Looks to me like June was an outlier, but otherwise its been remarkably flat.
Since the end of January almost every single poll share for the Tories has been 42% +/- 3% MoE, the only exceptions are a small number of 46% outliers two of which were in June.
Given that we know from the data from the last 15months that covid is not a risk to children, JCVI appears to be erring on the side of caution.
Meanwhile there are lots of old people still being vaxxed.
Here are the vax details for England for 18th July:
Age group 1st doses 2nd doses
Under 18 3,104 1,227
18-24 21,536 12,015
25-29 10,230 13,391
30-34 7,252 30,291
35-39 4,948 64,992
40-44 2,701 39,910
45-49 1,893 23,086
50-54 1,127 3,435
55-59 808 2,224
60-64 438 1,201
65-69 227 597
70-74 123 329
75-79 62
80+ 89
https://news.sky.com/story/elections-2021-scottish-voters-less-enthusiastic-about-independence-referendum-in-next-5-years-sky-news-poll-12296485
Sturgeon realises that hence she is not pushing for one, much to the annoyance of the nationalist hardcore some of whom may start to shift to Alba
I'm not pretending that Boris is a whiter than white, pretty straight kind of guy.
No
No
No
Yes
is my vote