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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » My money’s on Layla Moran for Jo Swinson’s old job

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    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    If that were true, there would be no danger of the virus spreading at the Cheltenham Festival.
    Probably methanol poisoning, so only relevant to the poteen drinkers.
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    HYUFD said:



    Of the top 20 LD target seats all are Tory Remain seats, they need centre right pragmatism to win those and win over Tory Remainers

    In theory, but I doubt they can survive as a party without metropolitan liberal backing. If Brexit is a disaster, the Tories will reform themselves towards the centre-right, and if it isn't it won't be today's theme.
    I'm all of 6 months into my yellow-poxery so still trying to scope out the various factions. For me the appeal of the party is that it can bridge "centre right" and "metropolitan liberal". Aside from the hang-em-flog-em loons at one end and the trot-Israel-owns-the-Sun loons at the other end, most people are reasonably calm if given the opportunity to do so.
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    GideonWiseGideonWise Posts: 1,123
    RobD said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    RobD said:

    Just read on BBC news that people in Italy are now moaning that their BA flight has been cancelled.

    The airlines can’t win, can they?

    Why are they still in Italy?
    Because their BA flight has been cancelled.
    Perhaps I should rephrase that - why are they still in Italy after all that has happened?
    Because the government travel recommendations have been slow and weak as piss.

    Plus experts like Simon Calder have been encouraging getting away and saying now is a great time to snap up some bargains. Rolls eyes.
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    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,444
    Wall Street open (1330 GMT) will be interesting today. Having closed just below 24000, out of hours markets are expecting a recovery; this morning they were trading 4% up, but this has dropped back to about +3% in the last few hours.

    You may remember I identified 24,000 as the critical level on Monday two weeks back, when markets first began to think about the virus. It’s the level held through much of 2018 and provided floor for a couple of the big dips during the early Trump bubble. So it’s natural that the bottom-fishers looking to buy in at the turn are also fixing on 24,000.

    My feel is that the Dow will bounce up after the open, so I aim to go into 1330 with my positions closed.

    If we and the US are heading for an Italy position, I don’t see how the market can not fall again. When it breaks convincingly below 24,000 we are likely headed for 20,000. However it will take the US realising where it’s headed to achieve this, and I don’t think that’ll be this week.

    My strategy is to wait for either a significant bounce back, which must surely offer a new selling opportunity, or the Dow heads strongly below 24,000 in which case it’s simply a matter of following the trend.
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787
    Ryanair has announced it has cancelled all international flights to and from Italy from Saturday until 9 April.

    Passengers who need to return home can switch to one of the flights operating up to the end of the day on Friday.

    A Ryanair spokesman said: "Ryanair apologises sincerely to all customers for these schedule disruptions, which are caused by national government restrictions and the latest decision of the Italian government to lock down the entire country to combat the Covid-19 virus."

    Meanwhile, British Airways is cancelling all UK-Italy flights until 4 April, and airline Jet2 has cancelled their flights to and from the country until 26 April.


    https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-51811969
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    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,292

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    The thing is I don't give a shit about embarrassing Boris, it is more to do with the public. People are spreading misinformation to score petty political points.
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,164
    edited March 2020

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    On topic I'm voting enthusiastically for Davey. The longer time goes on the more the buffoonery of the Tories will wind up all but the tiniest of brain. That leaves space in the middle for someone who looks relatable and not bonkers to ask the obvious questions and point to another way forward.

    On paper you might think Starmer could do that. Assuming that RLB isn't simply anointed as the winner having won over "the silent majority" of course. But if he does win despite the obvious ballot rigging he has had to triangulate so hard that he can't just shake off the lunatics and loony left policies - especially if a nutter is elected as deputy.

    Which leaves the LibDems. What goes down can go back up again. Davey presents himself well, has a sense of humour, asks smart questions, and can and will point to LibDem successes in government sadly lacking since 2015.

    Yup, Davey for me (again). One of the few politicians of any party who actually seems to be more interested in getting the job done than self-promotion. A smart and by all accounts genuinely nice bloke.
    And someone more likely to appeal to Tory Remainers than Moran and able to work with Starmer if the next general election leads to a hung parliament like 2010 with the LDs holding the balance of power
    Moran is likely to be closer in policy terms to Starmer than Davey. Unpopular as I'm afraid it may be here, the market for centre-right pragmatism has shrunk.
    Of the top 20 LD target seats all are Tory Remain seats, they need centre right pragmatism to win those and win over Tory Remainers
    In theory, but I doubt they can survive as a party without metropolitan liberal backing. If Brexit is a disaster, the Tories will reform themselves towards the centre-right, and if it isn't it won't be today's theme.
    Metropolitan leftists will go Green not LD if they find Labour too centrist under Starmer. None of the top 30 LD target seats bar Sheffield Hallam and Cambridge are Labour held inner city seats now.
    Regardless of how Brexit turns out the Tory vote is now Leaver dominated and that will not change for a generation
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    RobDRobD Posts: 58,990

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    It serves them right? You really think now is the time for cheap political point scoring?
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    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,817
    xkcd attends COBRA...

    https://www.xkcd.com/2278/
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    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    Its not about goose and gander. This isn't the too and fro of partisan politicking, we're not in an election campaign, we're in a healthcare scare and there is no justification at all for misinformation right now.

    This isn't a game.
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    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981

    Also, kids in small town America certainly won't be able to get access to the kind of specialist knowledge required to use PEDs with a level of safety. How many are just giving it massive amounts of steroids because their mate in the gym told them that is how much they take.

    Another problem is that the body converts excess Testosterone to Oestrogen via the aromatase reaction which may result in breast development
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    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,205

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    The thing is I don't give a shit about embarrassing Boris, it is more to do with the public. People are spreading misinformation to score petty political points.
    To be fair, they are only spreading it among themselves. If only COVID-19 was the same...
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    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,444
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    On topic I'm voting enthusiastically for Davey. The longer time goes on the more the buffoonery of the Tories will wind up all but the tiniest of brain. That leaves space in the middle for someone who looks relatable and not bonkers to ask the obvious questions and point to another way forward.

    On paper you might think Starmer could do that. Assuming that RLB isn't simply anointed as the winner having won over "the silent majority" of course. But if he does win despite the obvious ballot rigging he has had to triangulate so hard that he can't just shake off the lunatics and loony left policies - especially if a nutter is elected as deputy.

    Which leaves the LibDems. What goes down can go back up again. Davey presents himself well, has a sense of humour, asks smart questions, and can and will point to LibDem successes in government sadly lacking since 2015.

    Yup, Davey for me (again). One of the few politicians of any party who actually seems to be more interested in getting the job done than self-promotion. A smart and by all accounts genuinely nice bloke.
    And someone more likely to appeal to Tory Remainers than Moran and able to work with Starmer if the next general election leads to a hung parliament like 2010 with the LDs holding the balance of power
    Moran is likely to be closer in policy terms to Starmer than Davey. Unpopular as I'm afraid it may be here, the market for centre-right pragmatism has shrunk.
    Of the top 20 LD target seats all are Tory Remain seats, they need centre right pragmatism to win those and win over Tory Remainers
    In theory, but I doubt they can survive as a party without metropolitan liberal backing. If Brexit is a disaster, the Tories will reform themselves towards the centre-right, and if it isn't it won't be today's theme.
    Metropolitan leftists will go Green not LD if they find Labour too centrist under Starmer.

    Regardless of how Brexit turns out the Tory vote is now Leaver dominated and that will not change for a generation
    Don’t worry, we’ll all keep the secret that you’re a closet remainer. No-one in Epping Forest need ever know ;)
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    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,427
    Aren't the Mexicans planning to shut the border to keep virus-ridden americans out?
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,002
    HYUFD said:
    Sanders' healthcare policies poll very well indeed, his immigration ideas...... less so.
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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,292
    Paging TSE...

    Apple now says you can use alcohol wipes to clean your phone, after a decade of insisting it will damage the touchscreen if you use anything other than “a soft, lint-free cloth”.
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    Stark_DawningStark_Dawning Posts: 9,324
    Yes. Every time I see a new UK case Italy seems to be the origin. Why the hell have we been faffing around?
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,164
    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    On topic I'm voting enthusiastically for Davey. The longer time goes on the more the buffoonery of the Tories will wind up all but the tiniest of brain. That leaves space in the middle for someone who looks relatable and not bonkers to ask the obvious questions and point to another way forward.

    On paper you might think Starmer could do that. Assuming that RLB isn't simply anointed as the winner having won over "the silent majority" of course. But if he does win despite the obvious ballot rigging he has had to triangulate so hard that he can't just shake off the lunatics and loony left policies - especially if a nutter is elected as deputy.

    Which leaves the LibDems. What goes down can go back up again. Davey presents himself well, has a sense of humour, asks smart questions, and can and will point to LibDem successes in government sadly lacking since 2015.

    Yup, Davey for me (again). One of the few politicians of any party who actually seems to be more interested in getting the job done than self-promotion. A smart and by all accounts genuinely nice bloke.
    And someone more likely to appeal to Tory Remainers than Moran and able to work with Starmer if the next general election leads to a hung parliament like 2010 with the LDs holding the balance of power
    Moran is likely to be closer in policy terms to Starmer than Davey. Unpopular as I'm afraid it may be here, the market for centre-right pragmatism has shrunk.
    Of the top 20 LD target seats all are Tory Remain seats, they need centre right pragmatism to win those and win over Tory Remainers
    In theory, but I doubt they can survive as a party without metropolitan liberal backing. If Brexit is a disaster, the Tories will reform themselves towards the centre-right, and if it isn't it won't be today's theme.
    Metropolitan leftists will go Green not LD if they find Labour too centrist under Starmer.

    Regardless of how Brexit turns out the Tory vote is now Leaver dominated and that will not change for a generation
    Don’t worry, we’ll all keep the secret that you’re a closet remainer. No-one in Epping Forest need ever know ;)
    I make no secret of the fact I voted Remain (as did several Tory councillors in Epping Forest) but I have also always accepted the Leave vote
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    RobDRobD Posts: 58,990
    edited March 2020

    Paging TSE...

    Apple now says you can use alcohol wipes to clean your phone, after a decade of insisting it will damage the touchscreen if you use anything other than “a soft, lint-free cloth”.

    I thought you were only allowed to do it with an iCloth (£99 RRP)
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    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    RobD said:

    Paging TSE...

    Apple now says you can use alcohol wipes to clean your phone, after a decade of insisting it will damage the touchscreen if you use anything other than “a soft, lint-free cloth”.

    I thought you were only allowed to do it with an iCloth (£99 RRP)
    That's all you should use normally but right now you can use iAlcohol (£299 RRP)
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    Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 13,032

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    Its not about goose and gander. This isn't the too and fro of partisan politicking, we're not in an election campaign, we're in a healthcare scare and there is no justification at all for misinformation right now.

    This isn't a game.
    Fuck Johnson in his fat pussy. He would never make the mistake of bringing piss to a shit fight so why should his opponents? He is fair game at any time.
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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,292
    You have to laugh...

    Haidee Janetzki, who lives in the city of Toowoomba, about 80 miles west of Brisbane, purchased 2,304 rolls of toilet paper from the online service Who Gives a Crap, reported Reuters and the Australian Broadcasting Company.

    The Janetzkis typically order 48 rolls every three months, but they bungled the order after switching to a new service.

    She mistakenly ordered 48 boxes of the company’s toilet paper, which comes in 48-roll boxes. That amounted to over $2,000 of the stuff.

    https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/03/10/coronavirus-australia-family-buys-12-year-supply-toilet-paper/4985534002/
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    GideonWiseGideonWise Posts: 1,123

    Yes. Every time I see a new UK case Italy seems to be the origin. Why the hell have we been faffing around?
    Because of a fatalistic belief that it cannot be stopped so we shouldn't do anything too hasty that might damage the economy or inconvenience people. I'm simplifying but that is ultimately the truth.

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    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    I know in politics we tend to knock seven bells out of each other and our partisan opponents especially, but sometimes a crisis like this really highlights who is able to knuckle down for the best for their country regardless of party and who is deep down just an opportunistic partisan little shit.
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    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,817
    HYUFD said:
    Yes, weird.

    I thought he liked Mexico ?
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    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,825

    Chameleon said:

    For anyone wondering why deaths are spiking:
    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1237142891077697538.html

    First, Lumbardy is the most developed region in Italy and it has a extraordinary good healthcare, I have worked in Italy, UK and Aus and don’t make the mistake to think that what is happening is happening in a 3rd world country. The current situation is difficult to imagine and numbers do not explain things at all. Our hospitals are overwhelmed by Covid-19, they are running 200% capacity. We’ve stopped all routine, all ORs have been converted to ITUs and they are now diverting or not treating all other emergencies like trauma or strokes. Patients above 65 or younger with comorbidities are not even assessed by ITU, I am not saying not tubed, I’m saying not assessed and no ITU staff attends when they arrest.

    We have seen the same pattern in different areas a week apart, and there is no reason that in a few weeks it won’t be the same everywhere.

    Blimey. That is really strong stuff in that thread. God help us if UK gets same level of problems at hospitals.
    On current trends, 2 weeks.

    Not that I see enthusiastic preparation for that phase. I hope that there are extensive central stocks of Personal Protective Equipment, because we will get through local stocks in a couple of days.
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    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981
    edited March 2020

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    Its not about goose and gander. This isn't the too and fro of partisan politicking, we're not in an election campaign, we're in a healthcare scare and there is no justification at all for misinformation right now.

    This isn't a game.
    So it was just a game when your side did it to Starmer?

    Besides, they did not alter instructions to hospitals and doctors, they just highlighted what we all know anyway - that Boris is a gung-ho, verbal-rambler who may trouble to distinguish his gluteus maximus from his cubitum. That is precisely why it is so believable.
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    WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 8,503
    edited March 2020
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    On topic I'm voting enthusiastically for Davey. The longer time goes on the more the buffoonery of the Tories will wind up all but the tiniest of brain. That leaves space in the middle for someone who looks relatable and not bonkers to ask the obvious questions and point to another way forward.

    On paper you might think Starmer could do that. Assuming that RLB isn't simply anointed as the winner having won over "the silent majority" of course. But if he does win despite the obvious ballot rigging he has had to triangulate so hard that he can't just shake off the lunatics and loony left policies - especially if a nutter is elected as deputy.

    Which leaves the LibDems. What goes down can go back up again. Davey presents himself well, has a sense of humour, asks smart questions, and can and will point to LibDem successes in government sadly lacking since 2015.

    Yup, Davey for me (again). One of the few politicians of any party who actually seems to be more interested in getting the job done than self-promotion. A smart and by all accounts genuinely nice bloke.
    And someone more likely to appeal to Tory Remainers than Moran and able to work with Starmer if the next general election leads to a hung parliament like 2010 with the LDs holding the balance of power
    Moran is likely to be closer in policy terms to Starmer than Davey. Unpopular as I'm afraid it may be here, the market for centre-right pragmatism has shrunk.
    Of the top 20 LD target seats all are Tory Remain seats, they need centre right pragmatism to win those and win over Tory Remainers
    In theory, but I doubt they can survive as a party without metropolitan liberal backing. If Brexit is a disaster, the Tories will reform themselves towards the centre-right, and if it isn't it won't be today's theme.
    Metropolitan leftists will go Green not LD if they find Labour too centrist under Starmer. None of the top 30 LD target seats bar Sheffield Hallam and Cambridge are Labour held inner city seats now.
    Regardless of how Brexit turns out the Tory vote is now Leaver dominated and that will not change for a generation
    Indeed, but I meant generally affluent liberals rather than a grassroots left. That's the key constituency for the LD's now, and a space they could pick up between Starmer and a Leave-dominated Tory party. The 2010s centre-right professional constituency that broadly backed austerity is no longer there.
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    GideonWiseGideonWise Posts: 1,123

    I know in politics we tend to knock seven bells out of each other and our partisan opponents especially, but sometimes a crisis like this really highlights who is able to knuckle down for the best for their country regardless of party and who is deep down just an opportunistic partisan little shit.

    True. We can also see who know what they are talking about and who are just bluff merchants writing thousands of posts.
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    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,444

    You have to laugh...

    Haidee Janetzki, who lives in the city of Toowoomba, about 80 miles west of Brisbane, purchased 2,304 rolls of toilet paper from the online service Who Gives a Crap, reported Reuters and the Australian Broadcasting Company.

    The Janetzkis typically order 48 rolls every three months, but they bungled the order after switching to a new service.

    She mistakenly ordered 48 boxes of the company’s toilet paper, which comes in 48-roll boxes. That amounted to over $2,000 of the stuff.

    https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/03/10/coronavirus-australia-family-buys-12-year-supply-toilet-paper/4985534002/

    You’re laughing, but that family will probably cash in by reselling it all on eBay.

    It is the weird thing about Australia. There’s the image of the rough tough Crocodile Dundee type, out there in the Outback. Yet most of them are mollycoddled city types clinging to their sheltered urban lives by the seaside.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,002
    Nigelb said:

    xkcd attends COBRA...

    https://www.xkcd.com/2278/

    Their global warming comic isn't bad either.
    https://xkcd.com/1732/
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    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 31,019

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    Its not about goose and gander. This isn't the too and fro of partisan politicking, we're not in an election campaign, we're in a healthcare scare and there is no justification at all for misinformation right now.

    This isn't a game.
    So it was just a game when your side did it to Starmer?

    Besides, they did not alter instructions to hospitals and doctors, they just highlighted what we all know anyway - that Boris is a gung-ho, verbal-rambler who may trouble to distinguish his gluteus maximus from his cubitum. That is precisely why it is so believable.
    Defending the indefensible for political point scoring. Why am I not surprised at you any more Beverly? You are no better than those people pushing fake cures on Youtube.
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    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    IshmaelZ said:

    TimT said:

    eadric said:

    Friend of a friend anecdote. Boss of a $25 billion pharma company

    “We are in deep trouble”

    Most of my very smart, very rich friends are now crapping themselves. My poor friends don’t seem very worried, or they don’t believe the hype, or are actively intrigued by the potential turmoil.

    It’s a fascinating contrast. It’s Brexit times a trillion.

    It's the negative bias in play. We value what we lose more than what we gain. The rich have more to lose, but most of the time can use their assets to protect themselves. Here, they are as vulnerable as the rest of us, so they panic more.
    My country is Kiltartan Cross,
    My countrymen Kiltartan’s poor,
    No likely end could bring them loss
    Or leave them happier than before.

    I kept thinking that about Brexit, and it's true about most other outcomes too.
    Wonderful. I'll use that.

    I think that there was another factor playing into Brexit too - Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. With Physiological and Safety needs basically met within an affluent UK (yes, I know some would challenge that, but it is all relative), rewards to meet these needs - and even more so promises of future increases in these - are no longer motivating. What motivates are the higher needs - belonging, esteem, purpose. Those who sneer at Little England fail to recognize that, as a concept, the nation state gives a much more direct link to these higher needs (line of sight) than the EU ever could.
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    WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 8,503
    edited March 2020
    HYUFD said:
    This is a potentially very Brexit and Trump-friendly issue in terms of borders, which is why I'm surprised that this government, of all people, aren't taking a different line on border and travel restrictions to and from Italy. It's almost like the actualisation of the simplistic ideas of "regaining control of our borders", but this time on a genuinely constructive basis.
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    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,444
    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    On topic I'm voting enthusiastically for Davey. The longer time goes on the more the buffoonery of the Tories will wind up all but the tiniest of brain. That leaves space in the middle for someone who looks relatable and not bonkers to ask the obvious questions and point to another way forward.

    On paper you might think Starmer could do that. Assuming that RLB isn't simply anointed as the winner having won over "the silent majority" of course. But if he does win despite the obvious ballot rigging he has had to triangulate so hard that he can't just shake off the lunatics and loony left policies - especially if a nutter is elected as deputy.

    Which leaves the LibDems. What goes down can go back up again. Davey presents himself well, has a sense of humour, asks smart questions, and can and will point to LibDem successes in government sadly lacking since 2015.

    Yup, Davey for me (again). One of the few politicians of any party who actually seems to be more interested in getting the job done than self-promotion. A smart and by all accounts genuinely nice bloke.
    And someone more likely to appeal to Tory Remainers than Moran and able to work with Starmer if the next general election leads to a hung parliament like 2010 with the LDs holding the balance of power
    Moran is likely to be closer in policy terms to Starmer than Davey. Unpopular as I'm afraid it may be here, the market for centre-right pragmatism has shrunk.
    Of the top 20 LD target seats all are Tory Remain seats, they need centre right pragmatism to win those and win over Tory Remainers
    In theory, but I doubt they can survive as a party without metropolitan liberal backing. If Brexit is a disaster, the Tories will reform themselves towards the centre-right, and if it isn't it won't be today's theme.
    Metropolitan leftists will go Green not LD if they find Labour too centrist under Starmer.

    Regardless of how Brexit turns out the Tory vote is now Leaver dominated and that will not change for a generation
    Don’t worry, we’ll all keep the secret that you’re a closet remainer. No-one in Epping Forest need ever know ;)
    I make no secret of the fact I voted Remain (as did several Tory councillors in Epping Forest) but I have also always accepted the Leave vote
    Deep down, you’ll always be a suspect. At least you won’t be sent off to dig a canal to Colchester with nothing more than a shovel.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,990

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    Its not about goose and gander. This isn't the too and fro of partisan politicking, we're not in an election campaign, we're in a healthcare scare and there is no justification at all for misinformation right now.

    This isn't a game.
    So it was just a game when your side did it to Starmer?

    Besides, they did not alter instructions to hospitals and doctors, they just highlighted what we all know anyway - that Boris is a gung-ho, verbal-rambler who may trouble to distinguish his gluteus maximus from his cubitum. That is precisely why it is so believable.
    Didn't the edited clip suggest the government policy was to do nothing, and that they were just going to let people die? Yes, that's exactly the sort of message the public want to hear.

    Totally irresponsible.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,164

    HYUFD said:
    This is a potentially very Brexit and Trump-friendly issue in terms of borders, which is why I'm surprised that this government, of all people, aren't taking a different line on border and travel restrictions to and from Italy. It's almost like the actualisation of the simplistic ideas of "regaining control of our borders", but this time on a genuinely constructive basis.
    Kurz in Austria certainly is
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    Chameleon said:

    For anyone wondering why deaths are spiking:
    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1237142891077697538.html

    First, Lumbardy is the most developed region in Italy and it has a extraordinary good healthcare, I have worked in Italy, UK and Aus and don’t make the mistake to think that what is happening is happening in a 3rd world country. The current situation is difficult to imagine and numbers do not explain things at all. Our hospitals are overwhelmed by Covid-19, they are running 200% capacity. We’ve stopped all routine, all ORs have been converted to ITUs and they are now diverting or not treating all other emergencies like trauma or strokes. Patients above 65 or younger with comorbidities are not even assessed by ITU, I am not saying not tubed, I’m saying not assessed and no ITU staff attends when they arrest.

    We have seen the same pattern in different areas a week apart, and there is no reason that in a few weeks it won’t be the same everywhere.

    Blimey. That is really strong stuff in that thread. God help us if UK gets same level of problems at hospitals.
    Can I implore everyone, without exception, to read the linked thread? And read it again? And think really, really carefully about why there would be any reason to disbelieve it?
  • Options
    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981
    RobD said:

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    It serves them right? You really think now is the time for cheap political point scoring?
    It may come as a shock to you, but I did not produce the video.

    Nor did I start the trend for doing it.

    So go blame the people who DID do and those who DID start it.

    I am merely observing that those who live in glass houses have no right to moan about stones being chucked. For what it is worth, I think "Fake News" should be a form of libel.

  • Options
    contrariancontrarian Posts: 5,818
    Critics of the way this government or that is handling Corona aren't going to get very far, I reckon.

    Voters have an idea of how difficult it is right now, when travel across borders is so fluid and frequent.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,164
    edited March 2020

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    On topic I'm voting enthusiastically for Davey. The longer time goes on the more the buffoonery of the Tories will wind up all but the tiniest of brain. That leaves space in the middle for someone who looks relatable and not bonkers to ask the obvious questions and point to another way forward.

    On paper you might think Starmer could do that. Assuming that RLB isn't simply anointed as the winner having won over "the silent majority" of course. But if he does win despite the obvious ballot rigging he has had to triangulate so hard that he can't just shake off the lunatics and loony left policies - especially if a nutter is elected as deputy.

    Which leaves the LibDems. What goes down can go back up again. Davey presents himself well, has a sense of humour, asks smart questions, and can and will point to LibDem successes in government sadly lacking since 2015.

    Yup, Davey for me (again). One of the few politicians of any party who actually seems to be more interested in getting the job done than self-promotion. A smart and by all accounts genuinely nice bloke.
    And someone more likely to appeal to Tory Remainers than Moran and able to work with Starmer if the next general election leads to a hung parliament like 2010 with the LDs holding the balance of power
    Moran is likely to be closer in policy terms to Starmer than Davey. Unpopular as I'm afraid it may be here, the market for centre-right pragmatism has shrunk.
    Of the top 20 LD target seats all are Tory Remain seats, they need centre right pragmatism to win those and win over Tory Remainers
    In theory, but I doubt they can survive as a party without metropolitan liberal backing. If Brexit is a disaster, the Tories will reform themselves towards the centre-right, and if it isn't it won't be today's theme.
    Metropolitan leftists will go Green not LD if they find Labour too centrist under Starmer. None of the top 30 LD target seats bar Sheffield Hallam and Cambridge are Labour held inner city seats now.
    Regardless of how Brexit turns out the Tory vote is now Leaver dominated and that will not change for a generation
    Indeed, but I meant generally affluent liberals rather than a grassroots left. That's the key constituency for the LD's now, and a space they could pick up between Starmer and a Leave-dominated Tory party. The 2010s centre-right professional constituency that broadly backed austerity is no longer there.
    Many affluent liberals voted Tory at the last general election because despite being Remainers they were terrified of Corbyn.

    They might consider the LDs now the Corbyn threat has gone though
  • Options
    nichomarnichomar Posts: 7,483
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    On topic I'm voting enthusiastically for Davey. The longer time goes on the more the buffoonery of the Tories will wind up all but the tiniest of brain. That leaves space in the middle for someone who looks relatable and not bonkers to ask the obvious questions and point to another way forward.

    On paper you might think Starmer could do that. Assuming that RLB isn't simply anointed as the winner having won over "the silent majority" of course. But if he does win despite the obvious ballot rigging he has had to triangulate so hard that he can't just shake off the lunatics and loony left policies - especially if a nutter is elected as deputy.

    Which leaves the LibDems. What goes down can go back up again. Davey presents himself well, has a sense of humour, asks smart questions, and can and will point to LibDem successes in government sadly lacking since 2015.

    Yup, Davey for me (again). One of the few politicians of any party who actually seems to be more interested in getting the job done than self-promotion. A smart and by all accounts genuinely nice bloke.
    And someone more likely to appeal to Tory Remainers than Moran and able to work with Starmer if the next general election leads to a hung parliament like 2010 with the LDs holding the balance of power
    The Lib Dems have taken South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse off the Conservatives.

    They wouldn't have done that if Moran was repellent to Tory Remainers.
    Locally you vote for the party and more on local issues, nationally you vote more for the leader and on national issues
    Actually it’s because many National tory voters don’t give a shit about local elections and don’t vote.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,990

    RobD said:

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    It serves them right? You really think now is the time for cheap political point scoring?
    It may come as a shock to you, but I did not produce the video.

    Nor did I start the trend for doing it.

    So go blame the people who DID do and those who DID start it.

    I am merely observing that those who live in glass houses have no right to moan about stones being chucked. For what it is worth, I think "Fake News" should be a form of libel.

    No, it doesn't come as a shock as I didn't accuse you of making it.
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,002
    RobD said:

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    Its not about goose and gander. This isn't the too and fro of partisan politicking, we're not in an election campaign, we're in a healthcare scare and there is no justification at all for misinformation right now.

    This isn't a game.
    So it was just a game when your side did it to Starmer?

    Besides, they did not alter instructions to hospitals and doctors, they just highlighted what we all know anyway - that Boris is a gung-ho, verbal-rambler who may trouble to distinguish his gluteus maximus from his cubitum. That is precisely why it is so believable.
    Didn't the edited clip suggest the government policy was to do nothing, and that they were just going to let people die? Yes, that's exactly the sort of message the public want to hear.

    Totally irresponsible.
    Does it though ? Boris puts "One of the theories is that" before his sentence, which isn't edited out.
  • Options
    StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 14,577

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    FactCheckUK stunt is just totally irrelevant to this crisis and of course not limited to the Tories, all the Corbyn outiders of the likes of Novara media regular pump out misleading content.

    This isn't the time for this kind of stuff just to try and embarrass somebody they don't like.

    Instead they should be clipping the footage from Italy and using their reach on social media to say look at this.
    Up to a point. But the 2019 UK election campaign crossed lines. There is a difference between a fringe outrider doing things and the main campaign team of a political party doing things. You don't get to chortle about your edgy online viral stunts and then complain when others do the same to you.

    I hope, I really hope that this doesn't cause problems for the nation. But if wading through the morass of fake news causes problems for a politician and support team who have made careers out of the stuff, I can't be that sympathetic.
  • Options
    WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 8,503
    edited March 2020
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    On topic I'm voting enthusiastically for Davey. The longer time goes on the more the buffoonery of the Tories will wind up all but the tiniest of brain. That leaves space in the middle for someone who looks relatable and not bonkers to ask the obvious questions and point to another way forward.

    On paper you might think Starmer could do that. Assuming that RLB isn't simply anointed as the winner having won over "the silent majority" of course. But if he does win despite the obvious ballot rigging he has had to triangulate so hard that he can't just shake off the lunatics and loony left policies - especially if a nutter is elected as deputy.

    Which leaves the LibDems. What goes down can go back up again. Davey presents himself well, has a sense of humour, asks smart questions, and can and will point to LibDem successes in government sadly lacking since 2015.

    Yup, Davey for me (again). One of the few politicians of any party who actually seems to be more interested in getting the job done than self-promotion. A smart and by all accounts genuinely nice bloke.
    And someone more likely to appeal to Tory Remainers than Moran and able to work with Starmer if the next general election leads to a hung parliament like 2010 with the LDs holding the balance of power
    Moran is likely to be closer in policy terms to Starmer than Davey. Unpopular as I'm afraid it may be here, the market for centre-right pragmatism has shrunk.
    Of the top 20 LD target seats all are Tory Remain seats, they need centre right pragmatism to win those and win over Tory Remainers
    In theory, but I doubt they can survive as a party without metropolitan liberal backing. If Brexit is a disaster, the Tories will reform themselves towards the centre-right, and if it isn't it won't be today's theme.
    Metropolitan leftists will go Green not LD if they find Labour too centrist under Starmer. None of the top 30 LD target seats bar Sheffield Hallam and Cambridge are Labour held inner city seats now.
    Regardless of how Brexit turns out the Tory vote is now Leaver dominated and that will not change for a generation
    Indeed, but I meant generally affluent liberals rather than a grassroots left. That's the key constituency for the LD's now, and a space they could pick up between Starmer and a Leave-dominated Tory party. The 2010s centre-right professional constituency that broadly backed austerity is no longer there.
    Many affluent liberals voted Tory at the past general election because despite being Remainers they were terrified of Corbyn.

    They might consider the LDs now the Corbyn threat has gone though
    ..and Starmer. The LDs will need to be distinguishing themselves.
  • Options
    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981
    IshmaelZ said:

    Chameleon said:

    For anyone wondering why deaths are spiking:
    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1237142891077697538.html

    First, Lumbardy is the most developed region in Italy and it has a extraordinary good healthcare, I have worked in Italy, UK and Aus and don’t make the mistake to think that what is happening is happening in a 3rd world country. The current situation is difficult to imagine and numbers do not explain things at all. Our hospitals are overwhelmed by Covid-19, they are running 200% capacity. We’ve stopped all routine, all ORs have been converted to ITUs and they are now diverting or not treating all other emergencies like trauma or strokes. Patients above 65 or younger with comorbidities are not even assessed by ITU, I am not saying not tubed, I’m saying not assessed and no ITU staff attends when they arrest.

    We have seen the same pattern in different areas a week apart, and there is no reason that in a few weeks it won’t be the same everywhere.

    Blimey. That is really strong stuff in that thread. God help us if UK gets same level of problems at hospitals.
    Can I implore everyone, without exception, to read the linked thread? And read it again? And think really, really carefully about why there would be any reason to disbelieve it?
    My friend in Xinjiang (spelling??) has similar horror stories to tell about China. She does not think things are going as well as reported.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,164
    nichomar said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    On topic I'm voting enthusiastically for Davey. The longer time goes on the more the buffoonery of the Tories will wind up all but the tiniest of brain. That leaves space in the middle for someone who looks relatable and not bonkers to ask the obvious questions and point to another way forward.

    On paper you might think Starmer could do that. Assuming that RLB isn't simply anointed as the winner having won over "the silent majority" of course. But if he does win despite the obvious ballot rigging he has had to triangulate so hard that he can't just shake off the lunatics and loony left policies - especially if a nutter is elected as deputy.

    Which leaves the LibDems. What goes down can go back up again. Davey presents himself well, has a sense of humour, asks smart questions, and can and will point to LibDem successes in government sadly lacking since 2015.

    Yup, Davey for me (again). One of the few politicians of any party who actually seems to be more interested in getting the job done than self-promotion. A smart and by all accounts genuinely nice bloke.
    And someone more likely to appeal to Tory Remainers than Moran and able to work with Starmer if the next general election leads to a hung parliament like 2010 with the LDs holding the balance of power
    The Lib Dems have taken South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse off the Conservatives.

    They wouldn't have done that if Moran was repellent to Tory Remainers.
    Locally you vote for the party and more on local issues, nationally you vote more for the leader and on national issues
    Actually it’s because many National tory voters don’t give a shit about local elections and don’t vote.
    Some I also know a lot of Tory national and LD local voters in Epping and Buckhurst Hill
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,164

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    On topic I'm voting enthusiastically for Davey. The longer time goes on the more the buffoonery of the Tories will wind up all but the tiniest of brain. That leaves space in the middle for someone who looks relatable and not bonkers to ask the obvious questions and point to another way forward.

    On paper you might think Starmer could do that. Assuming that RLB isn't simply anointed as the winner having won over "the silent majority" of course. But if he does win despite the obvious ballot rigging he has had to triangulate so hard that he can't just shake off the lunatics and loony left policies - especially if a nutter is elected as deputy.

    Which leaves the LibDems. What goes down can go back up again. Davey presents himself well, has a sense of humour, asks smart questions, and can and will point to LibDem successes in government sadly lacking since 2015.

    Yup, Davey for me (again). One of the few politicians of any party who actually seems to be more interested in getting the job done than self-promotion. A smart and by all accounts genuinely nice bloke.
    And someone more likely to appeal to Tory Remainers than Moran and able to work with Starmer if the next general election leads to a hung parliament like 2010 with the LDs holding the balance of power
    Moran is likely to be closer in policy terms to Starmer than Davey. Unpopular as I'm afraid it may be here, the market for centre-right pragmatism has shrunk.
    Of the top 20 LD target seats all are Tory Remain seats, they need centre right pragmatism to win those and win over Tory Remainers
    In theory, but I doubt they can survive as a party without metropolitan liberal backing. If Brexit is a disaster, the Tories will reform themselves towards the centre-right, and if it isn't it won't be today's theme.
    Metropolitan leftists will go Green not LD if they find Labour too centrist under Starmer. None of the top 30 LD target seats bar Sheffield Hallam and Cambridge are Labour held inner city seats now.
    Regardless of how Brexit turns out the Tory vote is now Leaver dominated and that will not change for a generation
    Indeed, but I meant generally affluent liberals rather than a grassroots left. That's the key constituency for the LD's now, and a space they could pick up between Starmer and a Leave-dominated Tory party. The 2010s centre-right professional constituency that broadly backed austerity is no longer there.
    Many affluent liberals voted Tory at the past general election because despite being Remainers they were terrified of Corbyn.

    They might consider the LDs now the Corbyn threat has gone though
    ..and Starmer. The LDs will need to be distinguishing themselves.
    If Labour are the main challengers to the Tories yes, not in LD target seats where the LDs are the main challengers to the Tories
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,990

    IshmaelZ said:

    Chameleon said:

    For anyone wondering why deaths are spiking:
    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1237142891077697538.html

    First, Lumbardy is the most developed region in Italy and it has a extraordinary good healthcare, I have worked in Italy, UK and Aus and don’t make the mistake to think that what is happening is happening in a 3rd world country. The current situation is difficult to imagine and numbers do not explain things at all. Our hospitals are overwhelmed by Covid-19, they are running 200% capacity. We’ve stopped all routine, all ORs have been converted to ITUs and they are now diverting or not treating all other emergencies like trauma or strokes. Patients above 65 or younger with comorbidities are not even assessed by ITU, I am not saying not tubed, I’m saying not assessed and no ITU staff attends when they arrest.

    We have seen the same pattern in different areas a week apart, and there is no reason that in a few weeks it won’t be the same everywhere.

    Blimey. That is really strong stuff in that thread. God help us if UK gets same level of problems at hospitals.
    Can I implore everyone, without exception, to read the linked thread? And read it again? And think really, really carefully about why there would be any reason to disbelieve it?
    My friend in Xinjiang (spelling??) has similar horror stories to tell about China. She does not think things are going as well as reported.
    I've been deeply suspicious of the apparent total eradication of the disease in China, at least according to the latest infection statistics.
  • Options

    HYUFD said:
    This is a potentially very Brexit and Trump-friendly issue in terms of borders, which is why I'm surprised that this government, of all people, aren't taking a different line on border and travel restrictions to and from Italy. It's almost like the actualisation of the simplistic ideas of "regaining control of our borders", but this time on a genuinely constructive basis.
    Perhaps because it is tourists and business travellers who are spreading the virus, rather than migrants?
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787
    Pulpstar said:

    RobD said:

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    Its not about goose and gander. This isn't the too and fro of partisan politicking, we're not in an election campaign, we're in a healthcare scare and there is no justification at all for misinformation right now.

    This isn't a game.
    So it was just a game when your side did it to Starmer?

    Besides, they did not alter instructions to hospitals and doctors, they just highlighted what we all know anyway - that Boris is a gung-ho, verbal-rambler who may trouble to distinguish his gluteus maximus from his cubitum. That is precisely why it is so believable.
    Didn't the edited clip suggest the government policy was to do nothing, and that they were just going to let people die? Yes, that's exactly the sort of message the public want to hear.

    Totally irresponsible.
    Does it though ? Boris puts "One of the theories is that" before his sentence, which isn't edited out.
    The clip is cut at his next word - BUT -
  • Options
    ajbajb Posts: 123

    Totally O/t, but I've just been cold-called by a very nicely spoken lady, who sounded mature and sensible, who was trying to sell me some sort of service related to the cavity wall insulation becoming damp, contributing to damp in the house and detracting from the heating.
    Sounded like a scam to me, but am I misjudging her?

    Well it could happen but unless you actually saw a problem - wall feeling cold, mould, walls turning a funny colour - you probably don't have it. Even if you did, the right process is to figure out what's causing it - which could well be something other than a cavity wall problem, like condensation or a leaking drain. Not start from the solution and try to find a problem, which is what this lady is doing!
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,292
    RobD said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Chameleon said:

    For anyone wondering why deaths are spiking:
    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1237142891077697538.html

    First, Lumbardy is the most developed region in Italy and it has a extraordinary good healthcare, I have worked in Italy, UK and Aus and don’t make the mistake to think that what is happening is happening in a 3rd world country. The current situation is difficult to imagine and numbers do not explain things at all. Our hospitals are overwhelmed by Covid-19, they are running 200% capacity. We’ve stopped all routine, all ORs have been converted to ITUs and they are now diverting or not treating all other emergencies like trauma or strokes. Patients above 65 or younger with comorbidities are not even assessed by ITU, I am not saying not tubed, I’m saying not assessed and no ITU staff attends when they arrest.

    We have seen the same pattern in different areas a week apart, and there is no reason that in a few weeks it won’t be the same everywhere.

    Blimey. That is really strong stuff in that thread. God help us if UK gets same level of problems at hospitals.
    Can I implore everyone, without exception, to read the linked thread? And read it again? And think really, really carefully about why there would be any reason to disbelieve it?
    My friend in Xinjiang (spelling??) has similar horror stories to tell about China. She does not think things are going as well as reported.
    I've been deeply suspicious of the apparent total eradication of the disease in China, at least according to the latest infection statistics.
    My guess is they are massaging the figures to fit the narrative of the Great China beating the virus, but I think if they were suffering total meltdown as was in Wuhan it would have leaked by now.
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,444
    Wall Street opens, so far as predicted. Unusually, I am wishing the market up, to offer the best selling position it can.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 92,048

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    Its not about goose and gander. This isn't the too and fro of partisan politicking, we're not in an election campaign, we're in a healthcare scare and there is no justification at all for misinformation right now.

    This isn't a game.
    So it was just a game when your side did it to Starmer?

    Besides, they did not alter instructions to hospitals and doctors, they just highlighted what we all know anyway - that Boris is a gung-ho, verbal-rambler who may trouble to distinguish his gluteus maximus from his cubitum. That is precisely why it is so believable.
    Highlighting things people 'know' but which are incorrect is wrong. It's also unnecessary when genuine examples proving such a point exist. Even children also know that two wrongs dont make a right. Are we children?

    Nor are all wrongs equal. Manipulating statements was and remains wrong whoever did it, but on a public health issue it is egregiously wrong. It being believable is neither here nor there.
  • Options
    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981
    RobD said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Chameleon said:

    For anyone wondering why deaths are spiking:
    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1237142891077697538.html

    First, Lumbardy is the most developed region in Italy and it has a extraordinary good healthcare, I have worked in Italy, UK and Aus and don’t make the mistake to think that what is happening is happening in a 3rd world country. The current situation is difficult to imagine and numbers do not explain things at all. Our hospitals are overwhelmed by Covid-19, they are running 200% capacity. We’ve stopped all routine, all ORs have been converted to ITUs and they are now diverting or not treating all other emergencies like trauma or strokes. Patients above 65 or younger with comorbidities are not even assessed by ITU, I am not saying not tubed, I’m saying not assessed and no ITU staff attends when they arrest.

    We have seen the same pattern in different areas a week apart, and there is no reason that in a few weeks it won’t be the same everywhere.

    Blimey. That is really strong stuff in that thread. God help us if UK gets same level of problems at hospitals.
    Can I implore everyone, without exception, to read the linked thread? And read it again? And think really, really carefully about why there would be any reason to disbelieve it?
    My friend in Xinjiang (spelling??) has similar horror stories to tell about China. She does not think things are going as well as reported.
    I've been deeply suspicious of the apparent total eradication of the disease in China, at least according to the latest infection statistics.
    She says that they are using whatever test reports the lowest number of positives regardless of reliability.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,990
    Pulpstar said:

    RobD said:

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    Its not about goose and gander. This isn't the too and fro of partisan politicking, we're not in an election campaign, we're in a healthcare scare and there is no justification at all for misinformation right now.

    This isn't a game.
    So it was just a game when your side did it to Starmer?

    Besides, they did not alter instructions to hospitals and doctors, they just highlighted what we all know anyway - that Boris is a gung-ho, verbal-rambler who may trouble to distinguish his gluteus maximus from his cubitum. That is precisely why it is so believable.
    Didn't the edited clip suggest the government policy was to do nothing, and that they were just going to let people die? Yes, that's exactly the sort of message the public want to hear.

    Totally irresponsible.
    Does it though ? Boris puts "One of the theories is that" before his sentence, which isn't edited out.
    Perhaps I am conflating the video with the editorialising in the tweets that suggested it was government policy. Still irresponsible.
  • Options
    AnorakAnorak Posts: 6,621
    edited March 2020

    Yes. Every time I see a new UK case Italy seems to be the origin. Why the hell have we been faffing around?
    Because of a fatalistic belief that it cannot be stopped so we shouldn't do anything too hasty that might damage the economy or inconvenience people. I'm simplifying but that is ultimately the truth.
    Bollocks. It's about managing peoples behaviour to minimise the *inevitable* peak. Going full on North Korea now would mean people were saying "sod this, I'm off to the pub anyway" at the worst possible time.

    We stop Italians coming in from Italy, they're going to fly from Geneva or Marseilles. Or the virus would enter from France, or Germany, or Ireland. All this armchair expert tosh is ridiculous. "They should have done it this way". I'm not an expert, but I can see that people like the Chief Medical Officer is, and I'm going to take his line over that of a retired accountant on a betting site.
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,002
    edited March 2020
    IanB2 said:

    Wall Street opens, so far as predicted. Unusually, I am wishing the market up, to offer the best selling position it can.

    You seem to be doing well out of all the volatility - *How* are you trading all this out of interest ?
    What are your frictional costs like and are you using leverage ?
  • Options
    WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 8,503
    edited March 2020

    HYUFD said:
    This is a potentially very Brexit and Trump-friendly issue in terms of borders, which is why I'm surprised that this government, of all people, aren't taking a different line on border and travel restrictions to and from Italy. It's almost like the actualisation of the simplistic ideas of "regaining control of our borders", but this time on a genuinely constructive basis.
    Perhaps because it is tourists and business travellers who are spreading the virus, rather than migrants?
    It could well be ; but it might make both political and practical sense for the government to merge the two ideas. This might raise xenophobia, of course, although that hasn't stopped the government in the past ; but overall, regardless of what they do and how they do it, there's something unconvincing about the contrast between claiming to be able to micro-manage the situation at home, and on the other hand taking a lax approach to travel in and out of the most affected area - especially now that other Northern European nations like Denmark are starting to take those kind of measures.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,292
    Pulpstar said:

    RobD said:

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    Its not about goose and gander. This isn't the too and fro of partisan politicking, we're not in an election campaign, we're in a healthcare scare and there is no justification at all for misinformation right now.

    This isn't a game.
    So it was just a game when your side did it to Starmer?

    Besides, they did not alter instructions to hospitals and doctors, they just highlighted what we all know anyway - that Boris is a gung-ho, verbal-rambler who may trouble to distinguish his gluteus maximus from his cubitum. That is precisely why it is so believable.
    Didn't the edited clip suggest the government policy was to do nothing, and that they were just going to let people die? Yes, that's exactly the sort of message the public want to hear.

    Totally irresponsible.
    Does it though ? Boris puts "One of the theories is that" before his sentence, which isn't edited out.
    The full transcript makes it clear he is trying to counter any thought of lets all just get it and get herd immunity and move on. Could he have worded it better yes, but the full transcript makes it clear that he had been told this is a terrible approach for all the reasons we know.
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787
    edited March 2020
    Two weeks ago the Italian infection rate was similar to ours now:

    26 Feb - Italy: 374
    9 March - UK: 321

    Should other countries suspend flights to the UK now?
  • Options
    CookieCookie Posts: 11,505

    HYUFD said:
    This is a potentially very Brexit and Trump-friendly issue in terms of borders, which is why I'm surprised that this government, of all people, aren't taking a different line on border and travel restrictions to and from Italy. It's almost like the actualisation of the simplistic ideas of "regaining control of our borders", but this time on a genuinely constructive basis.
    Perhaps because it is tourists and business travellers who are spreading the virus, rather than migrants?
    Mm. Not only tourists, but particularly well-heeled tourists - i.e. ones that can afford skiing holidays.
  • Options
    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,205
    Pulpstar said:

    RobD said:

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    Its not about goose and gander. This isn't the too and fro of partisan politicking, we're not in an election campaign, we're in a healthcare scare and there is no justification at all for misinformation right now.

    This isn't a game.
    So it was just a game when your side did it to Starmer?

    Besides, they did not alter instructions to hospitals and doctors, they just highlighted what we all know anyway - that Boris is a gung-ho, verbal-rambler who may trouble to distinguish his gluteus maximus from his cubitum. That is precisely why it is so believable.
    Didn't the edited clip suggest the government policy was to do nothing, and that they were just going to let people die? Yes, that's exactly the sort of message the public want to hear.

    Totally irresponsible.
    Does it though ? Boris puts "One of the theories is that" before his sentence, which isn't edited out.
    Which ought to be enough for anyone with two brain cells to know that he probably isn't advocating it. But, these are thick as shit remainer twats we're talking about.
  • Options
    GideonWiseGideonWise Posts: 1,123

    Two weeks ago wasn't the Italian infection rate similar to ours now?

    Should other countries suspend flights to the UK now?
    Erm probably.
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    nichomarnichomar Posts: 7,483
    HYUFD said:

    nichomar said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    On topic I'm voting enthusiastically for Davey. The longer time goes on the more the buffoonery of the Tories will wind up all but the tiniest of brain. That leaves space in the middle for someone who looks relatable and not bonkers to ask the obvious questions and point to another way forward.

    On paper you might think Starmer could do that. Assuming that RLB isn't simply anointed as the winner having won over "the silent majority" of course. But if he does win despite the obvious ballot rigging he has had to triangulate so hard that he can't just shake off the lunatics and loony left policies - especially if a nutter is elected as deputy.

    Which leaves the LibDems. What goes down can go back up again. Davey presents himself well, has a sense of humour, asks smart questions, and can and will point to LibDem successes in government sadly lacking since 2015.

    Yup, Davey for me (again). One of the few politicians of any party who actually seems to be more interested in getting the job done than self-promotion. A smart and by all accounts genuinely nice bloke.
    And someone more likely to appeal to Tory Remainers than Moran and able to work with Starmer if the next general election leads to a hung parliament like 2010 with the LDs holding the balance of power
    The Lib Dems have taken South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse off the Conservatives.

    They wouldn't have done that if Moran was repellent to Tory Remainers.
    Locally you vote for the party and more on local issues, nationally you vote more for the leader and on national issues
    Actually it’s because many National tory voters don’t give a shit about local elections and don’t vote.
    Some I also know a lot of Tory national and LD local voters in Epping and Buckhurst Hill
    The lib dems are the masters at differential turnout I have won a number of elections by not exciting the Tory vote while targeting our own.
  • Options
    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981
    kle4 said:

    Highlighting things people 'know' but which are incorrect is wrong. It's also unnecessary when genuine examples proving such a point exist. Even children also know that two wrongs dont make a right. Are we children?

    Why are you asking me?

    All I am doing is pointing out that actions have consequences. As far as I am concerned Boris can sue for libel - and so can Starmer. In fact, I think they should.

    But messing about with "Fake News" in normal times debases trust in the media and the message when you need it most.

    That is why I have little sympathy for Boris being misrepresented. The Tories are reaping what they themselves have sown.
  • Options
    LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 15,424

    Nigelb said:

    (BBC) On Monday, health officials said people who showed "even minor" signs of respiratory tract infections or a fever would - within the next 14 days - be told to self-isolate for a week in an effort to tackle the outbreak.

    Why not now ?

    Because its still common cold season so it would be too many people at the moment who all just have the common cold, so the message would end up being ignored, which would be counter-productive.

    In a couple of weeks common colds will be much, much less common so it can be listened to and obeyed.
    Hayfever soon. I fear us missing out on a good outcome in the government's pursuit of perfection.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    Pulpstar said:

    RobD said:

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    Its not about goose and gander. This isn't the too and fro of partisan politicking, we're not in an election campaign, we're in a healthcare scare and there is no justification at all for misinformation right now.

    This isn't a game.
    So it was just a game when your side did it to Starmer?

    Besides, they did not alter instructions to hospitals and doctors, they just highlighted what we all know anyway - that Boris is a gung-ho, verbal-rambler who may trouble to distinguish his gluteus maximus from his cubitum. That is precisely why it is so believable.
    Didn't the edited clip suggest the government policy was to do nothing, and that they were just going to let people die? Yes, that's exactly the sort of message the public want to hear.

    Totally irresponsible.
    Does it though ? Boris puts "One of the theories is that" before his sentence, which isn't edited out.
    The clip is cut at his next word - BUT -
    As the old saying goes "everything before the word BUT is meaningless".

    There's a reason he was cut off mid sentence, because if people saw the rest of the sentence they'd know what he was really saying.
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,444
    Pulpstar said:

    IanB2 said:

    Wall Street opens, so far as predicted. Unusually, I am wishing the market up, to offer the best selling position it can.

    You seem to be doing well out of all the volatility - *How* are you trading all this out of interest ?
    What are your frictional costs like and are you using leverage ?
    All on spread betting. There’s a financing charge but it’s opaque to me how they factor this into my account (something I complain about whenever they trouble to survey me). No leverage - the margin requirements were hugely increased last year, and now to take a down position on the Dow you need to deposit something like £1400 per point. Which to be honest has seriously curtailed my opportunity, since the Monday two weeks back was surely the most obvious selling opportunity of my lifetime.

    I reckon I am so far up somewhere around £8-£9k, in the last two weeks. But it is becoming harder to trade the ups and downs, for sure!
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    GideonWiseGideonWise Posts: 1,123
    Anorak said:

    Yes. Every time I see a new UK case Italy seems to be the origin. Why the hell have we been faffing around?
    Because of a fatalistic belief that it cannot be stopped so we shouldn't do anything too hasty that might damage the economy or inconvenience people. I'm simplifying but that is ultimately the truth.
    Bollocks. It's about managing peoples behaviour to minimise the *inevitable* peak. Going full on North Korea now would mean people were saying "sod this, I'm off to the pub anyway" at the worst possible time.

    We stop Italians coming in from Italy, they're going to fly from Geneva or Marseilles. Or the virus would enter from France, or Germany, or Ireland. All this armchair expert tosh is ridiculous. "They should have done it this way". I'm not an expert, but I can see that people like the Chief Medical Officer is, and I'm going to take his line over that of a retired accountant on a betting site.
    What has going to the pub got to do with stopping flights from Italy? They are totally separate things.

    It's not necessarily Italians leaving Italy coming here. It's British people unnecessarily flying to a country where the virus is rampant. If it's not necessary - why do it? How do you smooth the curve and delay the inevitable if you have an open door and let people in? You don't.

    I appreciate people now want to cling to some higher order making extremely clever decisions. But there is also the chance they are making poor decisions. Time will tell, we are all on the boat together now.
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,444
    By the way, my Williamson recording of the Copland clarinet concerto has arrived; huge thanks to whichever PB’er recommended it. Very Malcolm Arnold, and I see that both this and Arnold’s concerto were written for and dedicated to Benny Goodman.
  • Options
    WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 8,503
    edited March 2020
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    On topic I'm voting enthusiastically for Davey. The longer time goes on the more the buffoonery of the Tories will wind up all but the tiniest of brain. That leaves space in the middle for someone who looks relatable and not bonkers to ask the obvious questions and point to another way forward.

    On paper you might think Starmer could do that. Assuming that RLB isn't simply anointed as the winner having won over "the silent majority" of course. But if he does win despite the obvious ballot rigging he has had to triangulate so hard that he can't just shake off the lunatics and loony left policies - especially if a nutter is elected as deputy.

    Which leaves the LibDems. What goes down can go back up again. Davey presents himself well, has a sense of humour, asks smart questions, and can and will point to LibDem successes in government sadly lacking since 2015.

    Yup, Davey for me (again). One of the few politicians of any party who actually seems to be more interested in getting the job done than self-promotion. A smart and by all accounts genuinely nice bloke.
    And someone more likely to appeal to Tory Remainers than Moran and able to work with Starmer if the next general election leads to a hung parliament like 2010 with the LDs holding the balance of power
    Moran is likely to be closer in policy terms to Starmer than Davey. Unpopular as I'm afraid it may be here, the market for centre-right pragmatism has shrunk.
    Of the top 20 LD target seats all are Tory Remain seats, they need centre right pragmatism to win those and win over Tory Remainers
    In theory, but I doubt they can survive as a party without metropolitan liberal backing. If Brexit is a disaster, the Tories will reform themselves towards the centre-right, and if it isn't it won't be today's theme.
    Metropolitan leftists will go Green not LD if they find Labour too centrist under Starmer. None of the top 30 LD target seats bar Sheffield Hallam and Cambridge are Labour held inner city seats now.
    Regardless of how Brexit turns out the Tory vote is now Leaver dominated and that will not change for a generation
    Indeed, but I meant generally affluent liberals rather than a grassroots left. That's the key constituency for the LD's now, and a space they could pick up between Starmer and a Leave-dominated Tory party. The 2010s centre-right professional constituency that broadly backed austerity is no longer there.
    Many affluent liberals voted Tory at the past general election because despite being Remainers they were terrified of Corbyn.

    They might consider the LDs now the Corbyn threat has gone though
    ..and Starmer. The LDs will need to be distinguishing themselves.
    If Labour are the main challengers to the Tories yes, not in LD target seats where the LDs are the main challengers to the Tories
    We'll have to agree to differ on this as I think Brexit will either shatter the Tories around a disaster and return them to the centre, or quieten as an issue, and with austerity now unpopular, leaving Davey in a weak and insufficiently distinctive position.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    Anorak said:

    Yes. Every time I see a new UK case Italy seems to be the origin. Why the hell have we been faffing around?
    Because of a fatalistic belief that it cannot be stopped so we shouldn't do anything too hasty that might damage the economy or inconvenience people. I'm simplifying but that is ultimately the truth.
    Bollocks. It's about managing peoples behaviour to minimise the *inevitable* peak. Going full on North Korea now would mean people were saying "sod this, I'm off to the pub anyway" at the worst possible time.

    We stop Italians coming in from Italy, they're going to fly from Geneva or Marseilles. Or the virus would enter from France, or Germany, or Ireland. All this armchair expert tosh is ridiculous. "They should have done it this way". I'm not an expert, but I can see that people like the Chief Medical Officer is, and I'm going to take his line over that of a retired accountant on a betting site.
    What has going to the pub got to do with stopping flights from Italy? They are totally separate things.

    It's not necessarily Italians leaving Italy coming here. It's British people unnecessarily flying to a country where the virus is rampant. If it's not necessary - why do it? How do you smooth the curve and delay the inevitable if you have an open door and let people in? You don't.

    I appreciate people now want to cling to some higher order making extremely clever decisions. But there is also the chance they are making poor decisions. Time will tell, we are all on the boat together now.
    Your crystal ball gazing is something to behold.

    So people who went to Italy for a fortnight before this lockdown was in place should have known what hadn't happened yet and have not flown there in the first place? Since they weren't farsighted enough we shouldn't let them return home now?
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,292
    edited March 2020
    On top of the personal tragedy, rather concerning how many of these people appear to already be in hospital then test positive.
  • Options
    FF43FF43 Posts: 15,792
    edited March 2020
    Pulpstar said:

    RobD said:

    Disgraceful...2 million views of that fake news Boris clip, and being shared by people who should know a lot better.

    https://order-order.com/2020/03/10/twitter-experts-coronavirus-fake-news/

    I know they have Brexit and Boris Derangement Syndrome, but that is not excuse in a time of crisis.

    It's disgraceful, especially if it's done knowingly, but the political campaigners behind the government did kind of open Pandora's box when they did the same in that Kier Starmer clip during the election.

    In the same way, the government concerns about fake news sites would be easier to swallow had their campaigning not pushed the boundaries quite so hard (remember FactCheckUK?)
    :+1:

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander :D:D

    It serves them right.
    Its not about goose and gander. This isn't the too and fro of partisan politicking, we're not in an election campaign, we're in a healthcare scare and there is no justification at all for misinformation right now.

    This isn't a game.
    So it was just a game when your side did it to Starmer?

    Besides, they did not alter instructions to hospitals and doctors, they just highlighted what we all know anyway - that Boris is a gung-ho, verbal-rambler who may trouble to distinguish his gluteus maximus from his cubitum. That is precisely why it is so believable.
    Didn't the edited clip suggest the government policy was to do nothing, and that they were just going to let people die? Yes, that's exactly the sort of message the public want to hear.

    Totally irresponsible.
    Does it though ? Boris puts "One of the theories is that" before his sentence, which isn't edited out.
    It is quite an interesting clip. Johnson implies he did discuss quite seriously whether there was any need to intervene to slow down the progress of the epidemic. Which is good. You should always understand what the alternatives are before making a decision. He also suggests he is in favour of a relatively light touch intervention - "strike a balance", "without taking draconian measures". The key point is that the choice isn't between total lockdown and doing nothing. There is a spectrum of measures that can be taken. Which ones you do is a judgment call.
  • Options
    EndillionEndillion Posts: 4,976
    IanB2 said:

    Pulpstar said:

    IanB2 said:

    Wall Street opens, so far as predicted. Unusually, I am wishing the market up, to offer the best selling position it can.

    You seem to be doing well out of all the volatility - *How* are you trading all this out of interest ?
    What are your frictional costs like and are you using leverage ?
    All on spread betting. There’s a financing charge but it’s opaque to me how they factor this into my account (something I complain about whenever they trouble to survey me). No leverage - the margin requirements were hugely increased last year, and now to take a down position on the Dow you need to deposit something like £1400 per point. Which to be honest has seriously curtailed my opportunity, since the Monday two weeks back was surely the most obvious selling opportunity of my lifetime.

    I reckon I am so far up somewhere around £8-£9k, in the last two weeks. But it is becoming harder to trade the ups and downs, for sure!
    I've been doing something similar via CFDs. Which has fairly limited frictional costs (buy/sell spread only, for the most part), and allows for absurd quantities of leverage (the platform protects themselves by requiring margins and auto-closes positions if you run out).

    Short/long leveraged ETFs are another option, but clunkier.
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    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    Nigelb said:

    (BBC) On Monday, health officials said people who showed "even minor" signs of respiratory tract infections or a fever would - within the next 14 days - be told to self-isolate for a week in an effort to tackle the outbreak.

    Why not now ?

    Because its still common cold season so it would be too many people at the moment who all just have the common cold, so the message would end up being ignored, which would be counter-productive.

    In a couple of weeks common colds will be much, much less common so it can be listened to and obeyed.
    Hayfever soon. I fear us missing out on a good outcome in the government's pursuit of perfection.
    Grass pollen season doesn't begin for a couple more months.
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    I called it the other day, he's going to announce he'll only serve one term.
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    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,444
    The Dow bounce didn’t last long, and it looks like we’ll soon be dicking about around the key 24,000.
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    RobDRobD Posts: 58,990
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    I called it the other day, he's going to announce he'll only serve one term.
    A lame duck from the start would be interesting.
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    RobD said:
    To stop Trump.
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    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,205

    On top of the personal tragedy, rather concerning how many of these people appear to already be in hospital then test positive.
    That statement doesn't say what you think it does.
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    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    Speaking of misinformation . . .
    image
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    brokenwheelbrokenwheel Posts: 3,352
    edited March 2020

    Two weeks ago the Italian infection rate was similar to ours now:

    26 Feb - Italy: 374
    9 March - UK: 321

    Should other countries suspend flights to the UK now?
    Vietnam has suspended visa-free travel from the UK after we exported cases there, so yes.
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,009
    I wonder if Biden and his VP would be more akin to a diarchy than a monarchy.
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    RobDRobD Posts: 58,990
    It's a growing concern. I was on course for Gold this year :(

    :D
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    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,444

    I called it the other day, he's going to announce he'll only serve one term.
    So this morning’s tip from a PB’er to lay him as republican nominee was sharp...
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    RobD said:
    As a bridge to a VP that replaces him.
This discussion has been closed.