“A second is the surprisingly strong anti-vaxxer sentiment in France, land of Louis Pasteur. In December just 42% told a poll they would get a jab. Part of this hesitancy stems from French health scandals, including the ongoing prosecution of a drug company over deaths of diabetics, and a massive over-ordering of vaccines against h1n1 (swine flu) in 2009. Conspiracy theories about big pharma blend with the anti-elite sentiment behind the gilets jaunes (yellow jackets) or Didier Raoult, a Marseille doctor who pushed hydroxychloroquine to treat covid-19. The French, concluded the government, needed ultra-careful handling. “It was a choice,” says a government source; “If we’d said ‘let’s just go for it’, people would have said they don’t trust us.”“
"Italy’s president is expected to ask Mario Draghi, former president of the European Central Bank, to begin talks to form a new Italian government of national unity as the country battles against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Draghi, one of Italy’s most highly regarded public officials and a leader credited with taking decisive ECB action during the eurozone debt crisis, will meet President Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday, the Italian head of state’s office said.
The unexpected decision by Mr Mattarella comes after talks broke down earlier on Tuesday over rebuilding a disparate coalition government led by Giuseppe Conte that collapsed last month.
Mr Mattarella, who as head of state is the supreme arbiter in Italian politics with the sole power to call general elections, said in an address that if a new government could not be formed, the country would be forced into a snap vote at a time of great uncertainty."
Behind Contagion was epidemiologist Professor Ian Linkin from Columbia University who also worked for WHO. It's a great film and eerily close to what has happened.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
Space is going to be a critical battleground, either literally or purely in a technological sense. Not sure if they've got the tungsten rod weapons functioning or not, but between those and more advanced weaponry, control of orbital space is going to be the ultimate high ground.
Plus it'll determine access to the asteroid field for mining purposes, once that becomes viable. And Mars, when the colonisation programmes get going.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
I think ideally it should happen, but in todays nationalistic age how is this going to really work? Over 65 and taken AZ, cant travel to France or Germany? Taken Sinopharm, not recognised in the US, maybe not here? And so on.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
I think ideally it should happen, but in todays nationalistic age how is this going to really work? Over 65 and taken AZ, cant travel to France or Germany? Taken Sinopharm, not recognised in the US, maybe not here? And so on.
Morning all.
Quite a thought that, especially when travelling to the Chinese 'sphere of influence' such as SE Asia. At some time soon, the WHO is going to have to get sa grip on what works, what doesn't and perchance publish a list. Or something!
Morning all! Have we already talked about Labour's plans to de-twat themselves by slapping on lots of union jacks? It reads like a brilliant piece of dumb focus group research, "ex-voters actually like this country, bizarrely, so lets dress up like them to make them like us".
If Tony Blair was leader, and was convincing on that front with a front-bench of eager reformers, then yes, that's the strategy. Sadly Keir "we're here to hear" Starmer is leader, half the front bench are "who?" and the back benches are stuffed full of nutters.
I was a member of the Labour Party for 25 years. I really struggle to understand what it is about and who it thinks it is speaking to - and this dumb "stick a flag in the background" effort will convince nobody. Had Keith purged the nutters, said mea maxima culpa and spent the last year actually reforming the party in the background then maybe.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
I think ideally it should happen, but in todays nationalistic age how is this going to really work? Over 65 and taken AZ, cant travel to France or Germany? Taken Sinopharm, not recognised in the US, maybe not here? And so on.
Morning all.
Quite a thought that, especially when travelling to the Chinese 'sphere of influence' such as SE Asia. At some time soon, the WHO is going to have to get sa grip on what works, what doesn't and perchance publish a list. Or something!
They all work at stopping hospitalisation which is good enough for me. Id be happy to take any of the ones approved in multiple countries. But there wont be agreement on this, the same people who are most outraged by the German and French idiocy on AZ are equally idiotic about Chinese and Russian vaccines. Even the BBC and Guardian struggle to admit that they even exist, let alone were approved before our first in the world approval. Sadly flags matter more than science here.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
I think ideally it should happen, but in todays nationalistic age how is this going to really work? Over 65 and taken AZ, cant travel to France or Germany? Taken Sinopharm, not recognised in the US, maybe not here? And so on.
Morning all.
Quite a thought that, especially when travelling to the Chinese 'sphere of influence' such as SE Asia. At some time soon, the WHO is going to have to get sa grip on what works, what doesn't and perchance publish a list. Or something!
They all work at stopping hospitalisation which is good enough for me. Id be happy to take any of the ones approved in multiple countries. But there wont be agreement on this, the same people who are most outraged by the German and French idiocy on AZ are equally idiotic about Chinese and Russian vaccines. Even the BBC and Guardian struggle to admit that they even exist, let alone were approved before our first in the world approval. Sadly flags matter more than science here.
The weird bit about the Russian and Chinese vaccines is that neither country has vaccinated more than about 1% of its population with them, yet both are exporting them. The very opposite of vaccinationalism.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
I think ideally it should happen, but in todays nationalistic age how is this going to really work? Over 65 and taken AZ, cant travel to France or Germany? Taken Sinopharm, not recognised in the US, maybe not here? And so on.
Morning all.
Quite a thought that, especially when travelling to the Chinese 'sphere of influence' such as SE Asia. At some time soon, the WHO is going to have to get sa grip on what works, what doesn't and perchance publish a list. Or something!
They all work at stopping hospitalisation which is good enough for me. Id be happy to take any of the ones approved in multiple countries. But there wont be agreement on this, the same people who are most outraged by the German and French idiocy on AZ are equally idiotic about Chinese and Russian vaccines. Even the BBC and Guardian struggle to admit that they even exist, let alone were approved before our first in the world approval. Sadly flags matter more than science here.
Seconded. Such a pity that AZ made a bit of a mess of the testing procedure.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
I think ideally it should happen, but in todays nationalistic age how is this going to really work? Over 65 and taken AZ, cant travel to France or Germany? Taken Sinopharm, not recognised in the US, maybe not here? And so on.
Morning all.
Quite a thought that, especially when travelling to the Chinese 'sphere of influence' such as SE Asia. At some time soon, the WHO is going to have to get sa grip on what works, what doesn't and perchance publish a list. Or something!
They all work at stopping hospitalisation which is good enough for me. Id be happy to take any of the ones approved in multiple countries. But there wont be agreement on this, the same people who are most outraged by the German and French idiocy on AZ are equally idiotic about Chinese and Russian vaccines. Even the BBC and Guardian struggle to admit that they even exist, let alone were approved before our first in the world approval. Sadly flags matter more than science here.
I don't think that's either fair or accurate. The first on the world approval was actually caveated as first in the world following a Phase III trial, which it was. AZN has followed the Phase III trial requirements and been legitimately authorised following impartial analysis of the data.
I'm sceptical about the Russian vaccine because until yesterday there was no public data on it - and because I'm sceptical about Russia. Given what I know about Russia I wouldn't trust anything they report without independent verification; see: Navalny, Novichok, Doping etc etc etc. Yesterday their report was in the Lancet which gives a degree of independent scrutiny too it (though they have form, they published Wakefield too) - but I don't know and haven't been able to find out if Lancet have just accepted on faith the Russian data which might not be trustworthy, or if the data has been independently verified. I don't think anyone has suggested the UK, AZN or anyone else has manipulated the data like the Russians have form in doing.
Finally the criticism of "the German and French idiocy" comes from people in positions of authority who should know better like Macron undermining confidence in vaccines and independent scrutiny. Macron's comments attack and undermine the MHRA, but they also attack and undermine the EU's own EMA too given that the EMA have authorised the vaccines for over 65s. To be "equally idiotic" would mean that the people in positions of authority here, like Prime Minister Johnson and the MHRA, were attacking Sinopharm and SputnikV. I don't recall Johnson ever speaking about either, so no there's no equal equivalency here.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
I think ideally it should happen, but in todays nationalistic age how is this going to really work? Over 65 and taken AZ, cant travel to France or Germany? Taken Sinopharm, not recognised in the US, maybe not here? And so on.
Morning all.
Quite a thought that, especially when travelling to the Chinese 'sphere of influence' such as SE Asia. At some time soon, the WHO is going to have to get sa grip on what works, what doesn't and perchance publish a list. Or something!
They all work at stopping hospitalisation which is good enough for me. Id be happy to take any of the ones approved in multiple countries. But there wont be agreement on this, the same people who are most outraged by the German and French idiocy on AZ are equally idiotic about Chinese and Russian vaccines. Even the BBC and Guardian struggle to admit that they even exist, let alone were approved before our first in the world approval. Sadly flags matter more than science here.
The weird bit about the Russian and Chinese vaccines is that neither country has vaccinated more than about 1% of its population with them, yet both are exporting them. The very opposite of vaccinationalism.
The political calculus is different when you don't need to worry about elections but you do want to expand your national sphere of influence.
R4 Prof Pollard of Oxford AstraZeneca adroitly avoided criticising Macron while stressing the positives of OxAZ vaccine and how regulators were approving it for all ages.
No harm in betting on the wrong vaccines, if they'd covered the right ones it would be reasonable even if some wrong ones fail. Or if it was bad luck.
But the badly mismanaged it. At the time we signed with Pfizer and AZN, months before the EU did, they were already in Phase III trials.
The EU for months turned down those in Phase III trials but signed up for those in Phase II trials who hadn't even begun Phase III and still to date haven't even commenced them.
Clearing Phase II and commencing Phase III is a substantial landmark and it's perverse to prioritise those still in Phase II over those in Phase III.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
I think ideally it should happen, but in todays nationalistic age how is this going to really work? Over 65 and taken AZ, cant travel to France or Germany? Taken Sinopharm, not recognised in the US, maybe not here? And so on.
Morning all.
Quite a thought that, especially when travelling to the Chinese 'sphere of influence' such as SE Asia. At some time soon, the WHO is going to have to get sa grip on what works, what doesn't and perchance publish a list. Or something!
They all work at stopping hospitalisation which is good enough for me. Id be happy to take any of the ones approved in multiple countries. But there wont be agreement on this, the same people who are most outraged by the German and French idiocy on AZ are equally idiotic about Chinese and Russian vaccines. Even the BBC and Guardian struggle to admit that they even exist, let alone were approved before our first in the world approval. Sadly flags matter more than science here.
I don't think that's either fair or accurate. The first on the world approval was actually caveated as first in the world following a Phase III trial, which it was. AZN has followed the Phase III trial requirements and been legitimately authorised following impartial analysis of the data.
I'm sceptical about the Russian vaccine because until yesterday there was no public data on it - and because I'm sceptical about Russia. Given what I know about Russia I wouldn't trust anything they report without independent verification; see: Navalny, Novichok, Doping etc etc etc. Yesterday their report was in the Lancet which gives a degree of independent scrutiny too it (though they have form, they published Wakefield too) - but I don't know and haven't been able to find out if Lancet have just accepted on faith the Russian data which might not be trustworthy, or if the data has been independently verified. I don't think anyone has suggested the UK, AZN or anyone else has manipulated the data like the Russians have form in doing.
Finally the criticism of "the German and French idiocy" comes from people in positions of authority who should know better like Macron undermining confidence in vaccines and independent scrutiny. Macron's comments attack and undermine the MHRA, but they also attack and undermine the EU's own EMA too given that the EMA have authorised the vaccines for over 65s. To be "equally idiotic" would mean that the people in positions of authority here, like Prime Minister Johnson and the MHRA, were attacking Sinopharm and SputnikV. I don't recall Johnson ever speaking about either, so no there's no equal equivalency here.
Nonsense from start to finish.
Here is the UAE approving Sinopharm in November after a trial of 30k people in Abu Dhabi.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
I think ideally it should happen, but in todays nationalistic age how is this going to really work? Over 65 and taken AZ, cant travel to France or Germany? Taken Sinopharm, not recognised in the US, maybe not here? And so on.
Morning all.
Quite a thought that, especially when travelling to the Chinese 'sphere of influence' such as SE Asia. At some time soon, the WHO is going to have to get sa grip on what works, what doesn't and perchance publish a list. Or something!
They all work at stopping hospitalisation which is good enough for me. Id be happy to take any of the ones approved in multiple countries. But there wont be agreement on this, the same people who are most outraged by the German and French idiocy on AZ are equally idiotic about Chinese and Russian vaccines. Even the BBC and Guardian struggle to admit that they even exist, let alone were approved before our first in the world approval. Sadly flags matter more than science here.
I don't think that's either fair or accurate. The first on the world approval was actually caveated as first in the world following a Phase III trial, which it was. AZN has followed the Phase III trial requirements and been legitimately authorised following impartial analysis of the data.
I'm sceptical about the Russian vaccine because until yesterday there was no public data on it - and because I'm sceptical about Russia. Given what I know about Russia I wouldn't trust anything they report without independent verification; see: Navalny, Novichok, Doping etc etc etc. Yesterday their report was in the Lancet which gives a degree of independent scrutiny too it (though they have form, they published Wakefield too) - but I don't know and haven't been able to find out if Lancet have just accepted on faith the Russian data which might not be trustworthy, or if the data has been independently verified. I don't think anyone has suggested the UK, AZN or anyone else has manipulated the data like the Russians have form in doing.
Finally the criticism of "the German and French idiocy" comes from people in positions of authority who should know better like Macron undermining confidence in vaccines and independent scrutiny. Macron's comments attack and undermine the MHRA, but they also attack and undermine the EU's own EMA too given that the EMA have authorised the vaccines for over 65s. To be "equally idiotic" would mean that the people in positions of authority here, like Prime Minister Johnson and the MHRA, were attacking Sinopharm and SputnikV. I don't recall Johnson ever speaking about either, so no there's no equal equivalency here.
Nonsense from start to finish.
Here is the UAE approving Sinopharm in November after a trial of 30k people in Abu Dhabi.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
I think ideally it should happen, but in todays nationalistic age how is this going to really work? Over 65 and taken AZ, cant travel to France or Germany? Taken Sinopharm, not recognised in the US, maybe not here? And so on.
Morning all.
Quite a thought that, especially when travelling to the Chinese 'sphere of influence' such as SE Asia. At some time soon, the WHO is going to have to get sa grip on what works, what doesn't and perchance publish a list. Or something!
They all work at stopping hospitalisation which is good enough for me. Id be happy to take any of the ones approved in multiple countries. But there wont be agreement on this, the same people who are most outraged by the German and French idiocy on AZ are equally idiotic about Chinese and Russian vaccines. Even the BBC and Guardian struggle to admit that they even exist, let alone were approved before our first in the world approval. Sadly flags matter more than science here.
I don't think that's either fair or accurate. The first on the world approval was actually caveated as first in the world following a Phase III trial, which it was. AZN has followed the Phase III trial requirements and been legitimately authorised following impartial analysis of the data.
I'm sceptical about the Russian vaccine because until yesterday there was no public data on it - and because I'm sceptical about Russia. Given what I know about Russia I wouldn't trust anything they report without independent verification; see: Navalny, Novichok, Doping etc etc etc. Yesterday their report was in the Lancet which gives a degree of independent scrutiny too it (though they have form, they published Wakefield too) - but I don't know and haven't been able to find out if Lancet have just accepted on faith the Russian data which might not be trustworthy, or if the data has been independently verified. I don't think anyone has suggested the UK, AZN or anyone else has manipulated the data like the Russians have form in doing.
Finally the criticism of "the German and French idiocy" comes from people in positions of authority who should know better like Macron undermining confidence in vaccines and independent scrutiny. Macron's comments attack and undermine the MHRA, but they also attack and undermine the EU's own EMA too given that the EMA have authorised the vaccines for over 65s. To be "equally idiotic" would mean that the people in positions of authority here, like Prime Minister Johnson and the MHRA, were attacking Sinopharm and SputnikV. I don't recall Johnson ever speaking about either, so no there's no equal equivalency here.
Nonsense from start to finish.
Here is the UAE approving Sinopharm in November after a trial of 30k people in Abu Dhabi.
You trust the UK and distrust Russians. The Chinese trust the Chinese and distrust the UK. And so on, that was my whole point.
Well, given Russia’s recent chemical exports to the UK have all been decidedly hostile it’s entirely fair to distrust them. Also, as Sinopharm is Chinese I’m not sure what your point is. Do we have any publicly available data on the Russian vaccine verified by independent experts? If so, fine, approve it. If not, don’t.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
I think ideally it should happen, but in todays nationalistic age how is this going to really work? Over 65 and taken AZ, cant travel to France or Germany? Taken Sinopharm, not recognised in the US, maybe not here? And so on.
Morning all.
Quite a thought that, especially when travelling to the Chinese 'sphere of influence' such as SE Asia. At some time soon, the WHO is going to have to get sa grip on what works, what doesn't and perchance publish a list. Or something!
They all work at stopping hospitalisation which is good enough for me. Id be happy to take any of the ones approved in multiple countries. But there wont be agreement on this, the same people who are most outraged by the German and French idiocy on AZ are equally idiotic about Chinese and Russian vaccines. Even the BBC and Guardian struggle to admit that they even exist, let alone were approved before our first in the world approval. Sadly flags matter more than science here.
The weird bit about the Russian and Chinese vaccines is that neither country has vaccinated more than about 1% of its population with them, yet both are exporting them. The very opposite of vaccinationalism.
Why waste microchips on your own population when you already have them under control?
No harm in betting on the wrong vaccines, if they'd covered the right ones it would be reasonable even if some wrong ones fail. Or if it was bad luck.
But the badly mismanaged it. At the time we signed with Pfizer and AZN, months before the EU did, they were already in Phase III trials.
The EU for months turned down those in Phase III trials but signed up for those in Phase II trials who hadn't even begun Phase III and still to date haven't even commenced them.
Clearing Phase II and commencing Phase III is a substantial landmark and it's perverse to prioritise those still in Phase II over those in Phase III.
But the Phase II vaccines that the EU supported where the ones the UK and USA weren't supporting so they were merely backing other horses.
The fact those other horses were a lot more European than the ones they didn't back is on some levels neither here nor there.
One level it's actually a bit unfair as although phase III trials are a milestone it's possible for phase III trials to still fail at various points. And were that the case we would need those later vaccines.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
I think ideally it should happen, but in todays nationalistic age how is this going to really work? Over 65 and taken AZ, cant travel to France or Germany? Taken Sinopharm, not recognised in the US, maybe not here? And so on.
Morning all.
Quite a thought that, especially when travelling to the Chinese 'sphere of influence' such as SE Asia. At some time soon, the WHO is going to have to get sa grip on what works, what doesn't and perchance publish a list. Or something!
They all work at stopping hospitalisation which is good enough for me. Id be happy to take any of the ones approved in multiple countries. But there wont be agreement on this, the same people who are most outraged by the German and French idiocy on AZ are equally idiotic about Chinese and Russian vaccines. Even the BBC and Guardian struggle to admit that they even exist, let alone were approved before our first in the world approval. Sadly flags matter more than science here.
I don't think that's either fair or accurate. The first on the world approval was actually caveated as first in the world following a Phase III trial, which it was. AZN has followed the Phase III trial requirements and been legitimately authorised following impartial analysis of the data.
I'm sceptical about the Russian vaccine because until yesterday there was no public data on it - and because I'm sceptical about Russia. Given what I know about Russia I wouldn't trust anything they report without independent verification; see: Navalny, Novichok, Doping etc etc etc. Yesterday their report was in the Lancet which gives a degree of independent scrutiny too it (though they have form, they published Wakefield too) - but I don't know and haven't been able to find out if Lancet have just accepted on faith the Russian data which might not be trustworthy, or if the data has been independently verified. I don't think anyone has suggested the UK, AZN or anyone else has manipulated the data like the Russians have form in doing.
Finally the criticism of "the German and French idiocy" comes from people in positions of authority who should know better like Macron undermining confidence in vaccines and independent scrutiny. Macron's comments attack and undermine the MHRA, but they also attack and undermine the EU's own EMA too given that the EMA have authorised the vaccines for over 65s. To be "equally idiotic" would mean that the people in positions of authority here, like Prime Minister Johnson and the MHRA, were attacking Sinopharm and SputnikV. I don't recall Johnson ever speaking about either, so no there's no equal equivalency here.
Nonsense from start to finish.
Here is the UAE approving Sinopharm in November after a trial of 30k people in Abu Dhabi.
You trust the UK and distrust Russians. The Chinese trust the Chinese and distrust the UK. And so on, that was my whole point.
No you are talking nonsense.
Nobody cares that much if ordinary citizens of another country is sceptical of other nations. If in a French website a Philippe was saying he didn't trust the English then would anyone here give a damn about that?
No the issue is The President of the French Republic attacking a vaccine authorised for use not just in the UK but by his own EMA too.
If the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was attacking a vaccine authorised by the MHRA that would be comparable.
That you don't understand that shows your own wilful ignorance.
Space Force cadets at the Air Force Academy wear the same uniform as Air Force cadets, however, in their distinctive blue and white parade dress uniforms they wear a platinum sash in place of the gold sash worn by Air Force cadets.
What do you suppose the new logo introduced by Trump is modelled on?
Potentially, true. As the New Statesman piece summarised yesterday, all of the PM's best arguments against independence are spiked by his use of them as arguments for Brexit. All of the reasons why we can ignore the economics and fuck business and its about belief suddenly have to be reversed where business and the economists MUST be listened to and you can't just believe in something.
What is undeniably true is that the @HYUFD line about the Tories refusing to engage the independence debate because Catalonia is nonsense. Douglas Ross wants to debate it because he has no choice other to engage this head on.
Morning all! Have we already talked about Labour's plans to de-twat themselves by slapping on lots of union jacks? It reads like a brilliant piece of dumb focus group research, "ex-voters actually like this country, bizarrely, so lets dress up like them to make them like us".
If Tony Blair was leader, and was convincing on that front with a front-bench of eager reformers, then yes, that's the strategy. Sadly Keir "we're here to hear" Starmer is leader, half the front bench are "who?" and the back benches are stuffed full of nutters.
I was a member of the Labour Party for 25 years. I really struggle to understand what it is about and who it thinks it is speaking to - and this dumb "stick a flag in the background" effort will convince nobody. Had Keith purged the nutters, said mea maxima culpa and spent the last year actually reforming the party in the background then maybe.
No harm in betting on the wrong vaccines, if they'd covered the right ones it would be reasonable even if some wrong ones fail. Or if it was bad luck.
But the badly mismanaged it. At the time we signed with Pfizer and AZN, months before the EU did, they were already in Phase III trials.
The EU for months turned down those in Phase III trials but signed up for those in Phase II trials who hadn't even begun Phase III and still to date haven't even commenced them.
Clearing Phase II and commencing Phase III is a substantial landmark and it's perverse to prioritise those still in Phase II over those in Phase III.
But the Phase II vaccines that the EU supported where the ones the UK and USA weren't supporting so they were merely backing other horses.
The fact those other horses were a lot more European than the ones they didn't back is on some levels neither here nor there.
One level it's actually a bit unfair as although phase III trials are a milestone it's possible for phase III trials to still fail at various points. And were that the case we would need those later vaccines.
As I said if they were backing other horses as well as those in Phase III at the same time that'd be reasonable. It's noteworthy because they prioritised those that were behind without backing for a long time those that were ahead.
I never mentioned nationality though yes the fact they prioritised French Phase II Sanofi is noticeable. They didn't back the German BioNTech one until a long time after Sanofi despite BioNTech having been in Phase III trials for months by then.
Morning all! Have we already talked about Labour's plans to de-twat themselves by slapping on lots of union jacks? It reads like a brilliant piece of dumb focus group research, "ex-voters actually like this country, bizarrely, so lets dress up like them to make them like us".
If Tony Blair was leader, and was convincing on that front with a front-bench of eager reformers, then yes, that's the strategy. Sadly Keir "we're here to hear" Starmer is leader, half the front bench are "who?" and the back benches are stuffed full of nutters.
I was a member of the Labour Party for 25 years. I really struggle to understand what it is about and who it thinks it is speaking to - and this dumb "stick a flag in the background" effort will convince nobody. Had Keith purged the nutters, said mea maxima culpa and spent the last year actually reforming the party in the background then maybe.
No doubt the the Keir compromise will be to take the knee whilst draped in the Union Jack - while wearing a Rainbow Pin!
It's a one-sided piece - the only people named are critics, and the whole leak seems designed to debunk the proposals. That said, it sounds as though the questions and the conclusions were outsourced to the focus group company, who don't sound as though they were on top of the realities of politics. I'm not against some flags or whatever but it's obvious that Keir is patriotic enough for most people, and the problem about the other Shadows is not doubtful patritotism but limited evident activity.
Morning all! Have we already talked about Labour's plans to de-twat themselves by slapping on lots of union jacks? It reads like a brilliant piece of dumb focus group research, "ex-voters actually like this country, bizarrely, so lets dress up like them to make them like us".
If Tony Blair was leader, and was convincing on that front with a front-bench of eager reformers, then yes, that's the strategy. Sadly Keir "we're here to hear" Starmer is leader, half the front bench are "who?" and the back benches are stuffed full of nutters.
I was a member of the Labour Party for 25 years. I really struggle to understand what it is about and who it thinks it is speaking to - and this dumb "stick a flag in the background" effort will convince nobody. Had Keith purged the nutters, said mea maxima culpa and spent the last year actually reforming the party in the background then maybe.
Not letting the Tories own patriotism - especially after all the harm they have done with it - is a good thing. That's where I start from on this. Beyond that, wrapping the flag around higher public spending, fair wages for essential workers, a strong NHS, a better deal for schools, a decent and dignified care system, more affordable housing, tolerance, openness and solidarity is absolutely what Labour should be doing. These are all values that most voters will identify with. The Corbyn years caused immense harm to Labour's image as a party that actually liked the country it wanted to govern. You have to start somewhere in changing that. And in terms of party control, Starmer is pretty much there. He now owns the NEC and the PLP. The nutters are leaving, as the fall in membership demonstrates. Still a long, long way to go. But progress is being made.
Which may be true, but is also irrelevant. Scot Nationalism isn’t based on rational analysis. If it were the SNP would be lucky to be ahead of the Liberal Democrats in the polls, between policing, healthcare, education, vaccination, ferries, malicious prosecutions, allegations of paederasty and sex creeps in the higher reaches of government and an inability to use even the fiscal powers they have in an effective manner.
This is about emotion. If the unionists want to win it, they should be appealing to the emotions, and showing how there is an emotional benefit to being part of the UK, not trying Project Fear on acid.
Whether the unionist politicians are capable of making such a case, or even getting a hearing given how far the SNP have locked out the levers of government (that leaflet we saw the other day would actually be illegal in England) is a very different question.
Morning all! Have we already talked about Labour's plans to de-twat themselves by slapping on lots of union jacks? It reads like a brilliant piece of dumb focus group research, "ex-voters actually like this country, bizarrely, so lets dress up like them to make them like us".
If Tony Blair was leader, and was convincing on that front with a front-bench of eager reformers, then yes, that's the strategy. Sadly Keir "we're here to hear" Starmer is leader, half the front bench are "who?" and the back benches are stuffed full of nutters.
I was a member of the Labour Party for 25 years. I really struggle to understand what it is about and who it thinks it is speaking to - and this dumb "stick a flag in the background" effort will convince nobody. Had Keith purged the nutters, said mea maxima culpa and spent the last year actually reforming the party in the background then maybe.
Serious request: would anyone here with previous experience hiring people be willing to review a short speculative covering letter email for me? Circa 300 words.
Wow! Coronavirus, according to WHO, may actually have escaped from a nationally unique Chinese laboratory investigating novel bat coronaviruses, which was situated about a mile from the Wuhan wet market, or its neighbourhood, where the novel bat coronavirus first appeared
How can that possibly be the case? Surely not. A special team of pathetic, vaguely leftwing doctors said it was impossible, about ten months ago
Not sure I would be making such statements while still in China.
Saying things loudly and quickly before they can stop you may be a good way to ensure you don't have a tragic accident.
Well, we'll see where the story goes.
Of course the bug came from the lab. The villainous species of bat, which carries the virus, does not even exist in Wuhan (or its environs). It almost certainly comes from Yunnan, or nearby regions (many hundreds of miles away, in the far Chinese south).
Yet this lab, in Wuhan, was specifically investigating novel bat coronaviruses. It takes a unique species of idiot not to cast a suspicious eye on that laboratory
I am just a humble artisanal dildo flint-knapper, but I can still follow a clear and obvious narrative, which requires no Ockham's razor to explain
There's some reasonably convincing data from Cambridge, who looked at mutations in the CV19 genes that Wuhan was not the source of the outbreak. The oldest (i.e. the source from which mutations diverge) was in another Chinese province.
And if I remember correctly the first diagnosed case was from someone who hadn't been to the wet market.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
That possibly inflates the permanent threat of Covid - maybe in a couple of years we won't be worried about it. But for now I really don't see what the problem is with a vaccination/testing log book, so you can show what cover you've had. Yes, it could mean that anti-vaxxers find that some venues don't want them, but choices should have consequences.
Better arguments are going to be needed if you want to save the union, if this scraping of the barrel is all you have left then put it out of its misery already.
Hancock crystal clear on R4: it is the supply now that is the limiting factor on delivery. The daily fluctuates in figures is down to supply not ability to jab arms
I have just been informed that Sir Captain Tom Moore family took him on holiday to the Caribbean at Christmas. Which seemed to me a quite dangerous thing to do in a pandemic, with a vulnerable 100 year old man.
I have just been informed that Sir Captain Tom Moore family too hon holiday on holiday to the Caribbean at Christmas. Which seemed to me a quite dangerous thing to do in a pandemic, with a vulnerable 100 year old man.
If I was 100 years old I would love to spend my final Christmas with my family in the Caribbean.
Morning all! Have we already talked about Labour's plans to de-twat themselves by slapping on lots of union jacks? It reads like a brilliant piece of dumb focus group research, "ex-voters actually like this country, bizarrely, so lets dress up like them to make them like us".
If Tony Blair was leader, and was convincing on that front with a front-bench of eager reformers, then yes, that's the strategy. Sadly Keir "we're here to hear" Starmer is leader, half the front bench are "who?" and the back benches are stuffed full of nutters.
I was a member of the Labour Party for 25 years. I really struggle to understand what it is about and who it thinks it is speaking to - and this dumb "stick a flag in the background" effort will convince nobody. Had Keith purged the nutters, said mea maxima culpa and spent the last year actually reforming the party in the background then maybe.
Not letting the Tories own patriotism - especially after all the harm they have done with it - is a good thing. That's where I start from on this. Beyond that, wrapping the flag around higher public spending, fair wages for essential workers, a strong NHS, a better deal for schools, a decent and dignified care system, more affordable housing, tolerance, openness and solidarity is absolutely what Labour should be doing. These are all values that most voters will identify with. The Corbyn years caused immense harm to Labour's image as a party that actually liked the country it wanted to govern. You have to start somewhere in changing that. And in terms of party control, Starmer is pretty much there. He now owns the NEC and the PLP. The nutters are leaving, as the fall in membership demonstrates. Still a long, long way to go. But progress is being made.
I agree RP sees a bit bitter and twisted whatever SKS does .
Morning all! Have we already talked about Labour's plans to de-twat themselves by slapping on lots of union jacks? It reads like a brilliant piece of dumb focus group research, "ex-voters actually like this country, bizarrely, so lets dress up like them to make them like us".
If Tony Blair was leader, and was convincing on that front with a front-bench of eager reformers, then yes, that's the strategy. Sadly Keir "we're here to hear" Starmer is leader, half the front bench are "who?" and the back benches are stuffed full of nutters.
I was a member of the Labour Party for 25 years. I really struggle to understand what it is about and who it thinks it is speaking to - and this dumb "stick a flag in the background" effort will convince nobody. Had Keith purged the nutters, said mea maxima culpa and spent the last year actually reforming the party in the background then maybe.
Not letting the Tories own patriotism - especially after all the harm they have done with it - is a good thing. That's where I start from on this. Beyond that, wrapping the flag around higher public spending, fair wages for essential workers, a strong NHS, a better deal for schools, a decent and dignified care system, more affordable housing, tolerance, openness and solidarity is absolutely what Labour should be doing. These are all values that most voters will identify with. The Corbyn years caused immense harm to Labour's image as a party that actually liked the country it wanted to govern. You have to start somewhere in changing that. And in terms of party control, Starmer is pretty much there. He now owns the NEC and the PLP. The nutters are leaving, as the fall in membership demonstrates. Still a long, long way to go. But progress is being made.
It's not the Tories owning patriotism that is the issue. It is Labour owning - for decades - national self-loathing. Sticking a few flags on a PPB isn't going to convince anybody that behind their hands, Labour isn't laughing at the insincerity of its own actions.
The embodiment of Labour's problem here is Emily Thornberry tweeting about the ridiculousness of draping flags over your house. Anyone want to assess her private views on this new policy. a) Yes Leader, I'm right behind you. I love a flag. I love OUR flag or b) pfffft - what bullshit?
Space is going to be a critical battleground, either literally or purely in a technological sense. Not sure if they've got the tungsten rod weapons functioning or not, but between those and more advanced weaponry, control of orbital space is going to be the ultimate high ground.
The sovs once put a 23mm ZU cannon on one of their satellites but it was only accurate out to about 5km. ie fucking useless.
Space is indeed going to be the next strategic breakthrough but there is only one country funding it seriously - the USA. The Chinese have lumped their effort in with cyber and EW while the Russians are selling bits of their military on vkontakte marketplace.
Apart from being a very good account of the lead up and opening moves of WWI, it brilliantly dissects the personalities of the players. their flaws and the systems they built up. Which in the end became a railway timetable to war.
For those that don't know the story - JFK said that he was reading it during the Cuban Missile Crisis and that if materially effected his decision making. Especially making him ready to try novel ideas to broker a deal.
On vaccines - In God We Trust. All others bring clinical studies of quality. And if your country has a recent history of murderous lying, strangely, many people will ask for more evidence.
Her case raises an interesting, if old philosophical question, should a representative democracy included at least total whacko in order to represent the percentage of total whackos in the electorate?
I have just been informed that Sir Captain Tom Moore family too hon holiday on holiday to the Caribbean at Christmas. Which seemed to me a quite dangerous thing to do in a pandemic, with a vulnerable 100 year old man.
If I was 100 years old I would love to spend my final Christmas with my family in the Caribbean.
I doubt they have any regrets.
Depends if any of his family became ill with c vid. Anyhow I believe it sets a bad example in a pandemic. Hope you would not go at this time. I thought you agreed with government advice stay at home.
Her case raises an interesting, if old philosophical question, should a representative democracy included at least total whacko in order to represent the percentage of total whackos in the electorate?
Whackos generally don't have much cause to complain about under-representation.
You screwed up (accidently but in style) so we want to use that to solve our screw up and get the time we should have asked for in the first place to ensure we can work out what paperwork our demands created.
Morning all! Have we already talked about Labour's plans to de-twat themselves by slapping on lots of union jacks? It reads like a brilliant piece of dumb focus group research, "ex-voters actually like this country, bizarrely, so lets dress up like them to make them like us".
If Tony Blair was leader, and was convincing on that front with a front-bench of eager reformers, then yes, that's the strategy. Sadly Keir "we're here to hear" Starmer is leader, half the front bench are "who?" and the back benches are stuffed full of nutters.
I was a member of the Labour Party for 25 years. I really struggle to understand what it is about and who it thinks it is speaking to - and this dumb "stick a flag in the background" effort will convince nobody. Had Keith purged the nutters, said mea maxima culpa and spent the last year actually reforming the party in the background then maybe.
Not letting the Tories own patriotism - especially after all the harm they have done with it - is a good thing. That's where I start from on this. Beyond that, wrapping the flag around higher public spending, fair wages for essential workers, a strong NHS, a better deal for schools, a decent and dignified care system, more affordable housing, tolerance, openness and solidarity is absolutely what Labour should be doing. These are all values that most voters will identify with. The Corbyn years caused immense harm to Labour's image as a party that actually liked the country it wanted to govern. You have to start somewhere in changing that. And in terms of party control, Starmer is pretty much there. He now owns the NEC and the PLP. The nutters are leaving, as the fall in membership demonstrates. Still a long, long way to go. But progress is being made.
Spot on. Starmer has no choice but to seek to correct the 'anti-British' narrative that took hold in the Corbyn years.
I'd ague that it went back even further. Remember all the stuff about Ed Miliband - his father was a (foreign) communist, so the implication from the tabloids was that he was obviously on the side of the Russians. Absurd, but it would have had cut through among some. Then along came Corbyn to exacerbate the 'Labour hates Britain' meme. Starmer wouldn't have to be doing the flag stuff without the history of the last 10 years.
I have just been informed that Sir Captain Tom Moore family took him on holiday to the Caribbean at Christmas. Which seemed to me a quite dangerous thing to do in a pandemic, with a vulnerable 100 year old man.
Yes and no. Tbh at 100 what are you waiting for? You life expectancy isn’t measured in decades at that point...
You screwed up (accidently but in style) so we want to use that to solve our screw up and get the time we should have asked for in the first place to ensure we can work out what paperwork our demands created.
In fairness to Gove - and I’m not his biggest fan - I thought that was the point of negotiating?
I have just been informed that Sir Captain Tom Moore family took him on holiday to the Caribbean at Christmas. Which seemed to me a quite dangerous thing to do in a pandemic, with a vulnerable 100 year old man.
No write-off, the physicist Hans Bethe was writing research papers well into his nineties.
Morning all! Have we already talked about Labour's plans to de-twat themselves by slapping on lots of union jacks? It reads like a brilliant piece of dumb focus group research, "ex-voters actually like this country, bizarrely, so lets dress up like them to make them like us".
If Tony Blair was leader, and was convincing on that front with a front-bench of eager reformers, then yes, that's the strategy. Sadly Keir "we're here to hear" Starmer is leader, half the front bench are "who?" and the back benches are stuffed full of nutters.
I was a member of the Labour Party for 25 years. I really struggle to understand what it is about and who it thinks it is speaking to - and this dumb "stick a flag in the background" effort will convince nobody. Had Keith purged the nutters, said mea maxima culpa and spent the last year actually reforming the party in the background then maybe.
Not letting the Tories own patriotism - especially after all the harm they have done with it - is a good thing. That's where I start from on this. Beyond that, wrapping the flag around higher public spending, fair wages for essential workers, a strong NHS, a better deal for schools, a decent and dignified care system, more affordable housing, tolerance, openness and solidarity is absolutely what Labour should be doing. These are all values that most voters will identify with. The Corbyn years caused immense harm to Labour's image as a party that actually liked the country it wanted to govern. You have to start somewhere in changing that. And in terms of party control, Starmer is pretty much there. He now owns the NEC and the PLP. The nutters are leaving, as the fall in membership demonstrates. Still a long, long way to go. But progress is being made.
It's not the Tories owning patriotism that is the issue. It is Labour owning - for decades - national self-loathing. Sticking a few flags on a PPB isn't going to convince anybody that behind their hands, Labour isn't laughing at the insincerity of its own actions.
The embodiment of Labour's problem here is Emily Thornberry tweeting about the ridiculousness of draping flags over your house. Anyone want to assess her private views on this new policy. a) Yes Leader, I'm right behind you. I love a flag. I love OUR flag or b) pfffft - what bullshit?
You make my point for me. Disliking the Tory version of patriotism is not self-loathing. It is disliking the Tory version of patriotism - one that has led us to where we are today: a horribly divided country which erects barriers to trade and celebrates removing freedoms from its citizens. Patriotism doesn't have to be like that.
Which may be true, but is also irrelevant. Scot Nationalism isn’t based on rational analysis. If it were the SNP would be lucky to be ahead of the Liberal Democrats in the polls, between policing, healthcare, education, vaccination, ferries, malicious prosecutions, allegations of paederasty and sex creeps in the higher reaches of government and an inability to use even the fiscal powers they have in an effective manner.
This is about emotion. If the unionists want to win it, they should be appealing to the emotions, and showing how there is an emotional benefit to being part of the UK, not trying Project Fear on acid.
Whether the unionist politicians are capable of making such a case, or even getting a hearing given how far the SNP have locked out the levers of government (that leaflet we saw the other day would actually be illegal in England) is a very different question.
You screwed up (accidently but in style) so we want to use that to solve our screw up and get the time we should have asked for in the first place to ensure we can work out what paperwork our demands created.
In fairness to Gove - and I’m not his biggest fan - I thought that was the point of negotiating?
Negotiations were finished in December remember - we left on December 31st.
Gove is now desperately using anything (and everything) to solve the mess the UK Government created by not asking for a transition period.
I have just been informed that Sir Captain Tom Moore family too hon holiday on holiday to the Caribbean at Christmas. Which seemed to me a quite dangerous thing to do in a pandemic, with a vulnerable 100 year old man.
If I was 100 years old I would love to spend my final Christmas with my family in the Caribbean.
I doubt they have any regrets.
Depends if any of his family became ill with c vid. Anyhow I believe it sets a bad example in a pandemic. Hope you would not go at this time. I thought you agreed with government advice stay at home.
I do. I think the Government should have put a quarantine in a hotel order in place by law. But they haven't.
But he's a private citizen, whom if he went made absolutely no public remarks or example setting of it and presumably followed the law as it was rather than as it should be. The lack of any hotel quarantines or bans on holidays lies with the Government not private centenarians.
There's a distinction between someone like EG Piers Moron or Kay Burley who is making a living criticising others for not following the rules, even if they're only guidelines, only to junk them for their own holiday or party knowing it will get a lot of attention - and a private person in a private capacity doing what they think is appropriate for themselves without drawing any attention to it at all.
The government and media deserve strict scrutiny. Private citizens privately doing what's legally allowed . . . completely different.
I have just been informed that Sir Captain Tom Moore family took him on holiday to the Caribbean at Christmas. Which seemed to me a quite dangerous thing to do in a pandemic, with a vulnerable 100 year old man.
I have just been informed that Sir Captain Tom Moore family took him on holiday to the Caribbean at Christmas. Which seemed to me a quite dangerous thing to do in a pandemic, with a vulnerable 100 year old man.
Yes and no. Tbh at 100 what are you waiting for? You life expectancy isn’t measured in decades at that point...
In my fathers end-stage illness I asked his Dr whether we should take him on holiday - medically the answer was almost certainly “no” - but he said “yes” and we had a wonderful holiday a few months before he died.
It's clearly harder than a lot of people think - remember all our EU negotiations focused on tariffs. The red tape and paperwork that truely kills businesses only became an issue for the Government after we signed the deal.
Oh and this is all economics. Tariffs just happen to be GCSE level information and friction sits more at the degree / phd level (although you can see it in Wealth of Nations and the pin maker if you think about it).
Which may be true, but is also irrelevant. Scot Nationalism isn’t based on rational analysis. If it were the SNP would be lucky to be ahead of the Liberal Democrats in the polls, between policing, healthcare, education, vaccination, ferries, malicious prosecutions, allegations of paederasty and sex creeps in the higher reaches of government and an inability to use even the fiscal powers they have in an effective manner.
This is about emotion. If the unionists want to win it, they should be appealing to the emotions, and showing how there is an emotional benefit to being part of the UK, not trying Project Fear on acid.
Whether the unionist politicians are capable of making such a case, or even getting a hearing given how far the SNP have locked out the levers of government (that leaflet we saw the other day would actually be illegal in England) is a very different question.
Somewhat, at least, similar to Brexit.
Yes. Who made a positive case for the EU? Pretty well nobody. And it wasn't enough for a public that felt they had been ignored and patronised for far too long. (What idiot advised bankers to say it would be a disaster for the City if we left the EU? That was actually begging for trouble. The equivalent of putting up Fred the Shred to argue for the Union on the basis that otherwise Natwest will decamp and his superinjunction will be voided.)
You screwed up (accidently but in style) so we want to use that to solve our screw up and get the time we should have asked for in the first place to ensure we can work out what paperwork our demands created.
In fairness to Gove - and I’m not his biggest fan - I thought that was the point of negotiating?
Negotiations were finished in December remember - we left on December 31st.
Gove is now desperately using anything (and everything) to solve the mess the UK Government created by not asking for a transition period.
But we were also told they would be continuing as matters evolved - which they have, some for reasons that should have been obvious (and were obvious to everyone except the government, apparently) and others because of a huge unforced error by the EU. So, no I'm not unduly concerned about his attempt to use that as leverage, even though it would have been better had he done the job properly first time around.
Not letting the Tories own patriotism - especially after all the harm they have done with it - is a good thing.
Labour are never going to compete with the tories on this front. The tories own the flag wanker vote - it is the alpha and omega of their offer.
It doesn't have to be. The Attlee government of 1945, for example, was intensely patriotic in a quiet, very British sense. Their pitch was they were better at liking (and looking after) the people of the UK than the Tories.
Not letting the Tories own patriotism - especially after all the harm they have done with it - is a good thing.
Labour are never going to compete with the tories on this front. The tories own the flag wanker vote - it is the alpha and omega of their offer.
I agree. The Tories clearly own the English/UK nationalist vote. But the vast majority of voters are not instinctive nationalists, they are quiet patriots. There is a big difference, IMO.
Reflecting on passports, I think there could (perhaps should) be a field in the pasport biometric record, or perhaps in a visa wrt to COVID jab status.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
I think ideally it should happen, but in todays nationalistic age how is this going to really work? Over 65 and taken AZ, cant travel to France or Germany? Taken Sinopharm, not recognised in the US, maybe not here? And so on.
Morning all.
Quite a thought that, especially when travelling to the Chinese 'sphere of influence' such as SE Asia. At some time soon, the WHO is going to have to get sa grip on what works, what doesn't and perchance publish a list. Or something!
They all work at stopping hospitalisation which is good enough for me. Id be happy to take any of the ones approved in multiple countries. But there wont be agreement on this, the same people who are most outraged by the German and French idiocy on AZ are equally idiotic about Chinese and Russian vaccines. Even the BBC and Guardian struggle to admit that they even exist, let alone were approved before our first in the world approval. Sadly flags matter more than science here.
The weird bit about the Russian and Chinese vaccines is that neither country has vaccinated more than about 1% of its population with them, yet both are exporting them. The very opposite of vaccinationalism.
That makes me happy to be living in a democracy, rather than making me admire the superior altruism involved.
Which may be true, but is also irrelevant. Scot Nationalism isn’t based on rational analysis. If it were the SNP would be lucky to be ahead of the Liberal Democrats in the polls, between policing, healthcare, education, vaccination, ferries, malicious prosecutions, allegations of paederasty and sex creeps in the higher reaches of government and an inability to use even the fiscal powers they have in an effective manner.
This is about emotion. If the unionists want to win it, they should be appealing to the emotions, and showing how there is an emotional benefit to being part of the UK, not trying Project Fear on acid.
Whether the unionist politicians are capable of making such a case, or even getting a hearing given how far the SNP have locked out the levers of government (that leaflet we saw the other day would actually be illegal in England) is a very different question.
This was a problem in 2014 as well and it troubled me greatly then. A Better Together campaign led by Scottish Labour stalwarts such as Darling were deeply reluctant to express pride in or give credit to a UK which had a Tory government (in coalition). Only an emerging Ruth Davidson was willing to say that she was proud to be British. Better Together's approach was much more transactional. Strangely, when I was canvassing, the economic arguments were not the main reason I was given for voting no. It was pride in our armed forces, for being a country that matters, the success of our Olympic team, the country that we had built together which was considered decent, caring and honorable.
I certainly agree that although the economic case is even more compelling than it was in 2014 (where the SNP spread all kinds of fantasies about what additional public spending there would be in an independent Scotland) this is not enough. We need voices that are proud to be British. The vaccines are an excellent story to tell in this context and the message rammed home repeatedly.
I have just been informed that Sir Captain Tom Moore family took him on holiday to the Caribbean at Christmas. Which seemed to me a quite dangerous thing to do in a pandemic, with a vulnerable 100 year old man.
Most 100 year old men live with extreme danger every day of their lives.
You screwed up (accidently but in style) so we want to use that to solve our screw up and get the time we should have asked for in the first place to ensure we can work out what paperwork our demands created.
In fairness to Gove - and I’m not his biggest fan - I thought that was the point of negotiating?
Negotiations were finished in December remember - we left on December 31st.
Gove is now desperately using anything (and everything) to solve the mess the UK Government created by not asking for a transition period.
I can't help thinking not that Churchill gag about "In the morning, I'll be sober and you will be ugly." A16 was a huge mistake; someone needs to fess up and resign. But it's temporary, whereas the Schrödinger's Border in the Irish Sea is meant to last.
You screwed up (accidently but in style) so we want to use that to solve our screw up and get the time we should have asked for in the first place to ensure we can work out what paperwork our demands created.
In fairness to Gove - and I’m not his biggest fan - I thought that was the point of negotiating?
Negotiations were finished in December remember - we left on December 31st.
Gove is now desperately using anything (and everything) to solve the mess the UK Government created by not asking for a transition period.
But we were also told they would be continuing as matters evolved - which they have, some for reasons that should have been obvious (and were obvious to everyone except the government, apparently) and others because of a huge unforced error by the EU. So, no I'm not unduly concerned about his attempt to use that as leverage, even though it would have been better had he done the job properly first time around.
Anyone realistic would always expect disruption and teething issues doing the biggest change in our trading terms in nearly half a century.
To have ongoing negotiations to resolve any issues that come up is entirely logical.
To use the other sides own goals to pressure them to resolve issues in a way beneficial to yourself is entirely logical.
Not letting the Tories own patriotism - especially after all the harm they have done with it - is a good thing.
Labour are never going to compete with the tories on this front. The tories own the flag wanker vote - it is the alpha and omega of their offer.
I agree. The Tories clearly own the English/UK nationalist vote. But the vast majority of voters are not instinctive nationalists, they are quiet patriots. There is a big difference, IMO.
Just out of curiosity, which category would you put that guy in Rochester/Strood who had a flag on his house?
You screwed up (accidently but in style) so we want to use that to solve our screw up and get the time we should have asked for in the first place to ensure we can work out what paperwork our demands created.
In fairness to Gove - and I’m not his biggest fan - I thought that was the point of negotiating?
Negotiations were finished in December remember - we left on December 31st.
Gove is now desperately using anything (and everything) to solve the mess the UK Government created by not asking for a transition period.
But we were also told they would be continuing as matters evolved - which they have, some for reasons that should have been obvious (and were obvious to everyone except the government, apparently) and others because of a huge unforced error by the EU. So, no I'm not unduly concerned about his attempt to use that as leverage, even though it would have been better had he done the job properly first time around.
Anyone realistic would always expect disruption and teething issues doing the biggest change in our trading terms in nearly half a century.
To have ongoing negotiations to resolve any issues that come up is entirely logical.
To use the other sides own goals to pressure them to resolve issues in a way beneficial to yourself is entirely logical.
You screwed up (accidently but in style) so we want to use that to solve our screw up and get the time we should have asked for in the first place to ensure we can work out what paperwork our demands created.
In fairness to Gove - and I’m not his biggest fan - I thought that was the point of negotiating?
Negotiations were finished in December remember - we left on December 31st.
Gove is now desperately using anything (and everything) to solve the mess the UK Government created by not asking for a transition period.
I can't help thinking not that Churchill gag about "In the morning, I'll be sober and you will be ugly." A16 was a huge mistake; someone needs to fess up and resign. But it's temporary, whereas the Schrödinger's Border in the Irish Sea is meant to last.
Except only one side wants it to last. I think you'll find actually that any Irish Sea border is not meant to last as far as half of NI is concerned - and the British Government has no particular desire to see it last either.
The true nature of the Good Friday Agreement was fudge so that all communities could squint and claim they have what they wanted, even if they didn't. To fudge NI so it is in both the UK and Eire. To do away with the Boolean choice of it being one or the other.
It was the EU that tore up the principles of the Good Friday Agreement by insisting it was either an Irish Sea Border or a land border. The true choice, the only option that fits with the spirit of the GFA is to say "neither".
I have just been informed that Sir Captain Tom Moore family took him on holiday to the Caribbean at Christmas. Which seemed to me a quite dangerous thing to do in a pandemic, with a vulnerable 100 year old man.
No write-off, the physicist Hans Bethe was writing research papers well into his nineties.
Comments
The country that pioneered vaccines has struggled to get covid-19 jabs into arms“ (£)
https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/01/30/why-frances-vaccination-roll-out-has-been-so-slow
“A second is the surprisingly strong anti-vaxxer sentiment in France, land of Louis Pasteur. In December just 42% told a poll they would get a jab. Part of this hesitancy stems from French health scandals, including the ongoing prosecution of a drug company over deaths of diabetics, and a massive over-ordering of vaccines against h1n1 (swine flu) in 2009. Conspiracy theories about big pharma blend with the anti-elite sentiment behind the gilets jaunes (yellow jackets) or Didier Raoult, a Marseille doctor who pushed hydroxychloroquine to treat covid-19. The French, concluded the government, needed ultra-careful handling. “It was a choice,” says a government source; “If we’d said ‘let’s just go for it’, people would have said they don’t trust us.”“
Mr Draghi, one of Italy’s most highly regarded public officials and a leader credited with taking decisive ECB action during the eurozone debt crisis, will meet President Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday, the Italian head of state’s office said.
The unexpected decision by Mr Mattarella comes after talks broke down earlier on Tuesday over rebuilding a disparate coalition government led by Giuseppe Conte that collapsed last month.
Mr Mattarella, who as head of state is the supreme arbiter in Italian politics with the sole power to call general elections, said in an address that if a new government could not be formed, the country would be forced into a snap vote at a time of great uncertainty."
https://www.ft.com/content/36a84f52-7287-4062-a150-24f58d9b053a
The pressure of next year's election is skewing the President's political compass
By John Lichfield"
https://unherd.com/2021/02/emmanuel-macrons-coronavirus-gamble/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/contagion-coronavirus-science/
https://twitter.com/LevineJonathan/status/1356723928782303233
BUT feel free to hypnotize the hoot-owl or hypothecate the honey-badger.
If no field, no entry.
I wonder whether there will be implications for Shengen?
Space is going to be a critical battleground, either literally or purely in a technological sense. Not sure if they've got the tungsten rod weapons functioning or not, but between those and more advanced weaponry, control of orbital space is going to be the ultimate high ground.
Plus it'll determine access to the asteroid field for mining purposes, once that becomes viable. And Mars, when the colonisation programmes get going.
Submitted from persistent login on Android phone.
Quite a thought that, especially when travelling to the Chinese 'sphere of influence' such as SE Asia. At some time soon, the WHO is going to have to get sa grip on what works, what doesn't and perchance publish a list.
Or something!
If Tony Blair was leader, and was convincing on that front with a front-bench of eager reformers, then yes, that's the strategy. Sadly Keir "we're here to hear" Starmer is leader, half the front bench are "who?" and the back benches are stuffed full of nutters.
I was a member of the Labour Party for 25 years. I really struggle to understand what it is about and who it thinks it is speaking to - and this dumb "stick a flag in the background" effort will convince nobody. Had Keith purged the nutters, said mea maxima culpa and spent the last year actually reforming the party in the background then maybe.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/feb/02/labour-urged-to-focus-on-flag-and-patriotism-to-win-voters-trust-leak-reveals
https://twitter.com/foxinsoxuk/status/1355667272958947328?s=19
I'm sceptical about the Russian vaccine because until yesterday there was no public data on it - and because I'm sceptical about Russia. Given what I know about Russia I wouldn't trust anything they report without independent verification; see: Navalny, Novichok, Doping etc etc etc. Yesterday their report was in the Lancet which gives a degree of independent scrutiny too it (though they have form, they published Wakefield too) - but I don't know and haven't been able to find out if Lancet have just accepted on faith the Russian data which might not be trustworthy, or if the data has been independently verified. I don't think anyone has suggested the UK, AZN or anyone else has manipulated the data like the Russians have form in doing.
Finally the criticism of "the German and French idiocy" comes from people in positions of authority who should know better like Macron undermining confidence in vaccines and independent scrutiny. Macron's comments attack and undermine the MHRA, but they also attack and undermine the EU's own EMA too given that the EMA have authorised the vaccines for over 65s. To be "equally idiotic" would mean that the people in positions of authority here, like Prime Minister Johnson and the MHRA, were attacking Sinopharm and SputnikV. I don't recall Johnson ever speaking about either, so no there's no equal equivalency here.
But the badly mismanaged it. At the time we signed with Pfizer and AZN, months before the EU did, they were already in Phase III trials.
The EU for months turned down those in Phase III trials but signed up for those in Phase II trials who hadn't even begun Phase III and still to date haven't even commenced them.
Clearing Phase II and commencing Phase III is a substantial landmark and it's perverse to prioritise those still in Phase II over those in Phase III.
Here is the UAE approving Sinopharm in November after a trial of 30k people in Abu Dhabi.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/health/coronavirus-uae-authorises-emergency-use-of-vaccine-for-frontline-workers-1.1077680
You trust the UK and distrust Russians.
The Chinese trust the Chinese and distrust the UK.
And so on, that was my whole point.
The fact those other horses were a lot more European than the ones they didn't back is on some levels neither here nor there.
One level it's actually a bit unfair as although phase III trials are a milestone it's possible for phase III trials to still fail at various points. And were that the case we would need those later vaccines.
Nobody cares that much if ordinary citizens of another country is sceptical of other nations. If in a French website a Philippe was saying he didn't trust the English then would anyone here give a damn about that?
No the issue is The President of the French Republic attacking a vaccine authorised for use not just in the UK but by his own EMA too.
If the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was attacking a vaccine authorised by the MHRA that would be comparable.
That you don't understand that shows your own wilful ignorance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Space_Force
They even have Space Cadets:
Space Force cadets at the Air Force Academy wear the same uniform as Air Force cadets, however, in their distinctive blue and white parade dress uniforms they wear a platinum sash in place of the gold sash worn by Air Force cadets.
What do you suppose the new logo introduced by Trump is modelled on?
What is undeniably true is that the @HYUFD line about the Tories refusing to engage the independence debate because Catalonia is nonsense. Douglas Ross wants to debate it because he has no choice other to engage this head on.
I never mentioned nationality though yes the fact they prioritised French Phase II Sanofi is noticeable. They didn't back the German BioNTech one until a long time after Sanofi despite BioNTech having been in Phase III trials for months by then.
The whole thing is a mess.
“We are not fazed by what Biden is doing because the situation is better here in Europe”
https://twitter.com/anandMenon1/status/1356872389087408128?s=20
This is about emotion. If the unionists want to win it, they should be appealing to the emotions, and showing how there is an emotional benefit to being part of the UK, not trying Project Fear on acid.
Whether the unionist politicians are capable of making such a case, or even getting a hearing given how far the SNP have locked out the levers of government (that leaflet we saw the other day would actually be illegal in England) is a very different question.
letteremail for me? Circa 300 words.Better arguments are going to be needed if you want to save the union, if this scraping of the barrel is all you have left then put it out of its misery already.
Which seemed to me a quite dangerous thing to do in a pandemic, with a vulnerable 100 year old man.
I doubt they have any regrets.
The embodiment of Labour's problem here is Emily Thornberry tweeting about the ridiculousness of draping flags over your house. Anyone want to assess her private views on this new policy. a) Yes Leader, I'm right behind you. I love a flag. I love OUR flag or b) pfffft - what bullshit?
Space is indeed going to be the next strategic breakthrough but there is only one country funding it seriously - the USA. The Chinese have lumped their effort in with cyber and EW while the Russians are selling bits of their military on vkontakte marketplace.
I would recommend (again) The Guns Of August
Apart from being a very good account of the lead up and opening moves of WWI, it brilliantly dissects the personalities of the players. their flaws and the systems they built up. Which in the end became a railway timetable to war.
For those that don't know the story - JFK said that he was reading it during the Cuban Missile Crisis and that if materially effected his decision making. Especially making him ready to try novel ideas to broker a deal.
On vaccines - In God We Trust. All others bring clinical studies of quality. And if your country has a recent history of murderous lying, strangely, many people will ask for more evidence.
Anyhow I believe it sets a bad example in a pandemic.
Hope you would not go at this time.
I thought you agreed with government advice stay at home.
You screwed up (accidently but in style) so we want to use that to solve our screw up and get the time we should have asked for in the first place to ensure we can work out what paperwork our demands created.
I'd ague that it went back even further. Remember all the stuff about Ed Miliband - his father was a (foreign) communist, so the implication from the tabloids was that he was obviously on the side of the Russians. Absurd, but it would have had cut through among some. Then along came Corbyn to exacerbate the 'Labour hates Britain' meme. Starmer wouldn't have to be doing the flag stuff without the history of the last 10 years.
Gove is now desperately using anything (and everything) to solve the mess the UK Government created by not asking for a transition period.
But he's a private citizen, whom if he went made absolutely no public remarks or example setting of it and presumably followed the law as it was rather than as it should be. The lack of any hotel quarantines or bans on holidays lies with the Government not private centenarians.
There's a distinction between someone like EG Piers Moron or Kay Burley who is making a living criticising others for not following the rules, even if they're only guidelines, only to junk them for their own holiday or party knowing it will get a lot of attention - and a private person in a private capacity doing what they think is appropriate for themselves without drawing any attention to it at all.
The government and media deserve strict scrutiny. Private citizens privately doing what's legally allowed . . . completely different.
Oh and this is all economics. Tariffs just happen to be GCSE level information and friction sits more at the degree / phd level (although you can see it in Wealth of Nations and the pin maker if you think about it).
Are the Unionists about to make the same mistake?
I certainly agree that although the economic case is even more compelling than it was in 2014 (where the SNP spread all kinds of fantasies about what additional public spending there would be in an independent Scotland) this is not enough. We need voices that are proud to be British. The vaccines are an excellent story to tell in this context and the message rammed home repeatedly.
It would also make for an interesting political summer / autumn in the EU countries.
To have ongoing negotiations to resolve any issues that come up is entirely logical.
To use the other sides own goals to pressure them to resolve issues in a way beneficial to yourself is entirely logical.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30139832
https://twitter.com/thetimes/status/1356887880510103553?s=20
Let's hope the numbers continue falling as they are! I could murder a pint or 10.
https://www.politico.eu/article/brexit-northern-ireland-border-michael-gove-issues-not-teething-problems/
Look where uncritical adherence to a party line can get you.
The true nature of the Good Friday Agreement was fudge so that all communities could squint and claim they have what they wanted, even if they didn't. To fudge NI so it is in both the UK and Eire. To do away with the Boolean choice of it being one or the other.
It was the EU that tore up the principles of the Good Friday Agreement by insisting it was either an Irish Sea Border or a land border. The true choice, the only option that fits with the spirit of the GFA is to say "neither".