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Polling in 15 of the world’s leading countries finds Brits at the top of the league on wanting to be

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  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    HYUFD said:

    kinabalu said:

    kle4 said:

    Nigelb said:

    Are Senators supposed to be jurors in cases of impeachment ?

    https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1360258176478814210

    Not sure why they care how unprepared the team was, everyone can see the votes are there since before the trial even started. And it's not like they worry about the liberal media thinking that makes them look craven.
    Trump is using it to say the election was stolen.
    R Senators want him to say he didnt mean to incite the crowds. Trump wont do that for them.
    As always it is Trump demonstrating he has power, and the Senators wishing he didn't but unable or unwilling to stop him acting as he pleases.
    As political acts of abject, unprincipled cowardice go, the GOP senators refusal to convict Donald Trump has to be right up there.
    Any GOP Senator who votes to convict Trump will face a primary challenge they would probably lose, with a few exceptions like Romney in Utah where he has a big personal vote.

    The same goes for the 10 GOP Representatives who voted to impeach Trump.

    Turkeys do not vote for Christmas
    But why should the electorate vote for anyone who will not defend the Constitution when they have the chance? This GOP, out of fear of being primaried, have foregone any justification for being elected.

    It is so cowardly and unprincipled - they are not even prepared to fight for their own beliefs, let alone the Constitution. The GOP as constituted is not fit for purpose.
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,467
    edited February 2021

    glw said:

    Wales widening its lead - and strong performances from NI & Scotland:

    https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1360259400443834372?s=20

    We are going to end up at the bottom!!
    Given the higher refusal rates among the BAME population, unless that changes, it's almost inevitable.

    % BAME:
    Eng & Wls: 14%
    Scotland: 4%
    NI:
    There are invidual London Boroughs like Newham, and Ealing, that alone have more BAME residents than the whole of Scotland. London is likely to be way at the bottom of the list for vaccination due to the demographics, which is bad news when many of the people forgoing the vaccine are those that need the protection most.
    If it happens then clearly that's not good news, but it looks from what I've read about the subject as if determined efforts are being made to bring down hesitancy rates as much as possible.

    Basically if we end up with almost nobody refusing in the best performing areas and only 5% in the worst, then it shouldn't be too much of a problem. If the figures are more like 5% and 20% then it wouldn't be so great.

    glw said:

    Wales widening its lead - and strong performances from NI & Scotland:

    https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1360259400443834372?s=20

    We are going to end up at the bottom!!
    Given the higher refusal rates among the BAME population, unless that changes, it's almost inevitable.

    % BAME:
    Eng & Wls: 14%
    Scotland: 4%
    NI:
    There are invidual London Boroughs like Newham, and Ealing, that alone have more BAME residents than the whole of Scotland. London is likely to be way at the bottom of the list for vaccination due to the demographics, which is bad news when many of the people forgoing the vaccine are those that need the protection most.
    If it happens then clearly that's not good news, but it looks from what I've read about the subject as if determined efforts are being made to bring down hesitancy rates as much as possible.

    Basically if we end up with almost nobody refusing in the best performing areas and only 5% in the worst, then it shouldn't be too much of a problem. If the figures are more like 5% and 20% then it wouldn't be so great.
    https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/02/COVID-19-weekly-announced-vaccinations-11-February-2021.xlsx

    This is from the 4th of Feb.... Take up of the vaccine among the over 80s. Lowest figures at the top.....

    London East London Health and Care Partnership 73.1%
    London North London Partners in Health and Care 76.3%
    London North West London Health and Care Partnership 78.2%
    London Our Healthier South East London 80.5%
    London South West London Health and Care Partnership 84.0%
    Midlands Birmingham and Solihull 85.0%
    Midlands The Black Country and West Birmingham 87.4%
    East of England Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes 88.4%
    North West Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership 89.4%
    Midlands Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Health and Care 89.6%
    East of England Mid and South Essex 90.2%
    South East Sussex Health and Care Partnership 90.3%
    South East Kent and Medway 90.7%
    East of England Hertfordshire and West Essex 90.7%
    South East Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership 91.0%
    North East and Yorkshire South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw 91.4%
    North West Cheshire and Merseyside 91.7%
    North East and Yorkshire West Yorkshire and Harrogate (Health and Care Partnership) 91.8%
    East of England Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 91.8%
    Midlands Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland 91.9%
    East of England Suffolk and North East Essex 92.2%
    Midlands Coventry and Warwickshire 92.5%
    Midlands Joined Up Care Derbyshire 92.7%
    South East Frimley Health and Care ICS 93.4%
    South East Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West 93.7%
    Midlands Northamptonshire 93.8%
    North East and Yorkshire Cumbria and North East 94.0%
    North West Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria 94.1%
    East of England Norfolk and Waveney Health and Care Partnership 94.3%
    South East Hampshire and the Isle of Wight 94.5%
    North East and Yorkshire Humber, Coast and Vale 94.6%
    South West Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire 94.7%
    South West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Health and Social Care Partnership 95.6%
    South West Devon 95.8%
    South West Dorset 96.0%
    South West Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire 96.0%
    Midlands Herefordshire and Worcestershire 96.1%
    Midlands Lincolnshire 96.1%
    South West Somerset 96.3%
    Midlands Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin 96.4%
    Midlands Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent 96.5%
    South West Gloucestershire 98.0%
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,348
    edited February 2021
    glw said:

    Wales widening its lead - and strong performances from NI & Scotland:

    https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1360259400443834372?s=20

    We are going to end up at the bottom!!
    Given the higher refusal rates among the BAME population, unless that changes, it's almost inevitable.

    % BAME:
    Eng & Wls: 14%
    Scotland: 4%
    NI:
    There are invidual London Boroughs like Newham, and Ealing, that alone have more BAME residents than the whole of Scotland. London is likely to be way at the bottom of the list for vaccination due to the demographics, which is bad news when many of the people forgoing the vaccine are those that need the protection most.
    Make vaccination compulsory, because even if you don't, it will be quasi-compulsory anyway, with Vax Passports. Might as well go the whole hog. Unless these people are happy never to travel, work in many industries, or, of course, die on a ventilator etc etc
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,266
    TOPPING said:

    kinabalu said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    Per Owen Jones -

    The Greens are far from a homogeneous bunch. They are best understood as having three main factions: the environmentalist “figs”, who are passionate about the climate and human rights, and fear an overbearing state; the liberal (yellow) “mangoes” who care about the same issues, but favour incremental market solutions; and the leftist “watermelons” (green on the outside, red on the inside) who prefer the role of an active government to achieve greater equality.
    Congrats on showing up on this thread. Can't have been easy. Keep at it.
    You seem unable to engage with a straightforward and merited point of criticism. This is not a good thing.
  • Options
    DougSeal said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    I think they have a core vote like the LDs, even if it's rather small. Some background level of concern about the environment is widespread, though for most voters this has little or no impact in reality upon the decisions that they make about how to live their lives. A small minority, however, are disciples of Saint Greta and genuinely regard the environment as their number one, overriding concern. A vote for the Greens makes sense for those people, even if some of them may be unaware, or do not necessarily endorse all, of their policies.
    I've voted green to encourage other parties to be more green. In a FPTP world where most of us live in safe one party seats it seems a more rational use of my vote than most alternatives. I wouldn't want a Green party government.
    There's nothing to fear. I was at Trinity Oxford with Sian Berry and she was a fantastic Ents Officer on the JCR. You can't buy that sort of experience.

    I wouldnt particularly fear a Green party govt, the last few years have made me quite used to dogmatic incompetence and the world still carries on despite it. It is just I wouldn't want it.
  • Options
    glw said:

    Wales widening its lead - and strong performances from NI & Scotland:

    https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1360259400443834372?s=20

    We are going to end up at the bottom!!
    Given the higher refusal rates among the BAME population, unless that changes, it's almost inevitable.

    % BAME:
    Eng & Wls: 14%
    Scotland: 4%
    NI:
    There are invidual London Boroughs like Newham, and Ealing, that alone have more BAME residents than the whole of Scotland. London is likely to be way at the bottom of the list for vaccination due to the demographics, which is bad news when many of the people forgoing the vaccine are those that need the protection most.
    Build a wall around the M25 and make London pay for it....
  • Options
    Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 8,845

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    I think they have a core vote like the LDs, even if it's rather small. Some background level of concern about the environment is widespread, though for most voters this has little or no impact in reality upon the decisions that they make about how to live their lives. A small minority, however, are disciples of Saint Greta and genuinely regard the environment as their number one, overriding concern. A vote for the Greens makes sense for those people, even if some of them may be unaware, or do not necessarily endorse all, of their policies.
    I've voted green to encourage other parties to be more green. In a FPTP world where most of us live in safe one party seats it seems a more rational use of my vote than most alternatives. I wouldn't want a Green party government.
    Apart from the fact the greenest thing about the green party is their name? Care to speculate how green their open borders policies are or the fact that friends of the earth dont rate their policies as green as a lot of other parties?
  • Options
    Like an episode of the Brittas empire, its start out with everything seeming fine, then goes downhill rapidly while Gordon believes he has it all under control.
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,266
    Nigelb said:

    kinabalu said:

    kle4 said:

    Nigelb said:

    Are Senators supposed to be jurors in cases of impeachment ?

    https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1360258176478814210

    Not sure why they care how unprepared the team was, everyone can see the votes are there since before the trial even started. And it's not like they worry about the liberal media thinking that makes them look craven.
    Trump is using it to say the election was stolen.
    R Senators want him to say he didnt mean to incite the crowds. Trump wont do that for them.
    As always it is Trump demonstrating he has power, and the Senators wishing he didn't but unable or unwilling to stop him acting as he pleases.
    As political acts of abject, unprincipled cowardice go, the GOP senators refusal to convict Donald Trump has to be right up there.
    To be fair, not all are cowards.
    A few are just crazy.
    I suppose there are some deeply principled nutjobs amongst the 45. But, still, it's got to be a low point. Or let's rather say one hopes it's the low point.
  • Options
    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,345
    kinabalu said:

    TOPPING said:

    kinabalu said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    Per Owen Jones -

    The Greens are far from a homogeneous bunch. They are best understood as having three main factions: the environmentalist “figs”, who are passionate about the climate and human rights, and fear an overbearing state; the liberal (yellow) “mangoes” who care about the same issues, but favour incremental market solutions; and the leftist “watermelons” (green on the outside, red on the inside) who prefer the role of an active government to achieve greater equality.
    Congrats on showing up on this thread. Can't have been easy. Keep at it.
    You seem unable to engage with a straightforward and merited point of criticism. This is not a good thing.
    Back in the game! Hurrah!
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,266
    HYUFD said:

    kinabalu said:

    kle4 said:

    Nigelb said:

    Are Senators supposed to be jurors in cases of impeachment ?

    https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1360258176478814210

    Not sure why they care how unprepared the team was, everyone can see the votes are there since before the trial even started. And it's not like they worry about the liberal media thinking that makes them look craven.
    Trump is using it to say the election was stolen.
    R Senators want him to say he didnt mean to incite the crowds. Trump wont do that for them.
    As always it is Trump demonstrating he has power, and the Senators wishing he didn't but unable or unwilling to stop him acting as he pleases.
    As political acts of abject, unprincipled cowardice go, the GOP senators refusal to convict Donald Trump has to be right up there.
    Any GOP Senator who votes to convict Trump will face a primary challenge they would probably lose, with a few exceptions like Romney in Utah where he has a big personal vote.

    The same goes for the 10 GOP Representatives who voted to impeach Trump.

    Turkeys do not vote for Christmas
    I'd like to think US senators would operate on a level a little above that of a turkey.
  • Options
    kinabalu said:

    HYUFD said:

    kinabalu said:

    kle4 said:

    Nigelb said:

    Are Senators supposed to be jurors in cases of impeachment ?

    https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1360258176478814210

    Not sure why they care how unprepared the team was, everyone can see the votes are there since before the trial even started. And it's not like they worry about the liberal media thinking that makes them look craven.
    Trump is using it to say the election was stolen.
    R Senators want him to say he didnt mean to incite the crowds. Trump wont do that for them.
    As always it is Trump demonstrating he has power, and the Senators wishing he didn't but unable or unwilling to stop him acting as he pleases.
    As political acts of abject, unprincipled cowardice go, the GOP senators refusal to convict Donald Trump has to be right up there.
    Any GOP Senator who votes to convict Trump will face a primary challenge they would probably lose, with a few exceptions like Romney in Utah where he has a big personal vote.

    The same goes for the 10 GOP Representatives who voted to impeach Trump.

    Turkeys do not vote for Christmas
    I'd like to think US senators would operate on a level a little above that of a turkey.
    And I'd like to hope to win the lottery this week - without having bought a ticket.
  • Options
    DougSealDougSeal Posts: 11,155
    Leon said:

    glw said:

    Wales widening its lead - and strong performances from NI & Scotland:

    https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1360259400443834372?s=20

    We are going to end up at the bottom!!
    Given the higher refusal rates among the BAME population, unless that changes, it's almost inevitable.

    % BAME:
    Eng & Wls: 14%
    Scotland: 4%
    NI:
    There are invidual London Boroughs like Newham, and Ealing, that alone have more BAME residents than the whole of Scotland. London is likely to be way at the bottom of the list for vaccination due to the demographics, which is bad news when many of the people forgoing the vaccine are those that need the protection most.
    Make vaccination compulsory, because even if you don't, it will be quasi-compulsory anyway, with Vax Passports. Might as well go the whole hog. Unless these people are happy never to travel, work in many industries, or, of course, die on a ventilator etc etc
    As I mentioned earlier a Hep B vaccination is, I think, compulsory for many health service jobs. And I have seen no convincing reason, as an employment lawyer, why an employer requiring a vaccination would put them in breach of current equalities legislation.
  • Options
    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 25,257

    Like an episode of the Brittas empire, its start out with everything seeming fine, then goes downhill rapidly while Gordon believes he has it all under control.
    As always a really useless analogy that is completely devoid of humour. Much like the series was.
  • Options
    ClippPClippP Posts: 1,688

    ClippP said:

    And the Lib Dems are starting to pick up again. Not surprising. They are back in campaigning mode, ahead of the local elections.
    Really? Have you found a pulse?
    Most certainly, Mr Pete. Beating strongly. There was a moment when the Conservative schemes to make getting elected dependent on the depth of the candidates pockets seemed to be winning. But it now appears that all that nonsence has been over-ruled.

    Corrupt undemocratic Conservatvves losing here! Great, innit?
  • Options
    BluestBlueBluestBlue Posts: 4,556

    Like an episode of the Brittas empire, its start out with everything seeming fine, then goes downhill rapidly while Gordon believes he has it all under control.
    As always a really useless analogy that is completely devoid of humour. Much like the series was.
    Much like Starmer is, hence his ratings.
  • Options
    DougSealDougSeal Posts: 11,155
    TOPPING said:

    kinabalu said:

    TOPPING said:

    kinabalu said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    Per Owen Jones -

    The Greens are far from a homogeneous bunch. They are best understood as having three main factions: the environmentalist “figs”, who are passionate about the climate and human rights, and fear an overbearing state; the liberal (yellow) “mangoes” who care about the same issues, but favour incremental market solutions; and the leftist “watermelons” (green on the outside, red on the inside) who prefer the role of an active government to achieve greater equality.
    Congrats on showing up on this thread. Can't have been easy. Keep at it.
    You seem unable to engage with a straightforward and merited point of criticism. This is not a good thing.
    Back in the game! Hurrah!
    You two scamps!
  • Options
    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 25,257
    ClippP said:

    ClippP said:

    And the Lib Dems are starting to pick up again. Not surprising. They are back in campaigning mode, ahead of the local elections.
    Really? Have you found a pulse?
    Most certainly, Mr Pete. Beating strongly. There was a moment when the Conservative schemes to make getting elected dependent on the depth of the candidates pockets seemed to be winning. But it now appears that all that nonsence has been over-ruled.

    Corrupt undemocratic Conservatvves losing here! Great, innit?
    We do need a thriving LD vote, however that is supposed to be at the expense of the Conservatives rather than Labour. Otherwise we get another Tory landslide.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,348
    DougSeal said:

    Leon said:

    glw said:

    Wales widening its lead - and strong performances from NI & Scotland:

    https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1360259400443834372?s=20

    We are going to end up at the bottom!!
    Given the higher refusal rates among the BAME population, unless that changes, it's almost inevitable.

    % BAME:
    Eng & Wls: 14%
    Scotland: 4%
    NI:
    There are invidual London Boroughs like Newham, and Ealing, that alone have more BAME residents than the whole of Scotland. London is likely to be way at the bottom of the list for vaccination due to the demographics, which is bad news when many of the people forgoing the vaccine are those that need the protection most.
    Make vaccination compulsory, because even if you don't, it will be quasi-compulsory anyway, with Vax Passports. Might as well go the whole hog. Unless these people are happy never to travel, work in many industries, or, of course, die on a ventilator etc etc
    As I mentioned earlier a Hep B vaccination is, I think, compulsory for many health service jobs. And I have seen no convincing reason, as an employment lawyer, why an employer requiring a vaccination would put them in breach of current equalities legislation.
    If 20% of the country remains unvaxxed, that means millions of potential new cases, a pool of victims where the virus can mutate AGAIN, threatening us all with another health disaster, and gravely menacing the economy.

    This is like fluoridation of water (which we have in the UK), but times a million.

    Do it. Make the jab mandatory.
  • Options
    Pagan2 said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    I think they have a core vote like the LDs, even if it's rather small. Some background level of concern about the environment is widespread, though for most voters this has little or no impact in reality upon the decisions that they make about how to live their lives. A small minority, however, are disciples of Saint Greta and genuinely regard the environment as their number one, overriding concern. A vote for the Greens makes sense for those people, even if some of them may be unaware, or do not necessarily endorse all, of their policies.
    I've voted green to encourage other parties to be more green. In a FPTP world where most of us live in safe one party seats it seems a more rational use of my vote than most alternatives. I wouldn't want a Green party government.
    Apart from the fact the greenest thing about the green party is their name? Care to speculate how green their open borders policies are or the fact that friends of the earth dont rate their policies as green as a lot of other parties?
    You seem to have entirely missed the point of my post.

    My vote has zero influence on who the next government will be if Im in a safe constituency. There will not be a green govt or even a Green party MP because of it. Literally a zero percent chance.

    So I can use my vote in other ways, to protest or signal. By voting Green I am signalling to Tories and Labour that I want them to think Green. The parties have responded to those signals from the many who have voted Green in the past. Both Tories and Labour now try to out do each other on Green credentials. It is their green policies that matter to the country, not the Green parties policies.


  • Options
    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 25,257
    edited February 2021

    Like an episode of the Brittas empire, its start out with everything seeming fine, then goes downhill rapidly while Gordon believes he has it all under control.
    As always a really useless analogy that is completely devoid of humour. Much like the series was.
    Much like Starmer is, hence his ratings.
    We shall see over time. You are right however, Starmer needs to up his game.
  • Options
    Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 8,845

    ClippP said:

    ClippP said:

    And the Lib Dems are starting to pick up again. Not surprising. They are back in campaigning mode, ahead of the local elections.
    Really? Have you found a pulse?
    Most certainly, Mr Pete. Beating strongly. There was a moment when the Conservative schemes to make getting elected dependent on the depth of the candidates pockets seemed to be winning. But it now appears that all that nonsence has been over-ruled.

    Corrupt undemocratic Conservatvves losing here! Great, innit?
    We do need a thriving LD vote, however that is supposed to be at the expense of the Conservatives rather than Labour. Otherwise we get another Tory landslide.
    There is no country I would wish a thriving lib dem vote on....even zimbabwe hasnt done anything bad enough to deserve that
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,306

    kle4 said:

    ?

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    I think they have a core vote like the LDs, even if it's rather small. Some background level of concern about the environment is widespread, though for most voters this has little or no impact in reality upon the decisions that they make about how to live their lives. A small minority, however, are disciples of Saint Greta and genuinely regard the environment as their number one, overriding concern. A vote for the Greens makes sense for those people, even if some of them may be unaware, or do not necessarily endorse all, of their policies.
    I've voted green to encourage other parties to be more green. In a FPTP world where most of us live in safe one party seats it seems a more rational use of my vote than most alternatives. I wouldn't want a Green party government.
    Oh that's entirely understandable. Most of us are in one-party states in that sense, of course. The last time the constituency where I live returned anyone other than a Tory was 1970. One Shirley Williams. Wonder what happened to her?
    1970? A marginal then.

    1922 here. And that was presumably part of the 1922-23 last gasp of Liberalism
    Totnes was Liberal in 1923. (And LibDem via the wandering Dr Sarah Wollaston in 2019, but not elected as such.)
    Oddly, Cannock has voted for the winning party in every election since 1964, with the sole exception of 1992 when Tony Wright squeaked in on favourable boundaries and the country as a whole went blue.

    I say ‘oddly’ because it’s difficult to visualise it as a swing seat, let alone a bellwether.
  • Options
    Black_RookBlack_Rook Posts: 8,905
    There won't be enough room in the prisons for all of them!

    They will just have to be shot.

    Narrator: Best notepaper and green ink at the ready, he set to work on his letter to Priti Patel...
  • Options
    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    kle4 said:

    Wales widening its lead - and strong performances from NI & Scotland:

    https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1360259400443834372?s=20

    We are going to end up at the bottom!!
    Merely keeping up on our geographic position (yes, some of us is alongside or above Wales etc, but we're also definitely below the others)
    If I was cynical, the advantage of Wales being ahead is that the SNP can’t claim* that greedy England is hogging all the vaccines

    * obviously they can and probably will
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,044
    TimT said:

    HYUFD said:

    kinabalu said:

    kle4 said:

    Nigelb said:

    Are Senators supposed to be jurors in cases of impeachment ?

    https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1360258176478814210

    Not sure why they care how unprepared the team was, everyone can see the votes are there since before the trial even started. And it's not like they worry about the liberal media thinking that makes them look craven.
    Trump is using it to say the election was stolen.
    R Senators want him to say he didnt mean to incite the crowds. Trump wont do that for them.
    As always it is Trump demonstrating he has power, and the Senators wishing he didn't but unable or unwilling to stop him acting as he pleases.
    As political acts of abject, unprincipled cowardice go, the GOP senators refusal to convict Donald Trump has to be right up there.
    Any GOP Senator who votes to convict Trump will face a primary challenge they would probably lose, with a few exceptions like Romney in Utah where he has a big personal vote.

    The same goes for the 10 GOP Representatives who voted to impeach Trump.

    Turkeys do not vote for Christmas
    But why should the electorate vote for anyone who will not defend the Constitution when they have the chance? This GOP, out of fear of being primaried, have foregone any justification for being elected.

    It is so cowardly and unprincipled - they are not even prepared to fight for their own beliefs, let alone the Constitution. The GOP as constituted is not fit for purpose.
    https://twitter.com/FrankLuntz/status/1360280922826756098?s=20
  • Options
    Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 8,845

    Pagan2 said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    I think they have a core vote like the LDs, even if it's rather small. Some background level of concern about the environment is widespread, though for most voters this has little or no impact in reality upon the decisions that they make about how to live their lives. A small minority, however, are disciples of Saint Greta and genuinely regard the environment as their number one, overriding concern. A vote for the Greens makes sense for those people, even if some of them may be unaware, or do not necessarily endorse all, of their policies.
    I've voted green to encourage other parties to be more green. In a FPTP world where most of us live in safe one party seats it seems a more rational use of my vote than most alternatives. I wouldn't want a Green party government.
    Apart from the fact the greenest thing about the green party is their name? Care to speculate how green their open borders policies are or the fact that friends of the earth dont rate their policies as green as a lot of other parties?
    You seem to have entirely missed the point of my post.

    My vote has zero influence on who the next government will be if Im in a safe constituency. There will not be a green govt or even a Green party MP because of it. Literally a zero percent chance.

    So I can use my vote in other ways, to protest or signal. By voting Green I am signalling to Tories and Labour that I want them to think Green. The parties have responded to those signals from the many who have voted Green in the past. Both Tories and Labour now try to out do each other on Green credentials. It is their green policies that matter to the country, not the Green parties policies.


    Well and just bear in mind its merely a thought, why not just read the manifesto's and support the party with the greenest and make sure you let local activists for that party know they got your vote for their green policies. All you say frankly by voting green is you are a none of the above voter or a crank
  • Options
    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    I think they have a core vote like the LDs, even if it's rather small. Some background level of concern about the environment is widespread, though for most voters this has little or no impact in reality upon the decisions that they make about how to live their lives. A small minority, however, are disciples of Saint Greta and genuinely regard the environment as their number one, overriding concern. A vote for the Greens makes sense for those people, even if some of them may be unaware, or do not necessarily endorse all, of their policies.
    I've voted green to encourage other parties to be more green. In a FPTP world where most of us live in safe one party seats it seems a more rational use of my vote than most alternatives. I wouldn't want a Green party government.
    Apart from the fact the greenest thing about the green party is their name? Care to speculate how green their open borders policies are or the fact that friends of the earth dont rate their policies as green as a lot of other parties?
    You seem to have entirely missed the point of my post.

    My vote has zero influence on who the next government will be if Im in a safe constituency. There will not be a green govt or even a Green party MP because of it. Literally a zero percent chance.

    So I can use my vote in other ways, to protest or signal. By voting Green I am signalling to Tories and Labour that I want them to think Green. The parties have responded to those signals from the many who have voted Green in the past. Both Tories and Labour now try to out do each other on Green credentials. It is their green policies that matter to the country, not the Green parties policies.


    Well and just bear in mind its merely a thought, why not just read the manifesto's and support the party with the greenest and make sure you let local activists for that party know they got your vote for their green policies. All you say frankly by voting green is you are a none of the above voter or a crank
    If my vote counted towards deciding the next govt I would vote for the best or more likely least worst govt. But under our system most of the time my vote does not count towards deciding the next govt, so why should I pretend it does?
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    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,467
    DougSeal said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    I think they have a core vote like the LDs, even if it's rather small. Some background level of concern about the environment is widespread, though for most voters this has little or no impact in reality upon the decisions that they make about how to live their lives. A small minority, however, are disciples of Saint Greta and genuinely regard the environment as their number one, overriding concern. A vote for the Greens makes sense for those people, even if some of them may be unaware, or do not necessarily endorse all, of their policies.
    I've voted green to encourage other parties to be more green. In a FPTP world where most of us live in safe one party seats it seems a more rational use of my vote than most alternatives. I wouldn't want a Green party government.
    There's nothing to fear. I was at Trinity Oxford with Sian Berry and she was a fantastic Ents Officer on the JCR. You can't buy that sort of experience.

    Well, obviously a Green would get on well with the Ents.

    I have a feeling that Dwarf Officer would have been a different matter - I'll bet that Khazad-dûm had some serious environmental impact issues. And no paperwork filed.
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    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,306
    Charles said:

    kle4 said:

    Wales widening its lead - and strong performances from NI & Scotland:

    https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1360259400443834372?s=20

    We are going to end up at the bottom!!
    Merely keeping up on our geographic position (yes, some of us is alongside or above Wales etc, but we're also definitely below the others)
    If I was cynical, the advantage of Wales being ahead is that the SNP can’t claim* that greedy England is hogging all the vaccines

    * obviously they can and probably will
    Well, quite. Since when have facts ever figured in the SNP’s narratives?
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    Black_RookBlack_Rook Posts: 8,905
    1. Did anyone bother to differentiate in the questioning between "something like September" and "total lockdown?"
    2. Is this a variation on "I approve of higher taxes - for other people?"
  • Options
    Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 8,845

    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    I think they have a core vote like the LDs, even if it's rather small. Some background level of concern about the environment is widespread, though for most voters this has little or no impact in reality upon the decisions that they make about how to live their lives. A small minority, however, are disciples of Saint Greta and genuinely regard the environment as their number one, overriding concern. A vote for the Greens makes sense for those people, even if some of them may be unaware, or do not necessarily endorse all, of their policies.
    I've voted green to encourage other parties to be more green. In a FPTP world where most of us live in safe one party seats it seems a more rational use of my vote than most alternatives. I wouldn't want a Green party government.
    Apart from the fact the greenest thing about the green party is their name? Care to speculate how green their open borders policies are or the fact that friends of the earth dont rate their policies as green as a lot of other parties?
    You seem to have entirely missed the point of my post.

    My vote has zero influence on who the next government will be if Im in a safe constituency. There will not be a green govt or even a Green party MP because of it. Literally a zero percent chance.

    So I can use my vote in other ways, to protest or signal. By voting Green I am signalling to Tories and Labour that I want them to think Green. The parties have responded to those signals from the many who have voted Green in the past. Both Tories and Labour now try to out do each other on Green credentials. It is their green policies that matter to the country, not the Green parties policies.


    Well and just bear in mind its merely a thought, why not just read the manifesto's and support the party with the greenest and make sure you let local activists for that party know they got your vote for their green policies. All you say frankly by voting green is you are a none of the above voter or a crank
    If my vote counted towards deciding the next govt I would vote for the best or more likely least worst govt. But under our system most of the time my vote does not count towards deciding the next govt, so why should I pretend it does?
    Because even if it doesn't count choosing the party you think has the best green policy then letting an activist know thats why they got your vote does actually get fed back and if enough say it it may not influence who gets elected for your constituency but it will potentially effect that parties future manifesto. Voting green on the other hand is regarded as not much different to voting monster raving loony by most parties....with the exception possibly of brighton.
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    Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 8,845

    DougSeal said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    I think they have a core vote like the LDs, even if it's rather small. Some background level of concern about the environment is widespread, though for most voters this has little or no impact in reality upon the decisions that they make about how to live their lives. A small minority, however, are disciples of Saint Greta and genuinely regard the environment as their number one, overriding concern. A vote for the Greens makes sense for those people, even if some of them may be unaware, or do not necessarily endorse all, of their policies.
    I've voted green to encourage other parties to be more green. In a FPTP world where most of us live in safe one party seats it seems a more rational use of my vote than most alternatives. I wouldn't want a Green party government.
    There's nothing to fear. I was at Trinity Oxford with Sian Berry and she was a fantastic Ents Officer on the JCR. You can't buy that sort of experience.

    Well, obviously a Green would get on well with the Ents.

    I have a feeling that Dwarf Officer would have been a different matter - I'll bet that Khazad-dûm had some serious environmental impact issues. And no paperwork filed.
    probably elf and safety issues there too
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    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,266
    edited February 2021
    TOPPING said:

    kinabalu said:

    TOPPING said:

    kinabalu said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    Per Owen Jones -

    The Greens are far from a homogeneous bunch. They are best understood as having three main factions: the environmentalist “figs”, who are passionate about the climate and human rights, and fear an overbearing state; the liberal (yellow) “mangoes” who care about the same issues, but favour incremental market solutions; and the leftist “watermelons” (green on the outside, red on the inside) who prefer the role of an active government to achieve greater equality.
    Congrats on showing up on this thread. Can't have been easy. Keep at it.
    You seem unable to engage with a straightforward and merited point of criticism. This is not a good thing.
    Back in the game! Hurrah!
    Are you quite alright, Topping? I do hope so. One of my favourite posters, that's a given, which is why I so heartily recommend that you do not give a free pass to lies and misinformation about Covid in your no doubt well-meaning desire to encourage interesting, contra-consensus views on the merits and demerits of lockdown. I really care about this. It's not a joshing matter for me. I care about it so much that I have - as you can see - gone the extra mile and typed it all out again even though I'm pressed for time and would rather be running my early evening bath. But that's it now. I can do no more. And you understand the point, I sense. So either it gives you pause for thought or for some reason it doesn't. Needless to say, I'm desperately rooting for the former. Time will tell, of course, but I'm feeling quite bullish on you.
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    DougSealDougSeal Posts: 11,155
    Leon said:

    DougSeal said:

    Leon said:

    glw said:

    Wales widening its lead - and strong performances from NI & Scotland:

    https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1360259400443834372?s=20

    We are going to end up at the bottom!!
    Given the higher refusal rates among the BAME population, unless that changes, it's almost inevitable.

    % BAME:
    Eng & Wls: 14%
    Scotland: 4%
    NI:
    There are invidual London Boroughs like Newham, and Ealing, that alone have more BAME residents than the whole of Scotland. London is likely to be way at the bottom of the list for vaccination due to the demographics, which is bad news when many of the people forgoing the vaccine are those that need the protection most.
    Make vaccination compulsory, because even if you don't, it will be quasi-compulsory anyway, with Vax Passports. Might as well go the whole hog. Unless these people are happy never to travel, work in many industries, or, of course, die on a ventilator etc etc
    As I mentioned earlier a Hep B vaccination is, I think, compulsory for many health service jobs. And I have seen no convincing reason, as an employment lawyer, why an employer requiring a vaccination would put them in breach of current equalities legislation.
    If 20% of the country remains unvaxxed, that means millions of potential new cases, a pool of victims where the virus can mutate AGAIN, threatening us all with another health disaster, and gravely menacing the economy.

    This is like fluoridation of water (which we have in the UK), but times a million.

    Do it. Make the jab mandatory.
    I have no problem with making it mandatory but looking at the numbers from Kent this week, and indeed South Africa, I start to suspect that the human immune system overall is slightly more nimble in the face of variants than the relatively stable and slow to mutate coronavirus. Chill.
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    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,610
    We should rerun that when cases are under 100 per day and deaths under 5 in two months. That's what the vaccine programme gives us.
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    bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 21,883
    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773
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    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,467
    Pagan2 said:

    DougSeal said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    I think they have a core vote like the LDs, even if it's rather small. Some background level of concern about the environment is widespread, though for most voters this has little or no impact in reality upon the decisions that they make about how to live their lives. A small minority, however, are disciples of Saint Greta and genuinely regard the environment as their number one, overriding concern. A vote for the Greens makes sense for those people, even if some of them may be unaware, or do not necessarily endorse all, of their policies.
    I've voted green to encourage other parties to be more green. In a FPTP world where most of us live in safe one party seats it seems a more rational use of my vote than most alternatives. I wouldn't want a Green party government.
    There's nothing to fear. I was at Trinity Oxford with Sian Berry and she was a fantastic Ents Officer on the JCR. You can't buy that sort of experience.

    Well, obviously a Green would get on well with the Ents.

    I have a feeling that Dwarf Officer would have been a different matter - I'll bet that Khazad-dûm had some serious environmental impact issues. And no paperwork filed.
    probably elf and safety issues there too
    I was talking to a Haradrim taxi driver just the other day, and he was telling me that those Elves were proper bastards. Colonising peoples lands, through their proxy empires like Gondor...
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    DougSealDougSeal Posts: 11,155
    MaxPB said:

    We should rerun that when cases are under 100 per day and deaths under 5 in two months. That's what the vaccine programme gives us.
    Absolutely. If, and it’s a big if, things improve rapidly then public opinion will change. Assuming we can bring things down in Spring and Summer the key is keeping them down, avoiding a third/fourth wave in the Autumn. We won’t know until then.
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    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,125
    Those who have been jabbed needed something new to look forward to...
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    Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 8,845

    Those who have been jabbed needed something new to look forward to...
    They do have....a second jab
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    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 20,024

    1. Did anyone bother to differentiate in the questioning between "something like September" and "total lockdown?"
    2. Is this a variation on "I approve of higher taxes - for other people?"
    Yup. These polls are moronic, as are those who participate in them.

    When deaths are in the low hundreds a day and the weather improves, people will want to mix. Regardless of what they tell pollsters on a freezing night in February.
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    Pulpstar said:

    Brazil and Mexico very high, two countries that Covid has ripped through.

    Being in the world top 5 for deaths might do that for you.
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    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 20,024

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    He’s known as Sir Drakey, the Drakester or - to those of us who are close to him - the D-Dogg.
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    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,306

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    A bit like Boris Johnson, every single other thing he’s done has been an unmitigated catastrophe, but he’s doing quite well on vaccines.

    He’s probably helped by the fact that outside the sparsely populated middle (by which I mean the area from Cardigan to Porthmadog to Llanymynech to Brecon) most of Wales is within fairly easy reach of some kind of small hospital that can function as a vaccine centre very easily. And even though there is only one actual hospital in that area (Bronglais in Aber) there are lots of quite beefed up supersurgeries that can do more than the average doctor’s practice in England. But it’s still good news.

    That doesn’t alter the fact that he looks more out of his depth than an ant in the Mindanao Trench - but then, you could say the same for Johnson.
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    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,125

    ClippP said:

    ClippP said:

    And the Lib Dems are starting to pick up again. Not surprising. They are back in campaigning mode, ahead of the local elections.
    Really? Have you found a pulse?
    Most certainly, Mr Pete. Beating strongly. There was a moment when the Conservative schemes to make getting elected dependent on the depth of the candidates pockets seemed to be winning. But it now appears that all that nonsence has been over-ruled.

    Corrupt undemocratic Conservatvves losing here! Great, innit?
    We do need a thriving LD vote, however that is supposed to be at the expense of the Conservatives rather than Labour. Otherwise we get another Tory landslide.
    You say that like it's a bad thing....
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    1. Did anyone bother to differentiate in the questioning between "something like September" and "total lockdown?"
    2. Is this a variation on "I approve of higher taxes - for other people?"
    Yup. These polls are moronic, as are those who participate in them.

    When deaths are in the low hundreds a day and the weather improves, people will want to mix. Regardless of what they tell pollsters on a freezing night in February.
    Deaths in the low hundreds still equates to a jumbo jet every day crashing into a care home with no survivors. Wouldn't fancy being an airline CEO trying to wave that away (though there are some that would try).
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    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 25,257

    ClippP said:

    ClippP said:

    And the Lib Dems are starting to pick up again. Not surprising. They are back in campaigning mode, ahead of the local elections.
    Really? Have you found a pulse?
    Most certainly, Mr Pete. Beating strongly. There was a moment when the Conservative schemes to make getting elected dependent on the depth of the candidates pockets seemed to be winning. But it now appears that all that nonsence has been over-ruled.

    Corrupt undemocratic Conservatvves losing here! Great, innit?
    We do need a thriving LD vote, however that is supposed to be at the expense of the Conservatives rather than Labour. Otherwise we get another Tory landslide.
    You say that like it's a bad thing....
    It is.
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    1. Did anyone bother to differentiate in the questioning between "something like September" and "total lockdown?"
    2. Is this a variation on "I approve of higher taxes - for other people?"
    Yup. These polls are moronic, as are those who participate in them.

    When deaths are in the low hundreds a day and the weather improves, people will want to mix. Regardless of what they tell pollsters on a freezing night in February.
    Deaths in the low hundreds still equates to a jumbo jet every day crashing into a care home with no survivors. Wouldn't fancy being an airline CEO trying to wave that away (though there are some that would try).
    Except pre covid, thats exactly what happens normally with oldies dying of colds and flus.
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    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    Isn't the SNP figure also "wrong" in the sense that it would mean they were getting 100% of the vote in Scotland? Possibly, but not based on the Scottish polls at the moment
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,306

    1. Did anyone bother to differentiate in the questioning between "something like September" and "total lockdown?"
    2. Is this a variation on "I approve of higher taxes - for other people?"
    Yup. These polls are moronic, as are those who participate in them.

    When deaths are in the low hundreds a day and the weather improves, people will want to mix. Regardless of what they tell pollsters on a freezing night in February.
    Deaths in the low hundreds still equates to a jumbo jet every day crashing into a care home with no survivors. Wouldn't fancy being an airline CEO trying to wave that away (though there are some that would try).
    *cough*Boeing*cough*
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,348

    1. Did anyone bother to differentiate in the questioning between "something like September" and "total lockdown?"
    2. Is this a variation on "I approve of higher taxes - for other people?"
    Yup. These polls are moronic, as are those who participate in them.

    When deaths are in the low hundreds a day and the weather improves, people will want to mix. Regardless of what they tell pollsters on a freezing night in February.
    Deaths in the low hundreds still equates to a jumbo jet every day crashing into a care home with no survivors. Wouldn't fancy being an airline CEO trying to wave that away (though there are some that would try).
    Deaths in the low hundreds compared to the 550,000 people who die every year in the UK, normally?

    100-200 deaths a day = a REALLY bad flu season. We don't stop the world for flu
  • Options
    DougSealDougSeal Posts: 11,155

    1. Did anyone bother to differentiate in the questioning between "something like September" and "total lockdown?"
    2. Is this a variation on "I approve of higher taxes - for other people?"
    Yup. These polls are moronic, as are those who participate in them.

    When deaths are in the low hundreds a day and the weather improves, people will want to mix. Regardless of what they tell pollsters on a freezing night in February.
    Deaths in the low hundreds still equates to a jumbo jet every day crashing into a care home with no survivors. Wouldn't fancy being an airline CEO trying to wave that away (though there are some that would try).
    In 2016 there were nearly 80,000 deaths attributable to cigarette smoking. The week ending 3 Sept last year the average 7 day death rate was 7 - without vaccines.
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    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,306
    Leon said:

    1. Did anyone bother to differentiate in the questioning between "something like September" and "total lockdown?"
    2. Is this a variation on "I approve of higher taxes - for other people?"
    Yup. These polls are moronic, as are those who participate in them.

    When deaths are in the low hundreds a day and the weather improves, people will want to mix. Regardless of what they tell pollsters on a freezing night in February.
    Deaths in the low hundreds still equates to a jumbo jet every day crashing into a care home with no survivors. Wouldn't fancy being an airline CEO trying to wave that away (though there are some that would try).
    Deaths in the low hundreds compared to the 550,000 people who die every year in the UK, normally?

    100-200 deaths a day = a REALLY bad flu season. We don't stop the world for flu
    Covid is not like flu. It spreads much more readily, is much harder to treat and appears to have much more serious long term effects.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,935
    15116, up a touch from yesterday but likely some "friday effect" in the cases.
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    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 25,257
    ydoethur said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    A bit like Boris Johnson, every single other thing he’s done has been an unmitigated catastrophe, but he’s doing quite well on vaccines.

    He’s probably helped by the fact that outside the sparsely populated middle (by which I mean the area from Cardigan to Porthmadog to Llanymynech to Brecon) most of Wales is within fairly easy reach of some kind of small hospital that can function as a vaccine centre very easily. And even though there is only one actual hospital in that area (Bronglais in Aber) there are lots of quite beefed up supersurgeries that can do more than the average doctor’s practice in England. But it’s still good news.

    That doesn’t alter the fact that he looks more out of his depth than an ant in the Mindanao Trench - but then, you could say the same for Johnson.
    Johnson, not Drakeford, is getting the plaudits here in Wales for a successful vaccine rollout. Drakeford is taking the flak for closed schools, pubs and shops.
  • Options
    Posted this on the previous thread without realising we had moved on...
    Mango said:


    How do you see PR being implemented? Referendum? Or with SNP votes in parliament as they are leaving the country? Not sure they win a referendum, and even as a big fan of PR I am not sure using SNP votes to decide a huge constitutional change for rUK would be acceptable. Also doesnt take many rebels to stop it happening, plenty of Labour MPs are not fans of PR.

    Various possibilities:

    1. The UK loses a war to a real democracy.
    2. A benevolent artificial super intelligence gradually assumes control of all global affairs.
    3. Labour MPs do something a) beneficial and b) strategically smart.
    4. My secret band of left/liberal desperados take the levers of power and bequeath a written constitution and sensible political settlement when the guillotining is done.

    Number 3 is the least likely.
    Surely the scenario set out earlier on this thread (forgive me I forget by whom) is the most likely.

    Labour gains power on the back of SNP support. This in turn is conditional on an Independence referendum.
    Labour realises that the Scots will vote for independence and that in turn will remove the Labour majority in the current Parliament and make it far less likely there will be one in future Parliaments.
    Labour, the SNP and the other minor parties push through a change to electoral law that all future votes are by a PR system.

    It may be constitutionally dodgy if there is no PR referendum and they have not included it in their manifesto but they would argue that Parliament is sovereign and should be able to chose how it is elected.

    For the record I am against PR but it seems perfectly feasible that it could be introduced in the way I describe.

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    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,303

    1. Did anyone bother to differentiate in the questioning between "something like September" and "total lockdown?"
    2. Is this a variation on "I approve of higher taxes - for other people?"
    Yup. These polls are moronic, as are those who participate in them.

    When deaths are in the low hundreds a day and the weather improves, people will want to mix. Regardless of what they tell pollsters on a freezing night in February.
    Deaths in the low hundreds still equates to a jumbo jet every day crashing into a care home with no survivors. Wouldn't fancy being an airline CEO trying to wave that away (though there are some that would try).
    Except that getting on for a thousand people die in a typical UK day anyhow.
  • Options
    Leon said:

    1. Did anyone bother to differentiate in the questioning between "something like September" and "total lockdown?"
    2. Is this a variation on "I approve of higher taxes - for other people?"
    Yup. These polls are moronic, as are those who participate in them.

    When deaths are in the low hundreds a day and the weather improves, people will want to mix. Regardless of what they tell pollsters on a freezing night in February.
    Deaths in the low hundreds still equates to a jumbo jet every day crashing into a care home with no survivors. Wouldn't fancy being an airline CEO trying to wave that away (though there are some that would try).
    Deaths in the low hundreds compared to the 550,000 people who die every year in the UK, normally?

    100-200 deaths a day = a REALLY bad flu season. We don't stop the world for flu
    You're correct, of course. Except the political consequences would be totally different.
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    ClippP said:

    And the Lib Dems are starting to pick up again. Not surprising. They are back in campaigning mode, ahead of the local elections.
    Really? Have you found a pulse?
    Though the Greens have been edging onto their territory, you're never far from a pulse with the LDs with legumes also featuring prominently.
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    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,808
    edited February 2021
    Charles said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    Isn't the SNP figure also "wrong" in the sense that it would mean they were getting 100% of the vote in Scotland? Possibly, but not based on the Scottish polls at the moment
    Not nec; Scotland is 8-9% of the population (not sure about voting population).

    PS It usually bumps up and down between 4 and 5% of the UK poll which isn't grossly out, esp given the raltively elderly Scottosh population.
  • Options
    Charles said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:
    I'll never really understand the Green figure. Other parties are pretty darn green thesedays, and with 7% they cannot all be radical Corbynistas.
    Isn't the SNP figure also "wrong" in the sense that it would mean they were getting 100% of the vote in Scotland? Possibly, but not based on the Scottish polls at the moment
    Eh? How are you 'working' that out?
  • Options
    IanB2 said:

    1. Did anyone bother to differentiate in the questioning between "something like September" and "total lockdown?"
    2. Is this a variation on "I approve of higher taxes - for other people?"
    Yup. These polls are moronic, as are those who participate in them.

    When deaths are in the low hundreds a day and the weather improves, people will want to mix. Regardless of what they tell pollsters on a freezing night in February.
    Deaths in the low hundreds still equates to a jumbo jet every day crashing into a care home with no survivors. Wouldn't fancy being an airline CEO trying to wave that away (though there are some that would try).
    Except that getting on for a thousand people die in a typical UK day anyhow.
    And no-one ever imagined they could use it to attack the government. Covid, on the other hand...
  • Options
    OmniumOmnium Posts: 9,793
    No wrong doing at Kids Company it seems.

    I'm surprised.

    Prior to the judgement I'd have guessed that these people were using a charity as a front to line their own nests.

    Still, the British judicial system with its good connections has gotten to the root of the matter.
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,808
    edited February 2021

    ClippP said:

    And the Lib Dems are starting to pick up again. Not surprising. They are back in campaigning mode, ahead of the local elections.
    Really? Have you found a pulse?
    Though the Greens have been edging onto their territory, you're never far from a pulse with the LDs with legumes also featuring prominently.
    'Also'? Same thing, no? All very Byres Road in the Dear Green Place if you ask me. (Or Broughton St if you are an Edinbugger.)
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,125

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    To be serious for a moment, it is encouraging that all four UK constituent countries are now converging together on their vaccine rollouts. One out of kilter with the rest would not be the trauma we currently need.
  • Options
    Earlier someone was asking about the Russian vaccine and how the roll-out there was going. It is only anecdotal evidence, but one of my colleagues is in Moscow at the moment (long story) and decided to get vaccinated while he was there. All he had to do was turn up at one of the big vaccination centres and he was given the jab: he is in his early thirties. It sounds like the limiting factor is not supply nor organisation, but the willingness of the population to get vaccinated.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,306
    edited February 2021

    ydoethur said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    A bit like Boris Johnson, every single other thing he’s done has been an unmitigated catastrophe, but he’s doing quite well on vaccines.

    He’s probably helped by the fact that outside the sparsely populated middle (by which I mean the area from Cardigan to Porthmadog to Llanymynech to Brecon) most of Wales is within fairly easy reach of some kind of small hospital that can function as a vaccine centre very easily. And even though there is only one actual hospital in that area (Bronglais in Aber) there are lots of quite beefed up supersurgeries that can do more than the average doctor’s practice in England. But it’s still good news.

    That doesn’t alter the fact that he looks more out of his depth than an ant in the Mindanao Trench - but then, you could say the same for Johnson.
    Johnson, not Drakeford, is getting the plaudits here in Wales for a successful vaccine rollout. Drakeford is taking the flak for closed schools, pubs and shops.
    So you said earlier. That seems a bit strange. After all, while Johnson’s government procured them the administration is a local matter. But then, I suppose this isn’t about rationality.

    Do you think that may have a bearing on the Senedd elections? I’m still toying with ‘Tories - most seats’ in a tight three way split.
  • Options
    MrEdMrEd Posts: 5,578
    TimT said:

    HYUFD said:

    kinabalu said:

    kle4 said:

    Nigelb said:

    Are Senators supposed to be jurors in cases of impeachment ?

    https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1360258176478814210

    Not sure why they care how unprepared the team was, everyone can see the votes are there since before the trial even started. And it's not like they worry about the liberal media thinking that makes them look craven.
    Trump is using it to say the election was stolen.
    R Senators want him to say he didnt mean to incite the crowds. Trump wont do that for them.
    As always it is Trump demonstrating he has power, and the Senators wishing he didn't but unable or unwilling to stop him acting as he pleases.
    As political acts of abject, unprincipled cowardice go, the GOP senators refusal to convict Donald Trump has to be right up there.
    Any GOP Senator who votes to convict Trump will face a primary challenge they would probably lose, with a few exceptions like Romney in Utah where he has a big personal vote.

    The same goes for the 10 GOP Representatives who voted to impeach Trump.

    Turkeys do not vote for Christmas
    But why should the electorate vote for anyone who will not defend the Constitution when they have the chance? This GOP, out of fear of being primaried, have foregone any justification for being elected.

    It is so cowardly and unprincipled - they are not even prepared to fight for their own beliefs, let alone the Constitution. The GOP as constituted is not fit for purpose.
    There are plenty of Republican Senators who also think the Impeachment trial is a sham and that, if you are looking to convict Trump on incitement, then there should be plenty of Democrats facing the same as well. It's not all down to being craven and fearful.
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,808
    edited February 2021

    Posted this on the previous thread without realising we had moved on...

    Mango said:


    How do you see PR being implemented? Referendum? Or with SNP votes in parliament as they are leaving the country? Not sure they win a referendum, and even as a big fan of PR I am not sure using SNP votes to decide a huge constitutional change for rUK would be acceptable. Also doesnt take many rebels to stop it happening, plenty of Labour MPs are not fans of PR.

    Various possibilities:

    1. The UK loses a war to a real democracy.
    2. A benevolent artificial super intelligence gradually assumes control of all global affairs.
    3. Labour MPs do something a) beneficial and b) strategically smart.
    4. My secret band of left/liberal desperados take the levers of power and bequeath a written constitution and sensible political settlement when the guillotining is done.

    Number 3 is the least likely.
    Surely the scenario set out earlier on this thread (forgive me I forget by whom) is the most likely.

    Labour gains power on the back of SNP support. This in turn is conditional on an Independence referendum.
    Labour realises that the Scots will vote for independence and that in turn will remove the Labour majority in the current Parliament and make it far less likely there will be one in future Parliaments.
    Labour, the SNP and the other minor parties push through a change to electoral law that all future votes are by a PR system.

    It may be constitutionally dodgy if there is no PR referendum and they have not included it in their manifesto but they would argue that Parliament is sovereign and should be able to chose how it is elected.

    For the record I am against PR but it seems perfectly feasible that it could be introduced in the way I describe.

    If that were before the indyref that would remove the objection that the Scots MPs were definitely on the way out.
  • Options

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    To be serious for a moment, it is encouraging that all four UK constituent countries are now converging together on their vaccine rollouts. One out of kilter with the rest would not be the trauma we currently need.
    Agreed. I'm also impressed with how well the Scottish Government are doing given the weather conditions, or has that been exaggerated by the South British media?
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,306
    Omnium said:

    No wrong doing at Kids Company it seems.

    I'm surprised.

    Prior to the judgement I'd have guessed that these people were using a charity as a front to line their own nests.

    Still, the British judicial system with its good connections has gotten to the root of the matter.

    And this is why we can’t have judges making laws.

    Because they ride their own hobby horses.

    Who could forget David Eady telling everyone it was a criminal offence to say Ryan Giggs had been shagging everything with a pulse, but letting a BP exec off confessed embezzlement and perjury because having it dragged into the papers was punishment enough?
  • Options
    Carnyx said:

    ClippP said:

    And the Lib Dems are starting to pick up again. Not surprising. They are back in campaigning mode, ahead of the local elections.
    Really? Have you found a pulse?
    Though the Greens have been edging onto their territory, you're never far from a pulse with the LDs with legumes also featuring prominently.
    'Also'? Same thing, no? All very Byres Road in the Dear Green Place if you ask me. (Or Broughton St if you are an Edinbugger.)
    For full pulse pedantry I believe pulses are accounted to be the seed of the legume from which they are grown, even though both are edible.
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,808

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    To be serious for a moment, it is encouraging that all four UK constituent countries are now converging together on their vaccine rollouts. One out of kilter with the rest would not be the trauma we currently need.
    Agreed. I'm also impressed with how well the Scottish Government are doing given the weather conditions, or has that been exaggerated by the South British media?
    Weather? The way they whine when a flak of snow falls on Broadcasting House roof?

    No, the weather has been bad in Scotland - there has been real disruption. My beer delivery was delayed 3 days running.
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,808
    ydoethur said:

    Omnium said:

    No wrong doing at Kids Company it seems.

    I'm surprised.

    Prior to the judgement I'd have guessed that these people were using a charity as a front to line their own nests.

    Still, the British judicial system with its good connections has gotten to the root of the matter.

    And this is why we can’t have judges making laws.

    Because they ride their own hobby horses.

    Who could forget David Eady telling everyone it was a criminal offence to say Ryan Giggs had been shagging everything with a pulse, but letting a BP exec off confessed embezzlement and perjury because having it dragged into the papers was punishment enough?
    'Pulse' unfortunate in the current context on PB ... dissonant mental images ...
  • Options

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    Indeed! Several of us congratulated Wales before 8am this morning when Mr Drakeford appeared on R4.
  • Options
    Carnyx said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    To be serious for a moment, it is encouraging that all four UK constituent countries are now converging together on their vaccine rollouts. One out of kilter with the rest would not be the trauma we currently need.
    Agreed. I'm also impressed with how well the Scottish Government are doing given the weather conditions, or has that been exaggerated by the South British media?
    Weather? The way they whine when a flak of snow falls on Broadcasting House roof?

    No, the weather has been bad in Scotland - there has been real disruption. My beer delivery was delayed 3 days running.
    Does that mean you get beer every day, or that it took three days for the beer to be delivered? Because if it is the former I now have a picture of a beerman leaving a couple of pints outside your door in the early-morning mist...
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,306
    Carnyx said:

    ydoethur said:

    Omnium said:

    No wrong doing at Kids Company it seems.

    I'm surprised.

    Prior to the judgement I'd have guessed that these people were using a charity as a front to line their own nests.

    Still, the British judicial system with its good connections has gotten to the root of the matter.

    And this is why we can’t have judges making laws.

    Because they ride their own hobby horses.

    Who could forget David Eady telling everyone it was a criminal offence to say Ryan Giggs had been shagging everything with a pulse, but letting a BP exec off confessed embezzlement and perjury because having it dragged into the papers was punishment enough?
    'Pulse' unfortunate in the current context on PB ... dissonant mental images ...
    Well, I was talking about a heart throb.
  • Options
    bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 21,883
    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    A bit like Boris Johnson, every single other thing he’s done has been an unmitigated catastrophe, but he’s doing quite well on vaccines.

    He’s probably helped by the fact that outside the sparsely populated middle (by which I mean the area from Cardigan to Porthmadog to Llanymynech to Brecon) most of Wales is within fairly easy reach of some kind of small hospital that can function as a vaccine centre very easily. And even though there is only one actual hospital in that area (Bronglais in Aber) there are lots of quite beefed up supersurgeries that can do more than the average doctor’s practice in England. But it’s still good news.

    That doesn’t alter the fact that he looks more out of his depth than an ant in the Mindanao Trench - but then, you could say the same for Johnson.
    Johnson, not Drakeford, is getting the plaudits here in Wales for a successful vaccine rollout. Drakeford is taking the flak for closed schools, pubs and shops.
    So you said earlier. That seems a bit strange. After all, while Johnson’s government procured them the administration is a local matter. But then, I suppose this isn’t about rationality.

    Do you think that may have a bearing on the Senedd elections? I’m still toying with ‘Tories - most seats’ in a tight three way split.
    So with Wales also least bad in the deaths per Capita. Drakeford gets no credit?
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,808
    edited February 2021

    Carnyx said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    To be serious for a moment, it is encouraging that all four UK constituent countries are now converging together on their vaccine rollouts. One out of kilter with the rest would not be the trauma we currently need.
    Agreed. I'm also impressed with how well the Scottish Government are doing given the weather conditions, or has that been exaggerated by the South British media?
    Weather? The way they whine when a flak of snow falls on Broadcasting House roof?

    No, the weather has been bad in Scotland - there has been real disruption. My beer delivery was delayed 3 days running.
    Does that mean you get beer every day, or that it took three days for the beer to be delivered? Because if it is the former I now have a picture of a beerman leaving a couple of pints outside your door in the early-morning mist...
    Took three days. But it might as well be delivered daily, almost. The delivery is so convenient with the two local offies closing, the second one fortuitously just pre-pox. Flavourly is the firm - worth a look if you like beers delivered. Various mIxed packs, so good variety. The cans are also small, of which Mrs C approves (vis a vis my mass).
  • Options
    NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,350

    1. Did anyone bother to differentiate in the questioning between "something like September" and "total lockdown?"
    2. Is this a variation on "I approve of higher taxes - for other people?"
    Yup. These polls are moronic, as are those who participate in them.

    When deaths are in the low hundreds a day and the weather improves, people will want to mix. Regardless of what they tell pollsters on a freezing night in February.
    I dunno - you and others of similar mind have been saying that for months, in the teeth of ever-more emphatic polling to the contrary. I know one couple who are keen to mix - everyone else who's expressed an opinion (and I know a lot of younger colleagues, as well as plenty of older ones who've been vaccinated) wants lockdown to continue until Covid has become a marginal threat. A jumbo jet crashing every day is not a marginal threat. When the numbers are under 50, I think sentiment will swing, but not (much) when it's in the low hundreds.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,306

    Carnyx said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    To be serious for a moment, it is encouraging that all four UK constituent countries are now converging together on their vaccine rollouts. One out of kilter with the rest would not be the trauma we currently need.
    Agreed. I'm also impressed with how well the Scottish Government are doing given the weather conditions, or has that been exaggerated by the South British media?
    Weather? The way they whine when a flak of snow falls on Broadcasting House roof?

    No, the weather has been bad in Scotland - there has been real disruption. My beer delivery was delayed 3 days running.
    Does that mean you get beer every day, or that it took three days for the beer to be delivered? Because if it is the former I now have a picture of a beerman leaving a couple of pints outside your door in the early-morning mist...
    Delivering beer in this weather would certainly be a Stella performance.
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,935
    Send them straight back, or if they're British citzens straight to the nearest prison Britannia Hotel.
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,808

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    A bit like Boris Johnson, every single other thing he’s done has been an unmitigated catastrophe, but he’s doing quite well on vaccines.

    He’s probably helped by the fact that outside the sparsely populated middle (by which I mean the area from Cardigan to Porthmadog to Llanymynech to Brecon) most of Wales is within fairly easy reach of some kind of small hospital that can function as a vaccine centre very easily. And even though there is only one actual hospital in that area (Bronglais in Aber) there are lots of quite beefed up supersurgeries that can do more than the average doctor’s practice in England. But it’s still good news.

    That doesn’t alter the fact that he looks more out of his depth than an ant in the Mindanao Trench - but then, you could say the same for Johnson.
    Johnson, not Drakeford, is getting the plaudits here in Wales for a successful vaccine rollout. Drakeford is taking the flak for closed schools, pubs and shops.
    So you said earlier. That seems a bit strange. After all, while Johnson’s government procured them the administration is a local matter. But then, I suppose this isn’t about rationality.

    Do you think that may have a bearing on the Senedd elections? I’m still toying with ‘Tories - most seats’ in a tight three way split.
    So with Wales also least bad in the deaths per Capita. Drakeford gets no credit?
    Unionist media innit. Same with hospital waiting lists. Incessant rain of piss when Scotland was worse. Moment Scotland improcved and E&W went down past it, the piss shut off like a tdropical downpour.
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,266
    edited February 2021
    MrEd said:

    TimT said:

    HYUFD said:

    kinabalu said:

    kle4 said:

    Nigelb said:

    Are Senators supposed to be jurors in cases of impeachment ?

    https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1360258176478814210

    Not sure why they care how unprepared the team was, everyone can see the votes are there since before the trial even started. And it's not like they worry about the liberal media thinking that makes them look craven.
    Trump is using it to say the election was stolen.
    R Senators want him to say he didnt mean to incite the crowds. Trump wont do that for them.
    As always it is Trump demonstrating he has power, and the Senators wishing he didn't but unable or unwilling to stop him acting as he pleases.
    As political acts of abject, unprincipled cowardice go, the GOP senators refusal to convict Donald Trump has to be right up there.
    Any GOP Senator who votes to convict Trump will face a primary challenge they would probably lose, with a few exceptions like Romney in Utah where he has a big personal vote.

    The same goes for the 10 GOP Representatives who voted to impeach Trump.

    Turkeys do not vote for Christmas
    But why should the electorate vote for anyone who will not defend the Constitution when they have the chance? This GOP, out of fear of being primaried, have foregone any justification for being elected.

    It is so cowardly and unprincipled - they are not even prepared to fight for their own beliefs, let alone the Constitution. The GOP as constituted is not fit for purpose.
    There are plenty of Republican Senators who also think the Impeachment trial is a sham and that, if you are looking to convict Trump on incitement, then there should be plenty of Democrats facing the same as well. It's not all down to being craven and fearful.
    And which of those Democrats lost the presidential election, then activated the long prepared smear that it was stolen, then fed this lie relentlessly to their softhead base whilst launching a series of frivolous "only for show" court actions, then called a massive demo against the confirmation of his legal successor - the election winner - on confirmation day, then whipped that crowd up into a frenzy of righteous indignation and told them to march on the capitol and "fight" for the future their country? Precisely none. This is false equivalence of a degree amounting to blatant propaganda for Donald Trump. This now pointed out, I sincerely hope you will desist with it.
  • Options
    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 25,257
    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    A bit like Boris Johnson, every single other thing he’s done has been an unmitigated catastrophe, but he’s doing quite well on vaccines.

    He’s probably helped by the fact that outside the sparsely populated middle (by which I mean the area from Cardigan to Porthmadog to Llanymynech to Brecon) most of Wales is within fairly easy reach of some kind of small hospital that can function as a vaccine centre very easily. And even though there is only one actual hospital in that area (Bronglais in Aber) there are lots of quite beefed up supersurgeries that can do more than the average doctor’s practice in England. But it’s still good news.

    That doesn’t alter the fact that he looks more out of his depth than an ant in the Mindanao Trench - but then, you could say the same for Johnson.
    Johnson, not Drakeford, is getting the plaudits here in Wales for a successful vaccine rollout. Drakeford is taking the flak for closed schools, pubs and shops.
    So you said earlier. That seems a bit strange. After all, while Johnson’s government procured them the administration is a local matter. But then, I suppose this isn’t about rationality.

    Do you think that may have a bearing on the Senedd elections? I’m still toying with ‘Tories - most seats’ in a tight three way split.
    I am of an age where I tend to repeat myself.

    If the current narrative continues, and Drakeford's woeful Covid performance is contrasted with Johnson's awesomeness, it might well translate into seats.

    I don't think it necessarily gets us the gorgeous RT as FM, but who knows?
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,808
    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    To be serious for a moment, it is encouraging that all four UK constituent countries are now converging together on their vaccine rollouts. One out of kilter with the rest would not be the trauma we currently need.
    Agreed. I'm also impressed with how well the Scottish Government are doing given the weather conditions, or has that been exaggerated by the South British media?
    Weather? The way they whine when a flak of snow falls on Broadcasting House roof?

    No, the weather has been bad in Scotland - there has been real disruption. My beer delivery was delayed 3 days running.
    Does that mean you get beer every day, or that it took three days for the beer to be delivered? Because if it is the former I now have a picture of a beerman leaving a couple of pints outside your door in the early-morning mist...
    Delivering beer in this weather would certainly be a Stella performance.
    I had to go and fetch it in before it froze! That's one advantage of beijng home at almost all times just now.
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,935
    MrEd said:

    TimT said:

    HYUFD said:

    kinabalu said:

    kle4 said:

    Nigelb said:

    Are Senators supposed to be jurors in cases of impeachment ?

    https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1360258176478814210

    Not sure why they care how unprepared the team was, everyone can see the votes are there since before the trial even started. And it's not like they worry about the liberal media thinking that makes them look craven.
    Trump is using it to say the election was stolen.
    R Senators want him to say he didnt mean to incite the crowds. Trump wont do that for them.
    As always it is Trump demonstrating he has power, and the Senators wishing he didn't but unable or unwilling to stop him acting as he pleases.
    As political acts of abject, unprincipled cowardice go, the GOP senators refusal to convict Donald Trump has to be right up there.
    Any GOP Senator who votes to convict Trump will face a primary challenge they would probably lose, with a few exceptions like Romney in Utah where he has a big personal vote.

    The same goes for the 10 GOP Representatives who voted to impeach Trump.

    Turkeys do not vote for Christmas
    But why should the electorate vote for anyone who will not defend the Constitution when they have the chance? This GOP, out of fear of being primaried, have foregone any justification for being elected.

    It is so cowardly and unprincipled - they are not even prepared to fight for their own beliefs, let alone the Constitution. The GOP as constituted is not fit for purpose.
    There are plenty of Republican Senators who also think the Impeachment trial is a sham and that, if you are looking to convict Trump on incitement, then there should be plenty of Democrats facing the same as well. It's not all down to being craven and fearful.
    It really is all down to being craven and fearful.
  • Options
    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    To be serious for a moment, it is encouraging that all four UK constituent countries are now converging together on their vaccine rollouts. One out of kilter with the rest would not be the trauma we currently need.
    Agreed. I'm also impressed with how well the Scottish Government are doing given the weather conditions, or has that been exaggerated by the South British media?
    Weather? The way they whine when a flak of snow falls on Broadcasting House roof?

    No, the weather has been bad in Scotland - there has been real disruption. My beer delivery was delayed 3 days running.
    Does that mean you get beer every day, or that it took three days for the beer to be delivered? Because if it is the former I now have a picture of a beerman leaving a couple of pints outside your door in the early-morning mist...
    Took three days. But it might as well be delivered daily, almost. The delivery is so convenient with the two local offies closing, the second one fortuitously just pre-pox. Flavourly is the firm - worth a look if you like beers delivered. Various mIxed packs, so good variety. The cans are also small, of which Mrs C approves (vis a vis my mass).
    I've just looked them up. I'm tempted...
  • Options


    I dunno - you and others of similar mind have been saying that for months, in the teeth of ever-more emphatic polling to the contrary. I know one couple who are keen to mix - everyone else who's expressed an opinion (and I know a lot of younger colleagues, as well as plenty of older ones who've been vaccinated) wants lockdown to continue until Covid has become a marginal threat. A jumbo jet crashing every day is not a marginal threat. When the numbers are under 50, I think sentiment will swing, but not (much) when it's in the low hundreds.

    The key thing here is the hospitalisations figure. Although it seems slightly counter-intuitive at first, it's not the oldies who are filling up the wards and the ICUs, it's middle-aged people. The vaccination programme will reduce deaths quite quickly now, but hospitalisations will fall more slowly because the younger people haven't been jabbed yet:

    https://twitter.com/COVID19actuary/status/1360131370366959618

  • Options
    bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 21,883
    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    To be serious for a moment, it is encouraging that all four UK constituent countries are now converging together on their vaccine rollouts. One out of kilter with the rest would not be the trauma we currently need.
    Agreed. I'm also impressed with how well the Scottish Government are doing given the weather conditions, or has that been exaggerated by the South British media?
    Weather? The way they whine when a flak of snow falls on Broadcasting House roof?

    No, the weather has been bad in Scotland - there has been real disruption. My beer delivery was delayed 3 days running.
    Does that mean you get beer every day, or that it took three days for the beer to be delivered? Because if it is the former I now have a picture of a beerman leaving a couple of pints outside your door in the early-morning mist...
    Delivering beer in this weather would certainly be a Stella performance.
    https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=http://voyaide.com/shop/uncategorized/hite-beer-extra-cold/&psig=AOvVaw2mttiA4_vAIO-8nVE8w-fO&ust=1613242255083000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPjyxu6B5e4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAI
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    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 25,257

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    A bit like Boris Johnson, every single other thing he’s done has been an unmitigated catastrophe, but he’s doing quite well on vaccines.

    He’s probably helped by the fact that outside the sparsely populated middle (by which I mean the area from Cardigan to Porthmadog to Llanymynech to Brecon) most of Wales is within fairly easy reach of some kind of small hospital that can function as a vaccine centre very easily. And even though there is only one actual hospital in that area (Bronglais in Aber) there are lots of quite beefed up supersurgeries that can do more than the average doctor’s practice in England. But it’s still good news.

    That doesn’t alter the fact that he looks more out of his depth than an ant in the Mindanao Trench - but then, you could say the same for Johnson.
    Johnson, not Drakeford, is getting the plaudits here in Wales for a successful vaccine rollout. Drakeford is taking the flak for closed schools, pubs and shops.
    So you said earlier. That seems a bit strange. After all, while Johnson’s government procured them the administration is a local matter. But then, I suppose this isn’t about rationality.

    Do you think that may have a bearing on the Senedd elections? I’m still toying with ‘Tories - most seats’ in a tight three way split.
    So with Wales also least bad in the deaths per Capita. Drakeford gets no credit?
    No. The narrative on local news is we have done considerably worse here in Wales on all metrics than England. The narrative on UK news is that the only metric worth considering is vaccine delivery, and Johnson singlehandedly delivered.

    That might all change by May. Potentially faulty AZN vaccine, economic strife beginning to bite, are two possible negatives for the Conservatives. It is also highly likely that RT will say something outrageous and upset everyone.
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    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    To be serious for a moment, it is encouraging that all four UK constituent countries are now converging together on their vaccine rollouts. One out of kilter with the rest would not be the trauma we currently need.
    Agreed. I'm also impressed with how well the Scottish Government are doing given the weather conditions, or has that been exaggerated by the South British media?
    Weather? The way they whine when a flak of snow falls on Broadcasting House roof?

    No, the weather has been bad in Scotland - there has been real disruption. My beer delivery was delayed 3 days running.
    Does that mean you get beer every day, or that it took three days for the beer to be delivered? Because if it is the former I now have a picture of a beerman leaving a couple of pints outside your door in the early-morning mist...
    Delivering beer in this weather would certainly be a Stella performance.
    https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=http://voyaide.com/shop/uncategorized/hite-beer-extra-cold/&psig=AOvVaw2mttiA4_vAIO-8nVE8w-fO&ust=1613242255083000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPjyxu6B5e4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAI
    $68 for a beer? The most I've ever paid was £24, and that was for a 75cl bottle: https://www.thedrinkshop.com/item/6805/deus-brut-des-flandres?gclid=CjwKCAiA65iBBhB-EiwAW253W75OiLrvxMNltt0EwiMomNxqZb3RLysKbzP7sbirznjNGGAug2ShHxoC3NkQAvD_BwE
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    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,266
    edited February 2021

    Posted this on the previous thread without realising we had moved on...

    Mango said:


    How do you see PR being implemented? Referendum? Or with SNP votes in parliament as they are leaving the country? Not sure they win a referendum, and even as a big fan of PR I am not sure using SNP votes to decide a huge constitutional change for rUK would be acceptable. Also doesnt take many rebels to stop it happening, plenty of Labour MPs are not fans of PR.

    Various possibilities:

    1. The UK loses a war to a real democracy.
    2. A benevolent artificial super intelligence gradually assumes control of all global affairs.
    3. Labour MPs do something a) beneficial and b) strategically smart.
    4. My secret band of left/liberal desperados take the levers of power and bequeath a written constitution and sensible political settlement when the guillotining is done.

    Number 3 is the least likely.
    Surely the scenario set out earlier on this thread (forgive me I forget by whom) is the most likely.

    Labour gains power on the back of SNP support. This in turn is conditional on an Independence referendum.
    Labour realises that the Scots will vote for independence and that in turn will remove the Labour majority in the current Parliament and make it far less likely there will be one in future Parliaments.
    Labour, the SNP and the other minor parties push through a change to electoral law that all future votes are by a PR system.

    It may be constitutionally dodgy if there is no PR referendum and they have not included it in their manifesto but they would argue that Parliament is sovereign and should be able to chose how it is elected.

    For the record I am against PR but it seems perfectly feasible that it could be introduced in the way I describe.
    That's a bummer. I pride myself - with some justification - on being able to predict with almost spooky accuracy what each & every PB poster will think about any particular political proposition. And I had you down as approving of a measure of electoral reform away from pure FPTP and towards some form of PR. Total total shock at my gaff about this revelation.
  • Options

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    I see that nice Mr Drakeford is smashing it out of the park.

    I am sure we would all like to congratulate him on his marvelous performance


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56025773

    A bit like Boris Johnson, every single other thing he’s done has been an unmitigated catastrophe, but he’s doing quite well on vaccines.

    He’s probably helped by the fact that outside the sparsely populated middle (by which I mean the area from Cardigan to Porthmadog to Llanymynech to Brecon) most of Wales is within fairly easy reach of some kind of small hospital that can function as a vaccine centre very easily. And even though there is only one actual hospital in that area (Bronglais in Aber) there are lots of quite beefed up supersurgeries that can do more than the average doctor’s practice in England. But it’s still good news.

    That doesn’t alter the fact that he looks more out of his depth than an ant in the Mindanao Trench - but then, you could say the same for Johnson.
    Johnson, not Drakeford, is getting the plaudits here in Wales for a successful vaccine rollout. Drakeford is taking the flak for closed schools, pubs and shops.
    So you said earlier. That seems a bit strange. After all, while Johnson’s government procured them the administration is a local matter. But then, I suppose this isn’t about rationality.

    Do you think that may have a bearing on the Senedd elections? I’m still toying with ‘Tories - most seats’ in a tight three way split.
    So with Wales also least bad in the deaths per Capita. Drakeford gets no credit?
    No. The narrative on local news is we have done considerably worse here in Wales on all metrics than England. The narrative on UK news is that the only metric worth considering is vaccine delivery, and Johnson singlehandedly delivered.

    That might all change by May. Potentially faulty AZN vaccine, economic strife beginning to bite, are two possible negatives for the Conservatives. It is also highly likely that RT will say something outrageous and upset everyone.
    Feel rather sorry for Drakeford. He reminds me of a hapless schoolmaster who was bullied remorselessly by 5R. He was found slumped in a corridor one day after school, sobbing his poor heart out, and was never seen again. If it weren't for the discrepancy in age I would guess he had changed his name and moved to Cardiff.

    5R were a gang of organised criminals in their late teens sent back to school year after year by their overambitious shop-keeping parents in the hope of bagging an O-level through random chance. They are now senior members of Drakeford's electorate.
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