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Neither Johnson nor his deputy Raab come out of this well – politicalbetting.com
Neither Johnson nor his deputy Raab come out of this well – politicalbetting.com
Deputy PM Raab struggling here to defend Johnson's refusal to wear a mask while visiting a hospital https://t.co/i3zg75PAgu
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https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/boris-johnson-missing-in-action
Or fantastically stupid?
Or both?
It’s maddening, the contempt they have.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own#when-you-should-wear-a-face-covering
The salient line is here:
"Infection Prevention Control (IPC) guidance advises that patients and visitors across all healthcare settings should wear a face covering, providing it is tolerated and is not detrimental to their medical or care needs. They should also be worn in care homes to protect residents from the risk of infection."
I might also add a third possibility "wilfully ignorant" - which is in many ways a combination of lying and stupid.
BoZo's contempt for parliament is part of his appeal. It's why the Brexiteers supported him.
I am less sure that his open contempt of Tory backbench MPs will keep him in office though...
I've noticed the same pattern on trains too. Manspreading and masklessness often combined. I say this as someone who is pretty sceptical of the need for masks now we're all vaccinated but who tends to go with the flow on the trains to avoid dirty looks. The telling part is that they feel no such peer pressure. It's part of their identity (and I did hear a couple of them chuckling about the "scared little people with their face nappies" on an evening train from London Bridge a week ago).
The level of non-compliance on the Tube was extremely high.
I would imagine late evening when people have had a few lend themselves to the unmasked equilibrium state.
https://twitter.com/reevellp/status/1458034107028434945?s=21
https://twitter.com/markito0171/status/1458033959951126528?s=21
https://twitter.com/euronews/status/1458030475012870149?s=21
For the last few years long term "empties" (6 months or more) has been around 0.7%, recently increased to about 0.8-.9% during Covid. Can it realistically be less than that?
https://www.statista.com/statistics/755383/all-vacant-dwellings-england-by-type/
Here's the position from 2014, with the G including empties for more than 3 months. Though being the G we don't get the definition.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/feb/23/europe-11m-empty-properties-enough-house-homeless-continent-twice
There's a reason Germany could take 1m refugees in 2015. There's also stuff about the UK not building very many.
We should be bullish about the future, and glad of our success in returning to normal life. Not cowering, for no reason
I'm really annoyed that the Tories didn't put up a proper candidate because Sadiq was and still is beatable. He's such a terrible mayor.
Bozo is an arse.
From the EU correspondent of the FT.
Commission officials and EU diplomats roundly dismissing the idea that there is a "package" of retaliation measures being prepared by Brussels against UK - particularly a pre-emptivre strike over A16. No plan will be presented to EU envoys tomorrow or by Sefocvic to Frost on Fri
https://twitter.com/MehreenKhn/status/1458032883155800071
Mercantilism chess.
Meanwhile, there are a whole tranche of new back benchers who are quite the opposite. Needing to nurse their newly won voters who wouldn't feel comfortable visiting London, let alone one of its posher clubs.
Yet the PM's electoral appeal isl to the latter, not the former. Even though his personal attitudes are diametrically opposed.
No idea how this will play out.
PS 29% of all UK births are to mothers born abroad. I wonder what it is in Italy. Does anyone know?
I have stopped wearing a mask (tho I might do it again, for personal protection, as I wait for my Booster). We have to get beyond the mentality of fear
I have a silk neck gaiter, which I wear mainly because it looks cool, like I am a war correspondent just back from Kabul, but I slip it over my nose if I am surrounded by the paranoid
But Boris should scrap the mask guidance altogether if he's not going to wear one. No issues with that, masks are beyond ridiculous post-vaccinations. If he's not going to do that, he should follow his own rules.
Arse.
James Melville
@JamesMelville
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2h
“Vaccine passports decimating Scottish nightlife.”
Nightclub trade in Scotland has dropped by almost half (46%) since vaccine passports were introduced in Scotland.
#NoVaccinePassports
===
Gove needs to get up to Aberdeen more often.
Another stupid thing that rankles. The barriers in the street to allow social distancing on pavements. Those hideous red and white blobs. Some of them are STILL THERE, slowing down traffic, blemishing the capital's beauty. Pointless. Get rid. Why doesn't he do the little stuff like that?
I actually cannot think of a single thing he has *done*, which isn't negative: ie a restriction or a prohibition or an omission
I seem to be the only one who bothers in shops - if nothing else, it seems impolite to the shop assistants who are wearing theirs.
Boris has visited a lot of hospitals in the last 18 months. Of course he knows the expectation - he's not that thick. He chose to break it. I've no idea why, but ignorance or poor advice is no defence.
For avoidance of doubt I've stopped wearing one expect where specifically and prominently mandated. We're going to have to discard them sooner or later. Why not sooner?
Rules regarding masks in hospitals are clear and unambiguous - wear one at all times. Johnson wore one when off camera (picked up by long lens shots) but took it off when on camera.
Why? What is the mindset of the man?
Worse is Raab the Robot repeating over and over that the PM followed the rules whilst they played over and over the video proof that he didn't.
One rule for us. Another for him. And they think you are stupid.
Can't see his "base" who take that view being overly numerous. Or likely to vote for anyone else anyway.
Also I don't really want to catch Covid myself even though in all likelihood it would be a mild infection. It could disrupt my kids' schooling. And I could get Long Covid. So it makes sense to take small steps to avoid getting it if possible. I don't really know why masks are so totemic for some people.
For a start they are really really bad for deaf people, and for autistic people. They are just BAD. Human smiles given and received make daily life sweeter, a billion times a day. Give us back our smiles
Spectator
A bit like when he hid in a fridge during the last election. Works when voters perceived Brexit to be on the line. Not sure it works any longer
PS "relatively sensible"? Thanks, I'll take that. 😉
Labour still not breaking ahead.
Tbf. They don't do much there at the best of times anymore. It is a constant source of complaint that you have to go to Newcastle or Cramlington for even routine stuff. Which he's drawn renewed local attention to. It's a safe seat too.
All curious.
NEW Westminster Voting Intention
Savanta ComRes
Our first post-Paterson polling
Con 38 (-2)
Lab 35 (=)
LDM 10 (+1)
SNP 5 (=)
Grn 4 (=)
Other 9 (+1)
2,231 UK adults, 5-7 Nov
(Changes from 29-31 Oct)
It didn’t bother me wearing it, didn’t feel I’d lost my liberty and about half the people in waitrose wearing them.
I’m essentially happy wearing one to protect others if I think the situation makes it wiser to potentially reduce risk of anyone else catching the lurgy if I have it.
For a start he really is not well-liked
Fame (have heard of): 89%
Popularity (liked by): 22%
Disliked by: 41%
Neutral: 26%
To be disliked by nearly half the country, despite being basically invisible and doing nothing of note, is quite an achievement
Then YouGove offers these gems:
OTHER THINGS LIKED BY SADIQ KHAN'S FANS:
Peterborough
North Korea
Wolverhampton
A cook book called "Magnolia Table"
Alan Arkin
Paraguay
It seems that if you "like" Sadiq Khan you are incredibly niche and eccentric and you probably like Huddersfield, and Snoop Dog's cooking, as well. Or you live in Peterborough and Wolverhampton.
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/explore/public_figure/Sadiq_Khan
@SamCoatesSky
·
1h
After a few tricky weeks, could Boris Johnson think triggering Article 16 is the tonic the Tory party needs to get it back together again?
It has at least something to do with him.
Tory Fat Cats with Their Snouts in the Trough
has Boris ever had a job working on the floor with ordinary folk? A summer job say? Or?
I hope someone can tell me so I won't have to study up on him more closely.
They can still do what they like of course. But have to be aware there are consequences. Not least several dozen Tory MP'S out of their seats on those figures.
Yeah, fair enough. I will wear one in certain settings – e.g. on a packed tube or train. I just don't think they should be mandated – and find irrational beyond all comprehension the seemingly large constituency of people who would mandate masks (a daily inconvenience and life ruiner for the deaf) but would not mandate vaccines (a temporal inconvenience that would affect only the 5% or so that are unvaxxed).
(For the record, I would mandate neither but would crank up the public campaigns to whittle down the unvaxxed).
"It's time to remind the EU once again, that Brexit means Brexit. What's that, corruption? More like L'corruptión, amiright?"
If there comes a point when the PB Volkssturm had to be conscripted and deployed we’re all pretty much down the shitter anyway, but I fervently hope I don’t find myself in a foxhole alongside one of the giant man babies of PB.
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map/cases
Raab was given a short straw this morning, he has to go out and offer a defence of Boris Johnson. He's damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't. Perhaps he felt it wasn't yet the time to knife the PM.
Certainly that reflects my lefty-green friends. I know one – a tree-hugging yoga teacher –who point blank refuses to wear masks as she believes it to be inhumane*.
The idea that it cuts along traditional left-right lines is palpable nonsense, as you rightly say.
* She is happily vaxxed – I should add
Masks are a massive imposition, providing in my judgement no or very little benefit and that benefit is certainly not outweighed by the imposition.
If you think masks are great, fine, wear one. But don't foist them upon the rest of us who dislike them.
If you really want to use a mask, for rare occasions, an N95 in your pocket, in it's original sealed bag, is far better than any cloth mask.
The virus is endemic, its going to spread. Whether they catch it today, tomorrow or next year doesn't really matter. What does matter is whether you're vaccinated or not.
NPIs made sense pre-PIs. Not now.
Yes, absolutely. It's clearly a ridiculous setting to be unmasked. My views on mask mandates don't apply to frontline healthcare settings – where wearing a mask was often mandated even in pre-covid times!
The breaking rules and being paid for specific political/financial influence matter is completely different; and ought to be a matter for criminal sanctions as well as parliamentary discipline.