POLITICS CORNER

[Tizer]

...but I'm having trouble identifying anyone who I'd want to run the country. We heard a Scot on the radio the other day - I think he was the Health Minister for Scotland - and he sounded more impressive than anything we have in Westminster. Very forthright, confident but in a credible way, no waffling, just hard facts. This might be the man, he took over as chief medical officer in April: Dr Gregor Smith If he is the one then we need people like him.
Dr Smith was formerly a GP and medical director of primary care at NHS Lanarkshire, before joining the Scottish government in 2012. He later led the development of a new quality framework for general practice in Scotland and was appointed deputy chief medical officer in 2015.

[Stanley]

Very true Peter. I heard the same man and was also impressed by him. What we have to avoid is 'Buggin's Turn' in the Cabinet. They all have the same mind set and it isn't to support the poor and needy. Think of all those children in poverty.....

[Stanley]

The whole of English politics rests on whether Johnson gets away with not imposing any more shut downs on the pubs and bars over New Year and more importantly, whether he gets away with it without a spike in hospital admissions. (LINK) The NHS is staggering and failing already under a mountain of neglect and overwork but this is not the focus. It is Covid infections.... Sooner or later NHS funding is going to have to be seriously addressed and many wonder if Sunak's trip to the US had anything to do with this. I get the feeling that our Hedge Fund Chancellor would sell the NHS down the river. I do not trust that man.
Later.... I have just been listening to a politician saying that the lowest earners will be partially protected from, the economic shock of the new year by the fall in fuel prices (??) lower tax rates and price cutting on the High Street. One has to wonder which planet some politicians are on, the very poorest aren't protected by any of the examples and food and utilities have increased more than other goods and services that affect the wealthy.

[plaques]

Liz Truss has just declared that one of the benefits of Brexit is that we can now buy Champagne in PINT bottles. Putting to one side that we always had this option even when we were in the common market it just means convincing whoever makes Champagne, rumour has it its the French, get them to modify their machinery, make special bottles and alter their supply chain and bingo, Qu'ils mangent du gâteau or in this case 'Let them drink Champagne .

[Whyperion]

Liz Truss has just declared that one of the benefits of Brexit is that we can now buy Champagne in PINT bottles. Putting to one side that we always had this option even when we were in the common market it just means convincing whoever makes Champagne, rumour has it its the French, get them to modify their machinery, make special bottles and alter their supply chain and bingo, Qu'ils mangent du gâteau or in this case 'Let them drink Champagne .

Maybe its the English Champagne. Its so wrong, Champagne comes in Jeroboams (or whatever), its beer in Pints, those darned 500ml tinnies are too big in my thinking. Now if they could ban those metric milk pints from Spar that are still priced as a full pint that would be useful - not big enough to see you through tea at night and breakfast in the morning.

[Stanley]

Ken, mention of Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak immediately puts my teeth on edge. If Champagne in pint bottles is her prime example of the benefits of Brexit, someone should advise her to keep stum. But she can't can she, she has to keep her name at the front of current affairs to massage her chances of becoming Thatcher Mk II.

[Stanley]

I suppose in political terms the news this morning is the New Year's Honours list. I look at Blair being knighted and joining the Garter gang and wonder just exactly what is important to the queen. I'd better not get going.....
Full border checks start today. They were postponed for a year post Brexit to give time for hauliers, freight forwarders and manufacturers to get their act together. We'll find out now if they have done that.

[Stanley]

Thinking of the sign at Milton Keynes that said "There is no Pandemic" I look at THIS and wonder how the morons who believe Covid is a hoax explain the number of infections and the possible consequences.
2022 is looking a bit dodgy to say the least and apart form the effects of the pandemic more and more people, including Brexiteers are identifying problems in the supply chain as directly resulting from Brexit and the 'winning back of sovereignty'.
We are about to find out what the new customs procedures are going to mean for trade. The world must be watching and wondering what the hell we were thinking about!

[plaques]

2022 is looking a bit dodgy to say the least and apart form the effects of the pandemic more and more people, including Brexiteers are identifying problems in the supply chain as directly resulting from Brexit and the 'winning back of sovereignty'.

.
Lizz Truss highlighted the advantage with the PINT bottle Champagne. Boris our lovable Buffoon has 'Trumped' this by getting the Crown back on Pint beer glasses. That'll show Jonnie Foreigner we mean business.

[Tizer]

These people believe the antics of Piers Corbyn et al are a mere distraction compared with their aims...
`Antivaxers threaten ‘radical action’ after boxing drills on beach' The Times
`Thousands of anti-vaccine activists have joined a group running combat training sessions and threatening “direct action” in a sign that conspiracists have become more radical. In the past fortnight the group, Alpha Men Assemble, has hosted several meetings for “training and strategy tactics”, The Times can reveal. At its most recent session, on a beach at Littlehampton, West Sussex, on Tuesday, up to 100 activists took part in boxing drills and a scrummaging exercise, in which two groups of dozens of people tried to push each other back. Two more training and strategy meetings are scheduled, one in Brownhills, Staffordshire, on January 8 and another in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, on January 29.'...

[Stanley]

Peter, I am reminded that in 'Capital' Piketty forecast that if nothing was done society would start to fracture and there would be unrest. I've been forecasting it ever since 2010 and the push for austerity. Perhaps we are seeing it coming.
Ken, What's Johnson going to put on appliances when we can't use CE?
Just been talking to a friend of mine who does a lot of work with the legal profession in London and she says things are at a standstill down there because of the Omicron variant. She says that as far as she can see things are a lot worse than anyone is admitting. Could that be true? Would they keep us in the dark?

[Tizer]

She says that as far as she can see things are a lot worse than anyone is admitting. Could that be true? Would they keep us in the dark?

I don't think they need to keep us in the dark. We're all in the dark because the disruption caused by the holidays means lack of covid data and therefore unreliable statistics at the moment. Anything could be happening, especially in the big cities.

[Stanley]

According to her, in the fields she works in, conveyancing, London is a legal desert. A new phrase has arisen, 'The Omni Excuse'.

[Tizer]

A new phrase has arisen, 'The Omni Excuse'.

Perhaps she's confusing the virus with Omnicron Electronics? LINK

America is heading for political meltdown as people like this woman get elected...
`Marjorie Taylor Greene: Twitter bans congresswoman over Covid misinformation' LINK
`Twitter has permanently suspended the personal account of the US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene for repeated violations of its rules around coronavirus misinformation. The action against the Republican lawmaker came under Twitter's strike system, which identifies posts about the virus that could cause harm. The company had previously suspended the Georgia congresswoman four times. Rep Greene said the ban proved that the company is "an enemy to America". In a lengthy statement posted to the social media outlet, Telegram, the 47-year-old said "social media platforms can't stop the truth from being spread far and wide" and accused Twitter of aiding unidentified enemies in "a Communist revolution".

[Stanley]

It wasn't her that alerted me to the phrase Peter but a member of my extended family who is also suffering the effects of Jarndyce v. Jarndyce.

[Stanley]

One so looks forward to some political news from the seat of government.

[plaques]

What you won't be seeing is any reference to our 'special' relationship with America. Our steel industry is still reeling under the 25% extra duty on exports to America. Meanwhile the EU has got the sanctions removed putting them with a big financial advantage. This is being put down to the fact that the have more muscle to retaliate with their own sanctions. The UK is now in a position where we have nothing to retaliate with and are totally dependent on the US for any trade deal to save us from the folly of leaving the Common market. Also we have given them an oven ready made excuse that interfering with the Irish protocol has placed us on the naughty step. The end product is that elements of the steel industry will move to the EU countries taking both jobs and tax receipts out of UK. Part of the making Britain great again.
PS. Don't mention the 'B' word. Brexit... there I've done it.

[Tizer]

After seeing the issue of US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (see my post above) I doubt we will want a special relationship with America in the future. And, unfortunately, we seem to be following America down the slippery slope...
`Cinema & Co flouted ban to show conspiracy film' LINK
`A cinema that was ordered to close after breaking Covid rules flouted the ban to premiere a film by the son of conspiracy theorist David Icke. Swansea's Cinema & Co was ordered to shut by a judge after boss Anna Redfern breached several Covid regulations. Redfern, 45, was also fined £15,000 and given a suspended prison sentence for contempt of court. But she admitted showing a film making serious unfounded allegations against the NHS after the first court order. Directed and produced by Mr Icke's son Jaymie, it makes several baseless accusations against NHS doctors and nurses, including that they are deliberately killing elderly people in hospitals in order to "boost the numbers" of people dying of Covid. The film was described as "completely false", "pernicious" and "dangerous" by the head of research for the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH).'...

[Stanley]

It's hard to credit it isn't it. What possible motive can there be for knowingly publishing lies like that? Did you catch the BBC R4 programme this morning 'The Coming Storm' about the same phenomenon in the states and how Trump is exploiting it.
I don't think that even Piketty realised how complicated the breakdown of normal society could be. Frightening stuff!

[Whyperion]

It's hard to credit it isn't it. What possible motive can there be for knowingly publishing lies like that? Did you catch the BBC R4 programme this morning 'The Coming Storm' about the same phenomenon in the states and how Trump is exploiting it.
I don't think that even Piketty realised how complicated the breakdown of normal society could be. Frightening stuff!

Its strange though that the fracture is coming from the top, rather than the bottom strata of society. (shades of the English Civil War/s again).

deliberately killing elderly people in hospitals in order to "boost the numbers" of people dying of Covid

There certainly reports of DNR notices being used on a number of persons (mostly with other conditions), that got hit with covid. However I can confirm one of my elderly(ish) neighbours whom has a number of conditions, was treated in hospital for covid, discharged and is a well as she was before she spent the 10 days in hospital.

[plaques]

Energy related but with a large chunk of politics. With energy prices set to sky rocket in April some of the red wall Conservatives are expressing concern that some of the elderly and poorer people may not be able to afford higher fuel bills. Although this is obviously true the real concern is that they may switch their vote to Labour or Liberal. Its a well known fact that old people tend to vote so they become important in the voting stakes whereas the poor don't tend to vote therefore they can be ignored as far as any assistance is concerned. But behind the scenes the fact is that high energy prices also affect business as we saw with the shutdown of the fertilizer industry and to a lesser degree small manufactures and retail outlets. Both these sectors are high Conservative voters with the potential to increase inflation and cause job losses. So although the headlines are being sympathetic towards the older generation the main worry is the affect on the economy and how it will effect their standing as MPs.

[Tizer]

Tizer » Tue Jan 04, 2022 10:10 am wrote:
deliberately killing elderly people in hospitals in order to "boost the numbers" of people dying of Covid

Unfortunately that makes it look like I was suggesting elderly people were being killed in hospitals. A quote showing context would have been better, thus...
"..it makes several baseless accusations against NHS doctors and nurses, including that they are deliberately killing elderly people in hospitals in order to "boost the numbers" of people dying of Covid."

[Tripps]

Quite enjoyed PMQ's at 3.00 pm this afternoon. Angela Rayner was confident and fun. Boris blustered and seems to think everything has to be a 'record'.
I'd settle for adequate at the moment.

Noted these comments afterwards
"Angie is confident, I'll give her that. No threat to Boris but I bet Labour back benchers would prefer her to Sir Keith -
She has the confidence of not knowing how much she doesn't know, which is quite a lot."

[Stanley]

Starmer suffers from the fact he sounds so dull and flat. There's more than a touch of the John Major about him.
(Actually, come to think, he is dull and flat and it may be IDS he is reminding me of most.)

[Tizer]

Noted these comments afterwards
"Angie is confident, I'll give her that. No threat to Boris but I bet Labour back benchers would prefer her to Sir Keith -
She has the confidence of not knowing how much she doesn't know, which is quite a lot."

That seems to be the main requisite for membership of our present gang of politicians!

From the Reality Check team...
`Brexit: Did the EU ban crown marks on pint glasses?' LINK