POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

"In essence Democrats see it as a slush fund for big business with little financial control."
We are seeing the same trend here aren't we P. No help as yet for large sections at the bottom of the pile and what there is is derisory. Less than £100 a week isn't a living wage, doesn't even touch the sides. Is it any wonder that many self employed are just carrying on and hoping they don't get caught. What else can they do?
In one respect Trump was right, the 'cure' could be worse than the disease. It's down to the politicians to address that at any cost!
As their favourite war leader used to note on documents; "Action this day!".

[Tizer]

More on the China-US issue, an article by Nick Bryant, BBC New York correspondent. Very interesting and worth reading. The effects of the Covid pandemic are going to be even more important than we think. This could mark the end of Trump and it could mark the beginning of a slide for the US. For example, one small point - most of the anti-covid masks needed by the US are manufactured in China, but China will give them to the new allies that it's making at the moment. And it's Trump's terrible handling of the covid epidemic in the US that is increasing the nation's need for masks. I'll leave you all to work for your selves where this is going to lead...
`Coronavirus: What this crisis reveals about US - and its president' LINK

[Stanley]

I think I heard him on Today and thought what a good contribution it was. Apart from anything else, as has been pointed out elsewhere, Trump is almost certainly in deep financial trouble. Remember he's still not revealed his accounts. That's gone very quiet but I can see it being wheeled out as a big gun in the coming election. Did you see the mayor of NY coming clean over the fact that the US has no stockpiles of essential equipment including PPE and ventilators?
At home we have the historic suspension of daily sittings of the House until late April and only coming back then to pass the Financial Bill which enables the Budget. Not even in WW2....
Noticeable that whenever Johnson is asked questions about shortages in the NHS he reverts to waffle and disconnected and unfinished sentences. The cuts since 2010 are being swept under the carpet and Hunt is chair of the Health Committee. Fox in hen coop or what?

[rossylass]

Trump is even putting a positive spin on the fact that the USA are now at the top of the Coronavirus league table, surpassing China, claiming that it's the scale of the testing which has revealed the numbers rather than his denial and stupidity which have allowed the spread!

[Stanley]

Yes, I noted that also. The man is in a parallel universe and tweets nonsense which is then corrected in statements by experts who know the truth.
Here we have evidence that the country can be run on a computer from your bedroom. Can I have a turn please?

[Tizer]

This article is full of interesting graphics...
`Coronavirus: A visual guide to the economic impact' LINK

I'm sad to see Johnson, Hancock and Witty have now got the covid virus and I hope they have only mild symptoms. They're getting criticism from some quarters for having carried on working but they made a sacrifice for our sakes so let's not diss them.They've been doing - and still are doing - a great job of dealing with a world shattering event. We're lucky to be in the UK and not America!

[Stanley]

Interesting article Tiz, that blew away 20 minutes.

[Tizer]

Some wise words from Scotland...
`SNP urges UK government to 'hit pause' on Brexit due to coronavirus' LINK

Later...the BBC has just flagged up this 2019 report from the WHO that warned of a future pandemic and what needs to be done to prevent such events: LINK

[Stanley]

Only a total idiot would try to negotiate with the EU when there are so many known unknowns about the economy.
That WHO report makes you feel sick when you realise that it's all there, the warning, the nature of the threat and the strategy and what did we do? Add the effects of ten years of cuts and you get a sorry picture.
No wonder that whenever they are taxed on these matters Tory politicians rapidly steer away from giving any direct response.

[Tizer]

A friend of ours living in Austin, Texas, has emailed describing their lockdown and it all sounds much like ours. She goes on to say:
`The problem in the US is every state and city is doing its own thing and there is inconsistent leadership from the Federal Government. Trump is more interested in fixing the Stock Market and blaming everyone else for our poor response than addressing the spread of Coronavirus. The only real leadership is coming from state Governors and city mayors. Consequentially, some states and cities have major restrictions on daily life and others have much looser restrictions. Austin is taking reasonable measures to ensure social distancing etc. with its 'shelter in place' policy but much of Texas is treating the Coronavirus more casually with too little testing and hospitals ill prepared.'
We hope for her sake that Trump isn't allowed to mess up what the experts are doing.

[Sue]

His fans just say its all fake news, they believe everything he says

[Stanley]

Tiz, your friend in Austin is on the same page as Uncle Bob. I rang him yesterday and he said exactly the same thing. In particular he mentioned the mayor of NY and the governor of New York State as doing a good job. Politically and domestically the US economy is nose diving. The markets are bad enough but more important is the crushing blow to the daily economy. Like the UK, the US is virtually shut down. It's hit Trump in an election year and he can see what's coming down the track towards him.
Johnson is lucky, he's only got a pandemic, Brexit and an economic recession to worry about. Blustering and waffling and visions of the ship of state sailing into a golden sunset have suddenly gone on hold. He can suppress company and treasury balance sheets but not the consequences like whole industries closing down and individual concerns becoming insolvent and being forced to go publicly into administration.

[Tizer]

While Biden and Sanders are butting against each other like a couple of old stags the NY governor Andrew Cumo is sneaking up on them. He's got a strong following among the Democrats now, having faced up to Trump on the covid issue.

[Stanley]

Uncle Bob rates him...... US now has an infection rate greater than China. I wonder how Trump will spin that one?
Noticeable how every government spokes person shies away from any comment on the lamentably low rate of testing. Not clear where the hold up is, dong the tests, interpreting the results in the lab or simply the availability of the testing kits. They could at least tell us that but as usual, it's mushroom farm syndrome. Can't the politicians see that this secrecy has to change. We need honest, transparent government, NOW!!

[PanBiker]

We need honest, transparent government, NOW!!

We actually needed a National Government soon after the referendum vote gave an almost 50/50 split. It would still be in place now and would have been more useful when fighting a common foe.

[Tizer]

I don't think it's secrecy, more likely just so much happening at once and they, like us, are hindered by all the restrictions. Also unexpected problems and unintended consequences, e.g the company that promised to make things (was it test kits perhaps) but without warning or explanation has backed out this morning. Perhaps it's going bust, perhaps the workers have refused to go in.

Trump has now changed his tune and is warning about 100,000 deaths in the US. Guardian I suspect his previous claims that it would all be over in a matter of weeks arose because he saw reports that China was getting back to normal and he couldn't afford to let folk in America think that China was better than them. He hadn't grasped that China had imposed a much more severe lockdown and had used IT to track contacts.

[plaques]

The new minimum wage comes into effect today £8.72 / hr for over 25 year old's . There's now a push to delay the future living wage rate promised by Johnson during the election aspirations. Austerity wins again.
Duncan Smith is rocking the boat by suggesting our trading with China is rolled back and placed under review. Smith This man's an idiot.

[Stanley]

I'm listening to the sorry story of the problems with providing enough tests. Booze ups and breweries come to mind....
Tiz, sorry to disagree but secrecy is a problem.

[Tizer]

Plaques, the Resolution Foundation was pushing for the delay...
`Upcoming increase in the National Living Wage should be delayed for six months' LINK

[Tripps]

I found it hard to believe - but the Scottish Parliament was sitting today. The word 'live' was in the top corner of the screen anyway. It's a modern building - they sit in a semi circle, and were a decent distance apart. All very modern - they have an electrical 'Corporal Jones' button which asks the chair for 'permission to speak Sir'. All very civilised. A bit risky in the current situation I'd say though.

[Stanley]

Hopefully someone will have done a risk assessment David. I'm all in favour of keeping a minimum presence in the chamber. At the moment there is no direct route to attack/amend government policy. I am not comfortable with it and think that some sort of 'skeleton sitting' should be put in place.

[Stanley]

Later.... the outcry about PPE and testing gets stronger as it becomes apparent that the situation is dire and nowhere near what ministers are saying. Johnson and Hancock repeat reassurances, 'working 24 X 7' etc., but this is wearing thin, the public wants to see concrete results.
Little whispers in the news suggest that part of the delay in manufacturing testing kits might be down to minor officials insisting on the letter of the law in respect of chemicals and swabs. This sounds lie par for the course and someone must do a Churchillian 'Action This Day'.
In the US Trump says that the manufacture of ventilators, PPE, and testing kits are flooding the market and delivering direct to the hospitals. The hospitals report that they are desperate for deliveries as US cases rocket upwards. Who do we believe?
Later... It is reported that the US is buying supplies from China and a cargo plane loaded with ventilators has arrived from Russia. Putin has described it as humanitarian aid for the US. Who'd have thowt it?

[Whyperion]

IDS might not seem so unwise, I have a feeling China might come out of this a little more economically superior ( depends how its relations in the middle east and africa go out of control with virus spreading ). The rate of technology progress both in China and in the more western countries in technological abatement and changes to medical devices at the end will result in units that can be produced cheaper ( and supposedly the Chinese Govt officates the quality assurance of exports , even including face masks, but there is still suspicion to me that it allows to many 'fake' or sub-standard things to be produced (and the UK/EU doesnt?)). So does the progress of designs mean that parts of the UK wont be in a shape to benefit from future revenues and demands.

I doubt any of the 'good' (and its not been universal) social and societial things we have learned and practiced in this period will last much more than a day when the crisis is finished. The homeless will be back on the streets, the alcohol and drug dependent given insufficient care and support, we will eat, too much,of the wrong kind of stuff, prices will go up, and the Conservatives will claim that they saved the world and it is business as usual.Hospitals will return to normal (in)capacity,

[PanBiker]

and the Conservatives will claim that they saved the world and it is business as usual.

Well I for one will not let them get away with the fact that they created the deficit in the NHS in the first place with 10 years of underfunding. Also the fact PM BJ is still spewing out the same rhetoric about testing and how to fix the situation that he said over a month ago with little change to the testing regime. They have to be held to account, they stuffed it up and should pay the price for their mismanagement. With the WHO predicting the possibility of a global pandemic over a year ago, every hospital in the UK should have been overstocked with PPE for such an eventuality, it's inert stock and doesn't go off so why don't hey have the basics? I hope all the folk that voted for this shower are proud of themselves.

[Whyperion]

PB , while the Jermy Corbyn land of 'I told you so' would your last comment be of use in the next load of election leaflets come May 2021?