BS: UK thread, Politics and political

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Donuel
Date: 14 May 20 - 06:29 PM

Go to blazes catch Phrases

It means death to
lose your breath

If sick you can tell
Like Boris you'll
look like hell

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 May 20 - 02:29 AM

It's no accident Britain and America are the world's biggest coronavirus losers

Full of stuff like

When the business of government becomes limited to populist set pieces, its ranks are purged of doers and populated instead with cheerleaders.


If you are a Tory cheerleader, don't read it!

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: DMcG
Date: 15 May 20 - 02:54 AM

I don't know about anyone else, but I am getting a lot of facebook posts from Brexit supporters saying we need to be supporting British farmers, repatriating businesses to the UK, we need to be self-sufficient in PPE production and the like.

Fair enough: you can make a case for that. It is about ensuring local industry is viable, even if the same goods are available cheaper from outside. It is a world of state subsidy, and import tariffs.

But it is not a world of free trade: it is a protectionist one.

Which is not entirely compatible what they were arguing before, I would say.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 15 May 20 - 04:10 AM

I linked to that piece on 12/5/20 Dave. No response from the Tory-Fanboi or his acolytes on here. Why am I not surprised? ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 15 May 20 - 04:21 AM

Quite so, DtG. I’ve had one or two debates with Brexiteers In the real world about the apparent conflict between their two stated aims of ‘trading unhindered with anyone we choose’ and ‘putting our own industries and commercial enterprises first’. I’ve yet to get any of them to agree there’s a conflict, or that they’re guilty of trying to have their cake and eat it.

They seem perfectly content that, as they see it, Johnson ‘Got Brexit Done’! He didn’t, of course, but he and his cronies are certainly using the Covid-19 pandemic shenanigans as cover for their efforts to reach 31/12/20 with no EU Trade Agreement - the ‘hard brexit’ they’ve wanted and aimed for all along - and give them a convenient excuse that they were ‘too busy dealing with the pandemic’ to finalise negotiations.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Rain Dog
Date: 15 May 20 - 04:28 AM

Let us count the ways in which they count the ways

Inside Science broadcast yesterday on BBC Radio 4

Inside Science

Had an interesting bit on the 'R Number' amongst other things. If you follow the link it will give you more information about the programme.

The Today programme on BBC Radio 4 this morning also had a number of items related to the 'R Number' and modelling.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: DMcG
Date: 15 May 20 - 05:56 AM

Interesting, but I did get a bit cross with the scientist saying the most effective thing in bringing R down had been the lockdown. Obviously! That is as near a tautology as you get in science.   Since R is heavily dependent on the number of contacts, bringing the number of contacts down and reducing R should surprise no-one, and certainly not a scientist working in the field.

But that did me thinking that apart from the clapping, almost every thing the government has done on this has been at the level of the individual. You wash your hands, you keep social distance, and so on. The only really social thing I can think of was the volunteer scheme that some 750,000 signed up for where people were specifically trying to help others. But no-one I know who signed up has been asked to do anything yet.

Since there are so many references to the war, I checked and there were 1.4 million ARP wardens, when the population was around 48 million. It is in the order of one per street, I would guess.   So we have less volunteers, but not dramatically less. It should be possible to harness these into a 'Stay Alert' system, reporting any outbreaks in your street to a rapid-response testing unit, who can visit the person and get the tests completed in say 24 hours.   

That seems to me the sort of system you need in place before easing lockdown.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Donuel
Date: 15 May 20 - 08:46 AM

The usual strategy of lieing to citizens was the worst thing to do in a pandemic and that is why the US and UK will suffer from four to ten times more from the virus compared to other countries.

Pandemic information has even been classified secret by Trump.

This was controllable epidemic...until politicians took comtrol.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 15 May 20 - 10:33 AM

Is there sufficient evidence for any Govt ministers to be tried for criminal negligence
and manslaughter...??/

Is that evidence being buried and shredded...???

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Donuel
Date: 15 May 20 - 11:08 AM

Scientists and epidemiologists are being fired by Trump over here but they are still testifying. I hope they do not get shredded too.

The old saying is that you can not sue city hall.
Yes and no. Legal minds agree that manslaughter and murder is a bridge too far.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 15 May 20 - 11:26 AM

There is a joke about European corona virus whistle-blower scientists
being found dead,
after committing suicide with 2 gunshots to the back of their heads..


Though it's an old joke, that could just as easily be more internationally inclusive..

Chinese, Russian, USA, etc, whistle blowers..
[where it is more likely to actually happen..]...

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 15 May 20 - 11:45 AM

Lying is, I think, what Donuel was trying to say!!!

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 May 20 - 12:17 PM

Sorry, BWM. I didn't see that. You know what they say. Great minds think alike. Not sure what happened in my case :-D

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 15 May 20 - 02:31 PM

LOL! I was mostly surprised that YKW hasn’t been jumping around like a frog in a blender, giving us the benefit of his vast store of knowledge on...everything (apparently)!

Oh well, be thankful for small mercies, eh?

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 16 May 20 - 03:52 AM

"There is a joke about European corona virus whistle-blower scientists"
For those who might have missed it on the joke thread
A corona virus nurse passing one of the beds hears a weak voice call out "Are my testicles black?"
She goes over and says, "Well it's not really my job, but if it makes you feel any better I'll take a look"
She polls back the sheets, examines him carefully, lift's them up and looks underneath and says, "No they're fine"
He grins at her and says, "That was lovely, but I think you misheard me - I asked, "are my test results back"?
Jim

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 May 20 - 05:47 AM

In Denmark it has been proved that opening schools has upped the infection rate yet our Secretary of State for education has blasted teaching unions for being concerned over the safety of their members. Showing Tory care policies up for what they are. Of course we know what the answer is. Look! Labour antisemitism!

I hope all those who still support the fly by night Tory lying populist with his pithy slogans and 'witty' remarks are ashamed of themselves.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 16 May 20 - 06:07 AM

As usual, the Daily Mail adds it’s own twisted spin to the story.

‘Militant Unions’? WTF?

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: DMcG
Date: 16 May 20 - 06:23 AM

Let our teachers be heroes, eh?

All together now: "Soldiers who want to be heroes/Number practically zero.."

I was reminded of this, and no doubt the Daily Mail will be as enthusiastic as they were in WW1:

In August 1914, Admiral Charles Penrose Fitzgerald founded the Order of the White Feather. He deputized thirty women in Folkestone to give out white feathers to any men not in uniform. The concept was based on the old cock-fighting lore that a cockerel with a white feather in its tail is a coward.
...

The Daily Mail enthusiastically reported the activities of the Order of the White Feather, hoping the gesture "would shame every young slacker" into enlisting. "The generally female white feather distributors achieved much notoriety by frequently misjudging their targets, stories of men on leave, wounded, or in reserved occupations being handed down these odious symbols abound."

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 16 May 20 - 06:34 AM

An extract from a horrifying piece from The Telegraph, written by their Business Editor, Ambrose Ellis Pritchard...

A Covid cardiologist at a top London hospital – friendly to Boris – has been so incensed by the daily charade of bogus omniscience that he vented his spleen in an email to me on Sunday night. It is a poignant indictment, so I pass along a few snippets.

Basically, every mistake that could have been made, was made. He likened the care home policy to the Siege of Caffa in 1346, that grim chapter of the Black Death when a Mongol army catapulted plague-ridden bodies over the walls.

“Our policy was to let the virus rip and then ‘cocoon the elderly’,” he wrote. “You don’t know whether to laugh or cry when you contrast that with what we actually did. We discharged known, suspected, and unknown cases into care homes which were unprepared, with no formal warning that the patients were infected, no testing available, and no PPE to prevent transmission. We actively seeded this into the very population that was most vulnerable.

“We let these people die without palliation. The official policy was not to visit care homes – and they didn’t (and still don’t). So, after infecting them with a disease that causes an unpleasant ending, we denied our elders access to a doctor – denied GP visits – and denied admission to hospital. Simple things like fluids, withheld. Effective palliation like syringe drivers, withheld.”

The public has yet to realise that the great quest for ventilators was worse than a red herring. The overuse of ventilators was itself killing people at a terrifying ratio and behind that lies another institutional failure.

“When the inquiry comes, it will show that many people died for lack of oxygen supply in hospitals, and this led to early intubation,” writes the doctor. “Boris survived because they gave him oxygen. High flow oxygen wasn’t available as a treatment option for all patients.”

I recently suggested that the first few weeks of government inaction - the so-called ‘herd-immunity’, ‘take it on the chin’ period - could be evidence of a deliberate ‘cull’ of the elderly in order to relieve pressure on care-homes and the state pension, for which I was criticised by the Tory-Fanboi types here. Reading the article further convinces me that my suspicions may Indeed have some substance.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 May 20 - 06:59 AM

Teachers are the time-honoured Tory political football. In the good old Thatcher days there was routinely an annual hyped-up educational "scandal" in the tabloids a few weeks before the next teachers' pay round was to be settled. The government have drawn battle lines now. There was that disgraceful Mail front page. There was the boss of an academy consortium shooting his mouth off about how "kids" are being "damaged" and telling us that teacher's protests are "rather middle class." He knows as much about education as I know about the bowel habits of unicorns. We had the incredibly stupid Gavin Williamson (God knows how else to describe him) telling teaching unions to "do their duty." Today we have the Tory-appointed Children's Commissioner being wheeled out and propped up to brainlessly push the June 1 "policy." We hear about how children "don't catch it a lot," "only get a mild dose," "don't spread it much," all with frighteningly-inadequate evidence. We know that little "kids" won't social-distance. We can afford to sacrifice a few teachers after all. You can always get a few more of them from somewhere. Dunno about the cleaners and the canteen staff...

What a bloody shambles. Stand your ground, teachers. Schools are not there to babysit so that parents can go to work, which is blatantly what this policy is all about. Go back when it's at least a lot safer than now. That will not be before September.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 May 20 - 07:04 AM

"Of course we know what the answer is. Look! Labour antisemitism!"

We'll be getting a lot less of that particular brand of inanity I suspect, at least for a while...

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 16 May 20 - 09:15 AM

Ah, back to Teachers, those "essential workers" with whom this particular thread began back in April. My own initial response to punkfolkrocker seems to have pulled off the remarkable feat of being both inaccurate but absolutely correct. At least I haven't so internalised current political rhetoric that I can't see the difference between that characterisation and "wrong but absolutely justified".
With regard to what is being consistently referred to as "the catastrophe in our Care Homes", I wonder how many people, during the early mentions of this Coronavirus Pandemic, and of those most vulnerable, thought like me that there was very likely to be a very great number of deaths among elderly people in these environments. Some recognised - with cynicism, "black humour"/"gallows humour", resigned bitterness or bitter resignation - that, well, at least that will solve some of those oft-rehearsed problems caused by "the demographic time-bomb", the fact that "due to improvements in medical science, more of our old folk are living longer" ( a fact always described as "welcome", though the corollary that a growing proportion of the population was no longer composed of "net Producers" of resources but of "net Consumers" was never far behind). Now, I can't believe that I, or any of those whom I heard speaking of "aye, getting rid of the old folk"/"wiping out anyone not needed by the Economy"/"a Cull of the Elderly"(that from a wireless station), could be described as particularly unfeeling, inhuman, or given to outlandish and disturbing speculation. That being granted, does anyone seriously believe that those who decided what official policy was to be, and how it would be presented, complete with slogans and "optics"/"visuals", did not include every facet of NHS facilities, staff, stores, etc. in their thinking, their planning, their "modelling", their accursed "Wargaming the various Scenarios"? Those who understood immediately the implications of "Herd Immunity" won't have been surprised at what has been allowed happen, though the discharge policy adversely criticised by the Cardiologist quoted above was an unexpected "accelerant". Wasn't it Talleyrand who said that a Diplomat should recognise what is inevitable, and ensure that it happens? As Politicians, I'll grant they're as wicked, but no hauf sae clever.
Remember thon young lassie working as some kinda Advisor who had to apologise for writing in a Memo that "9-11" (i.e. Twin Towers) was "a good day to bury bad news"? Why apologise for telling the Truth? Because it's unpalatable? Or - in other circumstances - because it would reveal unequivocally the contempt with which we, the Populace, the Polloi, the Common People (or Folk), the "Ordinary Human Beings", the "many-headed Multitude", the Mob, aye, even the "Cannon Fodder", "essential workers" and all, are regarded by The Great and Good.
Good Luck.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 16 May 20 - 09:23 AM

People are beginning to talk about the Care Homes issue in terms of a future enquiry - it seems to have reached horrific proportions in the UK - from how the patents have been treated to the lack of protective equipment for the residents and staff
It will be interesting to see if Cummings is one of the accused because of his 'survival of the fittest' policies
Jim

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 16 May 20 - 09:59 AM

Even with such an Enquiry, its "terms of reference" will be carefully decided by The Powers That Be. That into the tower-block fire in London (Grenfell Tower), as far as I remember, did not consider the matter of appropriate exterior cladding. Consistently, too, there's a long, long delay before "findings are published". Remember Flood, Moriarty and Mahon, and the Legal Teams milking the State.
The American Economist JK Galbraith noted, about sixty years ago, that the advantages of continuing specialisation and delegation, numerous sub-groups &c., namely, the ability for societies to achieve ever higher Standards of Living and quality of medical knowledge & expertise, were accompanied by the fact that no-one could ever be held fully accountable for anything....

Oh, and we'll also hear how "lessons will have to be learnt" so that "this can never happen again". And keep cheering for "our NHS". Because "we're all in this together".
But some animals are more together than others.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 16 May 20 - 10:12 AM

Excellent meat box delivered by Morrison's this afternoon!!!

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Donuel
Date: 16 May 20 - 10:48 AM

Backwoodsman you are in possesion of some of the formost info/secrets of the pandemic. Good on you mate.
May your luck and choices be the best.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 May 20 - 11:03 AM

Notable that the BMA supports the teachers' stance*. Bunch of people there with pretty good knowledge of matters medical, I should think, unlike the bosses of academy trusts and Children's Commissioners and other Tory stooges... And I see we have Williamson doing the press conference today. If you have buttocks, prepare to clench them now (with apologies to the Bard...)

*Just to show that I do know where that apostrophe should have gone in me earlier post...

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 May 20 - 11:11 AM

I saw the ad for those meatboxes, Bonzo. The photos made the meat look insipid. I like to know about welfare standards when I buy meat (little red tractors don't do it for me), and Morrisons aren't usually very forthcoming about that. Good luck with it. I buy some meat online from Donald Russell. Only ever buy what's on special and spend forty quid min to get free delivery. It comes frozen and, if you're really lucky, you get little packets of dry ice to play with. Damn good quality. Sorry, Barb'ry, totally off-topic but the lad had to be told!

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 16 May 20 - 11:18 AM

”Backwoodsman you are in possesion of some of the formost info/secrets of the pandemic. Good on you mate.
May your luck and choices be the best.“

I am in possession of no such thing(s). Stop making up nonsense.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 16 May 20 - 11:28 AM

meat boxes for the elderly...???


... coffins...

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 16 May 20 - 11:44 AM

I'm not one to brag.. but check my post history..

I was way ahead of the herd in my predictions
of a tory exploitation of the pandemic, to cull the costly old and weak..

..and then demonising teachers' unions

[first they came for the teachers...]..


..btw.. my wife's union messaged yesterday for members to prepare
for the right wing media attack this weekend...
One of her friends, a deputy head is in despair of the anticipated backlash,
and orchestrated strategy to turn the public against them...

Next we can expect the divide and rule nastiness
of pitting city and big town dwellers against seaside and country folk...

It's good pick me up for the petrol industry, and seeding more death in the in provincial regions
which have so far failed to cull enough expensive useless oldies and invalids...

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 16 May 20 - 12:12 PM

Fully in agreement (here specifically, and generally). In addition to these likely developments, naturally the recent insistence on people using judgment, discretion, "common sense" and so on when deciding on their actions during this "relaxation of Lockdown" will allow a rapid escalation in cases to be blamed, in part, on "the actions of an irresponsible few". Come to think of it, that phrase would actually be accurate, though you would want to be precise in identifying who these are.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 May 20 - 12:16 PM

Mossers meat is usually pretty ethical, Steve. Either from their own farms or sourced locally. Can't say if the meat boxes are the same though.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: DMcG
Date: 16 May 20 - 12:47 PM

In relation to earlier posts from me:

A “mass gathering” held on Saturday in Southampton saw around a dozen protesters gather on the city’s common, holding placards saying “stop the lies”, “say no to tyranny” and “fight 4 freedom”.

====

There seemed some confusion whether this protest was supposed to happen today or tomorrow, so we will have to see.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 16 May 20 - 01:01 PM

My wife just mentioned internet reports of an anti lockdown protest in Wales..

A mass protest of 3 people...

I wonder if they wore masks...???

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Donuel
Date: 16 May 20 - 02:02 PM

You email was nonsense backwoodsman? It sounded real to me.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 16 May 20 - 02:45 PM

No Don, your suggestion that I am ‘in possession of some of the foremost info/secrets of the pandemic’ is nonsense. I have no ‘info’ or ‘secrets’ other than those which are available to any other member of the general public through the usual media channels.

What I do have are my own thoughts, tweaked, tuned, and honed on the basis of what I see, hear, and read in the media, and the ability, acquired during my own seventy-plus years of experience, to detect bullshit.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 16 May 20 - 03:05 PM

Second paragraph above should read...

What I do have are my own thoughts, tweaked, tuned, and honed on the basis of what I see, hear, and read in the media and by the opinions of others whose views I trust and respect, and the ability, acquired during my own seventy-plus years of experience, to detect bullshit.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 May 20 - 04:34 PM

I'll tek tha word fer it, Dave. As long as they don't leave the ethical gristle in the bangers... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Donuel
Date: 16 May 20 - 05:42 PM

My small screen cropped your post so I read, "A Covid cardiologist at a top London hospital – friendly to Boris – has been so incensed by the daily charade of bogus omniscience that he vented his spleen in an email to me on Sunday night. It is a poignant indictment, so I pass along a few snippets..."

I would hope more folks are subject to interesting emails.
Its my fault for skimming in a rush and thinking it was your email.
Good catch anyway Backwoodsman

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 17 May 20 - 02:02 AM

Following the vile, shameful front-page of the Daily Mail recently, in which teachers and their union were used as cannon-fodder in the current ‘blame-shifting’ exercise being carried out by the Johnson Gang and their tame-tabloid propaganda-mouthpieces, I thought this piece, a stark reminder of the divide-and-rule methodology of this dreadful so-called ‘government‘, was well worth a read.

I have no way of verifying its source, it claims to be written by a teacher, and I have no reason to doubt that it was. Even if it wasn’t, it has the ring of truth.

I’m aware that long C&Ps are discouraged here, but this piece is from a FB page, and I’m very loath to link to FB pieces. Hence the C&P.

”A teacher asked us to share this post debunking the lies currently being made about her profession:

"Hi I’m a secondary teacher.
Please can you publish this I need to put a few things straight.
Bear with me.
I’m a teacher.
I’m so upset and angry about the lies spread by the misinformed about me and my profession. They include :
1) We are lazy
2) We don’t want to go back to work
3) We should be ‘heroic’ like nurses and supermarket workers
4) We are ignoring disadvantaged students
5) Teachers’ Unions are divisive , driving a wedge between the government and teachers
My response:

1) We are lazy

Teachers are still working. My school is still OPEN. I am working as many hours as before. I’m just working differently. I am planning, marking, collating work, replanning lessons to be taught remotely, attending Zoom meetings, responding to and sending emails, keeping a constant dialogue with my students, working out new ways of giving feedback and going into school on a rota to work with children of key workers and those who are disadvantaged. Oh, and as a mum too, I’m trying to home school at the same time. We are not lazy.

2) We don’t want to go back to work.

We are professionals. We went into this job to shape young minds and allow all those in our care to thrive and succeed. That’s one of the most rewarding things about this job. Why would we not want to continue? I have exam groups who are missing GCSE content that needs to be taught face to face. I need to see kids in front of me, listening and engaging. Every day that they are not in school means that it is more difficult to catch up. So it will mean even more work, revision sessions etc... when we finally go back. Why would we want to heap that upon ourselves? We want to go back to work.

3)We are NOT heroes.

We know that. But we never thought we were. To compare us to nurses is entirely unfair and it creates a false equivalence. Nurses work with the sick. Apart from seeing to the odd cold, nose bleed or cut in school, we do not perform the same tasks as health care professionals. And we shouldn’t be seen as such. Nurses are brilliant and have full training in all areas (including infection and how to deal with it ) and are (usually) much better equipped with PPE. Furthermore, using emotive, military terms like ‘heroes’ is entirely unfair. It furthers the idea of a ‘battle’ against the disease, and creates connotations of sacrifices to be made, and when lives are lost, we make death an honourable martyrdom, a price worth paying. None of us should be expected to give our lives for our work- nurses, care workers, teachers, supermarket staff and any other vital workers. It is NOT a race to the bottom. We are NOT heroes.

4) We are ignoring disadvantaged students.

This is the latest emotional blackmail being used against us. Unfortunately, disadvantaged students make up a hell of a lot of my cohort. Fortunately, we have outstanding pastoral care that ensures that some of our disadvantaged students are getting regular contact with school. They are being visited, given food parcels (oh, did I mention that teachers contribute towards them too?) , given paper copies of work if they can’t access computers. Moreover, mentors are working closely with social services to give emotional support. Ironically, the amount of disadvantaged students in my own school has increased incredibly over the last ten years. So perhaps the government should be looking at the impact of its own austerity measures in creating these disadvantages. The disparity between the wealthy and the poor has been exacerbated by the ideological violence of austerity. Now we are expected to feel guilt about the widening gap between disadvantaged students and the rest. A gap created by policies designed to marginalise the most vulnerable in our society. Policies like shutting libraries and Sure Start centres, cuts to the social care budget, mental health provision and special needs provision. It’s like the government have set a time bomb ticking and expect us to diffuse it. Without any safety equipment.
And this is no different to what has happened to our valued friends and colleagues in the NHS.
We are not ignoring disadvantaged students.

5) Teachers’ Unions are divisive , driving a wedge between the government and the profession.

Again this is an unhelpful and over-simplistic narrative in the characterisation of the relationship between the union and its members. Unions, the bad guys, deliberately standing in the way of progress and common sense. People forget - we ARE the union. It is OUR voice which reflects our beliefs and wishes. Today, both the unions and the government were accused by the Children’s Commissioner of ‘squabbling’ with one other. This is unhelpful and, quite frankly, patronising, giving the media a nice sound bite that they can use in their campaign to further discredit unions and the work that they are doing to secure our safety.

Teachers are people. Mums, dads , grandmas , grandads, aunties, uncles , cousins and friends. Their lives are precious and worth caring about. My life is precious too.

You place your child’s education in our hands.

We’ll make sure they’re sanitised."

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 17 May 20 - 02:30 AM

Brilliant, John. As you might expect I know a lot of teachers. I'll pass that on.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 17 May 20 - 02:59 AM

It was a gutter press headline about unions back in the 60s that sent me down the left hand path in the first place. It read "Unions bring country to a standstill" and was about a strike by train drivers. Hang on, thought I as a callow youth, there are two sides to every dispute. Why are they just blaming one side? Strange to see that they are still at it after 50+ years. This latest one is particularly cynical in its message. Shift the blame for the mismanagement of the health crisis away from the hooray Henrys that are currently in charge. I hope it is a step too far but am afraid that those who could not see through the three word populism of the last election will believe anything the right wing rags tell them :-(

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: DMcG
Date: 17 May 20 - 03:37 AM

Apparently a survey carried out and reported this week found out:

------
Other findings indicated that only a minority have faith in Mr Johnson’s insistence the public use its “good British common sense” over lockdown rules, with nearly nine in 10 respondents trusting in their own judgement, but only 34 per cent trusting that of their fellow Britons

-----

Is anyone surprised?   It amply demonstrates that making 'common sense' a key part of your approach is absurd.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 17 May 20 - 03:38 AM

I think you’re right Dave. There was (still is?) a similar situation with the railways, where the operators were trying to enforce one-man-operations, a patently unsafe situation, on the system and the union objected on the grounds of the safety issue. All we ever heard from the Tory press and the media was that the unions were making life difficult for travellers, nothing about the intransigence of the operating companies’ managements.

They never seem to grasp the principle that it takes two to tango.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 17 May 20 - 03:44 AM

DMcG, there was a hilarious comment on social media about Johnson’s ‘good old British common sense’ - an image of a tabloid-press article, complete with photograph, about some knuckle-dragger who proudly announced to the nation that he claimed the record for shoving nine Creme Eggs up his arse.

If we’re relying on that kind of ‘Good old British common sense’, the only conclusion to be drawn is that we’re completely f**ked.

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 17 May 20 - 04:07 AM

copy 'n' paste.. why not...

"Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: punkfolkrocker - PM
Date: 10 May 20 - 03:24 PM

Nigel - Reception are the least controllable in terms of social distancing,
[herding cats is a doddle in comparison...]
and amongst the most likely to be bringing and spreading death into classrooms..

The tory far right hate teachers,
maligning them as commie multicultralist brainwashers of British nationalist's children...

This outright prejudice is behind much of far right tory attitudes towards the teaching profession.

There will be much far right vindictive glee at the prospect of teachers & their families
falling ill and dying,
as a result of callous tory govt reopening plans...

The Mail and others will attack and slur teacher's unions trying to protect their members..

You know this to be true..."


Told ya so...
.. and it's a very personal real matter of life and death
for my wife and me...!!!


Well.. one rumour is Eton will be staying shut,
can't be risking the lives of posh kids and families [or their elite establishment teachers..]...

If this is this true.. they're keeping quiet about it..


Anyway, if tories are suddenly so concerned about 'disadvantaged children',
how about opening up Eton's wonderful facilities for them
if it's only going to be mothballed...

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 17 May 20 - 04:34 AM

What a waste of creme eggs...though I suppose they could still be OK if he'd left the wrappers on...

A couple of other bits of right-wing lying, Dave: "The unions are holding the country to ransom"...not the non-doms, not the multinationals, not the off-shorers, not the Dysons and Bransons, all of whom can pull their money out of the country at the drop of a hat, maybe to find super-cheaper exploitable people elsewhere... And "These immigrant workers are driving wages down...", all of whom of course swarm into our country, and, once they've stolen our houses, our NHS, our benefits, our wives and our daughters, point guns at the heads of their employers shouting "Pay me less! Pay me less!"

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 17 May 20 - 04:38 AM

And another self-appointed expert spouts about the schools' projected reopening, another head of an academy trust, therefore another amazing medical guru and top epidemiologist...

Subject: RE: BS: UK thread, Politics and political
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 17 May 20 - 04:58 AM

”What a waste of creme eggs...though I suppose they could still be OK if he'd left the wrappers on...“

If the dozy, bollock-brained bugger left them up there for more than a minute or two, I reckon they’d have melted. That would take some sorting from the usual contents of the sigmoid colon and rectum! :-)