BS: Brexit & other UK political topics

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Geoff Wallis
Date: 31 May 21 - 01:49 PM

'Ebola was an "Outbreak" in a few countries. Nasty as it was, it didn't spread all over the place.'

Yes it did, if one counts the whole continent of Africa as 'all over the place'.


WHO - Ebola

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 May 21 - 03:20 PM

Not to quibble about the horrific severity of ebola, but it spread across a region of the continent - it didn't spread from Egypt to South Africa, it spread across a sub-Saharan swath:

The Ebola virus causes an acute, serious illness which is often fatal if untreated. EVD first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, one in what is now Nzara, South Sudan, and the other in Yambuku, DRC. The latter occurred in a village near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name.

The 2014–2016 outbreak in West Africa was the largest Ebola outbreak since the virus was first discovered in 1976. The outbreak started in Guinea and then moved across land borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia.

A few cases jumped across the ocean and were caught. It wasn't a global pandemic. Everyone around the globe understands "pandemic" when discussing experiences with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 31 May 21 - 07:22 PM

Jeri has removed a perfectly civil post of mine which stated that the term pandemic was appropriate, according to multiple dictionaries, for a disease that occurred in considerable quantity across multiple nations in a region such as the continent of Africa. That was a civil response to her acerbic attack on Geoff, incorrectly asserting that he had misused the word pandemic. I also stated my opinion, equally civilly, that the flu pandemic of 2018 was recent enough for us to take lessons from, and that this country had failed to take the lesson that we should be prepared, as a nation, for sudden pandemics. That was the gist of my post and I have no idea why Jeri should have removed it. I do take time over my posts and I think I deserve slightly better treatment than this. This post will be copied in case it gets deleted again. There is a definite problem here.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 31 May 21 - 07:27 PM

I must abjectly apologise for that last post. I didn't scroll far enough back to see that my post was still there. It's been a long day and I haven't been keeping up very well. I'm sorry, Jeri. I'll do better in future... :-(

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 31 May 21 - 07:34 PM

Thing is, Maggie, if you say pandemic it means one thing. If you say global pandemic, it means something different. I may have blotted my copybook here, but do consult any dictionary you like. If you want want pandemic to mean all over the world, then the qualifier "global" is rather necessary...

No fight intended, just clarity...

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 31 May 21 - 11:30 PM

If I die of a pandemic or a global pandemic..

I'll feel a lot better now I know the difference...


So then, back to British politics today, in our single permitted thread..

.. hopefully, if it's ok with our American mod friends...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS45xUYiEZY

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Rain Dog
Date: 01 Jun 21 - 02:26 AM

"Returning to UK politics, does anyone have any theories why Cummings's seven-hour marathon a) flattered Sunak, or b) didn't mention Gove at all?"

I guess because he has not fallen out with them, yet.


The Observer reported that the commitee was going to ask Cummings for proof about his comments on Hancock before Hancock appears before them. For all that he said, Cummings would appear to have offered up no evidence to back up his claims. We are living in strange times. He said they said etc.,including whoever briefed The Observer on this particular story.


"I predict priti patel will be next leaderof the conservatives"

That made me laugh, though if it ever happens i will probably cry.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 01 Jun 21 - 03:51 AM

It would be very gratifying if both Patel and her bosom-buddy Netanyahu got booted out of politics so that they could spend more time together and were doing no further harm. Pigs might fly.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Donuel
Date: 01 Jun 21 - 08:31 AM

I'm betting on flying pigs. I think Bibi will go.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Donuel
Date: 01 Jun 21 - 08:41 AM

bibi? I mean
Bebe and Bobo too.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 01 Jun 21 - 03:02 PM

‘Another Angry Voice’ hitting the nail fairly and squarely on the head, on their FB Page today. (C&Pd in order to avoid inadvertently identifying other individuals)...

”Imagine a female politician had 6+ children with at least three different men, and refused to be honest with the public about how many kids she'd actually had.

Imagine she had an affair while her husband was undergoing cancer treatment, and the himbo she was screwing ended up receiving hundreds of thousands of pounds from her government department while the affair was going on, and without the affair ever being registered as one of her interests.

Imagine that this female politician had even been sacked from her own party's front bench for barefaced lying to the party leader about one of her affairs.

And imagine that she wasn't just a serial adulterer, but an inveterate liar, and a disgusting bigot to boot.

It's absolutely unimaginable that a woman like that would make it to Prime Minister. In fact, no matter what her party political affiliation, it's beyond doubt that the tabloid propaganda rags would have absolutely savaged her, using all of the gender-specific armoury of terms used against women who sleep around, and they wouldn't have stopped until they drove her out of public life.

But because the lying, adulterous bigot is their own beloved Boris, who is not just male, but a professional liar from the corporate media hack pack just like they are, they don't just give him a free pass on what they'd be slamming anyone else for, they actively run his propaganda operations for him.

Britain used to be a place where sexual impropriety was frowned upon, and a politician's affair with his secretary was enough for him to resign from public life in disgrace, but now things have tilted so far in the opposite direction that we don't just tolerate serial infidelity and outright dishonesty about it, we've elevated the most notoriously dishonest philanderer in British politics to serve as Prime Minister of the nation.

And it's absolutely impossible to imagine that such a dishonest and adulterous figure would have achieved this kind of political success if they'd been female.”

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Jun 21 - 03:49 PM

Spot on BWM but we will hear no condemnation from our resident BoJo supporters. Nor will we hear any from the main stream meadia. He is not Jeremy Corbyn!

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 01 Jun 21 - 04:19 PM

Quite so, Dave. None are so blind as they who will only see what their Tory propaganda machine tells them they must see.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 03 Jun 21 - 09:21 AM

Patel and Netanyahu breeding?? The thought of it would put me off my dinner for the rest of my life!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 05:39 AM

Very good piece in Yorkshire Bylines

I doubt if even our rabid right supporters will find much to disagree with the opening paragraph

Whether you supported Brexit or not, there’s no doubt that there has been a cost for all of us. Brexit has been the thief in the night that has stolen our vision of the future. For those in favour of close ties with the EU, that relationship has been soured, and our rights diminished. For those that looked forward to a brighter new day, outside of the EU, the view ahead is not quite what was expected, or promised.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 07:24 AM

They may well know that it’s true, Dave, but they’ll never admit it. To do so would be to admit they were fools, bamboozled by the lies and bullshit of Haddock-Face, the Lying Scottish Viper, and Worzel Gummidge in a Saville Row suit - it ain’t gonna happen, is it?

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 07:28 AM

What future?????

To be hones the only point of living is just to tick days off on life's calendar, and each day passing being one day left to live.

Let's be honest, we are living in a state that is resembling nazism more and more day by day, even to the state that fascists employed by the home office willingly obey orders in deciding whether people in relationships from different countries should be prevented from diluting the purity of British blood.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 08:26 AM

Haddock-Face, the Lying Scottish Viper, and Worzel Gummidge in a Saville Row suit

BWM,
I wish you would use names instead of insults. I have a hard enough time following arguments in this mish-mash of a thread, which lumps together so many diverse topics, without having to solve cryptic clues.

DC

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 09:04 AM

And I wish you’d mind your own business Doug. You’re not a Mod, you have no authority around here so, in the interests of keeping the peace, and keeping this thread open, perhaps it would be best if you keep your ‘advice’ to yourself.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 09:22 AM

I assume they are faridge, gove and johnson though I do think it is defamatory comparing that wonderful childrens' tv character with that overbloated self-serving liar.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 10:38 AM

Correct, SPB-C. Doesn’t take a degree in Astro-physics to work them out, does it? Just a bit of imagination and a sense of humour - apparently sadly lacking in some forum contributors.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 10:45 AM

Shut your mouths and eat humble pie remoaners..

The future of brexit Britain is brilliant..

We have now successfully accomplished a major trade deal with Liechtenstein...!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Donuel
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 11:33 AM

You're kidding?

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 11:45 AM

It’s extremely frustrating when a post criticising me personally is permitted by the Mods to remain, yet my perfectly civil response is removed. Would it be too much to ask for the Mods to show some common sense and consistency please and, if they are going to remove a response to a post, also remove the post that gave rise to it.

It’s not rocket-science.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 11:59 AM

Unless I have missed something, your reply seems to be there at 9:04 AM.

DC

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 12:08 PM

I’m sure it disappeared briefly, then reappeared.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: The Sandman
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 12:17 PM

i did not recognise who you were describing other than johnson, either, i thought haddock face was patel

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Jos
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 12:26 PM

The problem for me was that I have never looked a haddock in the face, so the comparison didn't work.
I know who looks like a scarecrow and I know which politician came from Scotland, but I assumed the haddock must be Cummings.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 12:29 PM

So now the woke organisations are dispensing with the word “mother” and replacing it with “parent who has given birth”? Really? My parent who gave birth is now up in Heaven along with my parent who did not give birth.

Winkie wankie wokies again!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 12:29 PM

I’m confident that the person I was responding directly to - Dave the Gnome - understood precisely whom I was referring to. And anyone who didn’t know was perfectly at liberty to ask for clarification, and I would happily have explained. However, personal criticism seldom achieves a satisfactory outcome. Hopefully a lesson learned...

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 12:40 PM

Whilst there have been a few (what appear to me me to be) peculiar decisions, some of which I've been on the sharp end of, I've said it before and I'll say it again: don't berate the moderators over their efforts in tidying up threads. One vexatious post can generate a labyrinthine tidying-up job if there are multiple replies to it and keeping a thread looking sensible under such circumstances is tough. So let's agree to knock off the criticism and be a bit more, er, stoical about it...

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: The Sandman
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 12:58 PM

it would have been easier to understand if you had said farage gove johnson

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 12:58 PM

You’re right of course, Steve, and point taken here. Hopefully, it will be taken by others too.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 01:22 PM

.. and yet another highly successful distraction attack, wasting our time and attention..

A petty pedantic row about haddock faces / etc, diverting focus away from real criticism
of this deplorble govt and their corrupt cabal..

Well done haddock face, viper, and gummidge fanboys...

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Jos
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 01:32 PM

Using "person who has given birth" might get a bit complicated when someone has what are now called a birth mother and an adoptive mother - "birth person who has given birth" and "adoptive person who didn't give birth", along with "adoptive partner of person who didn't give birth"?

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 05:12 PM

I thought my usual description of nicotine stained man toad was better than haddock face but, yes, I know who you meant.:-D

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: robomatic
Date: 04 Jun 21 - 05:54 PM

I just heard that 'step' parent is being phased out for 'bonus' parent.
To which my reaction is: 'meh'.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: DMcG
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 04:32 AM

Since this thread is supposed to cover all UK topics, it seems the best place to discuss the plans for sharing of medical records - the General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR) system.

I find myself a bit torn on this one, though I have in the end decided to opt-out. However, the way drugs are developed and tested is strongly focused on the their effects in isolation: it is simply impractical to consider all the interactions of a specific drug with all the other drugs on the market. You can check the more obvious interactions, but not much more.   To discover these, you ultimately rely on an individual patient who is taking two or more drugs to report symptoms, that the doctor concerned notices a connection and reports that upwards until eventually that is assessed and recorded as an incompatibility. A data set where all the drugs each patient is taken can be assessed and their interactions determined is potentially a life saver, and shows every sign of being a major health benefit.

But all that level of analysis, detecting of subtle relationships and whatnot is almost entirely in the commercial sector with things like Palantir.

I do not like putting that level of trust in the hands of companies who could easily exploit it.   Promises the data will never be abused, like those on the NHS Digital website would be fine, if there were no criminals anywhere in the world and everyone could be relied on to stay within the law.

So it comes down to how we trade benefit and risk.   As I say, I have decided the risk is too great, but I am not certain of my opinion.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 09:55 AM

Sorry Dick but anyone who puts their heads above the parapet for a living is going to get sniped at. That includes all politicians and anyone in public life. Anyone posting on here is fair game too but there are rules which the moideration team apply pretty evenly. Those who did not recognise the descriptions of Farage, Gove and Johnson (not farage gove johnson BTW) have little business enering this discussion.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 10:13 AM

Sandman - btw.. you could call starmer a "dick" for all I care...

Corbyn deserved more respect, but even then, the tories and far right
had some crackingly hilarious insulting nick names for him...

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 11:09 AM

Is there anything to be read into the recent marriage of Boris Johnson? (And the man apparently doesn't own a comb?)

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 12:23 PM

I believe there is, Maggie, but it seems to be a religious rather than political controversy. Certainly not exclusive to The UK!

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 12:40 PM

There seems to be a query about the constitutional position of whether a Catholic is permitted to be Prime Minister, responsible for appointing Anglican bishops.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 12:40 PM

https://leftfootforward.org/2021/06/pms-catholic-wedding-ceremony-triggers-constitutional-questions/

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Raggytash
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 01:15 PM

I think the "fuss" was because according to catholic tenets divorcees cannot marry in their churches so it was unusual that Johnson was allowed to remarry in Westminster Cathedral the Mother Church of the Roman Catholic faith.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 01:46 PM

My immediate thought..

In the immediate context of the Cummings revelations and allegations,

..it seemed just like a soldier hurriedly marrying his sweetheart,
before departing overseas to do battle and probably die in combat..

Who knows if and when the happy couple might ever see each other again...???

Though in Boris's case a more appropriate metaphor,
would be an upper class gent about to be arrested for fraud and manslaughter.
Fearful of a very long spell inside..

Whichever version, the new bride potentially faces an uncertain lonely future.
But at least she's got a wedding ring and the man's name to keep her respectable while she's waiting...


Stories straight from the archives of old classic melodramatic black and white movies...

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 02:55 PM

From: DMcG - PM
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 04:32 AM

Since this thread is supposed to cover all UK topics, it seems the best place to discuss the plans for sharing of medical records - the General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR) system.

Let's not discuss this as a 'UK' topic. It is related solely to 'NHS England'
I don't expect US members to fully understand the nuances, but UK members should.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 02:59 PM

From: punkfolkrocker - PM
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 10:13 AM

Sandman - btw.. you could call starmer a "dick" for all I care...

Corbyn deserved more respect, but even then, the tories and far right
had some crackingly hilarious insulting nick names for him..

It wasn't just the 'far right' who didn't like him. His own party (hardly 'far right') got rid of him.

The 'far right' have no control over who leads the Labour Party. Please accept responsibility for your own party's choices.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: DMcG
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 03:25 PM

I know, Nigel, but I believe this is the only thread permitted by Mudcat. It is not ideal but it may be the closest we are allowed.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 03:31 PM

”The 'far right' have no control over who leads the Labour Party”

Except insofar as, in the case of Corbyn, it was the Right’s bare-faced lies, trumpeted ad nauseam by their Right-Wing press propaganda-machine, about him - ‘Friend of Terrorists’, ‘Hates this country’, ‘Communist’, ‘Anti-Semite’, yadda yadda - which, at least in part, brought about the mass desertion by ‘Red Wall’ Labour voters at the 2019 GE, which caused the worst defeat for Labour in living memory, which in turn resulted in Corbyn’s demise as leader of the Party.

Not the only cause, but certainly not an insignificant element in events leading to Corbyn’s departure.