When will this shit end?

[Simsy]

1 hour ago, Ozanne said:

This is very important. The Prime Minister didn’t know about the rights of migrant workers in relation to benefits. He hasn’t got a clue.  

Can only assume he believes the shit that the Tories, daily mail etc have been spouting for years about immigrants coming over here to take our benefits. How the fuck can the guy in charge be completely oblivious to "no recourse to public funds"?

[Cream Soda]

1 minute ago, crazyfool1 said:

peoples concept of 2m is actually 1m anyway 

Very true. Other than queues etc where it's actually marked out. I wouldn't personally have an issue if they changed it to 1m.

[Crazyfool01]

1 minute ago, Simsy said:

Can only assume he believes the shit that the Tories, daily mail etc have been spouting for years about immigrants coming over here to take our benefits. How the fuck can the guy in charge be completely oblivious to "no recourse to public funds"?

or is this a diversion tactic ... ? im in conspiracy mode the last few days  

[Matt42]

25 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

How so mate?

It’s a weird one. I don’t know how to feel about the world politically, and I’m starting to feel around me like there is a loss of morale. I’m finding like it’s getting to the point where I’m really struggling not seeing family where I know so many people who’ve just packed up and gone to visit home. Today my neighbour and me were talking today and they said that they are throwing in the towel and going to visit their family. In my household two of my housemates have now gone to visit home for a long period of time.

I work from home and my work is quite busy so it’s not like I’m saying I’m bored. I’m very lucky to still be in employment and all that - it’s just I’ve noticed a bit of a tone shift since the bank holiday where many have just thrown in the towel.

My mum who has been shielding for three months left the house for the first time the other day and now in our chats I get this feeling like she wants me to come visit her, but I’m not because I’m still sceptical about this whole thing.

In short I’m sticking to the social distancing thing but I really feel like everyone around me is slowly throwing in the towel. It’s hard. I don’t know what is right.

[stuartbert two hats]

4 minutes ago, Cream Soda said:

No, never 100% safe but now we are aware of it if we're careful about coughing etc I dont think the chances of catching the virus from 2m away are huge.

Depends where you are and what you and the other person is doing.  But I agree you are relatively safe at 2m.  But nothing is absolute, that's why I used the scare quotes.  You're still safer at 2.5m and safer at 2m than 1.8m (6 foot).  

If we change it to 1m, then people will be even closer.  I do have an issue with them changing the recommendations.

[Madyaker]

There’s a lot of pressure in Ireland to reduce the distance to 1m as well. Mostly from businesses more so than the general public. Small businesses account for 70% of Ireland’s economy. Pubs, cafes, restaurants, small shops etc all are shut at the moment and a reduction to 1m could be the difference between turning a profit and going bust for these businesses. There’s a rift in the gov over the speed at which things should be opening. The doctors and scientists are ultra cautious and until now the gov has unquestioningly followed their lead but that is beginning to change as cases and deaths continue to drop and the gravity of the economic situation facing us becomes more clear. 

[cidy]

Havent Germany had the 1 metre rule from day one? 

[Ryan1984]

Surrey Tories backing Cummings’ actions. I think they’re going to get away with it.

https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/dominic-cummings-backed-surreylive-poll-18317024.amp?__twitter_impression=true 

[Crazyfool01]

Suddenly trump has become relevant .. 

[Dom Wall]

24 minutes ago, philipsteak said:

I'm in Ambleside. Now don't get me wrong, it's not "normal" busy. Particularly for the time of year. The road is busy, but it's not queuing like you'd normally see. It's just that in the last few days there's been a big change. Driving past Rydal for example, the lake shore looked pretty busy, and like I said, car parks which up until a few days ago only ever had a couple of cars in are now full during the day but emptying in the evening. Keeping two meters apart in Ambleside would've been pretty difficult when I went through.

In terms of who it is, impossible to say for definite of course. Some are locals who are heading further out then they have been. I know that the case just from what people I know are doing. But a lot are not. Certainly the people we've had to ask to leave our site. In the first couple of weeks they were mostly locals ( they'd usually say they were, like that makes it ok!) but most now aren't. The 10 lads we had to kick out today certainly weren't

Guess the weather, lack of stringent rules, Gov advisors breaking said rules and general nothing to do/ furlough/ boredom kicking in is meaning more people are heading out. I know personally I wouldn't have ventured to Keswick two weeks ago, but it does seem a little safer now, so long as you keep distance, use common sense and don't be daft. Although the mini-golf in Keswick looked a bit busier than I would've liked when we drove past.

[FestivalJamie]

11 minutes ago, cidy said:

Havent Germany had the 1 metre rule from day one? 

1.5m in Germany and around most of Europe.

[Cream Soda]

3 minutes ago, FestivalJamie said:

1.5m in Germany and around most of Europe.

Probably hasn't been much of a difference in what people have actually been doing

[efcfanwirral]

19 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

It’s a weird one. I don’t know how to feel about the world politically, and I’m starting to feel around me like there is a loss of morale. I’m finding like it’s getting to the point where I’m really struggling not seeing family where I know so many people who’ve just packed up and gone to visit home. Today my neighbour and me were talking today and they said that they are throwing in the towel and going to visit their family. In my household two of my housemates have now gone to visit home for a long period of time.

I work from home and my work is quite busy so it’s not like I’m saying I’m bored. I’m very lucky to still be in employment and all that - it’s just I’ve noticed a bit of a tone shift since the bank holiday where many have just thrown in the towel.

My mum who has been shielding for three months left the house for the first time the other day and now in our chats I get this feeling like she wants me to come visit her, but I’m not because I’m still sceptical about this whole thing.

In short I’m sticking to the social distancing thing but I really feel like everyone around me is slowly throwing in the towel. It’s hard. I don’t know what is right.

I get you. The more the lockdown breaks down and I see comments like "well are you going to stay in forever then?" It does at first make me think, but then I remember there is a pandemic about that has a reasonable chance of killing my family members.

The big problem is that I can see both sides. I know we're now at the point where realistically the economy has to take precedence for the future and I HATE that. We can go on about the reasons we got into this situation all we want, plus the how's and why's of Brexit influencing it, but really we now have a choice between a deep deep depression where the country goes even more downhill in terms of poverty/crime/mental health etc, and opening up and letting people die. Deep down we all know this, but it is very hard to come to terms with. Obviously maybe a vaccine could help but we dont know for sure yet on that. 

On the back of this I am giving a lot more serious thought to trying to move to Singapore, Austria etc if that is at all possible. I could take some more rules for a competent government and some humanity. I've lost faith in this country way more than even post 2016, mainly the government but also many of the people manipulated as they are. However much comparative freedom we have to other places, we are completely ruled by the "markets" and have lost our way beyond my comprehension. Aligning with America will be the last straw for me.

This probably hasn't helped....

[squirrelarmy]

15 minutes ago, FestivalJamie said:

1.5m in Germany and around most of Europe.

I can actually imagine Germans walking around with tape measures to make sure everything is in order. 

[steviewevie]

oooh. 1 metre. You can almost touch them.

[shoptildrop]

54 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

peoples concept of 2m is actually 1m anyway 

Was just about to say this, as quite a few folk have no concept of what 2m is!! 

Went to local Co-op yesterday and most were not observing social distancing or the one way system, one lady just going up and down the aisles dithering on what to buy - aisles are really narrow so you have to be in close contact whether you want to or not..

Don't want to go back now, so I'm sticking to 9pm shopping at Sainsbury's as much quieter and aisles big enough to avoid these types of people...

I feel my anxiety is getting worse, I was okay at the early stages but now people are being so less cautious and I'm not sure how my office will be reopened (I work at a high street retailer HQ that has 700+ people in it plus the DC next door and visitors), they are slowing opening the stores so won't be long before HQ function back up and running. I don't like the idea of being in a building with so many people when I can easily work from home, but they have an old school view on flexi and home working so that's been worrying even more. So much so I developed shingles again, which whilst not as painful as last time it's not helping stress level  

Only plus side is I have my other half with me and I have a nice garden to retreat to but I'm finding this really hard tbh

Edited May 27, 2020 by shoptildrop

[steviewevie]

 

[mandolin]

Sorry haven’t read the last couple of pages.  I decided instead to write to Bozza himself seeing that he doesn’t appear to be taking seriously the comments of his fellow MPs about how inundated they have been with correspondence and the level of anger that correspondence has contained.  Thought that he could let his office deal with some of the busy-ness rather than my writing to my local, Labour, MP.  This is what I’ve said (Included address and proper salutation in case anyone else feels an urge to do the same).  Want to stress, however, that I do not read the Daily Mail, just couldn’t be arsed with finding a wording that said that.  I kinda care what you guys think, I couldn’t give a flying f*ck what that piece of absolute, baffling, self-serving buffoonery thinks.  

The Rt. Honourable Boris Johnson, MP Prime Minister

Office of the Prime Minister

10 Downing Street

London

SW1A 2AA

 

 

 

Dear Prime Minister

 

I am driven to write to you personally following the shameful events of the past few days and, in particular, following your appearance in front of the public over the past weekend and in front of the Liaison Committee earlier this evening.

 

I felt it important to write to you personally so that you are aware that my anger, and that of many people I have been in communication with, is not a fallacy, it is not something that has been exaggerated by your colleagues in the House of Commons or elsewhere.  It has not been influenced by the media.  As a highly educated person and an avid follower of current affairs, I am able to determine which of the stories reported in the media require a greater level of scrutiny, which to ignore completely, and which hold truth.  Even if that was not the case, much of my anger is based on events that your political advisor admitted to personally in his statement on Monday 25 May.

 

Whatever spin you (and, presumably, he) wish to put on it, his actions were in breach of the instructions of your Government which millions of others have slavishly followed often at huge emotional cost.  In particular, he admitted to hurrying home to see his wife who reported being ill in a way that may be indicative of COVID 19; that is perfectly understandable.  However, he then admitted to returning to work after that visit.  He should, instead, have remained at home and isolated himself for 14 days according to your own rules.  He mentioned concerns about the care of his son, again perfectly understandable, but who was looking after said son during his time at work following his visit home? He then, and this is completely laughable, said that some days later he travelled a journey of 60 miles to and from Barnard Castle to see if his eyesight was sufficiently good to drive the much longer journey to London the following day.  He took his four year old son in the car with him while he was ‘testing his eyesight’; this would put in question his common sense let alone his concern for the welfare of his child and his ability to appropriately parent.

 

You have said repeatedly that you would like to ‘move on’.  We would also like to.  However, moving on will only be possible when this is resolved.  Your sacking of Dominic Cummings would not, in reality, be sufficient but it is the only option I see you have available to you.  The responsible, decent, course of action would have been to sack him, allow (indeed encourage) a Parliamentary Enquiry into Mr Cummings’ actions and then to carry out its recommendations.  You have, to date at least, refused to take that course of action - shame on you.

 

You, surely, must know that if a Conservative Prime Minister loses the support of even readers of the Daily Mail then you have done something that is unacceptable to all but the most sycophantic of your followers.

 

I would very much like a personal response with a proper explanation of your actions to date, though I appreciate that you feel that you are very busy at the moment.  I would suggest, however, that those who have been working in Intensive Care Units (and elsewhere) across the country could provide you with a more accurate, meaningful definition of ‘busy’.   

 

Please stop patronising the electorate of this country.  It would probably serve you well in the longer term to remember that you are only in office due to their support.

 

Yours

 

[whitehorses]

10 hours ago, Deaf Nobby Burton said:

Clever idea in this article:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/15/coronavirus-in-europe-states-take-small-steps-towards-normality
 

Close off non pedestrianised town centres and roads (maybe only on weekends) so that Bars and Restaurants can spread out onto the streets and operate safely.

Would be great for the environment and enable a lot of bars and restaurants to operate safely. Would solve some issues for a lot of the pubs in London as well 

My local council has abandoned planning permission on outdoor street seating for bars/cafes etc. Usual caveats about where it’s safe to do so. But generally being held up as a good idea 

[jparx]

Haha loved the last two paragraphs. Very well articulated letter @mandolin

Edited May 27, 2020 by jparx

[Crazyfool01]

4 minutes ago, mandolin said:

Yours

love the letter and its also aptly designed as an eyesight test  

[Ozanne]

1 hour ago, Matt42 said:

It’s a weird one. I don’t know how to feel about the world politically, and I’m starting to feel around me like there is a loss of morale. I’m finding like it’s getting to the point where I’m really struggling not seeing family where I know so many people who’ve just packed up and gone to visit home. Today my neighbour and me were talking today and they said that they are throwing in the towel and going to visit their family. In my household two of my housemates have now gone to visit home for a long period of time.

I work from home and my work is quite busy so it’s not like I’m saying I’m bored. I’m very lucky to still be in employment and all that - it’s just I’ve noticed a bit of a tone shift since the bank holiday where many have just thrown in the towel.

My mum who has been shielding for three months left the house for the first time the other day and now in our chats I get this feeling like she wants me to come visit her, but I’m not because I’m still sceptical about this whole thing.

In short I’m sticking to the social distancing thing but I really feel like everyone around me is slowly throwing in the towel. It’s hard. I don’t know what is right.

I think what you are doing is right, you seem to be acting cautiously and waiting for the guidance to change which is all you can do really. I think a lot of us here are doing the same even though we are seeing plenty of others buck lockdown.

 

I’ve had my ups and downs with it too but we have to stick to it as in the long run it’ll be for the better. I know it’s hard but think at the end you’ll know that you did everything you could to not put people in harms way and hopefully the people around you will be able to see that too. 

[WestCountryGirl]

As others have been expressing, I too am feeling quite lost in this thing at the moment.

I'm not planning on changing my behaviour yet and my friends around here don't seem to be in any rush to break social distancing guidelines either. The only question for me, as has been from the start, is when will I be able to visit my family. From the sounds of the government's upcoming stages, that doesn't seem to be happening yet, and it makes me worry that it is way way down on the list of priorities as people are now technically allowed to see family, if outside.

I know myself and I just wouldn't feel comfortable acting contrary to the guidance, so I really do feel stuck until the government tells me what I can do. It sickens me to have to obey their rules after everything that has happened this week and it pisses me off that so many people don't seem to appreciate the still very real danger the country is facing.

I have to take heart that there are plenty of like minded people on this board, and among my friends. There must be plenty of people out there who are doing their utmost to follow the guidelines - it's just the people who aren't who are visible.

[squirrelarmy]

14 minutes ago, mandolin said:

Sorry haven’t read the last couple of pages.  I decided instead to write to Bozza himself

Great effort with the letter but it’s well known that he won’t read anything that’s longer than a couple of lines. 
 

Perhaps you should have written your letter in the form of a pop up book or at least added some line drawings so he has some colouring in to do with his crayons while reading the letter. 

[Matt42]

16 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

I think what you are doing is right, you seem to be acting cautiously and waiting for the guidance to change which is all you can do really. I think a lot of us here are doing the same even though we are seeing plenty of others buck lockdown.

 

I’ve had my ups and downs with it too but we have to stick to it as in the long run it’ll be for the better. I know it’s hard but think at the end you’ll know that you did everything you could to not put people in harms way and hopefully the people around you will be able to see that too. 

 

13 minutes ago, WestCountryGirl said:

As others have been expressing, I too am feeling quite lost in this thing at the moment.

I'm not planning on changing my behaviour yet and my friends around here don't seem to be in any rush to break social distancing guidelines either. The only question for me, as has been from the start, is when will I be able to visit my family. From the sounds of the government's upcoming stages, that doesn't seem to be happening yet, and it makes me worry that it is way way down on the list of priorities as people are now technically allowed to see family, if outside.

I know myself and I just wouldn't feel comfortable acting contrary to the guidance, so I really do feel stuck until the government tells me what I can do. It sickens me to have to obey their rules after everything that has happened this week and it pisses me off that so many people don't seem to appreciate the still very real danger the country is facing.

I have to take heart that there are plenty of like minded people on this board, and among my friends. There must be plenty of people out there who are doing their utmost to follow the guidelines - it's just the people who aren't who are visible.

Thank you - it's really hard seeing others buck because (in my circumstance) it makes me miss them more knowing that I could just give up and go for it. 

44 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

 

I find this counter argument that the media should not be holding the government accountable very very very concerning.