When will this shit end?

[st dan]

25 minutes ago, Radiochicken said:

I’d add to this... I think it’s very easy to package up a load of popular on-their-own policies and go “boom that makes the whole thing greater than the sum of its parts and we’ll romp home”

But in reality people think - and I believe this is well documented - there’s a credibility gap. It’s alright saying all these great policies, but how realistic is it they could actually deliver pretty much any of them. People see through that quite easily. 

Definitely this. One big proposed policy that alienated a lot of voters were plans to scrap University fees. With Student Finance operating how it does, and the sliding scale for repayments etc, in a lot of people’s opinion (mine included) there is no reason why it should be the responsibility of the tax payer to pay for individuals further education.
I think this way a key point in the election race that he lost a lot of undecided voters, and calls of his ‘magic money tree’ really started to become heard, and he subsequently began to lose all credibility. 

Edited November 17, 2020 by st dan

[zahidf]

 an interview on the Today programme this morning Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University and a member of the government’s vaccine taskforce, said that he thought it would be possible to vaccinate “a very large percentage” of the population by the spring. He said:

We can get vaccines into people in the UK and in most western countries pretty effectively. So I think the idea that we’re going to vaccinate a very large percentage of the population by spring is completely possible.

And I think that will make a big difference because people will be then less anxious about catching the disease because they will be vaccinated, transmissions will fall to a low level and we may not be back completely to normal but things are going to look dramatically different by the spring.

[Ozanne]

7 minutes ago, st dan said:

Definitely this. One big proposed policy that alienated a lot of voters were plans to scrap University fees. With Student Finance operating how it does, and the sliding scale for repayments etc, in a lot of people’s opinion (mine included) there is no reason why it should be the responsibility of the tax payer to pay for individuals further education.
I think this way a key point in the election race that he lost a lot of undecided voters, and calls of his ‘magic money tree’ really started to become heard, and he subsequently began to lose all credibility. 

I remember having a discussion with someone at my work who isn’t a Tory but the policy that tipped him over the edge similar to what you’re saying about is free Broadband. He just couldn’t see how it was any benefit, why we need it now etc etc. 

[stuartbert two hats]

47 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

wow ... that seems to be higher than previous ... do you have a link ? how does the compare to cancer ? 

I don't want to alarm anyone, but expect the deaths to rise for at least a couple more weeks, especially if you exclude the NW.

[PatrickF]

Last time I signed into efestivals, the world was a totally different place and my biggest concern was getting my pal a ticket in the resale for 2020. 

There was a thread in the run up to the first lockdown. It was back in feb/March when everyone was unsure how this would all pan out. I'd like to thank the people who were really vocal about how serious covid was going to be. I can't remember the usernames but those people helped me prepare and without going into detail, it really really helped. The covid situation would have been a lot worse for my family had I not been so prepared. 

 

Great people on this forum. I hope 2021 is a better year for all of us. 

[efcfanwirral]

45 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

it's on the Guardian live page.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2020/nov/17/uk-politics-live-boris-johnson-scotland-devolution-disaster-covid-tiers

 

I love how Number 10 has had to explain this bit - they're so concerned about PR it's funny now. I think that allowing the Prime Minister to have a test whatever the rules are for the rest of the country, and whether No10 is involved in a pilot scheme or not, is just about ok considering his position. Though I'm sure many would kick up a fuss

 

• Boris Johnson has tested negative for coronavirus, the prime minister’s spokesman said. People without coronavirus symptoms are not supposed to get tests through the normal testing system, but the spokesman claimed that Johnson was able to get a lateral flow test (one of the rapid-result ones) because Downing Street was was part of a mass testing pilot - an arrangement that until today has not been publicised. The spokesman said that, despite testing negative, Johnson would continue to self-isolate in line with advice from NHS test and trace after attending a meeting last week with a Tory MP who tested positive.

Edited November 17, 2020 by efcfanwirral

[Ozanne]

3 minutes ago, PatrickF said:

Last time I signed into efestivals, the world was a totally different place and my biggest concern was getting my pal a ticket in the resale for 2020. 

There was a thread in the run up to the first lockdown. It was back in feb/March when everyone was unsure how this would all pan out. I'd like to thank the people who were really vocal about how serious covid was going to be. I can't remember the usernames but those people helped me prepare and without going into detail, it really really helped. The covid situation would have been a lot worse for my family had I not been so prepared. 

 

Great people on this forum. I hope 2021 is a better year for all of us. 

I’m glad you were able to prepare and protect your family. I hope you can get through the winter ok too. 

[steviewevie]

28 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

I think this is very valid, whilst a lot of differing options in the manifesto were very strong it became kind of too good to be true and people started to think it couldn’t all be delivered. I’m not saying that’s right just how it appeared to some. 

there was a lot of wtf with the free broadband thing.

[Ozanne]

Just now, steviewevie said:

there was a lot of wtf with the free broadband thing.

There was, fast forward and free broadband like was in the manifesto would become vital.

[Crazyfool01]

4 minutes ago, PatrickF said:

Last time I signed into efestivals, the world was a totally different place and my biggest concern was getting my pal a ticket in the resale for 2020. 

There was a thread in the run up to the first lockdown. It was back in feb/March when everyone was unsure how this would all pan out. I'd like to thank the people who were really vocal about how serious covid was going to be. I can't remember the usernames but those people helped me prepare and without going into detail, it really really helped. The covid situation would have been a lot worse for my family had I not been so prepared. 

 

Great people on this forum. I hope 2021 is a better year for all of us. 

indeed ... lets hope there is light and you can go back to worrying about getting a ticket for your friend .... not downplaying the virus at all ... but if that becomes a worry again it might mean a slight return to more normality is approaching ... good luck with that ticket 

[Fuzzy Afro]

16 minutes ago, zahidf said:

 an interview on the Today programme this morning Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University and a member of the government’s vaccine taskforce, said that he thought it would be possible to vaccinate “a very large percentage” of the population by the spring. He said:

We can get vaccines into people in the UK and in most western countries pretty effectively. So I think the idea that we’re going to vaccinate a very large percentage of the population by spring is completely possible.

And I think that will make a big difference because people will be then less anxious about catching the disease because they will be vaccinated, transmissions will fall to a low level and we may not be back completely to normal but things are going to look dramatically different by the spring.

John Bell for PM. 

[steviewevie]

Boris Johnson has tested negative...bit disappointing.

[Fuzzy Afro]

Does everyone have a favourite SAGE member? John Bell is mine. 

[Leyrulion]

13 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

I remember having a discussion with someone at my work who isn’t a Tory but the policy that tipped him over the edge similar to what you’re saying about is free Broadband. He just couldn’t see how it was any benefit, why we need it now etc etc. 

The ironic thing is that the last 8 months have shown that perhaps giving access to a basic internet for free isn't a bad idea given how essential it is!

[steviewevie]

3 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

Does everyone have a favourite SAGE member? John Bell is mine. 

John Edmunds - top doomster.

[Fuzzy Afro]

1 minute ago, Leyrulion said:

The ironic thing is that the last 8 months have shown that perhaps giving access to a basic internet for free isn't a bad idea given how essential it is!

As an interesting aside, if Covid had happened in say the 90’s/early 2000’s we wouldn’t have had the technology to shut the world down like we did now. Do you guys think there’d have been a much bigger death toll? Or would we have locked down anyway and had a bigger economic collapse because those who are WFH would have had to be furloughed?

[onthebeach]

2 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

Does everyone have a favourite SAGE member? John Bell is mine. 

A bit early but could we have a list of ‘people of the year’ - who has helped you get through the bad times/inspired you? Would it need a separate thread? I’ve got mine ready!

[stuartbert two hats]

3 minutes ago, Leyrulion said:

The ironic thing is that the last 8 months have shown that perhaps giving access to a basic internet for free isn't a bad idea given how essential it is!

There's a kernel of a good idea in there, providing subsidised support for the low paid to access the internet is a good idea. But it was sold as if IT contractors earning thousands a week working from home would log on via the Ministry of Internet. It was just a distraction.

[stuartbert two hats]

3 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

As an interesting aside, if Covid had happened in say the 90’s/early 2000’s we wouldn’t have had the technology to shut the world down like we did now. Do you guys think there’d have been a much bigger death toll? Or would we have locked down anyway and had a bigger economic collapse because those who are WFH would have had to be furloughed?

Probably worse on both counts.

[Crazyfool01]

Just now, Fuzzy Afro said:

As an interesting aside, if Covid had happened in say the 90’s/early 2000’s we wouldn’t have had the technology to shut the world down like we did now. Do you guys think there’d have been a much bigger death toll? Or would we have locked down anyway and had a bigger economic collapse because those who are WFH would have had to be furloughed?

or would we have less conspiracy theory type stuff and we would have done more what we were told ....... maybe more so in a second lockdown as the first compliance was quite good .... The second its bloody awful ....I just hope people are staying out of homes of friends where they might have been visiting pubs 

[SheffJeff]

8 minutes ago, onthebeach said:

A bit early but could we have a list of ‘people of the year’ - who has helped you get through the bad times/inspired you? Would it need a separate thread? I’ve got mine ready!

Toilet Ducks gotta be up there for most on this forum.

[onthebeach]

1 minute ago, SheffJeff said:

Toilet Ducks gotta be up there for most on this forum.

Ah - already top of my list!

[mattiloy]

Yeah bollocks to starmer and Corbyn. Toiletduck for PM!

[steviewevie]

21 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

As an interesting aside, if Covid had happened in say the 90’s/early 2000’s we wouldn’t have had the technology to shut the world down like we did now. Do you guys think there’d have been a much bigger death toll? Or would we have locked down anyway and had a bigger economic collapse because those who are WFH would have had to be furloughed?

It would just another bad cold going round and we would have "cracked on" as they like to say.

[steviewevie]

23 minutes ago, onthebeach said:

A bit early but could we have a list of ‘people of the year’ - who has helped you get through the bad times/inspired you? Would it need a separate thread? I’ve got mine ready!

Got to be Trump.