UK Lockdown

[Grecian2K]

Which is why I get the feeling that the country is longing for clarity rather than the ingrained obsfucation and protective spin of recent habit.

Perceived and real risk.
Who's minding the gap?

Paying their lower-grade operatives a "risk bonus" might compensate? At the very least it might leave them feeling a little more flushed for money.

 

[Spoonz Red E]

The big irony is that if the 'minger had shown a bit of humility, explained the circumstances but admitted that, with hindsight, he might have made an error of judgment then instead of this almighty furore and, indeed, perhaps even a tad of sympathy for his plight.

But being "Big Dom" he has to try to deflect, bully and possibly downright lie* his way out of it.

Unless, of course, as Hants has pointed out, he has even more to try and hide.

*Note: Before the mod squad get all heavy on me for this insinuation all I can say is, based on the evidence presented so far, someone has been a little economic with the actualitee here...and, for me at least, my trust lies with the version of events being presented by the Durham constabulary rather that the spin emanating from No 10.

It's alright.

On the evidence of the fact checkers and Dom's last electoral campaign, lying is 80% of his business model.
Targeted lying of course.
Wouldn't want to waste it.

 

[Antony Moxey]

So it seems that it wasn't just the one visit to Durham by Cummings!

I’m no fan of either him or the current administration, but with all that’s going on at the moment is this really what’s important right now? I get the hypocrisy but it seems to me this is nothing more than left wing points scoring. Can we not concentrate on what’s really important for once?

 

[Hants_red]

I’m no fan of either him or the current administration, but with all that’s going on at the moment is this really what’s important right now? I get the hypocrisy but it seems to me this is nothing more than left wing points scoring. Can we not concentrate on what’s really important for once?

This is important. Not just a left wing thing either, plenty of Conservatives are calling him out on this as well. He shouldn't have gone, he shouldn't have lied, he shouldn't have had senior Conservatives lying on his behalf all day, he shouldn't accused Durham police of lying, he should have been honest about his second visit. He's a liar, he has a proven track record of lying. He is the most senior advisor to the Government and to the Prime Minister, he is reorganising how Whitehall works, he get to say who can be the top people running Government and the country. He didn't follow the advice of which he helped create. This goes to the heart our Government and how competent the Prime Minister is. They look firly useless and crooked at the moment. If the Prime Minister was any good, Cummings would already have gone. BTW. Where is Boris Johnson? All I hear is excuses for him.

 

[RedPaul]

Which is why I get the feeling that the country is longing for clarity rather than the ingrained obsfucation and protective spin of recent habit.

Perceived and real risk.
Who's minding the gap?

Amen. No-one.

Can the Government really provide clarity on every single occupation and activity though?
Take our football world

Is it safe for 2 people from different households to go and kick a ball about in a park? Currently allowed
What about 3? Well not much difference. Me, my son and his best friend. Let's do it.
Ok so 5? Me, my son, and 3 friends. Fine. We're all ok.
Ok so I as a coach for my daughters team. Can't I get all 15 of them to meet up in a park and do some exercise and work on some technical skills? They aren't touching each other.
Well that's ok. So why can't we play a friendly? Hardly a mass social gathering. 30 of us and a couple of parents watching. All players mostly apart except tackles and corners.
So we can play ok, is it safe for 20 people to go and watch Heavitree Utd play, well spread out round the pitch?
How about 100 to watch Exmouth Town?
etc
etc

I just think at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later, the issues are going to have to be set out and each organisation / workplace is going to have to make a sensible judgement. Shield the vulnerable, take sensible and reasonable precautions with everyone else, get on with life.

 

[Spoonz Red E]

Amen. No-one.

Can the Government really provide clarity on every single occupation and activity though?
Take our football world

Is it safe for 2 people from different households to go and kick a ball about in a park? Currently allowed
What about 3? Well not much difference. Me, my son and his best friend. Let's do it.
Ok so 5? Me, my son, and 3 friends. Fine. We're all ok.
Ok so I as a coach for my daughters team. Can't I get all 15 of them to meet up in a park and do some exercise and work on some technical skills? They aren't touching each other.
Well that's ok. So why can't we play a friendly? Hardly a mass social gathering. 30 of us and a couple of parents watching. All players mostly apart except tackles and corners.
So we can play ok, is it safe for 20 people to go and watch Heavitree Utd play, well spread out round the pitch?
How about 100 to watch Exmouth Town?
etc
etc

I just think at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later, the issues are going to have to be set out and each organisation / workplace is going to have to make a sensible judgement. Shield the vulnerable, take sensible and reasonable precautions with everyone else, get on with life.

No.
But they can certainly provide the opposite.

There are two standards for the government that are in its power to meet.
Are we a trusted source? Fail.
Have we presented the evidence clearly? Fail.

We know we'll have to take risks.

We need confidence in the failsafes, organisational competence and mitigation planning.

 

[Alistair20000]

While having no time for Cummings I found myself laughing reasonably hard reading Alastair Campbell’s tirade against him calling him a liar and a hypocrite. This from the arch liar who backed up all the whoppers that fell from the lips of the Reverend Blair.

All you need to see a liar and a hypocrite Alastair is a mirror. Yet another creep to exert undue influence over our so called leaders.

 

[RedPaul]

No.
But they can certainly provide the opposite.

There are two standards for the government that are in its power to meet.
Are we a trusted source? Fail.
Have we presented the evidence clearly? Fail.

We know we'll have to take risks.

We need confidence in the failsafes, organisational competence and mitigation planning.

Fair enough. But the information is out there

Exeter has had 7 new cases of CV19 in 2 weeks
East Devon 6

13 cases across a population of what, nearly 200,000?

Yet you are not allowed to go and have a cup of tea in your neighbours house let alone the owners of hundreds of small businesses and shops that aren't allowed to open.

 

[iscalad]

Fair enough. But the information is out there

Exeter has had 7 new cases of CV19 in 2 weeks
East Devon 6

13 cases across a population of what, nearly 200,000?

Yet you are not allowed to go and have a cup of tea in your neighbours house let alone the owners of hundreds of small businesses and shops that aren't allowed to open.

Seems to me that not going to your neighbours is working.

 

[Spoonz Red E]

Fair enough. But the information is out there

Exeter has had 7 new cases of CV19 in 2 weeks
East Devon 6

13 cases across a population of what, nearly 200,000?

Yet you are not allowed to go and have a cup of tea in your neighbours house let alone the owners of hundreds of small businesses and shops that aren't allowed to open.

On the face of it a ludicrous situation I agree.
It didn't have to be this way.

We need some consent building and collaborative decision making which has worked recently in part.

Does the virus affect high horses?