"we'll change the things that need changing and that's all we'll change": the paSUKification of post-brexit politics 2021

I think Fauci in the US disagrees with the government occasionally, that wouldn't and hasn't happened here.

But then they don't want to put their pensions and knighthoods at risk.

Right.

The second chart here is good news for the UK I suppose (although it's obviously tragic for the ROW).

But the first chart plus reopening gives away the "plan", which implies a surge in cases on the same scale as last winter, and sacrificing the long term health (and in some cases the lives) of kids who can't be vaccinated in the UK:

The UK's rise in Delta cases (per capita) is higher than many countries experiencing significant surges in Asia and Africa were Delta is dominant. The difference is the UK's minimal rise in deaths and 86% adults vaccination rate (≥ 1 dose)@OurWorldInData pic.twitter.com/mokCAFKkKC

— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) July 5, 2021

(https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/04/opinion/covid-vaccine-kids-risks.html for why it's pretty weird that the UK hasn't approved vaccines for kids yet)

The Tories are overrun with libertarian headbangers, that's why.

You should have seen the cold hearted creep who was just interviewed on Channel 4 news.

Other than businesses like music venues being able to reopen, are there any rules changing post the 19th that are being actively enforced at the moment in practice?

1m+ distancing and advice to WFH is definitely keeping some offices closed; that could be a big change

It feels like if you wanted to head off a spike in cases, you’d have to start nicking people for giving a coworker a lift in your car again, but idk.

The directives around working from home have been so weak, most companies that wanted to rush people back to offices might have done so already but we’ll see what kind of shift happens over the next couple of weeks.

the government have been rushing their employees back to offices for a few weeks now tbf

at my last job, nobody was ever sent home because the company primarily exists to flatter the boss's ego

You can back your way into arguments for the various lockdown dates that have the ring of truth, but I think it’s been date first, then reason for a few months now.

― 𝔠𝔞𝔢𝔨 (caek), Monday, 5 July 2021 bookmarkflaglink

Rather: political decision/impulse first, then come up with a scientific motivation that fits the plan.

― 𝔠𝔞𝔢𝔨 (caek), Monday, 5 July 2021 bookmarkflaglink

Certainly looks that way though Whitty maintains that a wave would happen.

As long as people aren't dying it's 'fine'

Re: vaccines for kids. Decision to be made soon. Looks like they haven't hurried due to outcomes for children being so much better so looking at data on what vaccines would do for children that are ill.

Meanwhile more ppl will go to jail as we protest for better things.

🚨BREAKING: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Policing Bill) passes 3rd reading in the house.
Ayes 365
Noes 265

— Ben Smoke (@bencsmoke) July 5, 2021

There's the real fuckery

the most 2021 UK political story will be when the government offers vaccines to African countries in return for acting as dumps for refugees. https://t.co/GVZcz4jHYI

— jamie k (@jkbloodtreasure) July 5, 2021

i know two people who have had covid who have not been able to go back to work after a year. one of them lost a lung. I'm not convinced that simply 'not dying' is the best possible outcome but the idea that anyone deserves better than that is not going to be seriously reflected in any political/media discussions any time soon is it?

It seems they quietly let the Islamophobic bigot T Phillips back into the Labour party 3 weeks back behind closed doors, not something they'd want to broadcast before the Batley polling day. Fucking wretched party.

They lost the Muslim vote anyway

this contempt for ethnic minorities will come back and bite them hard in many marginals and even some supposedly safe seats come the next council elections and the general election. And they won't be able to do damage limitation by flooding these constituencies with everything they've got like they did last week.

that bullshit "people voted for hope" claptrap and the Jo Cox "more in common" memorial platitude has always been an utter crock of shit. The result showed people couldn't be more divided and what hope are the Labour offering? Hope that more bigoted racists will vote for them than the amount of ethnic minorities they've alienated.

This is true (and the bill has to go through the House of Lords) while it is also true that more ppl will go to jail.

More serious note when peeps are like "the bill has passed, its all over" you're making a pretty unhelpful defeatest political intervention 😬 that essentially says it was a win in parliament or nothing. This has literally never been how oppressed people have won anything, ever.

— Shanice 😈 (@Shanice_OM) July 6, 2021

Government defeats in the House of Lords - UK Parliamenthttps://www.parliament.uk › about › faqs › lords-govtd...

Government Session Number of defeats
Conservative 2019‑2021 114

I didn't realise they'd had that many defeats in the Lords.

thing is if I understand the British system correctly something that gets voted down in the lords just goes back to the commons and if they really wanna make a point of it they can pass it again, right?

sounds about right, I always get lost when looking through the process of 2nd readings .. 3rd readings ..amendments blah blah.

Seeing fewer masks worn is bad but seeing fewer Union Flag masks worn is not bad.

haha, saw my first example of that today!

Clause 38 on the face of it seems to criminalise rescue of asylum seekers at sea by removing "for gain" from an existing offence. A lot depends on the meaning of "facilitates". Organisations which "aim to assist asylum seekers' and do not charge for services are exempt, though. pic.twitter.com/IfXn8XptxM

— Colin Yeo (@ColinYeo1) July 6, 2021

Also apparently it only applies if you're male?

haha, saw my first example of that today!

Ditto. Let's hope it was the same person.

for quite some time most places i've been have been primarily maskless. I went to a busy supermarket a couple of months ago where i only saw one other person wearing a mask.

I've been going to supermarkets, two or three or more times a week, all thru the pandemic and mask wearing has gone from 10% to about 90% in that time. It increased steadily but after it was made compulsory pretty much everyone started wearing one.

... more like 95%.

I'm talking Morrisons not Waitrose btw!

I mean I think the big Sainsbury's made it to about 80% but about 50-60% today

I would say it's 95% in Sainsbury's, only maybe 60% in Asda.

Mask compliance pretty thorough in all the supermarkets I use: Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Lidl, Aldi.

it only takes one person with no mask to come close to put you off a place or situation. I bet my local ASDA is 95% compliance but the woman who coughed beside me without a mask on six months ago has guaranteed I'll be doing online shops for the foreseeable future.

I've been in a supermarket once since 2020 and don't plan on going to one again unless it's completely necessary

offys and the like have a much lower mask take-up than the chains, too - obv they don't have security

An old work colleague of mine says a big group at his company watched Saturday's England game at some club in Mexborough where it turned out there were four people present with the rona. By Monday there were 15 people off work + self isolating. Then by Wednesday there were 20 people off work all tested as positive. He didn't mention the vacc status of these people, but I'm imagining most of them must at least have had their first shot.

yeah, wembley tonight is actually a government sponsored Pox Party, trying to get susceptible people ill and into hospital whilst it's still relatively quiet.

Whoever runs the @England TikTok account, I'll have what they're having pic.twitter.com/aH8Jd92GCo

— Joey D'Urso (@josephmdurso) July 7, 2021

^ V political post

Marxism is a hell of a drug

<I>“Gareth Southgate and the squad will have the whole nation behind them tonight. Both on and off the pitch, they have shown the best of England. There’s been only one song featured in our house since Saturday — it’s coming home.”</I>

Generally speaking I don't discuss Starmer much because it's wasted effort, there's nothing there, but occasionally a particularly large iceberg of "how is he so bad at this?" detaches from the polar cap.

Generally speaking I don't discuss Starmer much - but when I do I like to include a little failure of my own, as a tribute.

Cannot imagine anything more likely to put a person off the England team than being subjected to Three Lions on repeat for four days

I'm not really seeing the Tories indulging in any of this btw. They're happy leaving this clown to step on each and every rake that's strewn around.

has anyone told Kieth that the England players understand social democracy correctly from a Marxist viewpoint?

Day one: hope they lose now

Day four: hang draw and quarter Broudie Baddiel and Skinner in the centre circle

Tbf some of us have been on day four for a couple of decades now