love* in the time of plague (and by love* i mean brexit* and other dreary matters of uk politics)

xps, idk if the government can put any kind of time-limit of assistance to companies, tbh. Even if this goes on for eighteen months, you need a functional economy at the end of it. Forcing huge numbers of businesses into bankruptcy, or effectively forcing them to lay off staff and re-recruit, is likely a worse outcome than racking up decades of national debt. Whether that can be done for all businesses, or whether there'd have to be some kind of vetting on commercial viability post-lockdown, is a huge question, though.

Do you mean economically or just "this looks bad"?

Economically. If everyone is out of work and vast numbers of employers have collapsed then it makes it much more difficult for the country to rebound. If people can just return to work at the end of their furlough period then it's easier. Its the difference between a sharp recession and a long depression.

Some good proximity to power correlation there.

I'm definitely missing something, Matt - if furlough is better for business (and better for the Tories wrt keeping nice white-collar people away from welfare) and if they can keep printing money (because what are the alternatives) then why would it become economically unfeasable?

It's mostly there in SV's post right above mine.

idk if the government can put any kind of time-limit of assistance to companies, tbh. Even if this goes on for eighteen months, you need a functional economy at the end of it. Forcing huge numbers of businesses into bankruptcy, or effectively forcing them to lay off staff and re-recruit, is likely a worse outcome than racking up decades of national debt. Whether that can be done for all businesses, or whether there'd have to be some kind of vetting on commercial viability post-lockdown, is a huge question, though.

Yeah they will have to keep the money going, there's going to be ballooning national debt whatever happens but if everything collapses there's going to be no tax revenue to pay it off. Also if the government is seen to be switching off life support for employers then it really will impact upon them at the ballot box, because people aren't going to forget that shit.

Tell you what, though.

Remember Dominic Cummings?

You'll not be seeing him again.

Huh, I took his post as arguing with yours: "In general it's still better to keep people nominally in employment but if the lockdown maintains for six months or longer then that might just become unfeasible."

A lot of 'rules' will be written then replaced by other ones.

ballooning national debt whatever happen

BoE has switched to direct finance for covid costs rather than selling gilts as of this morning, so afaict we're going to (theoretically) devalue the pound rather than increase the debt.

Pity we already had that Brexit devaluation, like.

Tell you what, though.

Remember Dominic Cummings?

You'll not be seeing him again.

The Government's still claiming that they'll get the necessary concessions from the EU by June or walk away, so the Brexit dividend should start to kick in for the Christmas Rush!

Andrew - the market for gilts is massive and probably wouldn't be exhausted within the duration of the crisis but if the govt really needs to keep pumping vast amounts of money in for ages then it might exceed the level of investor demand and find it difficult to continue to raise money past a certain point.

No one really knows where that line is (and it's nowhere near where Cameron and Osborne claimed it was) but exceeding it is where it might become unfeasible. This is massive area of debate though and in any case I wasn't aware of the development in Stet's post, which makes it academic really.

gilts are cops

BAME & people on the left can say something over and over again--that's identity politics & 'unrealistic' 'extremism'. Once it's said in posh accents on the BBC, it's true.

— Priyamvada Gopal (@PriyamvadaGopal) April 9, 2020

And, my God, you don't half notice the sheer amount of posh voices the more you watch television news and current affaurs.

It's probably a sign of getting old, but the number of fresh-faced twentysomething 'media commentators' with public school accents this country churns out is staggering.

not watched or listened to a single news broadcast since 11/12/2019 😬. emily maitlis can go fuck herself though

I've been trying to avoid the news since then too, but occasionally hate watch.

You'll have missed the number of vaguely famous singer types that are making "appropriate" song covers, for the download, for the NHS or whatever. From "Somewhere over the rainbow" to "We'll meet again" …..

waiting on the Colonel Abrams reissue tbh

Update from no10:

– The PM had a good night and continues to improve in ICU. He’s in good spirits. Still getting standard oxygen treatment.

– Is Boris a smoker? PM's official spox says "I wouldn’t know the answer but I certainly haven’t" seen the PM with a cigarette.

— lukemcgee (@lukemcgee) April 9, 2020

Doc Scott 'NHS' for Xmas #1

Bound 4 da Reload

a more innocent time

The track features a sample from the theme tune to the BBC medical drama Casualty. The duo had not initially gone the correct route to clear the rights to use the Casualty theme, instead calling the BBC receptionist to tell them they were sampling it.

Oi, there's that Covid-19
Oi, there's that Covid-19
Uh-oh, there's that Covid-19
Uh-oh, there's that Covid-19

etc etc

sickening

A doctor who warned the prime minister that health workers urgently needed more PPE has died after being diagnosed with Covid-19.

Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, died after 15 days in hospital.

Let's not politicize the death of this doctor killed by the failure of politicians

FINALLY

https://i.redd.it/he3zs3rysor41.png

Too soon

Let's not politicize the death of this doctor killed by the failure of politicians

Hearing about way too many Easter parties. Ffs people

a more innocent time

The track features a sample from the theme tune to the BBC medical drama Casualty. The duo had not initially gone the correct route to clear the rights to use the Casualty theme, instead calling the BBC receptionist to tell them they were sampling it.

― force ghost bg (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 9 April 2020 14:26 (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

lol

"Can everyone just stop getting coughs coughs coughs coughs coughs

Caaaannnnn evvverrrrrywaaaaaaaan jussst stttooooppp gyooeerrrrrrrrrrtttiing coouuuuuuugggggghhhhhhhhssss

It feels like one Asian doctor per day dies from covid.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-doctor-who-warned-prime-minister-about-ppe-dies-with-covid-19-11971068

“I’m not calling for precise timings” Ah that “forensic” opposition we’ve heard so much about. https://t.co/ZvfTOcPE2k

— Dawn Foster (@DawnHFoster) April 9, 2020

don't worry.. the LOTO is here to chew gum and ask ridiculously vague and stupid questions ..and he's all out of ridiculously vague and stupid questions

Good on Johnny Mc. As well as this, ASOS has been endangering its workers.

I just signed a @iwgb_clb petition: #BoycottASOS for workers' rights!. Sign here: https://t.co/mKKGKe6Ss4 Solidarity

— John McDonnell MP (@johnmcdonnellMP) April 9, 2020

tbh, Starmer has been weak on this throughout but anyone asking the government for a precise time this is going to end is going to look like a bigger idiot.

^

which begs the question why bother? obv the govt can't be talking about exit strategies when people need to stay locked down while there is probably *1000+ people dying every day.

* someone yesterday quoted the ONS saying the figures are at least 8% short

Framing whatever he is asking as 'exit strategy' is really weak when Key workers are dying rn xps

yep and Starmer should be pressing them on matters which affect the poorest and most vulnerable as well

he's fucking useless

bearing in mind some of our key workers are amongst the poorest.

I was gonna mock it earlier, it's worse than saying nothing. I hear very little of the daily press briefs, but I caught a bit last night and it seems clear to me the gov are trying to avoid the question of when lockdown might end, partly I think because to answer honestly is likely to freak a lot of people out.

He needs to be much more robust on a lot of the details, including key workers.

Asking what the government to set out what they actually want to achieve is important though. Are they banking on antibody tests? When the cases get to a managable level, are they going to start aggressively contact tracing? There is no clear public strategy - which leads to speculation that there's no strategy to begin with or that they've effectively settled on the herd immunity policy and are just soft-pedaling it so it doesn't all hit at once.

clear to me the gov are trying to avoid the question of when lockdown might end, partly I think because to answer honestly is likely to freak a lot of people out.

From the leaks, it sounds like there is likely a split between people who want to end it more or less immediately and those who are prepared to wait.

xp Sure, but that isn't what Kiermit asked them

I feel almost certain Corbyn would have been asking the pertinent questions that needed asking in a more timely manner. This fucker is a waste of skin. I honestly feel if you just replaced him with a sandbag with Twat printed on it there would be a more effective LOTO.

I agree he's basically rambling.

It's the right question asked fairly incompetently.

"Asking what the government to set out what they actually want to achieve is important though. Are they banking on antibody tests? When the cases get to a managable level, are they going to start aggressively contact tracing?"

I get that but I feel like they should step back from 'strategy' type language to actually hammer at the lack of testing on any level and PPE. They should keep calling it the disaster that it is.