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

Usual caveats about ethnic groups not being monoliths etc etc.

(or is lockdown just completely a lost cause and we're all gonna get the rona)

i work with a lot of british indians and quite a few of them went lib dem at the last election (admittedly from the london professional bubble) - i think it breaks down as much along class lines as race ones in this case? yeah exactly

It also sometimes helps to look back a few generations and get a sense of what these people's grandparents and beyond did during the Empire (and this is particularly true with British Indians whose families arrived via Africa). Many of these people are very aware of where their ancestors sat in the colonial hierarchy and it can shed a lot of light on familial/inherited attitudes to power. This is as true of my extended family as any other.

The BLM protests here have been huge in terms of turnout. The first one, in Amsterdam, had way too many people for an individual to keep distance. The mayor said she allowed it because it was important, getting a lot of flak for that from basically the whole country/tories etc. In the aftermath it's mostly been about protesting in rona-times, instead of what ppl/media should really be talking about: racism. Basically, Rona made a great argument for right-wingers to say: "sure this is important but NOT NOW, is this why we tried to contain the virus, you're putting us at risk and protesting is unnacceptable" etc (also racism doesn't exist in the Netherlands, and all that crap).

The protests in other big cities that followed have attracted big crowds as well, more than expected, and - learning from A'dam - ppl kept their distance. It's possible to do this, and if not now, when?

what is the official ukpol line on the BLM protest btw - personally speaking under any other circumstances i'd have tried to be there myself, but purely from a practical perspective, given COVID i'd have preferred it kept online. obviously voices have to be heard here but...now?

simple unequivocal answer to that is given by the people out protesting, i wouldn't dream of telling them they're wrong

that all seems fair. viva socially-distanced protest

I have to say I'm not really sure why we're talking about Corbyn in light of what's happening in the US.

I say fair fucks to them getting out there and making themselves heard, it’s good to be reminded there are lots of angry people out there. I hope they can all stay safe and well. (Tbh I think the risk is lower outdoors anyway).

In Parliament, I just demanded action on structural racism.

The Minister's reply? The Tories "have a record to be proud of" on race.

Tell that to Grenfell survivors still living in temporary housing, victims of the Windrush scandal & BAME people disproportionately hit by Covid.

— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) June 4, 2020

funny i just thought about sharing that

They seem a very proud bunch these days, yer Tories.

(Sorry gyac I wasn't being snarky there, the original Farmer tweet appeared to be about Corbyn in part and I don't think he has much to do with it but otoh it's an interesting enough discussion anyway precisely because it's so ignored by the media and chattering classes Twitter idiots more generally).

Yeah no problem, I didn’t think you were! He is definitely talking about Corbyn and not the haircut when he’s talking about this side of the Atlantic. I think it is very much part of a bigger picture that we’re seeing play out now.

Lots of people wondering about track and trace in Parliament this evening. This is what @CommonsLeader told @ruthcadbury yesterday - that they didn’t have to do it because they all follow the clear instructions about standing 6ft apart... pic.twitter.com/fXRzzSZpDF

— Amy Leversidge (@Amy_Leversidge) June 3, 2020

Alok Sharma spent 45mins with both Sunak and Johnson two days ago.

Are there any governments in any other country that have had many key members go down with the rona?

starting to think that the tories might somehow think that the rules don't apply to them or something

another victory for great british pluck xp

when you're ordained by god rona holds no fears

Meanwhile over in Brexit corner

4 June 2020 – Downing Street drops pledge to keep chlorinated chicken banned and ministers reportedly agree it can come in subject to tariffs https://t.co/tre6s8j8OB

— Jon Stone (@joncstone) June 4, 2020

Are there any governments in any other country that have had many key members go down with the rona?

Iran maybe. Inspiring company.

nailed it again!

After Alok Sharma appears to suffer possible coronavirus symptoms in House of Commons, PM advises him to come into work tomorrow then take his family for a 260-mile drive.

— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) June 4, 2020

Johnson btw is still not right, he sounds out of breath when he talks and has to stop.

I wonder whether -- if Johnson is still unwell -- that's how the Tories could get rid of him.

Johnson troubled by the persistent glowing red "FINISH HIM" sign that's been flashing above his head for a month

never mind the Tories what's god fucking around at?

playing cruel games with his hated creations iirc

I wonder whether -- if Johnson is still unwell -- that's how the Tories could get rid of him.

(Or, ideally, it's become the people and/or Labour's fault)

this is from yesterday but i feel like it must be immortalised itt

I am putting the Prime Minister on notice that he has got to get a grip.https://t.co/iQl030XhsX

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 3, 2020

get a grip on the wheel of this ship,
or you’ll feel my steel through your last meal!

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprodmigration%2Fweb%2Fbin%2Febd816d6-a2b6-3d4d-afb5-4fcbafd442a6.jpg?crop=780%2C520%2C0%2C0

I wonder whether -- if Johnson is still unwell -- that's how the Tories could get rid of him.

If he goes then their pet No Deal project comes under increased stress, so no doubt they'll shove him out there however near he is to carking out.

Are there any governments in any other country that have had many key members go down with the rona?

Don't forget Brazil! Wait for it to hit the US Senate too, almost an inevitability.

kind of amazed that it hasn't fucked up more politicians tbh

mainly disappointed

Rees-Mogg dying of C-19 through his own hubris would be the most blackly comic thing to happen this year.

i don't see a black side tbh

I know that at the heart of it it was about disenfranchising whole constituencies, but Moggy really is every shitty manager of an office based workplace where the underlings have adapted quickly to WFH but he wants them back in before it's safe so he can 'keep an eye on them'.

— REMAIN INDOORS (@Scriblit) June 4, 2020

lol we're you get the idea

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/04/nhs-track-and-trace-system-not-expected-to-be-operating-fully-until-september-coronavirus

now more than ever

NEW Britain needs a new £100million Royal Yacht Britannia to provide 'morale boost' during coronavirus pandemic, former Trade minister Digby Jones tells this week's edition of Chopper's Politics podcast. https://t.co/iH7B2otJSF @ChoppersPodcast

— Christopher Hope📝 (@christopherhope) June 4, 2020

Sharma has tested negative apparently :(

phew good thing his having symptoms didn’t expose the complete lack of interest the tories will have in following their own rules when another mp actually does have the ‘rona

xp someone's been playing a hacked version of Civ again.

So that there Dominic Cummings seems to have got away with it after all. What a rogue!

Will we get to vote on a name for the yacht?

Exclusive: Welfare should be based on "what you put in" to tackle public mistrust, says Labour’s shadow DWP secretary
https://t.co/4QNM9mXDwx

— The House Live (@TheHouseLive) June 5, 2020

Cheers lads, I wasn't going to vote for you again anyway but thanks for making it so much easier for me.

The glory days are back again, you Tory fucks

ah yes, that public mistrust which sprang fully formed into the public consciousness and was not deliberately inflamed by dishonest political rhetoric and amplified by billionaire media owners

aiui, this is basically how union-negotiated unemployment benefits work in France / Germany / Italy - you get paid a % of your previous salary if you're made unemployed. It means that overall benefit payments are higher than the UK. However, floating 'get out what you put in' as a principle without backing it up with a commitment to increasing the amount spent on social welfare (and increasing NI to offset) is moronic.

it's pure "win back the red wall" rhetoric with a slightly more cautious spin on it than would've happened under Brown or EMil