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

to be fair to Rishi, it's true that eating out can help mitigate a weak pound

— Marie Le Conte (@youngvulgarian) July 8, 2020

A good thread on how austerity us v much there with us, and to say the goalposts have shifted is complacent

To all those claiming interventionism has returned and arguing that the fight is no longer against austerity – it hasn’t and it is - A THREAD -1/

— Mary Robertson (@Lizzieirvine84) July 8, 2020

well yes, when did foodbanks close, all the fucked libraries re-open, all bankrupt local authorities suddenly have enough money to look after their most vulnerable and disabled. People that talk like austerity is over don't know what austerity is.

Gaslighting might be an overused word but talking like austerity is over just because fucking trophy-head is selectively chucking the bunce about because he has no other fucking choice. It doesn't mean people's lives that are continuously fucked by austerity are suddenly a-OK now!

"People that talk like austerity is over don't know what austerity is."

wrong tbh, usually they are tories and libs, labour right that do a good job of pretending they don't know what it is whilst enthusiastically voting for it every fucking chance they get.

The media protects its own. Neither The Sun nor The Times mention that Eric Joyce is married to a columnist contracted by News UK. It is materially important as she has a) defended him in previous court cases/allegations b) it’s a conflict of interest. pic.twitter.com/dMhiMfrXK1

— Mic Wright (@brokenbottleboy) July 8, 2020

I agree with Calzino. The policies that were called austerity have not been reversed. (I never thought austerity was a very good word for it - more like cuts for the poor and rises for the rich.)

I remember a Tom Crewe LRB article that really opened my eyes to how far 'austerity' was about local councils. If local councils remain as poor as they have done, then clearly the policy is still in effect.

The collision of millions of people - including middle class voters - with the Universal Credit system might end up doing for Universal Credit. But everything we've seen so far suggests Boris will be very keen to spread the blame as much as possible and cuts that are left up to local authorities can be conveniently blamed on councils. They're going to go all out on that in former Red Wall seats that still have Labour councils, as well as in current Labour marginals.

Poorer councils - so generally not Tory ones - were hit disproportionately by cuts in the first place, that bit bears repeating.

the mass middle class collision with UC that is in the post was obv not something that was anticipated by IDS and Osborne when they kept talking about how it was harsh but good medicine for the nation etc. it's dangerous for the tories because they either have to reform it or continue repping for a harsh, punitive, cruel system that is going to make a lot of the people whose votes they need hate their guts!

So can disabled people use the £10 voucher on takeaways or online outlets, @RishiSunak? The boost to the hospitality industry will be the same as face to face. Or is the government happy to discriminate against people unable to leave the house?

— Frances Ryan (@DrFrancesRyan) July 9, 2020

not only classist but also disablist, not heard any of this from the opposition .. just stupid fucking quips

maybe Rishi should go on a unconscious bias course, not that there is any known cure for being a myopic jug-eared tory cunt

on the radio this morning i didn't get the feeling that i get with the ret of them that every word out of his mouth is self-serving spin. but it's easy to like (/be likeable if you're) the guy handing out all the money.

(ret = rest)

I think the vouchers are there specifically to get people into restaurants, I doubt takeaway orders are hurting - everyone's all cooked out and ready to order a takeaway if they can afford it. What this tells me is the govt knows restaurants won't be safe and is offering a tradeoff for people to risk it.

Obv not defending the measure or denying its classist/ableist nature.

I live to hear posho failed restaurateurs crying about going bankrupt on You and Yours and harvest their tears for my potions!

Yeah funnelling money into takeaways still stimulates the economy, so I can only assume this is about promoting/simulating the sense of getting back to normal.

The Treasury appears to believe its the lockdown itself causing the economic hit rather than the virus. It's wrong in that but I think it's very hostile to the idea that people might want to continue social distancing until it's absolutely safe.

the more restaurateurs go bankrupt, the less people die of Rona. It's a win-win equation for me!

Deputy CMO telling everyone to lose weight before the second wave hits - gyms are shut, pubs are open and we’re being urged to get to Nando’s so good luck with that

The article that wrote itself.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jul/08/imagine-the-state-wed-be-in-if-corbyn-had-been-in-charge-the-view-from-the-red-wall

Good old Jenny Harries, remember how she said it was ok for big events to go ahead in March?

Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, came into Downing Street to answer some of the most commonly asked questions on coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/jByRhFFfat

— Boris Johnson #StayAlert (@BorisJohnson) March 11, 2020

why so incurious the ten million+ who voted for him? not really a question, + not really a serious newspaper.

Love me I'm a liberal, updated. pic.twitter.com/qLN1z55lJw

— Matt Thomas (@Trickyjabs) July 8, 2020

Labour might yet find itself with a substantial poll lead but that's down to what the Tories can and can't accomplish more than anything else, but that Twitter thing shows the inability of a certain group of voters to let go of the idea of a uniquely unpopular Tory party that was there for the taking.

why so incurious the ten million+ who voted for him?

Sadly the answer is 'FPTP'. They might find themselves with good cause to ask the question if Starmzy gets a surprising by-election result in a metropolitan seat or student town though.

it's easy to like (/be likeable if you're) the guy handing out all the money.

I hate the guy handing out all the money tbh

Let's see how popular he is in October when they kill furlough.

coming around to the idea that the Tories will find a way to mask potential unpopularity with populism at every turn. they'll kill furlough but announce a tenner's worth of mcdonalds vouchers for every adult under 30 or something

Let's see how popular he is in October when they kill furlough.

Pensioners aren't furloughed

Let's see how popular he is in October when they kill pensioners.

killing pensioners is the one thing boris’ government has excelled at so far tbf

talk about smiting the hand that feeds you

if you can inculcate the basic principles of conservatism (i.e. blind ignorance + hateful bigotry) in younger ppl then you don't need pensioners any more!

another day, another set of headlines about thousands of job losses. grim

I take inspiration from this slogan I saw painted on the dining room wall of this rich guy's house (who has a hydraulic steering business) and I was being a nosy cunt peering into his house earlier, on it was written "Be the teamwork that makes the dream work"

Oh my God

"I fundamentally believe that you should not be stopped on the streets of our country simply because of the colour of your skin"

Former Prime Minister @Theresa_May tells @Sarah_Montague. "Sadly, we're seeing some of the figures go back up again"

https://t.co/Hk1GDUCMM4 | pic.twitter.com/MDkhyFTwhH

— The World at One (@BBCWorldatOne) July 9, 2020

the architect of *friendly environment* speaks

brb gonna go stand in the garden and scream myself hoarse

I think she's done a Thatcher and forgotten who she is.

we should all be so lucky

Osborne and Rudd also suffered similar bouts of forgetfulness or perhaps denial if you are going to be unkind. More infectious than the bloomin' Rona!

it's like her "nasty party" speech or the anti-racism thing she did when she became PM, just a load of fucking words she doesn't mean

she got a good grounding in hypocrisy and talking meaningless twaddle, her dad was a vicar!

Matt beat me to suggesting she's got the Alzheimers

she was talking about the domestic abuse bill 2020, which completely excludes immigrants apparently. so vmic. She's another of these arseholes who repped for (and unveiled the cursed piece of rubbish) the Astor statue

Pools, gyms and sports facilities will be able to reopen and team sports and outdoor gigs resume, the government has announced.

Outdoor pools and performances can resume from Saturday with social distancing in place, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has said.

Indoor gyms, sports facilities and pools will be able to reopen from 25 July.

Guidance will be published for team sports to return from Saturday.

Outdoor gigs is insane.

you wouldn't catch me going into a changing room as much as I'd love to go swimming. Lol might have to go speedo mick stylee!

Oh god here come some shitty festivals

Not sure how the science works for watching some cunts playing guitars but not watching live sport

Sunak has thrown a lifeline to hard-up members of Reef and Cast, down to headline every shonky Village Picnic-type festival in the country.