P&O Cruisers - What are things like where YOU are?

[Dermotsgirl]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

You know the answer Zap. We have a few armchair critics on here who cannot resist the slightest opportunity to knock the government and are masters of hindsight. They will continually harp on about a former government advisor who, although he is an odious individual, drove a car with only his family in it, yet ignore the former Labour Party leader who hosted a dinner party of multiple households, or an SNP MP who travelled by train to Scotland having tested positive. The latter two are elected members of parliament and their actions risked far more people than just their own families, but mentioning those in the same criticism of an unelected government advisor doesn’t suit their argument! 

All of the things you mention are reprehensible, but the difference is, that they weren’t instrumental in setting the rules for the lockdown. 

[Harry Peterson]

29 minutes ago, zap99 said:

No. It goes nice and Crusey for a

 while and then some wag thinks they will mention Barnard Castle and expect the whole world will fall about laughing. Move on I did young Skywalker.

Nobody’s laughing. It isn’t a joke. It’s deadly serious - with the emphasis on deadly. And that’s why the subject won’t go away - here, or across the entire country.

[Selbourne]

50 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

All of the things you mention are reprehensible, but the difference is, that they weren’t instrumental in setting the rules for the lockdown. 

Hmm. Not sure I agree. He was an unelected advisor. As the old saying goes, advisors advise and politicians decide. The other two were elected politicians! I think this one can be argued either way depending on your political persuasion. As someone said earlier, they are all as bad as one another. 

[Harry Peterson]

49 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Hmm. Not sure I agree. He was an unelected advisor. As the old saying goes, advisors advise and politicians decide. The other two were elected politicians! I think this one can be argued either way depending on your political persuasion. As someone said earlier, they are all as bad as one another. 

He was certainly unelected, but he was the central figure in setting policy as the PM's chief advisor.  He was deeply involved in every major government Covid decision, including the delayed initial lockdown, the appointment of Dido Harding, and the lockdown rules.

 

The theory is, as you say, that advisors advise and politicians decide.  That very much depends on the ability of the politicians, though, and how capable they are of making their own decisions, as against following a chief advisor.

[kalos]

Well to go along with our new Bubble system we now have our new Tier system .

To save any confusion the .Gov web site has put a postcode checker out but at 

the moment isn't working .

As expected we are in Tier 3 again , I just used the regional table as they are updating this .

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1APtcBmI4JeTR0Ysufjavgg2gy4MBiHz0Hf9eKIp5BSo/edit#gid=1865138965

 

 

[Eglesbrech]

12 hours ago, wowzz said:

That would include Mark Drakeford, who decided that no one could buy a book during the Welsh lock down! How does not buying a book in Tesco help control the spread of CV19?  Answers on a postcard (not that you could buy one at the time) please.  Complete nincompoopery, 

Some of these local politicians have never had a proper job in their lives, and now have an over inflated sense of their own importance. 

I don’t think it was executed well but I can see what the Welsh Fm was trying to do. Small shops, including book shops are really struggling and allowing the large shops to steal all the pre Christmas trade while others are forced to close does seem unfair.

 

As for an inflated idea of their own self importance I don’t think that is exclusive to local politicians, it applies to most of them in my humble opinion.

[terrierjohn]

20 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

He was certainly unelected, but he was the central figure in setting policy as the PM's chief advisor.  He was deeply involved in every major government Covid decision, including the delayed initial lockdown, the appointment of Dido Harding, and the lockdown rules.

 

The theory is, as you say, that advisors advise and politicians decide.  That very much depends on the ability of the politicians, though, and how capable they are of making their own decisions, as against following a chief advisor.

Harry, unless you, or the reporters who wrote the articles you obtain your information from, were actually present at every meeting then you have no idea.  However I remember Whiity responded to a question about  what influence Cummings had on decisions, that he was at the SAGE meeting as an observer only.

[Adawn47]

2 hours ago, zap99 said:

No. It goes nice and Crusey for a

 while and then some wag thinks they will mention Barnard Castle and expect the whole world will fall about laughing.

That would have been me, as a joke, you know just like the continous ones about Gary Barlow or the grockles? I am gradually begining to learn to keep my sense of humour to myself and leave it to those who like to jump on anything to be insulting.

[Selbourne]

17 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

He was certainly unelected, but he was the central figure in setting policy as the PM's chief advisor.  He was deeply involved in every major government Covid decision, including the delayed initial lockdown, the appointment of Dido Harding, and the lockdown rules.

 

The theory is, as you say, that advisors advise and politicians decide.  That very much depends on the ability of the politicians, though, and how capable they are of making their own decisions, as against following a chief advisor.

He was undoubtedly influential, but I’m not convinced that he can be held accountable for every government action or appointment. If his job brief was really as influential as many claim, I suspect that he would have been earning considerably more money than he was. I used to employ people on more than Cummings was being paid and none of them were even known by the public, let alone scrutinised by the media at every turn! Whatever you might think of the man (and he strikes me as a nasty piece of work) he certainly didn’t do it for the money. I suspect that, like politicians, it’s an ego thing, but ego doesn’t pay the bills when they are hoofed out, as they all eventually are. 

[lincslady]

I suspect that the reason the Barnard Castle episode will not lie down is partly because the person involved does seem extremely unattractive, both looks and personality, and because he treated the public as complete idiots if he thought we would believe a word of his explanation.  And of course Boris should have had the guts to get rid of him.  It was a disaster all round.  

[Dermotsgirl]

41 minutes ago, kalos said:

Well to go along with our new Bubble system we now have our new Tier system .

To save any confusion the .Gov web site has put a postcode checker out but at 

the moment isn't working .

As expected we are in Tier 3 again , I just used the regional table as they are updating this .

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1APtcBmI4JeTR0Ysufjavgg2gy4MBiHz0Hf9eKIp5BSo/edit#gid=1865138965

 

 

Tier 3 here too. It seems odd to have entered lockdown in tier 1 and to come out in tier 3 

[ann141]

We have gone up to Tier 3 as well which is disappointing as numbers in our part of Derbyshire were decreasing(though other parts still really high) However, having watched the funeral (via video link)of a friends husband yesterday who died of covid aged 64 with no major health problems,I am willing to accept the restrictions if it will help numbers fall. Merseyside where my Mum and one of my sisters live has gone from tier 3 to Tier 2 because of reduction of numbers due to increased restrictions so hope it will work in Derbyshire too.

[kalos]

26 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

That would have been me, as a joke, you know just like the continous ones about Gary Barlow or the grockles? I am gradually begining to learn to keep my sense of humour to myself and leave it to those who like to jump on anything to be insulting.

 

Oh no you don't!  Some of what you write inspires me and gets me thinking ..

Did I tell you the one about  ...etc . So you carry on my dear what you write is as valid 

as anyone else's post .  I once stood on a stage thinking I was a comedian and anything

I said the crowd just laughed at me , so never give up Avril .

There is enough misery in this world at the moment , keep up the good work 

[zap99]

48 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

That would have been me, as a joke, you know just like the continous ones about Gary Barlow or the grockles? I am gradually begining to learn to keep my sense of humour to myself and leave it to those who like to jump on anything to be insulting.

No offence meant Avril. We should all have more important things to worry about rather than who went to what castle to isolate. Things like , will Gary be on Iona in August.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, kalos said:

Well to go along with our new Bubble system we now have our new Tier system .

To save any confusion the .Gov web site has put a postcode checker out but at 

the moment isn't working .

As expected we are in Tier 3 again , I just used the regional table as they are updating this .

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1APtcBmI4JeTR0Ysufjavgg2gy4MBiHz0Hf9eKIp5BSo/edit#gid=1865138965

 

 

Experts are amusing. Sky's Expert Corona virus expert correspondent has just told the world that one of  only two Tier 1 areas is Cornwall and the Isles if Sheppey. As you locals will know Sheppey is Just west of Mary's

[AnnieC]

55 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

That would have been me, as a joke, you know just like the continous ones about Gary Barlow or the grockles? I am gradually begining to learn to keep my sense of humour to myself and leave it to those who like to jump on anything to be insulting.

I, for one, would like you to carry on, please, Avril. 

 

There's a tiny minority of less than pleasant people on all social media sites; I think we're all intelligent enough to know who they are on here. 

[pete14]

It is very easy to play the blame game, and I agree that the government have many questions to answer (but probably won’t). Nobody knows whether anyone could have done any better. 
 

What we mustn’t ever forget though is that we have just about the highest deaths per head of population rates in the world, higher even than Trump’s USA. There has to be a reason(s) for that. Politicians bickering and arguing will not bring any of the 50,000+ back. Our only option at present is to accept that these tiers will help stop the spread, even if we doubt they will, and follow the restrictions, even if we don’t agree with them.
 

Better at the moment to look forward to something better rather looking back at possible errors that were made, especially as nothing we do will change them. The argument that we should relax the rules because people won’t obey them anyway gives no credit to the large majority of us who do. 

[pete14]

11 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Experts are amusing. Sky's Expert Corona virus expert correspondent has just told the world that one of  only two Tier 1 areas is Cornwall and the Isles if Sheppey. As you locals will know Sheppey is Just west of Mary's

I thought they said Isles of Scilly which is correct.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Eglesbrech said:

I don’t think it was executed well but I can see what the Welsh Fm was trying to do. Small shops, including book shops are really struggling and allowing the large shops to steal all the pre Christmas trade while others are forced to close does seem unfair.

 

As for an inflated idea of their own self importance I don’t think that is exclusive to local politicians, it applies to most of them in my humble opinion.

Did he ban internet sales?

[zap99]

11 minutes ago, AnnieC said:

I, for one, would like you to carry on, please, Avril. 

 

There's a tiny minority of less than pleasant people on all social media sites; I think we're all intelligent enough to know who they are on here. 

As this is pointed at Me, let me ask you a question. Am I less than pleasant because I am fed up with Dominic Cummings and think there are much more important issues than what a couple and their young child did 6 months ago and would very much like it if it could be forgotten. Is that too much to ask?.

[zap99]

5 minutes ago, pete14 said:

I thought they said Isles of Scilly which is correct.

He said Sheppey.

[pete14]

11 minutes ago, zap99 said:

He said Sheppey.

Perhaps the report I heard was a different one.

[Eglesbrech]

17 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Did he ban internet sales?

I think you already know the answer to that.

 

He at least tried.

 

 

 

 

[Josy1953]

16 minutes ago, pete14 said:

Perhaps the report I heard was a different one.

The BBC definitely said isles of Scilly

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Hmm. Not sure I agree. He was an unelected advisor. As the old saying goes, advisors advise and politicians decide. The other two were elected politicians! I think this one can be argued either way depending on your political persuasion. As someone said earlier, they are all as bad as one another. 

He might have been an unelected advisor but it was embarrassing when ministers were sent out to say he did nothing wrong when he clearly did.

Fortunately he has gone and suddenly there are ministers on GMB answering Piers Morgan's questions.