I was out and about yesterday, enjoying time with my younger son. We were both pleased to see face masks in almost universal use in Cambridge, even if it was notable that the footfall there was way below what I would have expected.
But like so many younger people he's worried. Right now what he sees as his whole future hangs on his university being open in September. Its future might do so too. His concern is not misplaced.
And cases are rising in the UK. They are double those in June. And before anyone dismisses that, remember that the growth in the spread of a virus is exponential. It always starts off looking small, but can explode.
This pandemic is not over yet. I'd love to think otherwise. I'd be happy to think that it was now controllably endemic, although that would still be pretty horribly uncomfortable.
But for those who will still get Covid 19, and those whose jobs, hopes and futures are all at risk from it, this pandemic is still very real. And government recklessness is not helping, as the case of permitting unnecessary overseas holidays proves.
People are willing to follow instruction to contain this crisis. The use of masks the moment it became compulsory proves that. But what is missing is leadership. In some cases it's absent, sometimes (literally) in Spain.
Right now unlocking too fast, ending furlough, pre-announcing new austerity, backing away from any measures to really tackle the tsunami of unemployment coming our way, the failure to commit to a Green New Deal and the unblinking dedication to Brexit that we can be sure will bring food and medicine shortages, means it is doing everything it can to seemingly make lives worse than they need be sometime very soon.
And I just keep asking 'why?' It's the only thing to do to ask when no reasonable explanation for the government's behaviour is possible.
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“And I just keep asking ‘why?’ It’s the only thing to do to ask when no reasonable explanation for the government’s behaviour is possible.”
I don’t think Tory government cares about the lives and prosperity of most people.
That’s why.
Do you think we should still be on full lockdown?
No
But I think in manny area e.g. 1 metre +, on return to work, the use of public transport and foreign holidays the guidance being given is way too inadequate when people are seeking guidance as to what to do
I am encouraged by people’s caution – it gives me hope that another major outbreak is much less likely
What I am saying is that this is despite and not because of the government in many cases
If we had actually gone on full–and fully enforced–lockdown, back in March, we probably would be much closer to eliminating this virus from the UK. Instead, the response to the UK’s muddled advice has been …muddled …and halfhearted. With lots of people just attempting to carry on as if nothing had changed.
It’s only now that face masks are actually required, etc–a bit like locking the barn door after the horse has bolted. And the horrendous leak of people coming into the country without any follow-up or quarantine requirement–for MONTHS– has had its consequences as well. We could have done SO much better, with proper leadership on a UK-wide level.
I very much fear that people are now getting complacent. Certainly folks are trying to go on holiday. Not only abroad, but the highlands of Scotland and holiday destinations elsewhere in the UK are being inundated with visitors, etc. While this will have good short-term effects on local businesses, it will be a huge shame if the failure to implement real lockdown earlier means lots of infected people are bringing Covid-19 into these areas. A second outbreak, followed by a second lockdown will not do business any good.
I for one have no intention of relaxing my vigilance or taking chances. I’m fortunate, in that I’m retired and I don’t need to go out except for top-up groceries, etc. I do accept that lots of people don’t have this luxury, as they need to work. However, I’ve been wearing a mask since the middle of March when I do go grocery shopping, and will continue to do so. And no, I won’t be going anywhere on holiday.
I may be obtuse or simply addicted to conspiracy theories but to me there are only two options.
1. The UK is currently run by narcissistic psychopaths who simply take delight in seeing people suffer. Will Black of the Huffington Post explains how they gain and retain control in his book ‘Psychopathic Cultures and Toxic Empires’
or
2. The UK is currently run in the Venture Capitalist/Hedge Fund/Hostile Takeover Mode. Buy low, run the country down to it’s knees then as if by a miracle produce something out of the hat.
I have this mad notion that I can’t shake off. Donald Trump suddenly accepting and implementing Richard’s ideas at the last moment and mutating from public enemy number one into the saviour of a nation, with Boris following right behind.
There is a risk of that….
Excess deaths in the U.K. are currently below average and have been for a few weeks.. thats not to say that it is over, far from it but the Govt has to loosen the grip. The fact that face masks are compulsory in shops and imposing quarantine on travel from Spain shows a response when necessary.
Obviously the collating of covid related deaths is under review and it is inevitable the U.K. numbers are in reality too high.. basically from a reporting standpoint you can not recover. If you have it, recover, then a few months later get hit by a bus then covid goes on the death certificate.
My guess is you’re in the trope selling business
You are clearly right about poor leadership. Contrast the countries where leadership has been firm, fair, responsible and above all caring. But if we imagine our predicament is mere happenstance and bad luck we are probably mistaken. Edward Ferrars has put it in a nutshell. There are many indicators that this is so but the one that currently occupies my attention is to be seen in the behaviour of this government from the start of its miserable existence in 2010 in relation to austerity, which is now likely to be repeated despite Johnson’s weasel assurances to the contrary. Your work, along with that of Stephanie Kelton, has made it quite clear to all but the wilfully blind that the 10 years of austerity was built on a lie. Some are prepared to put this down ignorance, but it is inconceivable that the government was not aware of the fact that increasing the money supply to deal with the 2008 crisis did not require austerity measures. Indeed the government’s very MMT justification for HS2 demonstrates that. Therefore the fact that the government was prepared to subject the most vulnerable in our country to unnecessary and cruel hardship, whilst leaving the richest better off, seems to make it clear that we have the most malign, not merely incompetent, government in recent memory. The erratic, callous response to the Covid crisis should therefore be no surprise. What is surprising is that, after all this, and under the leadership of an incompetent buffoon who is the epitome of all that has been wrong with the government, the Tories managed to be given a comfortable majority. Most people seem to want to believe that this was a fair outcome despite the suspected interferences. They are probably deluded, not noticing that elections and referendums in recent years have conveniently and quietly established a government with contempt for democracy and for the lives of most people in this country.
My view is that this Government has had a contemptuous swagger to it since the BREXIT vote – it dislikes those who were against BREXIT but also thinks that those who supported it are no better because they swallowed their lies wholesale.
This contempt shows itself towards Covid-19 and how they have dealt with that. The economic break down because of the virus is an additional threat to the damage they already know BREXIT will cause. They hadn’t bargained for it and tried to wish it away initially didn’t they?
It has also occurred to me that this Government in particular did get in with a majority albeit under a faulty system.
However, be under no illusions whatsoever that they are effectively a Government for the minority rich. They couldn’t really give a fig for many of us – which is why we get lied to in order to vote them in. That’s the only time they need us.
When we ask ‘Why?’ with this lot its merely a result of our cognitive dissonance.
May be just me but there’s seems to be inconsistencies in the June stats between the ‘Cases by nation’ as above and the ‘Daily cases by date reported’, the first chart on the Gov website. As of 1st June, former has cumulative cases as 186,670, latter 276,332. But can’t work out why cumulative cases in the latter reach 313k on 1st July then drop. Help!
The methodology changed
I don’t have time to Google it for you
I think the explanation is in the link
Thanks – will check
The UK is in big trouble thanks to the Tories I think even the Daily Telegraph is getting there. Just look at our strategic mess: Brexit-EU/Russian Interference in our politics/US draconian demands for trade deal with no doubt special non trade provisions that make a mockery of sovereignty/China-HK/Global trade in decline/Covid Pandemic/Climate change/Break-up of the UK/Severe Recession. This list isn’t exhaustive or in any particular order. Any one of these items is so much more than a “challenge” that papers like the FT, The Times or the Daily telegraph like to paint them as. I desperately want to believe we have a government that is merely inept, arrogant and deceitful. If true it gives us hope that we can get through this strategic mess but I worry that the social and economic cost will be horrendous. Nearly all self inflicted by an elite wedded to a economic and political order that’s decaying….
the threat is that the UK will be signed up to a US trade deal we will not be able to get out of without paying compensation to US companies. the tories don’t care as by doing this it removes the risk from democratic control and places it with the US.
the tories project is of social control not economic growth.
for the left it will be too late once this agreement is signed.
the tactical issue is what can be done to stop it.
I fear discussion of how MMT could help a future left leaning government is academic in this context.
Move to Scotland seems the best hope for the future.
I simply do not accept that these deals will be binding in perpetuity – the whole world order is not going to accept that
There will be resistance – but there is no precedent for such an event and such contracts may precipitate reform rather than embed it