[Politics] Dominic Cummings v H&SC and S&T select committees *Official Match Thread*

[Neville's Breakfast]

Where's the evidence that younger people are more likely to die from this variant?

The numbers from India are not comparable for a number of reasons.

Presumably because younger people will not have been double vaccinated by June 21st. Although there is a lower risk of death for the young it is not zero.

 

[Bozza]

Pretty obviously that you weren't playing devil's advocate at all with your previous post

Even though for the last year or so, the Covid forum is full of posts from me about the merits of lockdown, how we were too late and Sweden got it wrong?

On the 20th April 2020 (yes, last year) I was expressing my concern that we entered lockdown too late (link):

Before our very own group of looneys unleash their fury upon me, I'll reiterate I don't like Johnson, I didn't vote Tory and I'm concerned we went into "lockdown" too late.​

Even though I've explained my position above?

I'd like you to apologise for your mistaken accusation please.

 

[dazzer6666]

Cummings long shot is the public inquiry. By putting his cards on the table now they will be in the public domain and as such will have to addressed (most likely under some form of oath) at the public inquiry. Very clever and it has made Boris et al life very difficult.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

......equally, it’s given Boris and co a massive heads-up on what might come out of the inquiry, so they can start ‘preparing their responses’ now.

 

[blue-shifted]

Even though for the last year or so, the Covid forum is full of posts from me about the merits of lockdown, how we were too late and Sweden got it wrong?

On the 20th April 2020 (yes, last year) I was expressing my concern that we entered lockdown too late (link):

Before our very own group of looneys unleash their fury upon me, I'll reiterate I don't like Johnson, I didn't vote Tory and I'm concerned we went into "lockdown" too late.​

Even though I've explained my position above?

I'd like you to apologise for your mistaken accusation please.

"Everyone? Really?

It may come as a surprise to you, but there's a whole load of people - some very clever and some otherwise - who still believe that there should not have been any lockdowns whatsoever."

No

 

[vegster]

Not looking good for Hancock, he's been asked a straight question about his promise of testing everyone discharged from hospital to a care home and the answer....? " I had to build testing capacity first. ... " So, that's a no then Health Secretary?

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Not looking good for Hancock, he's been asked a straight question about his promise of testing everyone discharged from hospital to a care home and the answer....? " I had to build testing capacity first. ... " So, that's a no then Health Secretary?

No one gets sacked or resigns anymore.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

No one gets sacked or resigns anymore.

Not by Dominic Cummings, they don’t.
I was in hospital last April and was twice tested. I actually don’t understand why others weren’t.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

No one gets sacked or resigns anymore.

We're in an age where you can break international law, constitutional law, rules of office, but brush it off as if it's all just an inconvenience. Amazing really.

 

[NooBHA]

Just about to watch the news and catch up on all todays proceedings - But can someone just remind me of the reason why Johnson and Cummings stopped licking each others testicles?

After all - This time last year Johnson was defending Cummings to the hilt when he had his ''bad eyesight'' ?

 

[Justice]

I thought from the start Hancock was the puppy they sent out to get kicked, Cummings confirmed this really when he stated Boris said he can’t sack Hancock we need someone to take the blame in the enquiry.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Really? Well since these debates tend to be right wing blowhards v facts, here's some facts...

The fair comparison is of a country who took a liberal approach, Sweden, and similar neighbouring countries who locked down. I think the article and graph say it all

https://www.vox.com/2020/4/28/21240381/coronavirus-sweden-death-rate-cases-new-york

View attachment 137132

The paper [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] cited is co-authored by John Ionannides. I am very familiar with his work. He's a genius at inappropriate extrapolation. Based on a statistical analysis and an assumption that 50% of hypotheses that are tested in a lab are false (which is false) he claims that most biomedical research publications, which are mostly positive, are false. He fails to take into account that most research is funded. To be funded it needs to be justified (in a detailed grant proposal). To be justified it has to be based on sound ideas and preliminary data. We don't have the money to **** about pursuing mad ideas that are 50:50. Also, when a finding is negative a majority of biomedical researchers don't bother trying to publish because a high JIF (journal impact factor) journal will decline to publish it (as most journals falsely regard 'negative findings' as dull, albeit correctly infer they won't be cited which will adversely affect their own JIF, cachet and circulation and income). So most negative data go in the bin. That's the main basis for publication bias.

So I don't trust Ioannides' inferences. He's a borderline polemicist. Sorry, there it is.

 

[beorhthelm]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_Cygnus

Think you're being too generous. Part of being in charge is disaster planning.

right. which is the responsibility of various departments and agencies of government, who have experts and time to develop plans. not the politicians who'll hold office for a year or two.

 

[Baldseagull]

Whilst I acknowledge that the Government was totally unprepared for this, I do feel it is hard to blame the current Government for this. I don't believe any Government in this country or other countries have been prepared for this. That's the problem.

I therefore think those that voted this Government in on a large majority will vote for them based on their record beyond Covid, as to judge what they did is very much Johnny hindsight. It is also important to highlight the other issues at play here. I'm personally shocked and surprised by the frankly MASSIVE amounts of money the GOvernment put into saving jobs. A truly eye watering amount, far beyond what I would expected initially. Had labour done this I suspect we would all have said there is no way would do this. They have to be given credit for that. The fact that elected MPs are not experts on dealing with a pandemic, the like of which we haven't seen in our lifetime or for 100 years, should not really come as a surprise to anyone.

If you look back at various crises I am sure all Governments struggle with the unknown from world wars to new terrorism threats. Every disaster comes with its own challenge and this one in particular is a total minefield. Could they have done better, of course. And maybe next time (lets hope there isn't one) they would do better. But would anyone else have done better, I doubt it. And I feel that is how they will be judged by enough people. When people come to vote next time it will be about their record on recovering the economy and nothing else.

We were supposed to be one of the best prepared countries in the world for a pandemic, unfortunately it wasn't true. Things that should have been in place were not, and as much as I can forgive the errors made in good faith, I can't forgive the bullshit that has been spouted to deny that mistakes happened, and the profiteering that looks to have gone on.

 

[Baldseagull]

right. which is the responsibility of various departments and agencies of government, who have experts and time to develop plans. not the politicians who'll hold office for a year or two.

Like the Cabinet pandemic committee that Boris Johnson decided to scrap?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

We were supposed to be one of the best prepared countries in the world for a pandemic, unfortunately it wasn't true. Things that should have been in place were not, and as much as I can forgive the errors made in good faith, I can't forgive the bullshit that has been spouted to deny that mistakes happened, and the profiteering that looks to have gone on.

This. And a disproportionate death rate compared with EU nations. And the lies that sent people back to care homes untested. And all the time Boris was banging on about world beating track and trace, and all the other bollocks. And we do know that the dithering resulted in deaths. It is absurd to preted it didn't. Our deaths were higher than EU nations who didn't dither.

Anyway it doesn't matter what bit of Borissian tomfoolery killed people. Collectively it killed people.

I don't think it will help anyone who couldn't see their dad or nan, who died alone in a care home, to say 'it wouldn't have been any better under Corbyn'. Corbyn is an idiot. It does not make Boris great because he's no worse that Corbyn. Possibly no worse than Corbyn.

Yes it was a tough time, but admit to the **** ups. Oh, hang on. I think they have, but have concluded that they worked very hard and it's time to move on.



With an electorate like ours we can only marvel at the aphorism that people get the governments they deserve.

Strictly speaking, of course, we cannot prove anything about history, because there are no time-matched controls. It must be great being a historian - who shouts loudest wins....

 

[Gwylan]

not the politicians who'll hold office for a year or two.

(narrator's voice) The Conservatives have actually been in government for 11 years

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Not by Dominic Cummings, they don’t.
I was in hospital last April and was twice tested. I actually don’t understand why others weren’t.

The hospitals were overwhelmed.
My sister in law was admitted to the RSCH in December with an infection in her spine, and caught Covid in addition because patients were moved from ward to ward. In January every ward was ‘red’, and gradually ward by ward they turned green again. She was in hospital over 6 weeks and not allowed visitors.

 

[drew]

right. which is the responsibility of various departments and agencies of government, who have experts and time to develop plans. not the politicians who'll hold office for a year or two.

It's the government that implement the plans either in full or in part, that's the job of the elected government.

 

[amexer]

Even though for the last year or so, the Covid forum is full of posts from me about the merits of lockdown, how we were too late and Sweden got it wrong?

On the 20th April 2020 (yes, last year) I was expressing my concern that we entered lockdown too late (link):

Before our very own group of looneys unleash their fury upon me, I'll reiterate I don't like Johnson, I didn't vote Tory and I'm concerned we went into "lockdown" too late.​

Even though I've explained my position above?

I'd like you to apologise for your mistaken accusation please.

Becoming a strange forum when people have to justify who they did or didnt vote for

 

[beorhthelm]

(narrator's voice) The Conservatives have actually been in government for 11 years

well done for missing the point. Hancock had been in post about 18 mths when this hit. the continuity of government comes from the department. this isnt absolving them of being responsible just observation they normally know sweet fa about the office they oversee.