[Politics] Are Labour going to turn this country around?

[chickens]

I think Labour have had an awful start from a public relations perspective, yet I still find Starmer and Reeves highly preferable to what went before.

With regards to the politicisation of what’s happened in Oldham (and Rochdale) - there’s an excellent article here:

Elon Musk thinks there is a hidden grooming scandal in Oldham. Why can’t the police find it?

This week’s controversy can be traced back to a vicious online campaign that has terrified politicians – but struggled to substantiate its claims

manchestermill.co.uk

The individual who claims to have a dossier proving that there is a massive paedophile ring in Oldham has had six years to provide it to the police, and yet has refused to do so. His accusations started after a dispute with the local council.

Musk also seems shy of mentioning (or more likely isn’t aware) that there’s an ongoing police inquiry investigating in Oldham called Operation Sherwood. The article linked to suggests that (at time of writing) there simply hasn’t been any evidence of organized wrongdoing in the way that was found in Rochdale.

If Raja Miah has evidence of wrongdoing and is withholding it from the authorities, then he is effectively enabling it to continue, the fact that he hasn’t provided this dossier suggests to me that all this hate and misinformation might be down to just one man with a grudge against the council. Time for Miah to either provide the evidence, or get done for wasting police time.

 

[Rdodge30]

Britons and overseas visitors may soon find themselves paying a “hotel tax” on every overnight stay, under Treasury proposals designed to shore up the public purse as borrowing costs continue to climb.
The potential levy, part of “modelling exercises” carried out by officials, mirrors the tourist taxes in countries such as France.

 

[Weststander]

Good points. Albeit looking at total deaths per whatever, we seem to be dropping like flies here in total deaths.
Is that because we, er. live so long and have so many old people who are now dying of all sorts?
Statistics....

And an unhealthy nation. Mrs W was seconded with the full hazmat to CV19 wards. A taboo … she said the majority of CV19 admissions were either morbidly obese and/or devout smokers. Makes complete sense. CV19 attacked organs, a body already strain, had less fight to give.

 

[Weststander]

Granted there was a long gap between pandemics, but every twenty years or so, there are epidemics. I can remember Hong Kong flu, and Asian flu, being quite ill with both. All governments are supposed to know how to manage them, and, has already been pointed out, twice in this thread, the Tories were warned after Operation Cygnus in 2016.

I agree. But why similar mortality per capita stats across most our neighbours, countries we place on pedestals? The common link … nothing at all like it for 100 years?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Britons and overseas visitors may soon find themselves paying a “hotel tax” on every overnight stay, under Treasury proposals designed to shore up the public purse as borrowing costs continue to climb.
The potential levy, part of “modelling exercises” carried out by officials, mirrors the tourist taxes in countries such as France.

Good or bad?

I'm indifferent. HMG has lots of decisions to make and I'm not qualified to pre-judge. I'm not god.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I agree. But why similar mortality per capita stats across most our neighbours, countries we place on pedestals? The common link … nothing at all like it for 100 years?

We place countries on pedestals?

 

[Bodian]

Good or bad?

I'm indifferent. HMG has lots of decisions to make and I'm not qualified to pre-judge. I'm not god.

Depends where the money goes.

If it goes to the relevant local authority that has to provide the services that the hotel / guest houses and visitors rely on (bins / roads / facilities) - then definitely good.

 

[Rdodge30]

Good or bad?

Fence.

It’s speculation not news so I haven’t read up much- it was on ‘business matters’ yesterday and now it’s all over express mail gbeebies tomorrow


Initially seems to be small change £1pp maybe


My trade is 100% dependant on tourism - my turnover in January is 8-12% of what it is in August. So bit edgy yes


Apart from the fact it is another tax of course

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Britons and overseas visitors may soon find themselves paying a “hotel tax” on every overnight stay, under Treasury proposals designed to shore up the public purse as borrowing costs continue to climb.
The potential levy, part of “modelling exercises” carried out by officials, mirrors the tourist taxes in countries such as France.

Same in loads of places now, I'm shocked we haven't already got it in place

 

[Rdodge30]

An interesting theory - although from anonymous sources so make of it what you will.

The WFA cuts and Farmers inheritance tax increase have been in a Treasury Civil service “wish list” folder for a long time and the Treasury Department have tried to have them implemented in the past with previous Chancellors.

Good or bad?

I do wonder about these policies and whether they are all civil service historical wish list policies.

How long before building developers are cold calling financially fragile farmers to purchase land in expectation of relaxed planning laws?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Fence.

It’s speculation not news so I haven’t read up much- it was on ‘business matters’ yesterday and now it’s all over express mail gbeebies tomorrow


Initially seems to be small change £1pp maybe


My trade is 100% dependant on tourism - my turnover in January is 8-12% of what it is in August. So bit edgy yes


Apart from the fact it is another tax of course

It's really hard to guess where we are at the mo, is it not?

I am as far away from being a better or a second guesser as it gets so I'm still unengaged (the good version of disengaged )

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I do wonder about these policies and whether they are all civil service historical wish list policies.

How long before building developers are cold calling financially fragile farmers to purchase land in expectation of relaxed planning laws?

Well, finding an opportunity is what we do.
And the Brits used to be the best at that.

 

[ROSM]

We‘re in great company, despite all that. The Economist data was championed by James O’Brien throughout the pandemic. I’d be interested to know why health systems and governments at that time admired from the UK, delivered similar per capita death stats. Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Spain and Italy. Please note that I agree about the NHS, many key aspects such as A&E, intensive care, lack of ventilators, lack of spare beds …. woefully inadequate for the UK demographic in 2020. I like to look beyond these shores, an interest in the wider world.

Theories … high population density countries were vulnerable, major airport hubs at the very start, even excellent test n trace simply overwhelmed in the end, intransigence on sanctioning the first vaccines?



Off image, Germany 407.

My response was addressing did the uk govt have a handbook on how to deal with covid.

In terms of your question - it's interesting to note that while Italy was 4th overall in terms of deaths at the end of 2020 it was only the 37th overall in terms of cases. That meant if you caught the illness you were more likely to die.

This was largely caused by 3 reasons.

1) Italy along with Spain, due to economic policy over the previous 20 years had grown significant new trade routes with china and were amongst the 1st non Asian countries to be hit. The Pandemic officially arrived in those countries the 1st week of Feb (suspected much earlier) and so they were learning ahead of uk, us etc

2) Italy Spain and france have an older population with a life expectancy of over 87 so the population catching the illness were at higher risk

3) despite the higher life expectancy, a significant proportion of these older people had at least 2 underlying health conditions (c70% of over 65s in italy)

There is another reason which is that the way data is counted in each country differs. Your chart shows covid deaths and excess deaths both of which are counted in very different ways as testing and definitions changed.

 

[Ike and Tina Burner]

Thoughts on this poll everyone? I'm particularly keen to hear from those who insist this government is actually popular and it's just the daily mail who say otherwise.

 

[Eeyore]

Thoughts on this poll everyone? I'm particularly keen to hear from those who insist this government is actually popular and it's just the daily mail who say otherwise.

It doesn't really matter four years from an election. I'm astonished folk haven't read up on the 'policies' of Reform.

 

[chip]

Thoughts on this poll everyone? I'm particularly keen to hear from those who insist this government is actually popular and it's just the daily mail who say otherwise.

Looking forward to the greens getting more seats if their share continues to increase at that rate

 

[London Irish]

Maybe it's the same bad luck that led JC to have so many people he stood next to turn out to have some very dodgy views on terrorism and Jewish people?

Terrorism? That the racist anti Irish smear again that’s been chucked at the likes of James McClean and Shane Duffy plenty of times? Of course no surprise supporters of the Labour Right run with this smear that mainly originates from the right

 

[dsr-burnley]

We‘re in great company, despite all that. The Economist data was championed by James O’Brien throughout the pandemic. I’d be interested to know why health systems and governments at that time admired from the UK, delivered similar per capita death stats. Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Spain and Italy. Please note that I agree about the NHS, many key aspects such as A&E, intensive care, lack of ventilators, lack of spare beds …. woefully inadequate for the UK demographic in 2020. I like to look beyond these shores, an interest in the wider world.

Theories … high population density countries were vulnerable, major airport hubs at the very start, even excellent test n trace simply overwhelmed in the end, intransigence on sanctioning the first vaccines?

View attachment 195088
Off image, Germany 407.

Out of interest, what were the figures for Sweden and Brazil? I notice that neither is on the list even though they both (in their very different ways) followed their own path.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Thoughts on this poll everyone? I'm particularly keen to hear from those who insist this government is actually popular and it's just the daily mail who say otherwise.

It’s not translating into votes. There have been 170 council by elections since July, with Reform winning just 7.

 

[ROSM]

Terrorism? That the racist anti Irish smear again that’s been chucked at the likes of James McClean and Shane Duffy plenty of times? Of course no surprise supporters of the Labour Right run with this smear that mainly originates from the right

I don't know what you mean. I mever said that. You are clearly trying to script write what I've written rather than read it and digest it.

As for Duffy and McClean, what's that got to do with things? Or were they invited to parliament by magic grandpa? Or perhaps they are artists he endorsed?