Cummings, Johnson and this whole shit show

[Knutsfordian]

Boris hasn’t done himself any favours north of the border with his recent comments re devolution has he? Another gaffe from a gaffe-prone PM

Absolutely not done any favours - but the SNP ( I think) is more an anti-Toty party than a campaign for independence. It feeds of this hatred of all things Tory and it really, really does need to be challenged for the good of Scotland. They have filled huge numbers of public posts with SNP sympathisers and the whole of government is now under the thrall of the SNP. The only party who can realistically fight that are Labour and they need to get their act together. Read the latest article by Andrew Neil - at least someone is stating the fight back !

 

[James Wood]

I am disappointed at this decision. It seems a rushed and far from transparent decision.
But you are deluded if you think that the Tory party is squeaky clean on the issue of racism and discrimination.

Anger as Boris Johnson’s Tory racism inquiry yet to start eight months after he launched it

Exclusive: No call for evidence issued – three months after it was promised – risking action by equalities watchdog which has threatened its own probe

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Andy]

I am disappointed at this decision. It seems a rushed and far from transparent decision.
But you are deluded if you think that the Tory party is squeaky clean on the issue of racism and discrimination.

There certainly is issues in all parties, not to the same extent as it is in the Labour Party however.

Starmers trying to avoid a ‘civil war’ in Labour. Not sure why, if the far left split away from Labour leaving a pretty centre party, they’d be a genuine political force.

 

[James Wood]

There certainly is issues in all parties, not to the same extent as it is in the Labour Party however.

Starmers trying to avoid a ‘civil war’ in Labour. Not sure why, if the far left split away from Labour leaving a pretty centre party, they’d be a genuine political force.

I think that you need to take those rose tinted glasses off Andy. Read the article and I think that you might see that anti-Islamophobia is rife in the Conservative party?

And there is several very good reasons why Keir is seeking to prevent a ‘civil war’. The first is to prevent the usual Tory rags using exactly the same phrases as you have to discredit the party and make it appear that it is divided and not up to governing

The second - and most important - is that the Labour movement has always been a broad church that has members with a diverse range of views but with one common purpose. To make life better and fairer for the majority of people in this country.

And the best way of doing this would be to get rid of this incompetent, corrupt, elitist Government.

 

[James Wood]

Meanwhile, Chief Anti-Semite, Jeremy Corbyn, is back in the Labour Party.

Reinstating a racist in the Labour Party makes the squabbling between egos in No. 10 seem like child’s play

Not being reinstated as a sitting MP though. Decisive, strong action and clear leadership from Keir.
Oh if we even had a semblance of this from Boris ‘flip-flop’ ‘U-turn‘ Johnson.

 

[Ben]

One thing I’d say is it isn’t a competition. Islamophobia and anti-semitism are both vile forms of racism.

Disappointing that Labour choose to reinstate Corbyn after Starmer’s zero tolerance pledge. Doing so completely undermines this and scores easy political points for the Tories at a time when they’re in chaos. Very bad move and other than Corbyn supporters I think most within Labour would agree.

Labour need to do away with the far left and those clinging onto the hope of a Corbyn revolution. Do that and they stand a chance.

 

[James Wood]

One thing I’d say is it isn’t a competition. Islamophobia and anti-semitism are both vile forms of racism.

Disappointing that Labour choose to reinstate Corbyn after Starmer’s zero tolerance pledge. Doing so completely undermines this and scores easy political points for the Tories at a time when they’re in chaos. Very bad move and other than Corbyn supporters I think most within Labour would agree.

Labour need to do away with the far left and those clinging onto the hope of a Corbyn revolution. Do that and they stand a chance.

And how do you suggest that a Democratic Party does away does away with an element of its membership who just happen to have a different view to others?

 

[Ben]

And how do you suggest that a Democratic Party does away does away with an element of its membership who just happen to have a different view to others?

Break away from them and become a proper party of the centre again?

Failing that, rather like the Blair years, the different factions of the party really have to put their differences aside.

Labour need to base election success around what the Democrats have done so well in defeating Trump and his populism.

 

[James Wood]

Well, we’ll, well.

What a week it has been for this shambolic government.

When what we need at probably the biggest crisis this country has had in 80 years is a strong leadership team with talent, vision, resolve and determination, what have we got?

A lazy, egotistical, arrogant PM who has employed a even more arrogant, egotistical, sociopathic right wing idealogue as his principal advisor along with someone with such gravitas that he dressed up as a chicken during the 2010 election.

Now both of these have f****d off leaving the country in the mire just weeks before the next shit-show that they were architects of will hit us - a no deal Brexit.

Looking forward to how the Tory voting, Brexit supporting, Unicorn believers will try to explain this one away.....

#wetriedtowarnyou
#butyoujustwouldntlisten

Revealing interview with the CEO or Arco on BBC 10 O’clock news last night re the complete lack of contact from HM Government re the provision of PPE for the NHS. In comparison a US based jewellery company and U.K. based pest control company - both with no experience of supplying PPE - are awarded lucrative contracts with little or no scrutiny. ???
And the NAO report lays bare the sheer incompetence - and I would suggest in some areas - corruption and cronyism of this government

 

[Andy]

I think that you need to take those rose tinted glasses off Andy. Read the article and I think that you might see that anti-Islamophobia is rife in the Conservative party?

And there is several very good reasons why Keir is seeking to prevent a ‘civil war’. The first is to prevent the usual Tory rags using exactly the same phrases as you have to discredit the party and make it appear that it is divided and not up to governing

The second - and most important - is that the Labour movement has always been a broad church that has members with a diverse range of views but with one common purpose. To make life better and fairer for the majority of people in this country.

And the best way of doing this would be to get rid of this incompetent, corrupt, elitist Government.

One day James you might take your red tinted glasses off and read w I actually have written...

Very little point in responding to you, really.

I said it’s an issue in all parties, it really is in various forms. Labour has the biggest problem, they’re the only party to be investigated by the EHRC. Most parties have members and councillors with mad opinions, Labour has 15 MPs named and shamed. Why haven’t all 15 had the whip removed?

Stop responding with “but the Tories this, the Tories that” to me, think I’ve been critical of them than you have on the Lockdown thread! Politically homeless at the moment. Don’t pick a side.

 

[James Wood]

One day James you might take your red tinted glasses off and read w I actually have written...

Very little point in responding to you, really.

I said it’s an issue in all parties, it really is in various forms. Labour has the biggest problem, they’re the only party to be investigated by the EHRC. Most parties have members and councillors with mad opinions, Labour has 15 MPs named and shamed. Why haven’t all 15 had the whip removed?

Stop responding with “but the Tories this, the Tories that” to me, think I’ve been critical of them than you have on the Lockdown thread! Politically homeless at the moment. Don’t pick a side.

No go and stand in the corner of the room until you can learn to be nice to all the other children....?

 

[James Wood]

Break away from them and become a proper party of the centre again?

Failing that, rather like the Blair years, the different factions of the party really have to put their differences aside.

Labour need to base election success around what the Democrats have done so well in defeating Trump and his populism.

I agree with your sentiments Ben. Kinnock did this with Militant ( the Momentum of his day) but it still took a decade or more for Labour to get elected. As a member of the party for well over 30 years now, I believe that Labour is a broad church that can encompass Those with differing views. In many respects that is the strength - and weakness - of the party.

 

[Knutsfordian]

I agree with your sentiments Ben. Kinnock did this with Militant ( the Momentum of his day) but it still took a decade or more for Labour to get elected. As a member of the party for well over 30 years now, I believe that Labour is a broad church that can encompass Those with differing views. In many respects that is the strength - and weakness - of the party.

Its not quite that simple though, is it James? Corbyn was allowed to change the constitution of the party. The good side of this is the votes of an extended membership. However on the downside it means the hard left have got a real grip of the NEC, so its going to be a lot harder for a Blair or KInnock to engineer changes that may bring a more centrist party about. This country needs a strong and electable Labour Party more than ever, with the policies and a charismatic leader to appeal across the whole of the UK. In that way we will get political debate about policy and the best outcomes, rather than tribal warfare and anti-tory rhetoric which just incites a low level of debate and poor government.

 

[Ben]

I agree with your sentiments Ben. Kinnock did this with Militant ( the Momentum of his day) but it still took a decade or more for Labour to get elected. As a member of the party for well over 30 years now, I believe that Labour is a broad church that can encompass Those with differing views. In many respects that is the strength - and weakness - of the party.

Agree with that James. It will be a hard and a long road back, but I’d love it if different elements of the party can put their differences aside and unite as one to get Labour back in government.

History shows it can happen and no reason why it can’t again. In Starmer, Labour have their first decent leader since Blair.

 

[Knutsfordian]

Agree with that James. It will be a hard and a long road back, but I’d love it if different elements of the party can put their differences aside and unite as one to get Labour back in government.

History shows it can happen and no reason why it can’t again. In Starmer, Labour have their first decent leader since Blair.

Sorry Ben - but its not going to happen unless Labour take on the SNP and win those seats !

 

[James Wood]

Sorry Ben - but its not going to happen unless Labour take on the SNP and win those seats !

Now this has got to stop happening. I think that this is the third time I’ve agreed with you in the last few weeks!
The problem that Labour has in Scotland is like Northern England it took its many safe seats for granted because the vast majority of voters would never have voted for the Tories.

Unfortunately in Scotland the SNP also became a left-leaning social democrat party that was able to tap into both the long standing distrust of many Scots towards the Tories (remember the poll tax experiment in Scotland?) and the increasing disillusion with how Labour was governing Scotland.

I’m really not sure how this one will pan out. If Brexit goes disastrously badly then the clamour for a second referendum will become even greater as will the chance of a ‘Yes’ vote.

But given the UK’s experience in trying to divorce itself from the EU, would the Scottish electorate and government really want to subject both countries to an even messier and decisive split, particularly given that both nations are inextricably linked in so many ways, not just financially but constitutionally, socially and economically

 

[Knutsfordian]

If it ever came down to IndyRef2, I suggest they negotiate the exit deal beforehand so they know what they are voting for

 

[James Wood]

Revealing interview with the CEO or Arco on BBC 10 O’clock news last night re the complete lack of contact from HM Government re the provision of PPE for the NHS. In comparison a US based jewellery company and U.K. based pest control company - both with no experience of supplying PPE - are awarded lucrative contracts with little or no scrutiny. ???
And the NAO report lays bare the sheer incompetence - and I would suggest in some areas - corruption and cronyism of this government

Further narrative on our ‘World
Class’ T&T system. Scandalous.

Coronavirus: Inside NHS Test and Trace - how the 'world beater' went wrong

BBC News spoke to key government figures, scientists and health officials involved from the start.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Knutsfordian]

Further narrative on our ‘World
Class’ T&T system. Scandalous.

Coronavirus: Inside NHS Test and Trace - how the 'world beater' went wrong

BBC News spoke to key government figures, scientists and health officials involved from the start.

www.bbc.co.uk

To be honest, I think peeps need to ask themselves "what did you really expect to happen?"

At the outset of this pandemic it is quite apparent that our public services were not prepared for this type of viral pandemic - and if it (test, Track and trace) had been given to the public services would they have coped? What would have been the impact on the existing services that the public sector was already providing and could they have been maintained? That's a really difficult proposition and I think the decision to go outside was more about taking the risks away from impacting current services. If it had been heaped on top of the current workload and those services failed, can you imagine what people would be saying - how on earth did you expect the current service to cope with a huge and sudden increase in workload, what on earth made you think that would work? So you can understand there is a quite logical path that was followed in the decision making to go external.

With regard to the project management, this was always going to be a hospital pass for whoever picked it up. Changing scope, rapidly changing environment, reducing timescales, testing out of the window, deploy with faults and fix as you go, nothing of substance to build on - its a nightmare scenario. To build a system with so many components and bring them all together and integrate them successfully is a challenge of herculean proportions. I suspect the BBC bods who wrote this piece wouldn't understand, nor have any experience whatsoever of project management - and it shows. Add to that some unnamed sources and throw in a comment about discussions with scientists and you have a typical piece of BBC investigative crap.

There is no doubt Test, track and trace has got some issues, no doubt about that at all. How do you put it right? Well for a start a stable deployment environment would be a necessity - and that's a none starter as the demand for more, new, quicker tests grows by the day. Components are being uplifted and re-integrated in real time, so end to end testing is out of the window. So unless you are an engineering genius, I suspect you don't have the answers. If you are - your country needs you !

 

[James Wood]

What absolutely shouldn’t have happened is for HM Government to have rapidly engaged the ‘usual suspects’ In the private sector who had diddly squat experience in public health and infection management whist completely ignoring the experienced, trained and capable public health professionals that are employed by most LAs. The private sector resources should have been used to support these experts, not put in charge.