What your view of the fact that the Tower Hamlets May of lost out of between 25 & 30 million pounds because of an agreement between Robert Jenrick and a Tory donor. He even agreed it was dishonest rather than release his papers regarding the discussions he had with the developers. I guess he thought levelling up referred to the building that was on the site which needed to be demolished.
This is the same MP who went to his second or third home during lockdown. I am sure Cronus will be disgusted at a further questionable action during a Johnson tenure.
The list grows on a daily basis but I suppose when you have a PM who likes the title and kudos but not the work. I believe he is on double time if he has to work on a weekend.

Nobody has sexed up a document and sent us to an illegal war... just sayin', "he without sin" n all that.

Tbf, it is hardly like us liberal leftie types unanimously rallied around that decision and embraced Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. Along with the PFI and the cuddling up to rather than properly regulating the City, it is one of the three great stains on the New Labour era in Government.

The numbers are in,

Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings have taken 38,000 “urinations” each, during the course of the last week.

I thought they were just taking the pee





Remember, Dom has possibly the strongest bladder of any 40 something in the UK, 5 hours + without needing a leak is a decent effort for a bloke of his age, unless he wears one of those old peoples "aids", like Pampers for old folk

This is way worse than Cummings breaching the lockdown rules. Really this is the story that should have had the relentless media focus and exposure on his behaviour. The fact that it isn't is probably because the media will judge public reaction to this to be "yeah, politicians do favours for their rich friends, hardly news is it", whereas the Cummings thing annoyed them because they have been making sacrifices at home during lockdown and then saw that if you were an 'elite' you could use your discretion.

Always amuses me when right wingers start bringing up Blair and Iraq. How many Tories were on those stop the war marches? IDS and the Conservative party were right behind Blair, so was the right wing press. If it had been Corbyn leading Labour at the time, and they didn't join the war against Iraq these same right wingers would have been saying they were weak, apologists for terrorism.

Anyway you can always remind them that it was the Conservatives who took the UK into the EEC under Ted Heath. We didn't have a referendum, they just decided that they were elites and knew it was the right thing for Britain to be in Europe. Is the Conservative Party going to apologise to the British people?

The furlough scheme. Big, bold and necessary, imo. However, I’ve it described as ‘generous’ a couple of times today, as if it is Rishi Sunak’s own money, as if he’s not just borrowing it on our behalf and we’re not the ones who are going to have to pay it back. For example: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how ... olled-back (I’m experimenting with broadening the political commentary I read. Probably won’t last.) The tree, its magic and its money are the public’s. It can be spent well or badly for the public good, but not really generously.

The furlough scheme. Big, bold and necessary, imo. However, I’ve it described as ‘generous’ a couple of times today, as if it is Rishi Sunak’s own money, as if he’s not just borrowing it on our behalf and we’re not the ones who are going to have to pay it back. For example: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how ... olled-back (I’m experimenting with broadening the political commentary I read. Probably won’t last.) The tree, its magic and its money are the public’s. It can be spent well or badly for the public good, but not really generously.

As elite as the Labour MP that has apologised for the same thing, in fact, there wasnt even a childcare issue, she just wanted her married lover to move in....

"let he who is without sin".....

None of these things are the same though - the circumstances vary across each case, whether it is Catherine Calderwood, Neil Ferguson, Stephen Kinnock, Robert Jenrick or this nameless Labour MP.

Cummings is different to all those above, I think, because he believed he was infected at the time. He’s tried to spin that as part of his extenuating circumstances but could, imo, be more obviously seen as exacerbating his misjudgement. Like Calderwood and Ferguson, Cummings is closely associated with formulating the response to the crisis, but unlike him they resigned. Ferguson acknowledged that ‘the government guidance is unequivocal, and is there to protect all of us’. The labour MP you mention, you say has apologised. As far as I can see Jenrick and Kinnock never did, but it looks like their breaches were more minor. Cummings has also defended his actions rather than admitting to an error of judgement. However, my strong suspicion is that he and his wife new that view would not be widely shared, which is why the fact of their travel was artfully hidden in their initial description of events in the Spectator.

Because the government rallied around his position, freer interpretation of the rules when they are inconvenient is pretty much inevitable. That accidental policy adjustment will need others to counterbalance it (e.g. slowing relaxing of the rules) or will likely change course of the spread of infection, compared with a firmer and clearer line.

As for casting stones, is that specific to the subject at hand or are you implying that nobody who has ever sinned should ever judge anybody about anything?

Duffield isn't nameless, she resigned the whip.

I am saying that the lefties bleat on as if they are in need of some brasso for their collective halo!

Quote ="Mild Rover"The furlough scheme. Big, bold and necessary, imo. However, I’ve it described as ‘generous’ a couple of times today, as if it is Rishi Sunak’s own money, as if he’s not just borrowing it on our behalf and we’re not the ones who are going to have to pay it back. For example: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how ... olled-back (I’m experimenting with broadening the political commentary I read. Probably won’t last.) The tree, its magic and its money are the public’s. It can be spent well or badly for the public good, but not really generously.'" Kate Andrews, say no more. She's the sort who would have us all working until we're 90 in a world where private enterprises monetise the air we breathe.

Quote ="Mild Rover"The furlough scheme. Big, bold and necessary, imo. However, I’ve it described as ‘generous’ a couple of times today, as if it is Rishi Sunak’s own money, as if he’s not just borrowing it on our behalf and we’re not the ones who are going to have to pay it back. For example: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how ... olled-back (I’m experimenting with broadening the political commentary I read. Probably won’t last.) The tree, its magic and its money are the public’s. It can be spent well or badly for the public good, but not really generously.'" Kate Andrews, say no more. She's the sort who would have us all working until we're 90 in a world where private enterprises monetise the air we breathe.

Quote ="King Street Cat"Kate Andrews, say no more. She's the sort who would have us all working until we're 90 in a world where private enterprises monetise the air we breathe.'" https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2018/ ... o-the-nhs/ This Kate Andrews?

Quote ="King Street Cat"Kate Andrews, say no more. She's the sort who would have us all working until we're 90 in a world where private enterprises monetise the air we breathe.'" https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2018/ ... o-the-nhs/ This Kate Andrews?

Okay, as I assume it is obvious that righties also bleat on, although usually on other topics, the distinction you’re making is that they don’t make hypocritical claims of virtue?

The very same.

Your last paragraph is very interesting - nobody did more harm to the Corbyn project than Milne - his incompetence during the last election led to biggest defeat for Labour and the Corbyn project since before WW2 - surely anyone with a shred of support for the project would have resigned immediately after the result was confirmed? He only went when Starmer was appointed - if Long-Bailey had won it would be a reasonable assumption he would be still in place. His upbringing is very similar to Cummings - his inbuilt arrogance brought out of privilege would be OK if he was actually any good at his job - at least Cummings has tangible evidence of his effectiveness.

There will be very few people in this country that haven't broken one rule or another - I fail to see all the fuss. Jenrick on the other hand is not only a sackable offence its a criminal matter IMO.

It seems like our Government are now only listening to science when it suits, or the ones that they agree with


After Boris "gagged" the 2 experts at his last briefing, it seems that there is some discord between some of the experts and our government.

There is also massive disagreement on the safety of opening all of the schools and it certainly wont happen by Monday.

Have we reached the point where "following the science" doesn't fit with the Government's agenda.

The dreaded "R" rate is already close to 1 and is likely to go exceed 1 within the next couple or three weeks and then what ?

Breaking the lockdown rules doesn't matter a jot, if you are one of the Governments chosen few, we all know that now and consequently, the lockdown "rules" are in tatters.
The test and trace is also screwed, due the Government failing to understand and implement a system that allows the various mobile devices to "talk" to one another, effectively omitting half of the mobile network.

I'm sure that they will be along soon to tell us that "X" million phones are compatible but, they have made a fundamental error (again).

25,000 tracers, most of whom are currently twiddling their thumbs, wont be enough.

More overstating capacity and mis leading the public - business as usual for this lot.

Amazing how the test and trace came up to distract everyone from the Cummings incident, 5 days early (another good news story) yet as you say lots of stories (dont believe them though as it's only anecdotal) of systems not being ready, the tracers sat alone in chat rooms for hours with very little training having been given etc.
And as for the BBC, it's amazing how they are portrayed as Lefties/liberal/remainers etc by the tories/right/ brexiteers but they do not mention a single thing about the reports that favour them etc.
The BBC are dammed if they do, damned if they dont. But I for o e prefer them in this world rather the Trumps and the right wanting to discredit them so noone reports

Yet again - the app is only part of the test and trace system. Most of the test and trace system is via traditional methods, which have been used for decades and are proven to work.

While I'm here I'd like to pay particular thanks to the beach/park goers over the weekend, and Black Lives Matter today, for doing their bit to extend the length of this pandemic. Good job folks. Edit - just seen the state of Bournemouth beach today, the mind boggles. Though I have to wonder why the councils aren't closing beaches bearing in mind public toilets are closed and people are doing their business on the beach and in the streets. Lovely.

As for the timing of lockdown, my view is it's at least fortnight too early. However, remember the government is receiving advice not only from epidemiologists, but from many other scientists in different fields, covering subjects such as mental health, and also taking the economy into consideration. Fact is, if lockdown continues for too long the economy is devastated. The government cannot prop things up forever and the gradual release has to take months. We have probably until the end of September to get through this before the damage becomes massive. If we see new peaks and new lockdown measures between now and then, all the problems so far will see like a holiday (which is what a lot of people think it is).

The enforcement of the lockdown should have been a damn sight tougher too. I'd like to have seen a zero tolerance approach and the army on the streets as a deterrent to allow the police more freedom to attend where needed. Problem is, we've built such a spoilt and entitled brattish society it just wouldn't be accepted - and I've heard many scientists across political spectrum admit this. It's clear that relying on the 'great' British public isn't enough.

However, all the modelling has a degree of fckwittery built in. Let's hope it's enough or we're back to square one in a few weeks and the economy is in REAL trouble.

The Army on the streets that would go down well especially in Northern Ireland. The problem wasn’t the severity of the lockdown (which everybody agrees was adhered to far better than expected) but the timing which was too late and we knows whose fault that was. It was not only too late but despite warnings in a 2016 review we were not prepared and concentrated on one thing NHS beds to the detriment of everything else.
I admit you do try to blame others when in fact you need to look no further than your friends in government who have successfully managed to make a mess of nearly every stage including the test and trace which appears to be another disaster. The problem is that the app does not work and they needed a diversion from Cummings so let’s go with what we can I.e. loosening lockdown despite still being at level 4, the application of track and trace despite being nowhere near ready and let’s bring back professional sport.

You're absolutely right about the Government exaggerating and lying about EVERY aspect of this.
From the false claims on PPE, the 100,000 tests a day by the end of April, 200,000 Tests a day by the end of May, "world beating" test and trace

and we wont mention Cummings, who is now consigned to his own small cupboard at Troy Central.
They wouldn't know the truth if it dropped on their heads.
I do agree with Cronus on the behaviour of the public, many of whom seem happy to abandon any form of social distancing, just for a day out.
Clearly they have no idea how this virus can and will spread

The App was indeed only part of the test and trace system.

However it WAS supposed to be the main starting point for the tracers to work from, sadly, the app is dead in the water so, we now have 25,000 tracers, who are supposed to keep tabs on the whole population.
I agree that this is how things have been done traditionally for small outbreaks of certain diseases but, covid19 is on a whole different scale and without the app, "we" will be fighting a losing battle.

I absolutely agree that the lockdown and government subsidy can not carry on and that a way has to be found to get things moving a little faster and I agree that, with a substantial second spike, things could become very difficult indeed.

Strong leadership and clear guidelines would certainly have been more effective and avoiding "good news" just to cover the actions of a rogue adviser would have been rather more sensible.

Johnson is not the man for this job.
He is and only ever was a good time manager and we're some way from good times.
At least it's taken the heat off Brexit, which is heading for no deal.

Lockdown seems to have been over since VE Day round where we live. Through the day, people were sat in their own gardens and visitors had set up tables and chairs in the streets. By the time the drink had started flowing, and the music was turned up, people were in each others gardens, all the kids were playing together. It was just like any other street party.

As the days passed by, the roads were getting busier, I noticed more and more visitors at houses on my dog walks, people were chatting face to face in the street.

When 'Cummingsgate' kicked off, that was it. The last week has just been like any old week. BBQs look to have friends and family in attendance, kids are in and out of the gardens and houses. One of our neighbours have actually had friends stay over for the night!

We live in a fairly small, semi-rural village with loads of green space. I dread to think what it's like on the sprawling urban estates where everyone lives on top of each other.