Dawson Park Boy

Popularity isn’t achievements!!

Yep, it was the test before return which gave us the heeby jeebys. We decided that if either one of us were positive we would both stay. It certainly put a blight on that day waiting for the result, albeit only took about 30 minutes. The PCR on return didn’t cause any concern because we were both back in the UK.

Not disagreeing. Just pointing out one of the reasons we’re short of GP’s.

I used to do the tax affairs for GP Practices and, around 2006, I think, they got massive increases and an improved contract regarding working hours. A big factor, also, is the number of female GP’s who now chose to work part time for family reasons thus diminishing the workforce.

Sad is a strange word? I am all for free speech and am happy to listen to anything from the full spectrum of opinion. I tend to find it is the ‘liberal’ left who are the most illiberal regarding free speech. Mabe it’s my age but I just don’t like disrespecting people.

Good response. I think they are trying to sort out 1) and I agree on 2).

I think he’s still going to be on as a guest or pundit from time to time.

Don’t think so. What somebody said as a student 20 or 30 years ago is totally irrelevant or, at least, should be. The things I did as a teenager or student are totally cringeworthy which I would hope would apply to most youngsters. Thats why I think the voting age should be, at the very least, be 21. Not a popular view but hey-ho!

The initiator of this topic invited ideas from all political prospectives and I gave a few of my thoughts on the matter. Instead of dishing out abuse you’d be better served by trying to come up with some ideas to deal with a problem which most people agree needs addressing.

Totally agree. Turkey has some of the best resorts in the world and am still booked for October. Not hopeful of getting there, I’m afraid.

Great topic to bring up, Alta-pete. I’ve thought long and hard on this one and it’s really difficult to come up with something which satisfies the demands of an ever increasing consumerist population and, at the same time protect the vulnerable and less well off in society. The problem is that the NHS has become something of a sacred cow with no one being able to criticise without being made out to be a selfish pig. I think we need to consider how much people spend on their pets, their teeth and all the other pseudo medical services available without batting an eyelid. I feel the market needs to play a part and the obvious first step would be to grant tax relief on private medical insurance to encourage the sector to expand. Someone mentioned making people pay for minor accidents and this is just so obvious that it’s a no-brainer. Definition of MINOR will be tricky but not impossible. Also must be lots of other things the NHS provides which should be charged for. I am currently receiving treatment for minor skin cancer for which I’d be delighted to pay. My private health insurer won’t cover it. Anyway, great topic and I’ll be back with more ideas.

Just back from great holiday in Spain and have now completed PCR test which I’ve posted off. Lots of pluses but the paperwork and testing procedures were worse than I expected. Absolutely no way could you go for a short break. Even a week would be blighted by the regulations. Airports and flights a lot quieter than usual which was great but it is a worry waiting for the results of the antigen tests in the 72 hours before return. However, we’re keen to get going again and just hope they get rid of some of this needless bureaucracy.

A week wasn't it, 350m a week ! It was laughable at the time but it now looks preposterous ! The net contribution to the EU was about £12bn so the saving could be around £250mn per week. The £350mn came from our gross contribution before our rebate which we had no control over so the figure was not so preposterous.

Interesting survey just out showing during the pandemic over 20% of people were forced to go private to get the treatment they needed. Eventually the old fashioned law of ‘supply and demand’ will sort this out and the private healthcare sector will soar as people seek the service they demand. It’s a bit like the old days when you had to wait 6months to get a phone installed by the state system. The public demand better thus the advent of the private sector. Fortunately, I have not had to use it recently but I’m certainly retaining my private health insurance as a fall- back position if required.

That means that we’ll have restrictions till 2030 at the earliest.

I haven’t done any research but was there not some Danish study which showed that masks were only about a couple of percentage points beneficial.Basically a waste of time. Governments, for whatever reason, ignored it.

No, they are driven by facts. Vaccines are the only solution. Nothing else. Why is mask enforcing SNP Scotland so high in case numbers?

It’s a pleasure.

Oi!! All through this pandemic, Desmond Swayne plus a few others has been one of the few sensible MP’s. Just wish the Scottish Parliament had a few like him rather than the SNP toadies.

wife and I returning from Spain tomorrow. Paid £68 each for PCR on return and £25 each for antigen tests yesterday. Why???

Don’t agree with that. Scotland is the case capital of the world with strict mask wearing. What does that prove? They’re useless and probably part of the problem. Deaths are quite minimal when you consider 150 people die every day in Scotland. Although cases are high but starting to drop not many people are getting seriously ill. The solution is vaccinations and once completed that should be it. Stop the nonsense, get GP’s back to seeing patients and treat Covid just like a normal, nasty disease that we need to live with (or give up living). If the reports are correct, I agree with Boris.

BJK never seems to read posts!!

Very decent and fair summary. More along similar lines is what this debate needs.

God, what a nutter. I think you’ll find that I stated that we both preferred seeing and hearing male pundits commentating on male football. Quite happy for female pundits to deal with women’s football. You always seem to turn everything into ‘hate’, ‘racism’, or any of the isms or phobias you can think of. You definitely seem to have a problem.

So who organised the Rally you were asked to speak at. I can’t honestly remember. There were posters advertising it all over Falkirk - to be held in Callendar Park on a Saturday afternoon. I got chatting with the Lanarkshire councillor who had similar views to mine on lockdown and he asked me to speak from the point of view of the ‘old’ who wanted the young to be able to get on with their lives. It was Spring/Summer last year.