Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Billy Jean King]

If you've been fortunate enough to be employed over the past year then you will likely be much better off now than at any previous Christmas beforehand. The savings figures for the UK this year speak for themselves. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of people have already been chucked onto the necessity of food banks and £80 a week Universal Credit because of you beloved 'keep schools open, burn the rest down' policy so forgive me if I don't feel too much concern that full-time wage earners might have a dodgy month instead. 

Yes this pandemic has been a financial godsend for your average joe with 2.5 kids. Again planet zog stuff. It's been a godsend for your 10k holiday in Florida every year types and your holiday home in Spain folks plus your Jacob Rees Moggs. It has most certainly not been for your factory worker, your bin man or your cleaner. 

 

 

[smpar]

Northern Ireland have decided not to impose a travel ban from UK into NI.

[Szamo's_Ammo]

1 minute ago, smpar said:

Northern Ireland have decided not to impose a travel ban from UK into NI.

You'll stir up trouble saying things like that.

[Fullerene]

2 hours ago, peasy23 said:

According to Boris, just over 170 lorries were stuck waiting on the M20 due to France closing it's border.

According to Highways England, there are over 900 lorries waiting to get into Dover.

I wonder who we should believe?

They are both right.  Compared to 50,000 lorries,  900 lorries is still just over 170.

[Aufc]

It seems like retail is the industry that has been hit the hardest. Would schools moving to blended learning resulted in it not being hit as hard?

[Aufc]

That's [mention=20881]Marshmallo[/mention] bait!

Haha aye. Was more just meaning that it doesnt really seem to have impacted the nurseries as much. Maybe because they are outside a lot more and also not mixing outside of the class

[101]

12 minutes ago, smpar said:

Northern Ireland have decided not to impose a travel ban from UK into NI.

It's GB / NI m9 until they declare independence

[Scary Bear]

I see the toilet roll horders are back. Joy to the World.

It’s the kids last day of school today. Hopefully that will make the Christmas of some of the people on here.

[Gaz]

8 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Your timeline is all over the place here.

Blended learning was indeed the plan from about the 10th of June, but the decision for schools to return on a pretty much full scale basis was reached on the 23rd of June - hardly late summer and about six weeks ahead of the early August "exams fiasco".

No. That's not right.

On the 23rd June Swinney announced the *aim* was for pupils to return to class, if the infection rate continued to fall. The final decision wasn't taken until the 30th July.

Up until the 30th July we were all working under the assumption blended learning would have been in place.

 

[smpar]

It's GB / NI m9 until they declare independence

Unity is imminent.

[madwullie]

Sweden have changed their views about facemasks. 

What are the Great Barrington Declaration lads up to these days? 

Edited December 22, 2020 by madwullie

[Monkey Tennis]

6 minutes ago, Gaz said:

 

Up until the 30th July we were all working under the assumption blended learning would have been in place.

Unequivocally and quite simply not true.

Before the school holidays, it had been made utterly clear that a full return to school would happen across Scotland.

[Scary Bear]

10 hours ago, ICTChris said:

The Star, voice of the nation

Sprouts and carrots seem to be getting stockpiled too. No sprouts for tiny Tim this Christmas.

Plenty chocolate.

[Gaz]

1 minute ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Unequivocally and quite simply not true.

Before the school holidays, it had been made utterly clear that a full return to school would happen across Scotland.

If that decision had been made prior to the holidays, why on the 28th July was Swinney and the SG still talking about the decision to be made?

[Gaz]

[Honest_Man#1]

5 minutes ago, Gaz said:

If that decision had been made prior to the holidays, why on the 28th July was Swinney and the SG still talking about the decision to be made?

Some bumpkin telling a teacher who literally lived through the specific experience that they are wrong. You love to see it.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

9 hours ago, MixuFruit said:

For probably the only time ever, a lot of middle class, potentially tory voters are experiencing the UC system. Once the doors open a bit more it's easier to push.

 

Only so far as them asking for benefit checks then being generally quite angry that you're not entitled to UC with £20K in the bank, and/or when your partner is still working and earning £25K a year. I can count on one hand the number of Damascene conversations I've had with folk who've suddenly realised that life on Universal Credit is in fact a bit shite. If anything, the last few months have massively exacerbated the "What about MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!" types, largely over the £500 to NHS workers and now over the additional payments linked to free school meals. Predictable, but still rather disappointing. 

The UC uplift, whilst welcome initially, is going to cause massive problems when it gets fucked back down to previous levels as well. As someone who works in the area of benefits and debt advice, I'm absolutely dreading the new year. 

[Jacksgranda]

49 minutes ago, smpar said:

Northern Ireland have decided not to impose a travel ban from UK  GB into NI.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

13 minutes ago, Gaz said:

If that decision had been made prior to the holidays, why on the 28th July was Swinney and the SG still talking about the decision to be made?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-53111180?__twitter_impression=true

 

The decision might have been finalised later, but what had been Plan A swapped places with the former contingency on 23rd June.

Look at the posts on here from that date.  It was a swift about turn.  Some schools had just published details of their blended model, only to have it suddenly rendered probably irrelevant.

Before the holidays kicked in, everybody knew to expect a full return unless case numbers radically worsened again.

 

The decision sure as Hell had nothing to do with a response to the 4th August exams mess, as claimed by VT.

[Jacksgranda]

28 minutes ago, smpar said:

Unity is imminent.