Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Michael W]

Coronavirus has certainly caused inflation but it's not the furlough money that's caused it. Various lockdown measures have resulted in a number of shortages (shipping containers being a key issue here) and costs have increased generally as a result, in some cases dramatically as a result of lockdown consequences filtering through. This is what's driving inflation. 

The real cost of furlough, track and trace etc. comes well down the line.  Debt payments were 56bn in 2020/21. 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/298524/government-spending-in-the-uk/

That was 10% of the tax take last year. https://www.statista.com/statistics/284298/total-united-kingdom-hmrc-tax-receipts/

2020/21 was of course an aberration, so in reality it's about maybe 7.5% of the take in a normal year. 

That is money raised which is consequently wasted on nothing productive - government stuff from years ago, being paid for today and the future. The tax take has to increase to cover the unproductive use of a not exactly insignificant part of the government's revenue.

There is cost to borrowing so it has to be worth it and present value. Saving millions of jobs and thousands of employers from bankruptcy due to measures implemented by the government to shut down the economy falls under that bracket. Other government decisions certainly do not. Remember: the reason that number increases is due to the utter absence of financial discipline or proper controls from the Johnson Government. 26bn (almost certainly larger than this now) on a test and trace system that has been utterly shit at the second aspect, millions and millions (possibly billions now) in PPE contracts, which in some cases were for useless kit and in many cases went to the 'well connected' with zero oversight. Then there's the carefree system of covid bounceback loans and other support given, which to the surprise of no-one has seen the government massively defrauded. 

All fun and games, though. It was an emergency so we threw money about to try and rescue the situation. Too bad you'll need to pay more in corresponding years as a result, we did all we could!

Edited December 10, 2021 by Michael W

[superbigal]

Here's one for the p@b scientists or ethics group.
What if we could develop a variant that we knew was 90% less deadly than Delta or Omnicron, but super spreadable.
Could we ever release it intentionally ?

[yoda]

29 minutes ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

It's being driven by shortages caused by the double whammy of Brexit and increasing demand around the world from countries coming out of lockdowns.

You could possibly add in a third factor - the blockage of the Suez Canal which restricted supplies.

Well... yes. It's a bit simple to just blame Brexit although it obviously hasn't helped matters. Other countries have inflation caused supply chain issues too. There's a global supply issue - shipping containers, semiconductors, and pandemic effects on literal production lines. 

I'll see if I can dig out the article looking at demand - it's The UK household savings data is a bit misleading. Lower income households haven't really seen an increase in savings. And those on furlough (directly receiving government cash) saw their savings decrease (or so the BOE say). 

24 minutes ago, Michael W said:

The real cost of furlough, track and trace etc. comes well down the line.  Debt payments were 56bn in 2020/21. 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/298524/government-spending-in-the-uk/

That was 10% of the tax take last year. https://www.statista.com/statistics/284298/total-united-kingdom-hmrc-tax-receipts/

2020/21 was of course an aberration, so in reality it's about maybe 7.5% of the take in a normal year. 

That is money raised which is consequently wasted on nothing productive - government stuff from years ago, being paid for today and the future. The tax take has to increase to cover the unproductive use of a not exactly insignificant part of the government's revenue.

This is a good piece by Duncan Weldon with a bit on debt servicing costs:

https://duncanweldon.substack.com/p/britains-macro-policy-mix-is-a-mess

As an aside: a lot of the debt fear mongering ignores the alternative. Lockdowns without deficit spending. With an end result of, well, the government having to spend lots of money anyway.

[Billy Jean King]

Merchant Square on STV news. Looks more like a Monday night that a Friday two weeks from Christmas.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

44 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

56 minutes ago, UsedToGoToCentralPark said:

Boris to roll back these new restrictions soon hopefully having played NS again.

Would love to play her at poker btw

You dirty b*****d.

[pozbaird]

19 minutes ago, Billy Jean King said:

Merchant Square on STV news. Looks more like a Monday night that a Friday two weeks from Christmas.

I can only speak for myself on this, well, I can actually speak for lots of family and friends who share this view - we have avoided nights out, bars, Glasgow city centre etc… not because we are scared of catching Covid, not because we are scared of being in crowds, and not because we would freak if we saw as much as one person flaunting facemask rules. Nope - we are avoiding these places because of rules and restrictions. Get facemasks and rules to fcuk, and we’ll be back. Our experiences of ‘hospitality’ have been far, far from normal and we haven’t been back because we haven’t found it enjoyable.

Instead, we have had folk over to our house, or we go to theirs, where we can drink, eat, laugh, and act like normal grown up adults, without having to show a vaccine pass to anyone, have a temperature gun pointed at us, have to wear a mask, scan a track & trace QR code, or anything like it. In the comfort and privacy of our homes, Sturgeon, Johnson, Whitty, Leitch, Swinney & Co can fcuk off.

 

Edited December 10, 2021 by pozbaird

[mizfit]

Sturgeon is possibly the last thing in Johnson's thoughts right now.

Everything he is doing is about deflecting and saving his lying corrupt arse.

It's a one way rivalry - a bit like Dundee and St Johnstone.

[welshbairn]

1 hour ago, superbigal said:

Here's one for the p@b scientists or ethics group.
What if we could develop a variant that we knew was 90% less deadly than Delta or Omnicron, but super spreadable.
Could we ever release it intentionally ?

Great question, needs its own thread imo.

(just checking in for one of @superbigal 's excellent updates btw and found this instead, a topic for calm consideration which would be impossible here for obvious reasons.)

Edited December 10, 2021 by welshbairn

[Sergeant Wilson]

9 minutes ago, pozbaird said:

I can only speak for myself on this, well, I can actually speak for lots of family and friends who share this view - we have avoided nights out, bars, Glasgow city centre etc… not because we are scared of catching Covid, not because we are scared of being in crowds, and not because we would freak if we saw as much as one person flaunting facemask rules. Nope - we are avoiding these places because of rules and restrictions. Get facemasks and rules to fcuk, and we’ll be back. Our experiences of ‘hospitality’ have been far, far from normal and we haven’t been back because we haven’t found it enjoyable.

Instead, we have had folk over to our house, or we go to theirs, where we can drink, eat, laugh, and act like normal grown up adults.

^^^

[Detournement]

A lot of inflation is just price gouging by corporations that are monopoly cartels.

There is no political route to address this so they will keep doing it. We'll pay more of our wages to them and get less in return ie work for free. 

Edited December 10, 2021 by Detournement

[sparky88]

1 hour ago, superbigal said:

Here's one for the p@b scientists or ethics group.
What if we could develop a variant that we knew was 90% less deadly than Delta or Omnicron, but super spreadable.
Could we ever release it intentionally ?

Evolution is coming up with this variant as we speak.

[vikingTON]

3 hours ago, sergie's no1 fan said:

Asking ourselves for financial support?

Do people forget we contribute to the UK coffers or has everyone lost their marbles here .

Fair enough folk hate Sturgeon on here, i get that. Lets not forget who controls the purse strings in this 'equal partnership'. Why shouldn't she ask for more money? 

A: Because she'd be wasting taxpayers' money on funding perfectly viable businesses to close down to feed her concern trolling exercise. Is this really how we want to be governed as an independent country? The money's available, so let's just chuck it at furlough whenever there's a bad cold going about?

If the appeal was to sort out the complete and utter nick that social care is in or to finally build NHS resilience after 21 fucking months of grasping with this issue then she would have a point.  But it isn't, so she doesn't. 

[Elixir]

17 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Great question, needs its own thread imo.

I thought you posted a tear-stained resignation from this thread?

[Wee Bully]

1 minute ago, Elixir said:

I thought you posted a tear-stained resignation from this thread?

I for one welcome his return!

[Todd_is_God]

22 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Great question, needs its own thread imo.

Good to see the Simpkönig back

[vikingTON]

The positive news for hospitality is that with the exception of Christmas parties, the rest of their demand will likely remain strong as the right-thinking public simply file the Clownshoes Dentist's braying in the bin where it belongs. No daily flow tests and no self-isolation for completely nebulous contacts again because Shan Variant klaxon. 

That won't stop January from being a much more brutal month for scything down the sector than usual though. 

[HeartsOfficialMoaner]

1 hour ago, effeffsee_the2nd said:

I was on the fence about getting a booster before today but it’s made up my mind that I won’t be bothering
I took my two doses even tho there’s f**k all wrong with me and I was unlikely to get seriously ill but I’m not going back 3 4 and 5 times just to end up in lockdown anyway
And f**k whatever shite they come with next. Obviously I can’t go to a pub or whatever if it’s shut but I won’t be adhering to any of their bullshit household mixing or tavel bans
They can f**k right off

I tried to book a booster today but everywhere I looked there were no available time slots. I think I'll just turn up at one of the places and ask them to fit me in. I'll then be 75% safe from new virus variant. 

[Todd_is_God]

16 minutes ago, virginton said:

The positive news for hospitality is that with the exception of Christmas parties, the rest of their demand will likely remain strong as the right-thinking public simply file the Clownshoes Dentist's braying in the bin where it belongs

Well I was in town earlier and it was rammed. A steadfast two finger salute to these cretins.

[sparky88]

Father in law phoned and said he didnt want to go to a gig with my partner because Omicron. We laughed at him after he hung up , but it makes me wonder if people are thinking 'if we shouldn't go to Xmas parties than what are we doing going to gigs/theatres/cinema'. It makes sense to think like that since whats the difference between a Christmas and birthday party?

 

[gc_smfc]

Has anyone managed to upload the vaccination status from nhs scotland to verifly?