I caught a news story on Tyne Tees TV lunchtime news today (Thursday) which reported on rumours that the government was to cut the number of vaccinations in the North East so that other areas could "catch up" with the region. The roll out of the vaccine here has been successful but never in a million years did I expect the government to take such a decision.The issue was raised by Gateshead
So, here we are, ten months into the pandemic, ten months since my gallant employers decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and sent me home whilst the situation blew out. Well, so much for that - I'm not expecting to be back in an office with other people until at least the Autumn. And that's going to present some challenges. Now I haven't got as far as associating other people with death, but my appetite for crowds have never been great, and I've grown accustomed to keeping others at something rather more than arms length. But, at ...
Believers in the QAnon conspiracy theory spent the last three years believing that Donald Trump was taking on powerful paedophile networks that had hitherto ruled the world. Trump's defeat did not discourage them: they were certain Joe Biden's inauguration day would see power cuts, the declaration of martial law and his arrest along with all other leading Democrats. In the Guardian, Julia Carrie Wong reports on the reaction of some QAnon believers to yesterday's events (or lack of them): As Biden took the oath of office just before noon on Wednesday, a QAnon channel on Telegram lit up with laments. ...
When do we want vax? Now! But everyone is getting frustrated that in south west Shropshire "now" is slipping away into the future. Philip Dunne asked a question of the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock today about the problems of vaccination in south west Shropshire. He got a promise of an answer and we await that. The complexity of the NHS has not helped vaccine rollout. We have top down vaccination centres and local GP delivery. If only it was as simple as that. Frankly, it is a mess. The urgent health priorities are becoming overwhelmed by the ...
"That's the final straw." "This isn't our conference policy." "I'm furious - we MUST form a new pro-EU party." Those of us who speak with fellow members and supporters will have heard a lot like this over the past few days. Ed Davey's interview on Marr may not have fully captured the nuance of our position or even our long-term aim. But as much as we are all still upset about Brexit, contesting the content of that one interview misses the point about the challenges we face. As we know, the context for us is very difficult. The UK has ...
The numbers today are not a lot better than ten days ago - 1937 (down from 1955) in hospital, 336 (down from 371) in ICU and a daily average fatality rate of 48.6 for 11-17 January (down from 53.4 for 1-7 January). But several things are combining to put me in a better mood. The first is that the numbers are not worse - there was a serious risk of wobble over the last week or so, as people who had travelled over the new year returned (the Belgian press has been full of one particular ill-fated ski trip). But ...
Thu 21st
16:15
LibLink: Ed Davey - The Liberal Democrats are the most pro-European party in British politics
It is fair to say that quite a lot of Liberal Democrats were a bit worried by Ed Davey's comments on Andrew Marr at the weekend that "we are not a rejoin party." In an article on the party website, he sets out his thinking. Rejoin is not an issue for now, but the Lib Dems will make the pro-European arguments and hope to persuade people that we can rejoin in the longer term. He also warns against Scotland repeating the mistake of Brexit with independence. The Liberal Democrats are the most pro-European party in British politics. We truly believe ...
Thu 21st
14:40Lib Dem peers unite musicians from Elton John to Iron Maiden over Brexit visa problems
Liberal Democrat peers have organised a letter to the Times signed by over 100 very well known musicians and others in the industry outlining the problems they are now facing as a result of the Brexit deal. Great coverage in the Times for the Lib Dem campaign to save musicians' tours to Europe. Another huge trade negotiation failure by the govt creates mountains of paperwork & other problems, especially for young emerging artists. All this on top of the Covid disaster for performers pic.twitter.com/5mVLc5PMgV — Paul Strasburger (@LordStras) January 20, 2021 The letter has united Ed Sheehan, Iron Maiden and ...
UK politicians like to think we have a "special relationship" with the US and Prime Minister Johnson was quick to say yesterday that he is looking forward to working closely with the new President Biden. I have have just completed reading Barack Obama's "memoires" of his campaign for and first term as President (2008 -2012) The number of references to British and other politicians is instructive: Gordon Brown: 6 David Cameron: 5 Angela Merkel: 13 Nicolas Sarkozy 15 Dmitri Medvedev: 16 Vladimir Putin: 15 Hu Jintao 5 To be fair Brown and Cameron shared the British premiership in this period ...
"Democracy is precious. Democracy is fragile." – Joe Biden reminded us in his inauguration speech. The ceremony was a cheering celebration of constitutional democracy, with the three branches of the federal government interacting to mark the change of administration. British democracy remains fragile, without much prospect of strengthening its institutions or healing its divisions before the 2024 election. Our prime minister wields executive 'prerogative' powers inherited from the Tudor and Stuart monarchies. The queen appointed Boris Johnson prime minister, a day before Parliament rose for its summer recess. He then attempted to prevent Parliament from sitting for an extended period, ...
Wed, 12:56: Pigs Heads Are Rotting In Rotterdam As Brexit Delays Hit The British Meat Industry https://t.co/ZOjiXkh2pN #takingbackcontrol #nothingbutaconsiderableupside Wed, 15:00: Who on Earth is Tom Baker? Happy birthday to the one and only! The audio abridgement of his autobiography balances humour and morbidity; I was laughing out loud, to the dismay of fellow passengers on the train. #nwbooks https://t.co/d0w75zaMJB https://t.co/P1y2C2HNvp https://t.co/J4B2vlvfn8 Wed, 15:30: Variable Star, by Robert A. Heinlein and Spider Robinson Late in 1955, Robert A. Heinlein put the notes for this book away, and never took them out again. Perhaps he had the right idea. #nwbooks https://t.co/IunMRlAZLD ...
An excellent new paper from Philip Cowley is nominally about how to interview MPs for political science research. But it's really a very funny guide to...
NHS patients are regularly invited to screening tests for different conditions. The tests can be inconvenient or uncomfortable, but the evidence on screening clearly shows it identifies risks early, prevents disease, and saves lives. Patients are at greater risk if they don't receive invitations, or receive the wrong information. Trans patients can request to alter their gender marker and are given a new NHS number. Any gendered words are replaced with their new pronouns. However, this also changes their eligibility for screening programmes as many of these are gendered; men and women commonly receive different tests. Trans patients may be ...
Is the reality of our disastrous Brexit starting to hit home for government ministers? The Independent reports that the international trade secretary, Liz Truss, has admitted Brexit has contributed to shortages on supermarket shelves in Northern Ireland, contradicting her Cabinet colleague Brandon Lewis. The paper says Truss joined Ireland's foreign affairs minister, Simon Coveney, in acknowledging the UK's departure from the EU played a part in the disruption, putting her at odds with Mr Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, who has said disruption caused by coronavirus before Christmas is solely responsible for the shortages of some food products and is ...
i) births and deaths 21 January 1978: death of Geoffrey Orme, who wrote The Underwater Menace (Second Doctor, 1967). 21 January 1980: birth of Sarah Dollard, who wrote Face the Raven (Twelfth Doctor, 2015) and Thin Ice (Twelfth Doctor, 2017). 21 January 1993: death of David Blake Kelly, who played the captain of the Mary Celeste in The Chase (First Doctor, 1965) and innkeeper Jacob Kewper in The Smugglers (First Doctor, 1966). ii) broadcast anniversaries 21 January 1967: broadcast of second episode of The Underwater Menace. The Doctor causes a power cut and Ara rescues Polly. Zaroff explains that he ...
Yesterday's Council meeting was one in which Liverpool's rag, tag and bobtail group of Labour Councillors never failed to underwhelm. On three occasions they totally failed to rise to the challenges faced by a Council which is absolutely the best ... Continue reading →
As residents will be aware, the recent further consultation on a 'modal filter' at Riverside Approach that woudl have seen a temporary one-way arrangement as part of Spaces for People during the COVID-19 health emergency, resulted in a majority against so it will not go ahead. I previously asked for some 'local traffic only' or similar signage to be provided to discourage non-local traffic and HGVs and am pleased this has been agreed to. I also asked that the City Council revisits the idea of a pedestrian crossing on Riverside Approach between the Roseangle playpark and Magdalen Green and the ...
