Wednesday 26th February 2020

[refitman]

Morning all.

[HindleA]

https://mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2020/0 ... g.html?m=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[gilsey]

Thread on foodbanks.

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://spi.web.ox.ac.uk/files/sourbutreport" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[citizenJA]

Good morning, everyone.

[AnatolyKasparov]

https://mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2020/0 ... g.html?m=1

Spot on.

Again.

[citizenJA]

today's Simon Wren-Lewis

Low paid jobs for British born workers
https://mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2020/0 ... s.html?m=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[citizenJA]

Thread on foodbanks.

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://spi.web.ox.ac.uk/files/sourbutreport" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Government's Universal Credit (UC) machine forcing people into scrambling for a sub-minimal subsistence existence

[gilsey]

I've just been doing some ironing, listening to a young woman talking about prescription charges for people with long term conditions on R4, she'd had a liver transplant as a baby.

If only there was a GE with the chance to vote for a party promising to abolish them.

[HindleA]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000fpnx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AnatolyKasparov]

I've just been doing some ironing, listening to a young woman talking about prescription charges for people with long term conditions on R4, she'd had a liver transplant as a baby.

If only there was a GE with the chance to vote for a party promising to abolish them.

If its a young woman, the likelihood she voted Tory is not that high tbf.

[HindleA]

She shouldn't have been paying and not the only person covered in the programme that did without/rationed when exempt.As with many supposedly "targeted"things it doesn't "reach"the very people it should.That they should be free for all is quite clear to me.Hunt proposed a "paid for by the taxpayer"emblazoned on them should they cost a certain amount,a very reasonable proposal if you are a nasty piece of shit.

[gilsey]

Not one person on the prog mentioned it, that’s all.

[HindleA]

Ah o.k.

[AnatolyKasparov]

I see that our PM emerged from seclusion to do PMQs today.

[citizenJA]

Severn flood defences breached as waters near record levels
Emergency evacuation takes place in Ironbridge, Shropshire, as water overwhelms barriers
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... vern-rises" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Teacher Sally Hebbard is living in an Airbnb after being forced out of her riverside home with her husband and daughter. She said: “Our houses are under a foot of water, still rising. Two of the neighbours sadly couldn’t afford insurance. Shropshire council made no contact whatsoever with us, either prior to or during the evacuation process. They offered no assistance, not a single solitary sandbag was forthcoming.

“Now I sit listening to PMQs I hear Boris saying there will be a quick £500 and a further £5,000 available to us, but when I called the council I was met with a vague answer that they are waiting for central government to give them further information. So no immediate £500 then?

[citizenJA]

Shropshire Council was created in 2009, a unitary authority taking over from the previous county council and five district councils. The borough of Telford and Wrekin has been a separate unitary authority since 1998 but continues to be included in the ceremonial county.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shropshire" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So many confusing divisions

[citizenJA]

Shropshire Council was created in 2009, a unitary authority taking over from the previous county council and five district councils. The borough of Telford and Wrekin has been a separate unitary authority since 1998 but continues to be included in the ceremonial county.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shropshire" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So many confusing divisions

Doesn't really matter. It's Westminster government in charge of funding.

[citizenJA]

Flooding crisis is under control, minister tells struggling farmers
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ng-farmers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The government has rejected calls for a public inquiry into the UK flooding disaster, arguing that it has the crisis under control. The environment secretary, George Eustice, came under sustained attack at the National Farmers’ Union annual conference, but said the government had already saved thousands of homes from flooding and would be spending “record” amounts on future defences.

“I don’t think we need an inquiry, because there have been a number over the last decade,” Eustice said.

[Eustice] faced a hostile reception from farmers, who gasped at some of his answers and applauded sharp interventions from the NFU president, Minette Batters.

Batters said she accepted that Johnson was not going to visit any flood sites, but in a sideswipe, said: “Unless cabinet ministers get out and see this issue for themselves, it’s very hard [to understand the level of ruin].” She added: “They are clearly not going to have an inquiry. This is only going to get worse. We are going to see more of this.” .

(cJA bold)

[gilsey]

2h ago
15:52
It’s been a bad day for the UK labour market.

Lloyds Banking Group, insurance group Direct Line and fashion chain Ted Baker have all announced job cut plans, a day after Tesco said 1,800 jobs were at risk at its supermarket bakeries.

Eek. More UK jobs cuts, this time at Virgin Money.

That takes today’s total of job losses over 2,000

From the G business live.

[citizenJA]

Okay, I'll post it now that Mr citizen just said what I've thought for a while now.
The Covid-19 outbreak (the media coverage) is being used as a distraction from other things.

edited to add
I think it's likely part of something larger; it's being used as justification or an explanation for something else, maybe something we don't know yet.

[HindleA]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 59606.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Willow904]

Okay, I'll post it now that Mr citizen just said what I've thought for a while now.
The Covid-19 outbreak (the media coverage) is being used as a distraction from other things.

edited to add
I think it's likely part of something larger; it's being used as justification or an explanation for something else, maybe something we don't know yet.

INTRUSIVE EDIT BY MODERATOR WARNING!!! INTRUSIVE EDIT BY MODERATOR WARNING!!!

SPOILER WARNING!!! SPOILER WARNING!!!


Sounds like the plot to C4's sci-fi series "Utopia":

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia_(British_TV_series" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

Carvel was a scientist who developed the protein "Janus" that would sterilise the human race – his solution to avoid the problems associated with overpopulation. The code for Janus is hidden in the manuscript. The Network wants to fulfil Carvel's plan and sterilise 90–95% of the world population. They have created a similar protein, but it is not certain whether it works. Anyway, they put the sterilising protein in a vaccine for the Russian flu whose epidemic outbreak is gripping the nation in fear and panic.

[citizenJA]

Okay, I'll post it now that Mr citizen just said what I've thought for a while now.
The Covid-19 outbreak (the media coverage) is being used as a distraction from other things.

edited to add
I think it's likely part of something larger; it's being used as justification or an explanation for something else, maybe something we don't know yet.

Sounds like the plot to C4's sci-fi series "Utopia":

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia_(British_TV_series" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

Carvel was a scientist who developed the protein "Janus" that would sterilise the human race – his solution to avoid the problems associated with overpopulation. The code for Janus is hidden in the manuscript. The Network wants to fulfil Carvel's plan and sterilise 90–95% of the world population. They have created a similar protein, but it is not certain whether it works. Anyway, they put the sterilising protein in a vaccine for the Russian flu whose epidemic outbreak is gripping the nation in fear and panic.

I meant something more prosaic, like blaming it for an economic recession likely going to happen regardless. I didn't make that clear.

[HindleA]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... round-poll" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[citizenJA]

Goodnight, everyone.
love,
cJA

[adam]

Okay, I'll post it now that Mr citizen just said what I've thought for a while now.
The Covid-19 outbreak (the media coverage) is being used as a distraction from other things.

edited to add
I think it's likely part of something larger; it's being used as justification or an explanation for something else, maybe something we don't know yet.

Sounds like the plot to C4's sci-fi series "Utopia":

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia_(British_TV_series" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

Carvel was a scientist who developed the protein "Janus" that would sterilise the human race – his solution to avoid the problems associated with overpopulation. The code for Janus is hidden in the manuscript. The Network wants to fulfil Carvel's plan and sterilise 90–95% of the world population. They have created a similar protein, but it is not certain whether it works. Anyway, they put the sterilising protein in a vaccine for the Russian flu whose epidemic outbreak is gripping the nation in fear and panic.

I obviously don't want to (and won't) abuse my moderator super powers but I think this is a big big spoiler for a very good show that everyone should watch. Despite all the blood and eyes and stuff.