FlyTheNest

Morning all.

Morning all.

In a perfect world we would have had this sequence:

1. Government scientists invite teaching unions to come in and talk about re-opening school
2. DfE put up documents on website with guidance on how to plan to reopen and advice on how to open schools safely
3. No 10 then announces when schools can reopen

But instead of 1-2-3 we've had 3-2-1

And Williamson writing an article in the Mail?

Yeah, that'll persuade lots of teachers I'm sure...back to politics as usual.

And the Mail are doing a lot of fawning over fee-paying schools:

Private schools have been working around ‘around the clock’ using online learning – and are confident of successfully reopening on the Government’s timetable.

Despite taking a significant financial hit due to the pandemic, fee-paying schools have been leading the way in responding to the challenges, sector leaders said.

Top schools including Eton College and the Perse School, Cambridge, have been posting free educational resources which are accessible to all young people.

Professor Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the Independent Schools Council, said his 1,300 member schools were ‘very pleased that there will be limited openings after June 1’

Did they even look to what state schools are doing or ask any of their normally favourite academy bosses?

Ours has material for every year group plus whole school activities and updated weekly. Phone calls to every pupil every week. Regular email contact and sharing of what pupils have been doing at home. I doubt our school could have done much more TBH.

What financial hit? I thought people were still paying fees.

Genuine question.

Good morfternoon.

May and Johnson hung civil servants out to dry, report finds

Inquiry into Whitehall’s Brexit role says prime ministers failed to protect officials (Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... port-finds

It would help if the likes of Adonis/Blunkett/Sheerman didn't line up begind the Heil, mind.

Great thread ripping to bits a nasty little piece in the super soaraway by someone filling in for Rod Liddle.

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And yes she is one of those Utleys...

PorFavor wrote:Good morfternoon.

May and Johnson hung civil servants out to dry, report finds

Inquiry into Whitehall’s Brexit role says prime ministers failed to protect officials (Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... port-finds

I am TOTALLY SHOCKED by this TOTALLY AND UTTERLY SHOCKING news, make no mistake.

I see Leora Cruddas who managed to manoeuvre herself into a nice cushy role representing academy trusts when it was clear that her previous work as "independent schools" was pretty much dead is picking a fight with teaching unions as well.

Academy bosses have hit back at the unions and told teachers to get ready to reopen, ahead of crunch talks this afternoon with the Government’s scientific advisors.

Schools should start planning for pupils to return from June 1, according to Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts which represents academies.

She said that headteachers and principals must work to build confidence among parents and their staff that it is safe to send their children to school.

Her intervention comes amid rising tensions between ministers and unions over plans to reopen schools.

So when do we get the "academies are leading the way and it's just those awful council-run schools that are resisting"?

That'll be next.

The bottom line is the government can't *make* parents send their kids to school if they still don't think its safe.

This person may have a point.

Brexit Is a stupid decision
@A48percenter

How to fight a culture war Tory COVID style.
1. Say to the relief of all parents you'll restart school
2. Ensure you have no clear plans to restart schools
3. Wait for the unions to point this out
4. Spin a line to the Tory supporting press about unions blocking schools opening

On the news they were talking about maybe easing lockdowns on a regional basis given the differences in R. But this was rejected before.

So...

"We expect people to use their common sense when travelling around on public transport and use social distancing"

But

"We can't possibly start reopening things on a regional basis because people can travel into more infected areas"

Life is very confusing I find...

RogerOThornhill wrote:I see Leora Cruddas who managed to manoeuvre herself into a nice cushy role representing academy trusts when it was clear that her previous work as "independent schools" was pretty much dead is picking a fight with teaching unions as well.

Academy bosses have hit back at the unions and told teachers to get ready to reopen, ahead of crunch talks this afternoon with the Government’s scientific advisors.

Schools should start planning for pupils to return from June 1, according to Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts which represents academies.

She said that headteachers and principals must work to build confidence among parents and their staff that it is safe to send their children to school.

Her intervention comes amid rising tensions between ministers and unions over plans to reopen schools.

So when do we get the "academies are leading the way and it's just those awful council-run schools that are resisting"?

That'll be next.

Why is it headteachers job to convince parents it's safe? Surely that's the government's job. They even have 5 tests they've said must be met before lockdown is eased, so how can headteachers be told to reassure parents it's ok to re-open schools before the government's own tests have even been met? This really is appalling. If the government does a good job of getting infection rates and deaths down then the confidence to return to normal life will duly follow. It shouldn't be bullying people back to work while hundreds are still dying and infection rates still rising in some places.

Typically thoughtful and interesting piece by Andy Beckett on what the future might hold for our PM, up on the Graun site now.

Right so Steve Barclay appeared on Question Time for the first time last night since claiming the strategy of herd immunity had scientific support across the UK, before hundreds of scientists wrote to the government saying it was insane the very next day. So what whopper could Steve come up with this time?

Well another enormous one it would appear. When asked about when we would be ready to begin tracking and tracing (remember it was supposed to be up and running by the middle of the month, i.e today) he claimed Hancock would be making a statement to Parliament on Monday and that it would begin next week.

But this morning Brandon Lewis admitted that of the 18000 contact tracers Hancock says we need so far they've only managed to recruit 1500.

So if Steve Barclay wasn't talking absolute bullshit it seems the Government are going to recruit and train 16500 contact tracers over this weekend.

And of course once it is up and running it's been put under the control of Dido Harding who allowed the un-encrypted personal and banking details of 150000 TalkTalk customers to be stolen, leading to a £400000 fine from the Information Commision and thousands of people still being targetted by scammers to this day. But she's a Tory Baroness and a friend of Cameron so who cares.

And people wonder why we don't trust them.

gilsey wrote:This person may have a point.

Brexit Is a stupid decision
@A48percenter

How to fight a culture war Tory COVID style.
1. Say to the relief of all parents you'll restart school
2. Ensure you have no clear plans to restart schools
3. Wait for the unions to point this out
4. Spin a line to the Tory supporting press about unions blocking schools opening

What's the point of this war?

RogerOThornhill wrote:On the news they were talking about maybe easing lockdowns on a regional basis given the differences in R. But this was rejected before.

So...

"We expect people to use their common sense when travelling around on public transport and use social distancing"

But

"We can't possibly start reopening things on a regional basis because people can travel into more infected areas"

Life is very confusing I find...

Hey, lookit. Government is really overwhelmed right now and you're not helping pointing out confusion. Use your common sense. Protect our government.

Willow904 wrote:---
Why is it headteachers job to convince parents it's safe? Surely that's the government's job. They even have 5 tests they've said must be met before lockdown is eased, so how can headteachers be told to reassure parents it's ok to re-open schools before the government's own tests have even been met? This really is appalling. If the government does a good job of getting infection rates and deaths down then the confidence to return to normal life will duly follow. It shouldn't be bullying people back to work while hundreds are still dying and infection rates still rising in some places.

(cJA edit)
oh my god Willow904
watch your tone and wash your hands

Sky'sGoneOut wrote:Right so Steve Barclay appeared on Question Time for the first time last night since claiming the strategy of herd immunity had scientific support across the UK, before hundreds of scientists wrote to the government saying it was insane the very next day. So what whopper could Steve come up with this time?

Well another enormous one it would appear. When asked about when we would be ready to begin tracking and tracing (remember it was supposed to be up and running by the middle of the month, i.e today) he claimed Hancock would be making a statement to Parliament on Monday and that it would begin next week.

But this morning Brandon Lewis admitted that of the 18000 contact tracers Hancock says we need so far they've only managed to recruit 1500.

So if Steve Barclay wasn't talking absolute bullshit it seems the Government are going to recruit and train 16500 contact tracers over this weekend.

And of course once it is up and running it's been put under the control of Dido Harding who allowed the un-encrypted personal and banking details of 150000 TalkTalk customers to be stolen, leading to a £400000 fine from the Information Commision and thousands of people still being targetted by scammers to this day. But she's a Tory Baroness and a friend of Cameron so who cares.

And people wonder why we don't trust them.

I think government wants people mistrusting everything. Confused, suspicious people don't cooperate and hold a worthless government responsible for failure protecting peoples' lives.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Irresponsible, inadequate and hostile people are currently government with power over millions of peoples' lives.

RogerOThornhill wrote:On the news they were talking about maybe easing lockdowns on a regional basis given the differences in R. But this was rejected before.

So...

"We expect people to use their common sense when travelling around on public transport and use social distancing"

But

"We can't possibly start reopening things on a regional basis because people can travel into more infected areas"

Life is very confusing I find...

Or if you like

Government official advice - social distance if you can, but carry on even if you can't.

There may be situations where you can’t keep a suitable distance from people, for example when boarding or alighting, on busier services, at busier times of day and when walking through interchanges. In these cases you should avoid physical contact, try to face away from other people, and keep the time you spend near others as short as possible. If you can, wear a face covering on public transport.

Brandon Lewis this morning - public transport is safe if you practice social distancing.

More from Brandon Lewis on Sky News, where the Northern Ireland Secretary insisted that using public transport is safe if people use proper social distancing.

Lewis said: Well if we’re practising proper social distancing, yes it is safe. And I think actually the point I would make is, look, it is a fair point, if everybody goes onto public transport there will be a challenge with being able to continue to follow social distancing and people see images of people showing where social distancing isn’t being followed.

That is why we’re so clear in saying to people we must follow social distancing to keep on top of this R level, that is why we’re saying to people don’t use public transport unless you absolutely have to.

Which? Travel on public transport if you have to and put up with what you have to, or only travel if you can socially distance whilst travelling on public transport? It can't be both.

I believe some bus companies are considering restricting numbers to one passenger per seat and supervising boarding in bus stations. This may be easier to achieve outside London as a smaller percentage of commuters use public transport outside the capital. I don't think it will be possible to get a majority of public transport users wearing masks, though, without central government guidance being much firmer and masks readily available to purchase at stations etc.

adam wrote: Brandon Lewis this morning - public transport is safe if you practice social distancing.

It's not safe then.

Borderline even with compulsory masks, insanity without.

citizenJA wrote:What's the point of this war?

As far as the govt is concerned, this isn't a public health crisis, it's a public relations crisis, that's how morally bankrupt they are.

Willow904 wrote:I believe some bus companies are considering restricting numbers to one passenger per seat and supervising boarding in bus stations. This may be easier to achieve outside London as a smaller percentage of commuters use public transport outside the capital. I don't think it will be possible to get a majority of public transport users wearing masks, though, without central government guidance being much firmer and masks readily available to purchase at stations etc.

Some train companies are introducing mandatory reservations - but how you police that on stations without staff, one guard and eight sets of doors is another question.

A poll in France last week [pdf] found Merkel to be far and away the most trusted world leader.
Just 2% had confidence Trump was leading the world in the right direction.
Only Boris Johnson and Xi Jinping inspired less faith.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... ld-leaders" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I disagree about Xi Jinping in there with Johnson. Xi Jinping seems a trustworthy tyrant.

I wondered how the "r" number would be dealt with today. Now I know.

gilsey wrote:

citizenJA wrote:What's the point of this war?

As far as the govt is concerned, this isn't a public health crisis, it's a public relations crisis, that's how morally bankrupt they are.

This is most distressing.

Jenny Harries' inclusion on the cast list is always a bit of a give-away.

Phil May, frontman with the Pretty Things, dies aged 75

Singer revered by David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix had complications in hospital following hip surgery (Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/ ... es-aged-75

Union warns care workers not to use UK government Covid-19 app

GMB union tells members Care Workforce app gives bosses access to private messages (Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... vid-19-app

PorFavor wrote:Jenny Harries' inclusion on the cast list is always a bit of a give-away.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer
Dr Jenny Harries OBE
---
Biography
Dr Jenny Harries was appointed Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England in July 2019.
[from] Career highlights:
---
member of the Expert Advisory Group on the NHS Constitution
https://www.gov.uk/government/people/jenny-harries" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Independent report
NHS Constitution: recommendations by Expert Advisory Group
Expert Advisory Group’s recommendations on how to make the NHS Constitution more practical and meaningful for patients and staff in England.
13 March 2014
updated 10 June 2014
Department of Health and Social Care

Next steps for the NHS Constitution: recommendations by the Expert Advisory Group to the NHS constitution
PDF, 171KB, 12 pages

In this paper, the Expert Advisory Group to the NHS Constitution sets out ten recommendations to the Department of Health, national and local organisations for increasing the impact of the Constitution.

These recommendations build on those made by the NHS Future Forum in October 2012. Since the introduction of the NHS Constitution in 2009, the health system has undergone significant reform. The changes made to the health and care system in England from 1 April 2013 give the Constitution greater significance, providing a platform for shared values and a unifying approach among the many newly established health bodies.

This was recognised in the Health and Social Care Act 2012, which reaffirmed the importance of the Constitution: the Secretary of State now has a duty to have regard to it, as do all NHS bodies. In addition, NHS England and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are now required to promote it along with Health Education England. Local authorities, in the exercise of their public health functions, also have a duty to have regard to the Constitution – paving the way for further and better integration with health services.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... tution.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... sory-group

A twelve-page pdf file with NHS and CONSTITUTION prominently and repeatedly used making suggestions. Regarding an NHS CONSTITUTION.

The Health & Social Care Act of 2012. The reorganisation Dave Cameron promised wouldn't happen did and that law removed government ministers' duty providing an National Health Service (NHS) in England to a duty to promoting one. An hour tops, each month. If that. Dead easy job going from providing an NHS to flogging badges and shoulder totes with the logo during a PR photo shoot called, Promoting Our NHS.

Reading the above without knowing that gives the impression government ministers' legal obligations to NHS England more onerous post-2012 than they were before that time. Government ministers' obligations went from providing a national health service to promoting one. What's regarding the NHS Constitution?

Why create newly established health bodies requiring unification, shared values platforms?

PorFavor wrote:

Union warns care workers not to use UK government Covid-19 app

GMB union tells members Care Workforce app gives bosses access to private messages (Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... vid-19-app

Decline using UK government COVID-19 app suggestion after having regarded it.

The Government are in for one hell of a shock if they think it's just teachers kicking up a stink. I texted a friend earlier whose wife is a primary school teacher here in Leeds and he told me that out of the parents of 180 pupils only those of 28 said they'd be sending their kids to school and 22 of those pupils were already there as children of key workers or because they are classed as vulnerable.

I wonder if Gavin Williamson will set the right wing press on parents and try to goad them into doing their duty.

On the subject of social distancing on public transport Steve Baker was asked last night on QT why we weren't following other countries in clearly marking out the interior of trains and buses so people knew where they could and couldn't sit, to which he replied that it wasn't the Government's job to manage every detail of people's lives then blathered on about common sense.

I mean WTF? How is clearly demarcating where it's safe to sit on a bus managing every detail of people's lives? I'm sure the Germans don't think they've suddenly found themselves under the Fourth Reich because there are stickers on their trains seats. And he had the temerity to sit there looking smugly pleased with himself after coming out with such bollocks.

Maybe if he'd had the balls to admit we aren't doing it because it would impede the masses getting back to work he'd deserve some respect but no, he hid behind some libertarian bullshit like the coward he and the rest of his spineless cronies are.

Wanker.

Nice to have you back CJA .

citizenJA wrote: Why create newly established health bodies requiring unification, shared values platforms?

To allow the creation of an internal market.

Which has led to the insane situation where we've had rival NHS Trusts outbidding each other for PPE.

Sky'sGoneOut wrote:Nice to have you back CJA .

thank you

Sky'sGoneOut wrote:On the subject of social distancing on public transport Steve Baker was asked last night on QT why we weren't following other countries in clearly marking out the interior of trains and buses so people knew where they could and couldn't sit, to which he replied that it wasn't the Government's job to manage every detail of people's lives then blathered on about common sense.

I mean WTF? How is clearly demarcating where it's safe to sit on a bus managing every detail of people's lives? I'm sure the Germans don't think they've suddenly found themselves under the Fourth Reich because there are stickers on their trains seats. And he had the temerity to sit there looking smugly pleased with himself after coming out with such bollocks.

Maybe if he'd had the balls to admit we aren't doing it because it would impede the masses getting back to work he'd deserve some respect but no, he hid behind some libertarian bullshit like the coward he and the rest of his spineless cronies are.

Wanker.

What was the response to Baker? Was a response allowed?

Willow904 wrote:I believe some bus companies are considering restricting numbers to one passenger per seat and supervising boarding in bus stations. This may be easier to achieve outside London as a smaller percentage of commuters use public transport outside the capital.

Even a double decker bus from Leeds to Halifax on a Sunday afternoon would have too many people on it to safely social distance yourself, if you only have one bus an hour those passengers numbers soon add up.

Mind you the last bus from Halifax to Leeds on a Sunday will be fine, I'm often the only person on it drunkenly surveying my giant taxi before getting bored and going to talk to the driver because it takes nearly an hour.

Sky'sGoneOut wrote:

citizenJA wrote: Why create newly established health bodies requiring unification, shared values platforms?

To allow the creation of an internal market.

Which has led to the insane situation where we've had rival NHS Trusts outbidding each other for PPE.

I understand that but it flatly contradicts Dr J OBE's NHS CONSTITUTION suggestion pamphlet

citizenJA wrote:I understand that but it flatly contradicts Dr J OBE's NHS CONSTITUTION suggestion pamphlet

Well you've got me there.

Ask Nick Clegg, this was done under the Coalition.

Oh wait that's right, he admitted signing Lansley's NHS reform bill without even bothering to read it.

I've just been looking into Randox laboratories.

They're the ones who have Owen Patterson as a consultant despite him being outwitted by badgers moving the goalposts and have been handed a 130 million pound contract to provide testing kits.

I wonder, do you think they pay him a consultancy fee for his expertise in diagnostics and forensic toxicology?

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Thanks Phil.

She looks rather precariously balanced on that torpedo.

But then I guess it would have to be quite well lubricated.

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