Omicron variant and the measures implemented in response to it

[yorksrob]

EXCLUSIVE: Brexit minister Lord Frost walks out on Boris

MAIL ON SUNDAY EXCLUSIVE: Cabinet Minister Lord Frost has sensationally resigned from Boris Johnson's Government, The Mail on Sunday can exclusively reveal.

www.dailymail.co.uk

mmm ..... but was 'persuaded' to stay until January .......

Part quote:

That's interesting.

As important as I feel covid situation is, I do not want the negotiations with Europe to be derailed. Whilst I understand Lord Frosts concerns about the COVID situation I can't help thinking he should have carried on.

 

[21C101]

That's interesting.

As important as I feel covid situation is, I do not want the negotiations with Europe to be derailed. Whilst I understand Lord Frosts concerns about the COVID situation I can't help thinking he should have carried on.

I assume (and hope) that is why he is staying on until January.

 

[yorksrob]

I assume (and hope) that is why he is staying on until January.

Really he should commit to finishing, in my opinion (whilst making his views of the COVID situation abundantly clear of course).

 

[brad465]

EXCLUSIVE: Brexit minister Lord Frost walks out on Boris

MAIL ON SUNDAY EXCLUSIVE: Cabinet Minister Lord Frost has sensationally resigned from Boris Johnson's Government, The Mail on Sunday can exclusively reveal.

www.dailymail.co.uk

mmm ..... but was 'persuaded' to stay until January .......

Part quote:

I'm still expecting some further restrictions to be announced, such as this circuit breaker being speculated, but the fact Frost has resigned with the covid response as a cited reason is going to greatly undermine anything introduced in the near future and give traction to the backbenchers to oppose them.

By the way, Fraser Nelson has produced an article talking about his exchange with Graham Medley, and print screened that exchange into the article, so if it's deleted it's definitely easily accessible still:

My Twitter conversation with the chairman of the Sage Covid modelling committee

The latest Sage papers have been published, envisaging anything from 200 to 6,000 deaths a day from Omicron depending on how many more restrictions we’ll get — up to and very much including another lockdown. Earlier today I had an unexpected chance to ask questions of Graham Medley, the chair of...

www.spectator.co.uk

The latest Sage papers were published this evening, envisaging anything from 200 to 6,000 deaths a day from Omicron depending on how many more restrictions we’ll get – up to and very much including another lockdown. Earlier today I had an unexpected chance to ask questions of Prof Graham Medley, the chair of the Sage modelling committee. The Twitter thread has received a bit of attention (and comments) making it hard to read. So I’ll reprint it here.

As well as chairing Sage modellers, Prof Medley is with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) which last weekend published a study on Omicron making the case for more restrictions. In a note sent to clients, JP Morgan pointed out that those scenarios assume Omicron was just as virulent as Delta. ‘But evidence from South Africa suggests that Omicron infections are milder,’ JP Morgan said. Adjust for this, it found, and the outlook changed dramatically.

 

[21C101]

If Fraser Nelson gets this onto the front pages of both The Telegraph and The Spectator (i.e. the two papers he writes for), then the public will start seeing it enough to potentially cause a SAGE downfall.

Funny you should say that:

"Earlier today I had an unexpected chance to ask questions of Prof Graham Medley, the chair of the Sage modelling committee. The Twitter thread has received a bit of attention (and comments) making it hard to read. So I’ll reprint it here"

My Twitter conversation with the chairman of the Sage Covid modelling committee

The latest Sage papers have been published, envisaging anything from 200 to 6,000 deaths a day from Omicron depending on how many more restrictions we’ll get — up to and very much including another lockdown. Earlier today I had an unexpected chance to ask questions of Graham Medley, the chair of...

www.spectator.co.uk

 

[backontrack]

If this pandemic has proven one thing - and it's proven many things - then it clearly demonstrates that when political conservatives say they believe in 'small government', they're lying.

In fact, conservatives are very interested in controlling your life, even though - as an individual - you're nothing to them. It's the fact that you're nothing to them that drives the reality, which is that 'small government' actually means "We won't pull our weight properly. We won't help you, in fact you're on your own".

Hence this new lockdown, which is too late to make any difference but it's also literally using extreme, once-in-a-lifetime measures as a dead cat. Because it's our fault, not theirs. Because of their pathological inability to take accountability. 'Oh dear, silly little public, what a burden you are to us... how dare you go and spread the nasty variant! Here's your punishment. Don't let it happen again.'

This is probably a little too far and tinhattish, but it's almost like they're punishing the public for voting them out in North Shropshire. [thom yorke voice] This is what you get when you mess with us...

What an absolute deluge of sewage this government is. A vindictive bunch of cowardly, miserly, hypocritical, amoral, vacuous [redacted].

 

[bramling]

If this pandemic has proven one thing - and it's proven many things - then it clearly demonstrates that when political conservatives say they believe in 'small government', they're lying.

In fact, conservatives are very interested in controlling your life, even though - as an individual - you're nothing to them. It's the fact that you're nothing to them that drives the reality, which is that 'small government' actually means "We won't pull our weight properly. We won't help you, in fact you're on your own".

Hence this new lockdown, which is too late to make any difference but it's also literally using extreme, once-in-a-lifetime measures as a dead cat. Because it's our fault, not theirs. Because of their pathological inability to take accountability. 'Oh dear, silly little public, what a burden you are to us... how dare you go and spread the nasty variant! Here's your punishment. Don't let it happen again.'

This is probably a little too far and tinhattish, but it's almost like they're punishing the public for voting them out in North Shropshire. [thom yorke voice] This is what you get when you mess with us...

What an absolute deluge of sewage this government is. A vindictive bunch of cowardly, miserly, hypocritical, amoral, vacuous [redacted].

Can’t disagree with this. There was elements of punishment with the way certain areas seemed to get screwed over last year (remember Manchester?).

And as if that’s not enough, look at the way London constantly gets treated. I’ve no time for Khan, but this does not excuse the way Johnson has carried on.

Conservative voters are increasingly aware of this, hence North Shropshire. Of course, Johnson is too arrogant and dumb to take note of this, after all the British public can’t spell Pinocchio, hence yesterday’s interview where it was all the media’s fault and our fault for voting based on the “wrong” criteria.

Johnson really is vile. He seems to have done a grand job in picking out and surrounding himself with similarly odious individuals, this is - partly - why there’s now a sewer-grade line up of potential replacements.

 

[Pete_uk]

Not sure what to make of the twitter exchanges. SAGE being told to model only worst case outcomes??

 

[yorksrob]

Can’t disagree with this. There was elements of punishment with the way certain areas seemed to get screwed over last year (remember Manchester?).

And as if that’s not enough, look at the way London constantly gets treated. I’ve no time for Khan, but this does not excuse the way Johnson has carried on.

I don't regard Johnson as vile. Hapless and easily lead would be my view (albeit possibly less easily lead than the alternatives) !

Your point about Manchester being singled out and punished last year is spot on and deserving of a public inquiry in and of itself, to my mind.

 

[PTR 444]

The biggest issue with all these threats of possible lockdowns is not the likelihood that we will actually have any mandated restrictions this time round, but because the hyperbole from the media and government is leading to a massive consumer confidence crisis, and subsequently lockdowns by stealth.

Because as soon as you tell the nation that there is a variant on the loose, people will not be willing to take any chances based on the handling of previous variants and low trust in our government. It was seen right from the start when stock markets fell, and in reaction worried consumers will do the following:

• Avoid booking foreign holidays in case travel rules change and people are either stuck abroad or have to fork out thousands for tests and isolation.
• Avoid visiting crowded venues in fear of getting pinged and having to self isolate over Christmas.
• Cancel existing plans for the reasons stated above, leading to a loss of income for many businesses.

All of this can happen without government intervention, like we saw with the petrol crisis earlier this autumn which was largely invited by the media. Now that the cat is out of the bag, we are at risk of creating a permanent cycle of economic contraction every time a new variant emerges, even if we don’t introduce legal restrictions, because low consumer confidence will eventually lead to the same outcome as previous lockdowns - ie closed businesses and everybody staying at home.

Not only do we need to get rid of unnecessary testing and pingdemic apps if we are to avoid a cycle of these “stealth lockdowns” every winter, but we also need to hold the media to account and make them apologise to the general public for hampering the nation’s recovery.

 

[21C101]

• Avoid booking foreign holidays in case travel rules change and people are either stuck abroad or have to fork out thousands for tests and isolation

Anyone booking foreign travel at the moment needs their head examined. Whatever Boris faults, we have had it far better than many other places where far more authoritarian measures are routinely put in place.

• Avoid visiting crowded venues in fear of getting pinged and having to self isolate over Christmas.

Not doing that. Avoiding having an app that can put me under arrest on my phone and avoding handing over personal details wherever possible.

• Cancel existing plans for the reasons stated above, leading to a loss of income for many businesses.

Not doing that. But sadly many are.

 

[PTR 444]

Anyone booking foreign travel at the moment needs their head examined. Whatever Boris faults, we have had it far better than many other places where far more authoritarian measures are routinely put in place.

The point I was trying to make is that if Omicron is not as deadly as first feared, there is little point in having travel restrictions in the first place. Keeping them for longer than necessary will lead to a long term consumer confidence crisis as people keep actively avoiding booking holidays for the sole reason of restrictions being in place.

 

[bramling]

I don't regard Johnson as vile. Hapless and easily lead would be my view (albeit possibly less easily lead than the alternatives) !

Your point about Manchester being singled out and punished last year is spot on and deserving of a public inquiry in and of itself, to my mind.

He’s those things as well, but there’s something very unpleasant with the way he seems to feel beyond reproach.

There’s something seriously wrong when anyone can sit in front of a TV camera and shamelessly spout and repeat a complete falsehood, which is what he did on Wednesday at PMQs. As I’ve said before, seeing just a few snippets of Stanley Johnson tells me enough to see exactly how all this came about - simply, having been brought up in a piffle of sheer arrogance, he knows no different, the way he behaves is simply completely normal and unremarkable to him.

All this is one of the reasons why Britain’s Covid response has been so shambolic. For balance, one tiny point in Johnson’s defence is that the fragmented Westminster/Sturgeon/Drakeford setup hasn’t helped either, and to be fair that’s one thing Johnson isn’t to blame for, and there isn’t a massive amount he could realistically have done about it, as both the devolvees are happy to play politics.

If we ever return to the tier system, we can bet that there will be a special extra-nasty tier specially designed for North Shropshire, Amersham and Chesham!

 

[yorksrob]

He’s those things as well, but there’s something very unpleasant with the way he seems to feel beyond reproach.

There’s something seriously wrong when anyone can sit in front of a TV camera and shamelessly spout and repeat a complete falsehood, which is what he did on Wednesday at PMQs. As I’ve said before, seeing just a few snippets of Stanley Johnson tells me enough to see exactly how all this came about - simply, having been brought up in a piffle of sheer arrogance, he knows no different, the way he behaves is simply completely normal and unremarkable to him.

All this is one of the reasons why Britain’s Covid response has been so shambolic. For balance, one tiny point in Johnson’s defence is that the fragmented Westminster/Sturgeon/Drakeford setup hasn’t helped either, and to be fair that’s one thing Johnson isn’t to blame for, and there isn’t a massive amount he could realistically have done about it, as both the devolvees are happy to play politics.

If we ever return to the tier system, we can bet that there will be a special extra-nasty tier specially designed for North Shropshire, Amersham and Chesham!

I must admit, I agree with you on a lot of things.

This is not one of them. Johnson has his flaws as an individual, but the real problems have been caused by the wider establishment

I think there were balls ups, particularly the release of people's with COVID into care homes (something other countries have experienced as well)


Fundamentally I believe that he believes in imposing the least restrictions that he believes necessary. And that bar seems to be a lot higher than most of the opposition.

 

[21C101]

I must admit, I agree with you on a lot of things.

This is not one of them. Johnson has his flaws as an individual, but the real problems have been caused by the wider establishment

I think there were balls ups, particularly the release of people's with COVID into care homes (something other countries have experienced as well)


Fundamentally I believe that he believes in imposing the least restrictions that he believes necessary. And that bar seems to be a lot higher than most of the opposition.

It is where he has bowed to pressure from the wider establishment (who despise him anyway) instead of following his own instinct, on Covid, on Green matters and now it seems on the role of the ECJ in NI, that he has got himself into most bother. It is his weakness and insecurity in not wanting to be disliked that is hobbling him, like a character in a Greek Tragedy.

The way to avoid damaging scandals about Barnard Castle and Parties is to not ban driving to Barnard Castle and going to parties in the first place.

I also fear that he is going through some Bercowite metamorphis under the influence of his wife, especially on green matters.

Finally, I cannot see how anyone with a toddler and newborn, unless they have a wife with 1950s attitudes to division of family labour a d a full time nanny, can possibly be anywhere near on top of his brief in a job like Prime Minister, and so will be far too ready to accept learned advice without challenging it and exploring wider contexts.

 

[yorksrob]

It is where he has bowed to pressure from the wider establishment (who despise him anyway) instead of following his own instinct, on Covid, on Green matters and now it seems on the role of the ECJ in NI, that he has got himself into most bother. It is his weakness and insecurity in not wanting to be disliked that is hobbling him, like a character in a Greek Tragedy.

The way to avoid damaging scandals about Barnard Castle and Parties is to not ban driving to Barnard Castle and going to parties in the first place.

I also fear that he is going through some Bercowite metamorphis under the influence of his wife, especially on green matters.

Finally, I cannot see how anyone with a toddler and newborn, unless they have a wife with 1950s attitudes to division of family labour a d a full time nanny, can possibly be anywhere near on top of his brief in a job like Prime Minister, and so will be far too ready to accept learned advice without challenging it and exploring wider contexts.

Fundamentally to my mind, he is right to advance a green agenda.

One can argue the pro's and con's of the Northern Ireland situation, but someone had to give somewhere.

We need to return to entente cordiale with Europe and we'll see how well he done with that.

 

[eastdyke]

Other 'media' outlets are quoting the Mail story.

The BBC is also saying this:

In his letter, Lord Frost, who attended cabinet, said his resignation would take "immediate effect" and spoke of his belief the UK needed to "learn to live with Covid".
He added that measures to reopen the economy in July "did not prove to be irreversible" - adding: "I hope we can get back on track soon and not be tempted by the kind of coercive measures we have seen elsewhere."
Responding to Lord Frost, Mr Johnson said he should be "immensely proud of your historic service to this government and this country".

Lord Frost resigns as Brexit minister

He says he hopes Boris Johnson will not be tempted by "coercive measures" to tackle Covid.

www.bbc.co.uk

I do wonder if the story was leaked or 'given' to the Mail now to pre-empt possible further restrictions on the people of this country in the name of 'Omicron'.
I am still looking at Gauteng where the case rate is falling away. Will post my evaluation of the numbers when complete.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Other 'media' outlets are quoting the Mail story.

The BBC is also saying this:

Lord Frost resigns as Brexit minister

He says he hopes Boris Johnson will not be tempted by "coercive measures" to tackle Covid.

www.bbc.co.uk

I do wonder if the story was leaked or 'given' to the Mail now to pre-empt possible further restrictions on the people of this country in the name of 'Omicron'.
I am still looking at Gauteng where the case rate is falling away. Will post my evaluation of the numbers when complete.

Whilst I have no doubt Frost doesn't like the Covid "strategy" I suspect he has realised he cannot get have his Brexit cake and eat it. A convenient way out perhaps?

 

[bramling]

I must admit, I agree with you on a lot of things.

This is not one of them. Johnson has his flaws as an individual, but the real problems have been caused by the wider establishment

I think there were balls ups, particularly the release of people's with COVID into care homes (something other countries have experienced as well)


Fundamentally I believe that he believes in imposing the least restrictions that he believes necessary. And that bar seems to be a lot higher than most of the opposition.

I used to give Johnson the benefit of the doubt, and at one point would have defended him. But over time I’ve come to appreciate that many of the criticisms levelled at him are, unfortunately, absolutely correct.

It may well be the cases that, at times, it works for you and I that Boris’s instinct does seem to be less keen to jump to restrictions than others, but the flip side of the coin is that - nonetheless - we’ve always ended up with them in the end, and the implementation has been somewhere between Peppa Pig’s ear, bull in a China shop and complete shambles. It’s beyond disgusting, for example, that people with disabilities have been made to feel uncomfortable in shops for much of the last 18 months.

But what does it for me most of all with Johnson is the constant lies, and as if that’s not bad enough the way that it doesn’t even seem to bother him when he does it. That crosses a line, and being absolutely honest I feel scammed by him. Evidently the people of North Shropshire felt similar.

I don’t have a solution to all this, the alternative Conservative leaders are all a bunch of deplorables, and Labour are if anything worse. But at the same time Johnson really has to go.

Whilst I have no doubt Frost doesn't like the Covid "strategy" I suspect he has realised he cannot get have his Brexit cake and eat it. A convenient way out perhaps?

That question will perhaps be answered if there’s a drip-drip-drip of further resignations over the next few weeks. If it’s just Frost then it maybe to do with Brexit, but if we see more then it will be jumping off the sinking ship.

 

[21C101]

I used to give Johnson the benefit of the doubt, and at one point would have defended him. But over time I’ve come to appreciate that many of the criticisms levelled at him are, unfortunately, absolutely correct.

It may well be the cases that, at times, it works for you and I that Boris’s instinct does seem to be less keen to jump to restrictions than others, but the flip side of the coin is that - nonetheless - we’ve always ended up with them in the end, and the implementation has been somewhere between Peppa Pig’s ear, bull in a China shop and complete shambles. It’s beyond disgusting, for example, that people with disabilities have been made to feel uncomfortable in shops for much of the last 18 months.

But what does it for me most of all with Johnson is the constant lies, and as if that’s not bad enough the way that it doesn’t even seem to bother him when he does it. That crosses a line, and being absolutely honest I feel scammed by him. Evidently the people of North Shropshire felt similar.

I don’t have a solution to all this, the alternative Conservative leaders are all a bunch of deplorables, and Labour are if anything worse. But at the same time Johnson really has to go.

My guess is that, unless he decides he has had enough and wants to spend more time with his family make some serious cash, he will be ok for a while for two reasons:

1) Labours abysmal performance in both recent byelections (the likes of the North Shropshire electorate can be expected to revert to Tory at a GE when keeping the Lib means it is more likely that Starmer and Sturgeon will rule the country.

2) The failure of the Reform Party to obtain a significant number of votes in either byelection (which would really have put the wind up backbenchers).

 

[yorksrob]

I used to give Johnson the benefit of the doubt, and at one point would have defended him. But over time I’ve come to appreciate that many of the criticisms levelled at him are, unfortunately, absolutely correct.

It may well be the cases that, at times, it works for you and I that Boris’s instinct does seem to be less keen to jump to restrictions than others, but the flip side of the coin is that - nonetheless - we’ve always ended up with them in the end, and the implementation has been somewhere between Peppa Pig’s ear, bull in a China shop and complete shambles. It’s beyond disgusting, for example, that people with disabilities have been made to feel uncomfortable in shops for much of the last 18 months.

But what does it for me most of all with Johnson is the constant lies, and as if that’s not bad enough the way that it doesn’t even seem to bother him when he does it. That crosses a line, and being absolutely honest I feel scammed by him. Evidently the people of North Shropshire felt similar.

I don’t have a solution to all this, the alternative Conservative leaders are all a bunch of deplorables, and Labour are if anything worse. But at the same time Johnson really has to go.



That question will perhaps be answered if there’s a drip-drip-drip of further resignations over the next few weeks. If it’s just Frost then it maybe to do with Brexit, but if we see more then it will be jumping off the sinking ship.

True, but find someone else who wouldn't have had similar failings

OK, we might have had more upright people who would have been able more easily to put us into lockdown. Not good in my opinion.

Whatever Johnson's faults, he's had an anti restriction view (in comparison to the others) and that has been demonstrated to have been the correct policy.

 

[bramling]

My guess is that, unless he decides he has had enough and wants to spend more time with his family make some serious cash, he will be ok for a while for two reasons:

1) Labours abysmal performance in both recent byelections (the likes of the North Shropshire electorate can be expected to revert to Tory at a GE when keeping the Lib means it is more likely that Starmer and Sturgeon will rule the country.

2) The failure of the Reform Party to obtain a significant number of votes in either byelection (which would really have put the wind up backbenchers).

Completely agree on both, indeed the other story from Thursday (which has tended to be overlooked) is Labour’s poor showing, and I don’t think that can be entirely attributed to tactical voting.

One thing which is potentially terminal for Johnson is his own majority in Uxbridge, which in the current climate can be regarded as wafer-thin, and recent history has shown that prominent figures are by no means immune from losing their seat. This is one further factor which the party will be very aware of. It wouldn’t need anything like the swing seen in N Shropshire for Johnson to lose Uxbridge.

I’ll make a prediction that Conservative leadership will be a salient issue in January. I’d be surprised if murmurings don’t start up again straight after new year. How far they go will depend on a number of things, but any more own-goal gaffes and he’s toast.

 

[Busaholic]

I assume (and hope) that is why he is staying on until January.

'End of this month'. Can't imagine there'll be any more talks prior to New Year.

 

[johnnychips]

Masks in shops and on buses and trains, increased international travel restrictions have totally failed to stop the virus from spreading. People at the moment are not afraid of catching Covid per se but rather that it will compromise their Xmas plans if they get it - even if they are asymptomatic or get a bit of a sore throat, and then have to spend ten days self-isolating.

 

[Bikeman78]

What are these obvious benefits? I was told from the outset that I was at extremely low risk from the virus, and here I am nearly two years later having not had symptomatic covid yet. Meanwhile I know a lot of people who are vaccinated and have had symptomatic covid. Now it turns out that two doses isn’t enough and we need three. At the same time natural immunity, whilst marginally more risky to acquire, appears to offer longer lasting and more rounded (in regard to variants) immunity. So it isn’t actually black and white is it? People can reach different conclusions, it doesn’t make them idiots however.

ICUs aren’t full of the unvaccinated either incidentally, but we’ve been through this before.

The bulk of people in hospital are over 80, as has always been the case.

I was out and about riding trains as soon as the first lockdown was lifted. Never had covid to my knowledge. Conversely I know of cautious people that have had it. If omicron is as bad as the experts say then restrictions are pretty much urinating in the wind.

 

[bramling]

Masks in shops and on buses and trains, increased international travel restrictions have totally failed to stop the virus from spreading. People at the moment are not afraid of catching Covid per se but rather that it will prevent their Xmas plans if they get it - even if they are asymptomatic or get a bit of a sore throat, and have to spend ten days self-isolating.

I’m not sure that many people are bothered about the prospect of having to self-isolate. Most people are very aware that concept exists in Peppa Pig World only, and that in practice no one enforces isolation. It may well be the case that many are bothered about passing on to elderly relatives though, which is very reasonable.

True, but find someone else who wouldn't have had similar failings

OK, we might have had more upright people who would have been able more easily to put us into lockdown. Not good in my opinion.

Whatever Johnson's faults, he's had an anti restriction view (in comparison to the others) and that has been demonstrated to have been the correct policy.

You see, what I see is that what seems to have tipped us int restrictions each time has actually been that peer countries have done it. I have a strong suspicion that was the main reason we ended up with the very first lockdown, simply we were increasingly the outlier. It doesn’t look like very long before we find ourselves there again.

I don’t think you can viably say that other people have the same failings as Johnson though. As I said the other day, Blair may have done some dodgy stuff over Iraq, but I feel whatever the rights or wrongs of it he did genuinely believe he was doing the right thing, or at least for the right reasons. Now it’s not often I defend Tony Blair!

It is quite indicative of what a screwed-up world we’re in at the moment that we have Labour voters defending Johnson, and Conservative voters tearing him to shreds! It’s rather ironic that the most uniting politicians at the moment seem to be the likes of Steve Baker.

 

[johnnychips]

I’m not sure that many people are bothered about the prospect of having to self-isolate. Most people are very aware that concept exists in Peppa Pig World only, and that in practice no one enforces isolation. It may well be the case that many are bothered about passing on to elderly relatives though, which is very reasonable.

True. My Auntie Vera, 83, whom I haven’t seen for two years said ‘ don’t bother taking a test before you come to visit me, I might be dead next year.‘ She also said ‘don’t come on Thursday morning, that’s when my Keep Fit class is‘. I think we need to give ‘vulnerable’ people a bit more respect, and listen to what they want.

 

[Berliner]

Masks in shops and on buses and trains, increased international travel restrictions have totally failed to stop the virus from spreading. People at the moment are not afraid of catching Covid per se but rather that it will compromise their Xmas plans if they get it - even if they are asymptomatic or get a bit of a sore throat, and then have to spend ten days self-isolating.

This is how I and almost all of my circle feel. The virus itself, at least these days, when almost all of us are triple vaxxed, is not the worry, more that we have to isolate or follow some other silly rule to stop a virus that is getting 90k cases a day.....from spreading to one or two more people...who are almost certainly fully vaxxed, have had it or will have at most very mild symptoms.

 

[HST274]

EXCLUSIVE: Brexit minister Lord Frost walks out on Boris

MAIL ON SUNDAY EXCLUSIVE: Cabinet Minister Lord Frost has sensationally resigned from Boris Johnson's Government, The Mail on Sunday can exclusively reveal.

www.dailymail.co.uk

mmm ..... but was 'persuaded' to stay until January .......

Part quote:

Sorry if this has been shared, but an interesting tweet here:
This is from the twitter of Sky political correspondent Sam Coates showing leaked whatsapp chats with around a 100 (I think) tory mps. I hope I went about this sharing thing the right way. Also cannot obviously verify this, but I just found it on twitter.

EXC - big row in a Tory Whatsapp “Clean Global Brexit” group with over 100 MPs It leads leads to removal of Nadine Dorries after she defending the PM … and then Steve Baker declaring “enough is enough” Exchanges here:

 

[Class 33]

Mark Dolan from GBNews has his say on this proposed "circuit breaker" lockdown....

Mark Dolan: Don’t let them cancel Christmas, New Year or the rest of our lives

This isn’t living. It’s existing.

www.gbnews.uk

The government are drawing up proposals to roll out so-called Plan C measures after Christmas; this according to The Times newspaper.

Measures would include pubs and restaurants being limited to outdoor drinking and dining – good luck with that in January – no social mixing indoors and a rule of six for outdoor gatherings.

Happy New Year everyone.

Where do we start with this? It's been almost two years folks. We socially distanced, we masked our faces, the vast majority had the vaccines, myself included, people gave up their jobs or businesses, our kids gave up their education, we relinquished our liberties, we worked out to Joe Wicks, we baked banana bread, we drank wine on Zoom and we protected the NHS.

And yet, here we go again, the same old script. Lockdowns, masks, work from home orders, arrows in supermarkets and the new fresh hell of Covid vaccine passports, which links your health status to certain services and freedoms.

As we enter 2022, we can't sign up for another year, two years five years, ten years of this. Never before, has a single disease, one non-fatal to the vast majority and for which a third of people have been told to pretend they've got, ever shaped a society and it's wider public policy. Just on the money alone, we haven't borrowed on this scale since German bombs rained over London. And I don’t think the national threat is remotely comparable.

We've never stopped the world for a disease before, and yet further ruinous measures beckon for the Omicron variant, which appears to be on a par with a bad cold. This according to the medic who discovered it and Tim Spector from the respected Zoe Covid data app.

In any difficult winter season two to three hundred people can very sadly die a day from colds and flu. So why, having always accepted that, have the rules suddenly changed? The latest YouGov polling suggests for the first time that a majority of the public are against further measures.

It's clear that the British people are starting to have enough and I’m clear WE need to shape the narrative in the New Year, not our leaders. Because if we leave the government and doomsday scientists in charge, which has smashed our economy and society, brought about unspeakable and unquantifiable human damage and a colossal non-Covid death toll, none of this will end.

I fear that policymakers around the world want to change society forever and they see this as their opportunity. And it's only us the people, that can say no. And I think the tide is turning.

The big day, the 25th of December, is a week away. Don't let them cancel Christmas, don't let them cancel New Year. And don't let them cancel the rest of our lives. We're only here once, very briefly.

Right now, this isn't living, it's existing. And life, without the freedom to lead it as we see fit, isn't worth living at all.