United Kingdom VII: Taking Pride in Your Success

[Neon Ignition]

"Just over an hour till Freedom Day! Let's celebrate-don't celebrate-do celebrate by making sure-not making sure-ensuring we get the best-not best-very best new cases numbers we can!"

[QualityChimp]

Happy Freedom Day, guys!

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...abour-factions
We may actually be finally set to see some movement of a kind with Labour - Starmar is expected to support a purge within the party of the far-left elements that backed Corbyn.

I recently read the book "Politically Homeless" and one of the things the author says is there's no point having these ideologies if you're not actually going to get into power. He didn't think Corbyn had the voter power to ever get in (he was right).

This got me thinking that I think this methodology is what permeates the Conservative Party. Get in and stay in, no matter what.

So how should Labour progress, should they appeal to the every man, or should they stay where they are, hoping the Tories will continue doing so many u-turns it makes them dizzy?

[teddymeow]

I've decided to WFH today.

Had an email from school late Friday evening saying somebody in the Year 1 & 2 bubble had done a positive LF and needed a PCR to confirm so eldest is having to self isolate until that result comes back.

The cynical part of me wonders if the person concerned did this to get out of the last week of term...

So, yeah, today I feel sad, worried, depressed, concerned, scared, angry and probably a few more emotions I can't comprehend.

The absolute sham of a government in lifting all restrictions while cases rise shows their contempt for the public (including those that voted for them) and how much they value business and lining their pockets over anything else.

**** the Tories, **** them.

[Neon Ignition]

So how should Labour progress, should they appeal to the every man, or should they stay where they are, hoping the Tories will continue doing so many u-turns it makes them dizzy?

I honestly think Labour first needs to switch to being on the offensive. There's so much awfulness going on and Labour is like a void of reason or argument against any of it. It needs to recognise that people largely vote Tory for selfish reasons and they need to call out the Government on all its corruption, broken promises and lies to erode public faith enough to present themselves as an alternative with a 'but we'll actually deliver on this for you' platform. Ultimately, we're at a point were it's clear most voters couldn't care less about lofty ideals etc.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/jul/19/uk-covid-live-news-england-lifts-most-remaining-restrictions-as-poll-suggests-many-voters-see-it-as-wrong?page=with:block-60f52a9f8f085dcd6b592386#block-60f52a9f8f085dcd6b592386

Public opinion looks to have shifted more heavily to being against Freedom Day

[fuse]

First day of 'freedom' and the press is already tripping over itself to give CEOs article space to moan about their employees being told to self-isolate. I hate this place.

[Golgo]

I know they're within their rights 'n all, but all these images across media of clubbing wankers out clubbing from 12:00 has royally gripped my **** for the week ahead.

[cutmymilk]

Why? Like you said, clubs are open. There are 19 year olds who never went out once when they were 18.

[Neon Ignition]

They should enjoy themselves... whilst they still can

[Neon Ignition]

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

It was a hot Sunday to be fair but first dose vaccination numbers fell to just 18,000 yesterday. Cases, deaths and hospitalisations are now all rising at a rough 40% increase pace though hospitalisations haven't been updated in a week nearly

[MartyG]

It's usually lower on a Monday as less tests are done on the Sunday.

[wheelaa]

There's also

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/whats-new#uk_newly_reported_1st_dose_vaccinations_affected_by_reduction_in_northern_ireland_total

"UK newly reported 1st dose vaccinations affected by reduction in Northern Ireland total

The total number of 1st dose vaccinations reported in Northern Ireland was lower than the previous day. This means that the number of new first doses given in the UK is reduced by 16,162. The number of new first doses reported for England, Scotland and Wales combined is 34,348."

At 87.9% (adults vaccinated first dose) we must be getting near the limit of people who will have the vaccine. I'm ashamed to say I do know someone who won't get it...because he was ill with Covid at Christmas, and it definitely was not flu, even though every Covid test he took was negative and it was actually just flu, so you see he is now protected.

(Please note, 'know' above does not = friends with.)

More concerning for me is the regional variation in vac rates.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55274833

65% in London (3 or 4 day old data granted) is ****.

[MartyG]

In my region it's at 88% 1st, 72% 2nd and the infection rates are only 20% behind the largest peak (50% week-on-week increase) with deaths only very slightly lower.

Doesn't breakdown how many of the infected are vaccinated tho.

Edit - just looking where my brother lives it's 87% 1st and 70% 2nd and their current wave has already exceeded the peak of the last one (by about 20%) even the 7 day rolling average is higher, 18 daily deaths compared to 24 at the last peak.

[Blobcat]

I'm ashamed to say I do know someone who won't get it...because he was ill with Covid at Christmas, and it definitely was not flu, even though every Covid test he took was negative and it was actually just flu, so you see he is now protected.

I know at least one of our nurses has refused the vaccine. Originally about 5 members of staff chose not to have it (mainly over concerns about the unknown and reactions to other vaccines/ meds they have had int the past). All but one have since had it who is quite young and supersticious it will affect her fertility, at least thats what she originally said when they were first offered to us. I learned last weeks she has not had any as she worked with a dentist on a patient who was pinged the next day to be covid positive and originally had to isolate but as we were all in our PPE (not in our crazy stuff when we do drilling) daily lateral flow tests were seen as ok enough to keep working, I was working with the guy when the news came out and I heard.

Its a bit of a joke, I was already taking daily LF tests because 'someone at the practice' pinged as positive and we were asked to do this rather than be told to isolate if we were in close proximity of said person (anonymous). Actively told to have track and trace switched off at work because we are in close contact with so many people. I don't even have the app, I just fill my details the couple of times I have been asked to do so when out (literally only eaten out about 5 times since first lockdown including at service station on the way to my wedding venue).

Of course no sign of 'freedom day' at work, we were hoping at least our reception staff would be allowed to have their masks off at the desk but no sign of that stopping soon.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/19/covid-certificates-to-be-compulsory-for-crowded-venues-in-england

Irreversible!
After just one day of Freedom the Government has u-turned on crowded venues saying that COVID certificates will now be compulsory