Current Affairs

[david63]

So it looks as if the media are running the Government once again by saying that the 21st June "unlocking" will be put back by a month. I am not saying that I disagree with that - just that I disagree with the media creating the news and not reporting it

[barney]

I don't think they'll be gallivanting off anywhere outside the ring of steel anyway and nobody will be going in unless they have been security checked to within an inch of their life.

As you can imagine, our local news is giving it huge coverage and they seem to be desperately trying to find locals to moan about it and the restrictions.
Virtually everyone has said that it’s brilliant that that it’s showing the area off in a good light.
They have been interviewing people sitting in their cars while waiting to go through road blocks hoping they will complain about it but all seem fine. It’s for a couple of days.
The media do seem to be trying to drive the agenda.

On the media, why does BBC need to fly American Correspondent Jon Sopel back to the U.K. to stand in Tregenna Castle telling us what Kuensberg has already told us.
Total waste of money.

[Bensham33]

They interviewed a Cornwall hotel owner on the wireless yesterday and she was saying that CNN had booked every room in her hotel and up until yesterday lunch time no one had turned up. She said that staff had been sent home because there was no dirty rooms to clean, no drinks to serve in the bar and nobody eating in the restaurant. She had every right to moan.

[Manoverboard]

No shows are a real pain and apart from the financial loss to the Hotel owner are preventing others taking their booked rooms. Pure selfishness

[oldbluefox]

Restaurant friends of mine tell me it's not unusual that some people book places at three or four places and decide on the night which one they will be going to. As Mob says it's pure selfishness and for that reason many restaurants and hotels are now charging a booking fee refunded when you turn up. What makes people think it's a sensible way to behave especially after the hard times the hospitality industry have had to endure.

[Stephen]

They interviewed a Cornwall hotel owner on the wireless yesterday and she was saying that CNN had booked every room in her hotel and up until yesterday lunch time no one had turned up. She said that staff had been sent home because there was no dirty rooms to clean, no drinks to serve in the bar and nobody eating in the restaurant. She had every right to moan.

Name and shame them.

[Mervyn and Trish]

So it looks as if the media are running the Government once again by saying that the 21st June "unlocking" will be put back by a month. I am not saying that I disagree with that - just that I disagree with the media creating the news and not reporting it

I don't see it as "put back". It was always stated as June 21st at the earliest. 19th July would fit that!

[Ray B]

They interviewed a Cornwall hotel owner on the wireless yesterday and she was saying that CNN had booked every room in her hotel and up until yesterday lunch time no one had turned up. She said that staff had been sent home because there was no dirty rooms to clean, no drinks to serve in the bar and nobody eating in the restaurant. She had every right to moan.

I can not think of a hotel I have booked that did not want a credit card against the booking and it is hotels of The Russell, Radisson plus cheaper hotels.
What hotel takes a booking with no security against it.?
And on another subject based on how the Delta Variant is spreading, another month seems like the best way to go.

[Stephen]

I had the same thought but then having re-read the post I thought maybe CNN had paid for the hotel rooms but the owner was complaining about loss of revenue through no guests being there paying for food and drinks. After all that is where the real profit is.

[barney]

I had the same thought but then having re-read the post I thought maybe CNN had paid for the hotel rooms but the owner was complaining about loss of revenue through no guests being there paying for food and drinks. After all that is where the real profit is.

That’s exactly right Stephen.
Full capacity but no spend won’t make money.

[Kendhni]

So it looks as if the media are running the Government once again by saying that the 21st June "unlocking" will be put back by a month. I am not saying that I disagree with that - just that I disagree with the media creating the news and not reporting it

This isn't really unusual for Johnson's style of government. He has a habit of leaking things to try to ascertain opinion and then make policy on-the-fly based on public reaction (or more accurately what the 'yes men' he has surrounded himself with tell him).

[screwy]

Strictly your opinion of course.

[david63]

The problem with the media is that they have been building everyone up for "Freedom Day" and now they are the harbingers of doom

[towny44]

So it looks as if the media are running the Government once again by saying that the 21st June "unlocking" will be put back by a month. I am not saying that I disagree with that - just that I disagree with the media creating the news and not reporting it

This isn't really unusual for Johnson's style of government. He has a habit of leaking things to try to ascertain opinion and then make policy on-the-fly based on public reaction (or more accurately what the 'yes men' he has surrounded himself with tell him).

Others might see this as a sensible way of ascertaining public reaction, in order to assess its acceptability before implementation, rather than the high handed approach that left wing authoritarian regimes would use.

[Stephen]

I’m all in favour of not lifting the so called lockdown for another four weeks……or longer.

[Ray B]

The problem with the media is that they have been building everyone up for "Freedom Day" and now they are the harbingers of doom

The thing with the media is, they put out a story which may be made up in the hope of getting a reaction from the the department correcting them.
The trouble is what ever they print first is what will be remembered and put about.

[Kendhni]

The problem with the media is that they have been building everyone up for "Freedom Day" and now they are the harbingers of doom

A case of plan for the worst and hope for the best.
In this instance it looks like the planning was more important than the hoping - especially with some of the virus related news coming out of China over the weekend.

[screwy]

11000 positive tests and 19 deaths .

[Ray Scully]

Did anyone catch Newsnight last night and the discussions around the Amersham by-election? What I found annoying was when referring to changes in voting policy and the 'red and blue walls', reference was made on a number of occasions of the likelihood of the the less educated older northern voter now supporting the Conservative.

[Manoverboard]

The Amersham result was due to a turnout of 43% rather than a re-emergence of the Libs.

[screwy]

Anyone else thought Ed Daveys knocking down a ‘Blue wall’ was rather childish and pathetic.?

[Jan Rosser]

Anyone else thought Ed Daveys knocking down a ‘Blue wall’ was rather childish and pathetic.?

Yes I did - silly man

[david63]

... and a fair degree of hypocrisy over HS2 - locally the Lib Dems were opposed to it but nationally they are in favour of it!

[oldbluefox]

Anyone else thought Ed Daveys knocking down a ‘Blue wall’ was rather childish and pathetic.?

Leader of the Liberal Deludeds. Were they not preparing to form the next government under Jo Swinson who famously went on to lose her seat?
The Amersham result was a consequence of HS2 and housing policy which the LibDems exploited.

[david63]

Am I missing something as usual?

The EU took AstraZeneca to court over a dispute of 300 million doses of Covid vaccine (that they claim that they are not using). The EU, or to be precise Ursula von der Leyen, claim a victory at being awarded 80 million doses, by September, of which they have already received 70 million