Current Affairs

[Ray Scully]

I doubt he will - Johnsons government is built entirely on incompetence, dishonesty and nepotism.

And still managed a hefty majority in the last election.

So does this mean that the great British public want government built on incompetence, dishonesty and nepotism?

[Manoverboard]

.... and getting results

[screwy]

Yet more Government hypocrisy. One rule for them and one for the rest of us. But that's all it is. I guess that the only person who can sack Hancock is the PM and he's hardly in a position to sack someone for having an affair is he?
The people I would sack are the security firm who allowed these CCTV images to be used and Gina's optician.

The picture was ‘Allegedly’ supplied from a cctv inside Hancock’s office !
Security working inside Whitehall will have to have signed the Official Secrets Act.
The biggest crime here is not an affair but the releasing of the picture. Although I’m sure aggrieved spouses aren’t happy.

[oldbluefox]

They obviously trusted Boris more than the others on offer even in traditional Labour seats.

[Ray Scully]

They obviously trusted Boris more than the others on offer even in traditional Labour seats.

Well we will just have to see if that trust was justified. If he comes up with his promise to 'level up' in the north, most including me will applaud this.

[towny44]

I doubt he will - Johnsons government is built entirely on incompetence, dishonesty and nepotism.

And still managed a hefty majority in the last election.

So does this mean that the great British public want government built on incompetence, dishonesty and nepotism?

No the GBP want realism from their politicians not the pie in the sky expenditure than labour would apply, nor the holier than thou attitude that they spout.

[towny44]

They obviously trusted Boris more than the others on offer even in traditional Labour seats.

Well we will just have to see if that trust was justified. If he comes up with his promise to 'level up' in the north, most including me will applaud this.

I will hold you to that Ray.

[Onelife]

My opinion is that those who carry high profile jobs and then embark on adulterous affairs often have to show favour in order to keep them quiet.
He should follow the same advice he gave Neil Furguson and resign.

[Manoverboard]

PM accepts Hancock's apology ( for not sexually socially distancing during his encounters with the Gina sort ) and considers the matter closed ... and so say most of us

[Ray Scully]

PM accepts Hancock's apology ( for not sexually socially distancing during his encounters with the Gina sort ) and considers the matter closed ... and so say most of us

Yeeer good on him, if you have power and privilege use it to satisfy your desires. his boss does it, why should he be concerned with what the plebs think. many wont give a toss anyway

[Kendhni]

I doubt he will - Johnsons government is built entirely on incompetence, dishonesty and nepotism.

And still managed a hefty majority in the last election.

So does this mean that the great British public want government built on incompetence, dishonesty and nepotism?

I think they meant that the majority (all 44% of them) are willing to turn a blind eye to incompetence, dishonesty and nepotism.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Out of 650 MPs I wonder how many have never had an affair? And of those who did I wonder how many ended it to respect lockdown?

Answers on a postcard please.

[david63]

Answers on a postcard please.

Probably get the on the back of a postage stamp

[towny44]

Out of 650 MPs I wonder how many have never had an affair? And of those who did I wonder how many ended it to respect lockdown?

Answers on a postcard please.

Back of a postage stamp more likely, although I think maybe Annelise Dodds might struggle to find a bit on the side.
You beat me to it David.

[Gill W]

I agree .... there is nothing out there for a Government Minister to resign over

His comments about Prof Neil Ferguson’s affair?

One doesn't resign over tittle tattle nor matters of the loin heart

It's not tittle tattle - he's caught on camera with his tongue down her throat and his hand on her a*se.

[Gill W]

don`t result in one person giving another person an high profile. well paid job

I wouldn't say that £15,000 a year is a high paid job

It's not bad for 15 to 20 days work a year

[Ray Scully]

Out of 650 MPs I wonder how many have never had an affair? And of those who did I wonder how many ended it to respect lockdown?

Answers on a postcard please.

Back of a postage stamp more likely, although I think maybe Annelise Dodds might struggle to find a bit on the side.
You beat me to it David.

What a shallow comment

[screwy]

It is, but he’s right though.

[Gill W]

Where to start with todays events.

The whiff of cronyism - Gina Coladangelo is 'an old friend' from Hancock's university days

She's employed as an aide funded by the tax payer and he's the health minister in the middle of global pandemic yet they are snogging and groping in the middle of the working day in a government office.

The hypocrisy - Hancock was fully involved with setting up the rules, yet he flouts all social distancing guidelines. Last year he said it was right for Neil Ferguson to resign when caught visiting a lover, yet here were are, Hancock refuses to do the right thing and resign.

Not to mention the humiliation that Hancock has heaped on his wife and children.

It is VERY low behaviour and anybody who can't bring themselves to say Hancock has behaved abysmally and should resign should really have a close look at themselves in the mirror and ask themselves where they put their moral compass. If anybody is trying to brush it aside if it doesn't matter, then you are so far down the rabbit hole that you and your moral compass is completely lost.

[Stephen]

His comments about Prof Neil Ferguson’s affair?

One doesn't resign over tittle tattle nor matters of the loin heart

It's not tittle tattle - he's caught on camera with his tongue down her throat and his hand on her a*se.

Nice work if you can get it

[Ray Scully]

It is, but he’s right though.

You think so Screwy Born in Aberdeen and privately educated at Robert Gordon's College, Dodds read Philosophy, Politics and Economics as an undergraduate at St Hilda's College, Oxford and subsequently took a master's degree in Social Policy at the University of Edinburgh and a PhD in Government at the London School of Economics. She lectured in Public Policy at King’s College London and Aston University.
a very smart lady methinks

[Gill W]

One problem is the use of the term ‘rate’. I would have expected the ‘rate’ to have been higher in the early days when you were only allowed access to a test if you were symptomatic.
I’m a bit disillusioned with the data that we often see in the media e.g. graphs without clear axes useless at best and shocking if deliberate.
btw, I am not disagreeing with the posts above.

In your initial example the percentage of positive tests to the the total number would have been quite high, currently it is very low because the vast majority of those now being tested are negative. Which supports the old adage of lies, damn lies and statistics.
I wonder what the ONS data says at present I perhaps ought to be able to quickly obtain this, but life (or at least what's left of mine) is far too short for me to bother but I guess Gill or Ken will know.

Well, it took me 30 seconds to find this link to last week's ONS report

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulation ... lot/latest

They report weekly, each Friday, so there's another one due tomorrow.

On the last report they estimated that 1 in 520 people would test positive in England, If we set that as our benchmark, we can see what happens tomorrow, and track it each week

Just for Towny

Today's ONS report puts the figure at 1 in 440 people in England had Coronavirus as at 19th June

[screwy]

It is, but he’s right though.

You think so Screwy Born in Aberdeen and privately educated at Robert Gordon's College, Dodds read Philosophy, Politics and Economics as an undergraduate at St Hilda's College, Oxford and subsequently took a master's degree in Social Policy at the University of Edinburgh and a PhD in Government at the London School of Economics. She lectured in Public Policy at King’s College London and Aston University.
a very smart lady methinks

Don’t doubt it for a minute, but she ain’t going to win a beauty contest,think that’s what Towny was getting at.However she could get a contract to model Gargoyles.

[Gill W]

It is, but he’s right though.

You think so Screwy Born in Aberdeen and privately educated at Robert Gordon's College, Dodds read Philosophy, Politics and Economics as an undergraduate at St Hilda's College, Oxford and subsequently took a master's degree in Social Policy at the University of Edinburgh and a PhD in Government at the London School of Economics. She lectured in Public Policy at King’s College London and Aston University.
a very smart lady methinks

Don’t doubt it for a minute, but she ain’t going to win a beauty contest,think that’s what Towny was getting at.However she could get a contract to model Gargoyles.

Why is it only women you make disparaging remarks about their looks.

There's any number of physically repulsive male MP's - why not slate their looks for a change?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Thank you as ever Gill for your character analysis of anyone who dares to disagree with your opinion of Matt Hancock.

I will not offer any opinion on him. I will however express what is for me a greater concern. Government offices are supposed to be a safe and secure space. That anyone is willing and able to obtain and leak photos from within for the purpose of making political capital appalls me and should be urgently investigated by the security services. If they'll do that what else will they do? One day Labour may occupy those offices. That should concern them mightily more than a cheap shot now.