Current Affairs

[towny44]

I am not sure that Ken's hypothesis is necessarily correct, some economists believe that we can grow ourselves out of the debt mountain, especially if there some help from inflation.
However his constant sniping at the older generation on here as spendthrift wasters, who blame the younger generation for everything is becoming tiresome. Although if he remains true to form I imagine he will deny ever have said that.

[Kendhni]

@Kendhni

This borrowing is for the benefit of society as a whole. Blaming the old for it is a strange way of looking at things.

That is a good point, and one I have been contemplating on, how much is for the borrowing is actually for the benefit of those that have borrowed versus those who are likely to have to pay for it. I still err on the side that our generations have spent way beyond our means or our deserved share of the bill.

The debt continued to mount because the last Labour government left the revenue account heavily in the red so the capital continued to be eroded. Had the austerity you consider pretend been sufficiently harsh to balance the revenue account overnight it would have made your eyes water. Think the nautical analogy of a supertanker. If the previous incompetent captain has been racing at full speed many miles will have been covered before the replacement cautious captain brings it to a halt.

While I agree to a certain extent, I don't believe the levels of debt come anywhere near covering the amount of borrowing that has been made since. Based on the Tories statement of the cost of interest, and assuming our GDP was zero so all repayments came from borrowing, then that would account for less than 10% of borrowing that the government made in the last 10 years.

I will treat rest of the comments with the contempt they deserve - sniping is all I expect from them, especially when they show they haven't even bothered to try to comprehend and have just made up something for their post.

[oldbluefox]

Let's enjoy some good news instead.

There has been a sustained drop in coronavirus cases in the UK which has not happened without a national lockdown for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57964498

GB has won three gold medals and a silver in Tokyo. Great performances from the team out there and congratulations to all the medal winners. Good news to wake up to this morning.

[Kendhni]

The football tournament a few weeks back was always going to cause a blip. It will be interesting to see where this bottoms out and then its true trajectory. Hopefully it is much lower .. hopefully even downward.

[Quizzical Bob]

The drop in reported infections is very welcome but my suspicions fall on the tests that were being done on children at school and have now ceased. Too early to form any conclusions but the surging figures that were being reported did nothing to help Britain either domestically or internationally.

[Mervyn and Trish]

There's a report on the BBC where experts say the reduced number of tests may be a factor but they don't believe it's the whole answer. They're also sceptical about the football factor because Scotland exitted the Euros earlier and their figures started to fall earlier but the trend has continued. They suggest the recent good weather may have helped with us spending more time outdoors. Whatever the reason it's good news as you say

[Onelife]

I think the reduction in infections is as Gill has suggested in post 11463…we will now only have a sence of where herd immunity is going by hospital admissions.

Come back soon Gill they I’m missing you already

[Esprit]

I wonder if the cases are down as the kids are no longer adding lemon juice when performing a test to get a positive result! A very common practice I gather

[Stephen]

Are some members on here getting just a bit obsessed with data and figures on here. It is what it is and the government decide what course of action is needed as and when.

Tin hat now on waiting for any back lash

[Mervyn and Trish]

I think the reduction in infections is as Gill has suggested in post 11463…we will now only have a sence of where herd immunity is going by hospital admissions.

Come back soon Gill they I’m missing you already

Gill is entitled to that view, and may be right in part. However if you read the BBC report you will see that the actual experts don't think what she suggests is the whole picture. I prefer to stick to the experts, who have access to far more detailed data than us, rather than Twitter.

But whatever it is good news.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Are some members on here getting just a bit obsessed with data and figures on here. It is what it is and the government decide what course of action is needed as and when.

Tin hat now on waiting for any back lash

Agreed. I'll pass your hat.

[towny44]

The unfortunate thing is Stephen that the govt scientists rely on the data to determine what they think will happen in the future, so the accuracy and completeness of the data is quite important.
I too admit to being a little confused, unless my understanding of Ferguson on Andrew Marrs show was correct, and we are now getting to the stage of achieving herd immunity and that is why the spread of infections is declining.

[Mervyn and Trish]

The unfortunate thing is Stephen that the govt scientists rely on the data to determine what they think will happen in the future, so the accuracy and completeness of the data is quite important.
I too admit to being a little confused, unless my understanding of Ferguson on Andrew Marrs show was correct, and we are now getting to the stage of achieving herd immunity and that is why the spread of infections is declining.

That has to be a possibility with the number who've had at least one jab, and many of those having had two, plus those with immunity acquired by having it. It's always been said the number of the last is much higher than we know because of asymptomatic cases. But I'll let the experts sort it. It's what they do for a living and they're dripping with degrees and doctorates etc.

[Onelife]

Gill is entitled to that view, and may be right in part. However if you read the BBC report you will see that the actual experts don't think what she suggests is the whole picture. I prefer to stick to the experts, who have access to far more detailed data than us, rather than Twitter.

But whatever it is good news.

I think to understand the whole picture you just need to apply a bit of common sence. The indiscriminate ‘ping-pings’ are being ignored in their thousands and because of this the infection statistics have no value other than promoting the feel-good factor.
The decision has been made to get jabbed or get infected therefore the only reliable statistical analysis is what goes in and out of hospital… whether that be through the front or the back door. Imo.

[Manoverboard]

Meanwhile we'll just hang on in there being sensible

[david63]

My daily confusion

This morning Kier Starmer was saying that Labour would support the use of Covid passports

Labour leader Keir Starmer has suggested he could support the use of Covid passports for mass events - but not to access healthcare, dentistry or food.

Now Angela Rayner is saying that they are unworkable

Labour thinks the government's plans for vaccine passports are "unworkable", Rayner says.

Could someone try to interpret that messaging for me please - do they or don't they? Probably a more important question is whether they actually talk to one another!

(https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-57967637)

[david63]

he infection statistics have no value other than promoting the feel-good factor.
The decision has been made to get jabbed or get infected therefore the only reliable statistical analysis is what goes in and out of hospital

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't that what I have been saying for weeks?

[Manoverboard]

The Cases of Hospitalisation with intensive care are rising significantly in Northern Ireland but that cannot be football at Wembley Stadium related surely ?

[Onelife]

he infection statistics have no value other than promoting the feel-good factor.
The decision has been made to get jabbed or get infected therefore the only reliable statistical analysis is what goes in and out of hospital

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't that what I have been saying for weeks?

I'm saying nothing....

[Stephen]

Are some members on here getting just a bit obsessed with data and figures on here. It is what it is and the government decide what course of action is needed as and when.

Tin hat now on waiting for any back lash

Agreed. I'll pass your hat.

Thanks Merv, some bu99ers been using it for target practice

[Onelife]

I’m going to have to get my eyes tested…I was aiming for your ar*e

[Stephen]

I’m going to have to get my eyes tested…I was aiming for your ar*e

Why am I not surprised

[towny44]

There was an interesting comment from a York hospital doctor on tonight's local news, more than 90% of current covid hospitalizations are of people who have had no vaccination at all. I hope the anti vaxxers take note.

[Onelife]

Other than those who have medical conditions the rest of them should be required to fill in a questionnaire before treatment….

Question one…Why were you so stupid?

[Mervyn and Trish]

There was an interesting comment from a York hospital doctor on tonight's local news, more than 90% of current covid hospitalizations are of people who have had no vaccination at all. I hope the anti vaxxers take note.

Unlikely I reckon. Their level of stupidity defies all logic.