The state of the UK

Post Reply
User avatar
Brian Peacock
Tipping cows since 1946
Posts: 38037
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:44 am
About me: Ablate me:
Location: Location: Location:
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by Brian Peacock » Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:04 pm

JimC wrote:
Fri Oct 30, 2020 7:46 pm
With the anti-semitic thing, how much of it was a by-product of the fairly standard left-wing anti-Zionist and pro Palestinian stance?
It's hard to say Jim. There's a long history of Left Zionism as well as anti-Zionism. The anti-Zionism seems more a reaction to Israel's actions against the Palestinians than a principled objection to the existence of a Jewish homeland though. Left Zionism often has had a more inclusive outlook than one might guess by the term 'Zionism' alone - and at one point there was quite a strong Left-Zionist movement who sought a right of residence in Palestine for Jewish people in cooperation with Palestinians.

The problem now for the Left is that criticism of Israel's action against Palestinians is so quickly conflated with anti-Jewish sentiment, following a string of pretty horrendous right-wing governments in Tel Aviv that have worked tirelessly to identify Judaism and Jewish heritage with Zionism - which also now appears to be an entirely right-led, right-leaning project.

Of course there are anti-Semites in the Labour Party, because there's anti-Semites in society. However, the issue now is that trying to quantify the extent of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, and particularly to say that the problem of anti-Semitism in the party might not be as widespread as people might have been led to believe, is itself being cited as an example of anti-Semitism that deliberately attempts to downplay, dismiss, or minimise that kind of racism. This is what Corbyn has fallen foul of anyway.
Rationalia relies on voluntary donations. There is no obligation of course, but if you value this place and want to see it continue please consider making a small donation towards the forum's running costs.
Details on how to do that can be found here.

.

"It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice.
There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia."

Frank Zappa

"This is how humanity ends; bickering over the irrelevant."
Clinton Huxley » 21 Jun 2012 » 14:10:36 GMT
.

User avatar
Scot Dutchy
Posts: 19000
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:07 pm
About me: Dijkbeschermer
Location: 's-Gravenhage, Nederland
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by Scot Dutchy » Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:32 pm

Xmas 2020

A Covid Christmas: tiny turkeys and rule of six carol concerts
Find out how our festive traditions are likely to fare amid a pandemic
"Wat is het een gezellig boel hier".

User avatar
rainbow
Posts: 13534
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2012 8:10 am
About me: Egal wie dicht du bist, Goethe war Dichter
Location: Africa
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by rainbow » Sat Oct 31, 2020 6:32 am

JimC wrote:
Fri Oct 30, 2020 7:46 pm
With the anti-semitic thing, how much of it was a by-product of the fairly standard left-wing anti-Zionist and pro Palestinian stance?
https://www.channel4.com/news/i-have-ne ... -on-corbyn
I call bullshit - Alfred E Einstein
BArF−4

User avatar
Scot Dutchy
Posts: 19000
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:07 pm
About me: Dijkbeschermer
Location: 's-Gravenhage, Nederland
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by Scot Dutchy » Tue Nov 03, 2020 1:50 pm

£45m deal for NHS masks collapses amid fraud claims
Exclusive: millions of respirators missing as medical company sues its supplier in US

Millions of medical masks purchased by the British government for £45m are missing after a major PPE deal collapsed amid accusations of fraud, the Guardian can reveal.

The Department of Health and Social Care paid its supplier Purple Surgical upfront for 5m FFP3 respirator masks, which were supposed to have been flown into Birmingham international airport by June.

But Purple Surgical, a Hertfordshire-based company that has signed deals worth almost £250m with the DHSC since the pandemic began, has been unable to supply the masks.

Purple Surgical has filed papers in California alleging fraud by its own supplier, a company in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).

The legal battle in San Francisco lays bare how the DHSC became embroiled in a global market for PPE reliant upon chains of suppliers and subcontractors, in this case stretching from the Caribbean to Hong Kong and South Korea.

Purple Surgical’s case in California is against Win Billion Investment Group, a BVI company that had promised to supply the respirators.
What a lovely mess. More public money disappearing into private capitalist pockets.
"Wat is het een gezellig boel hier".

User avatar
Scot Dutchy
Posts: 19000
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:07 pm
About me: Dijkbeschermer
Location: 's-Gravenhage, Nederland
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by Scot Dutchy » Mon Nov 09, 2020 9:43 am

It keeps coming:

UK government fails to publish details of £4bn Covid contracts with private firms
Good Law Project and MPs call for independent inquiry over apparent breach of UK law

The government has failed to publish any information about £4bn of Covid-related contracts awarded to private companies, in what appears to be a continuing breach of UK law.

The gap was uncovered by campaign group the Good Law Project, which along with a cross-party group of MPs, is suing the health secretary, Matt Hancock, in the high court. They are accusing his ministry of an “egregious and widespread failure to comply with legal duties and established policies”.

The group is warning of a “transparency gap” and is pushing for an independent judge-led inquiry into the billions spent on personal protective equipment, medicines and virus testing and tracing since the pandemic began.

In a legal filing in the case, dated 30 October, government lawyers revealed that £17bn had been spent by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on Covid-related goods and services since the start of the financial year in April. However, to date civil servants in Hancock’s ministry have only released details of £12.4bn in Covid-related contracts for that period – leaving £4.6bn unaccounted for.
The tories are making a killing out of Covid.
"Wat is het een gezellig boel hier".

User avatar
Brian Peacock
Tipping cows since 1946
Posts: 38037
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:44 am
About me: Ablate me:
Location: Location: Location:
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by Brian Peacock » Mon Nov 09, 2020 6:38 pm

Rationalia relies on voluntary donations. There is no obligation of course, but if you value this place and want to see it continue please consider making a small donation towards the forum's running costs.
Details on how to do that can be found here.

.

"It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice.
There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia."

Frank Zappa

"This is how humanity ends; bickering over the irrelevant."
Clinton Huxley » 21 Jun 2012 » 14:10:36 GMT
.

User avatar
Scot Dutchy
Posts: 19000
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:07 pm
About me: Dijkbeschermer
Location: 's-Gravenhage, Nederland
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by Scot Dutchy » Tue Nov 10, 2020 10:57 am

Well not quite the same story. Just shows how big the cookie is that's being passed around.
"Wat is het een gezellig boel hier".

User avatar
Scot Dutchy
Posts: 19000
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:07 pm
About me: Dijkbeschermer
Location: 's-Gravenhage, Nederland
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by Scot Dutchy » Thu Nov 12, 2020 3:20 pm

Nothing is safe anymore. The whole area is important.

Stonehenge road tunnel given go-ahead despite backlash
Grant Shapps gives approval for A303 to be tunnelled under ancient site in £1.7bn project

A controversial £1.7bn road tunnel under Stonehenge has been given the go-ahead by the government, as campaigners vowed to continue the battle to oppose it.

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, approved a development consent order on Thursday to allow the nearby A303 road to be turned into a dual carriageway and tunnelled under the ancient site.

The decision was greeted with dismay by druids, green campaigners and some archaeologists. There were predictions that objectors would travel from around the world to protest against the project.
"Wat is het een gezellig boel hier".

User avatar
Brian Peacock
Tipping cows since 1946
Posts: 38037
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:44 am
About me: Ablate me:
Location: Location: Location:
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by Brian Peacock » Thu Nov 12, 2020 3:48 pm

But we don't want Devon and Cornwall Seceding from the Union do we?
Rationalia relies on voluntary donations. There is no obligation of course, but if you value this place and want to see it continue please consider making a small donation towards the forum's running costs.
Details on how to do that can be found here.

.

"It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice.
There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia."

Frank Zappa

"This is how humanity ends; bickering over the irrelevant."
Clinton Huxley » 21 Jun 2012 » 14:10:36 GMT
.

User avatar
Sean Hayden
Microagressor
Posts: 17910
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2010 3:55 pm
About me: recovering humanist
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by Sean Hayden » Thu Nov 12, 2020 4:03 pm

Arthur Pendragon, a druid who claims to be an incarnation of the once and future king of England, said he believed that people would travel from across the globe to protest.
:share:

User avatar
JimC
The sentimental bloke
Posts: 73102
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 7:58 am
About me: To be serious about gin requires years of dedicated research.
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by JimC » Thu Nov 12, 2020 7:49 pm

The tunnelling will disturb and free ancient horrors that were held in stasis by the druids, using Stonehenge as a focal point. Don't say you weren't warned...
Nurse, where the fuck's my cardigan?
And my gin!

User avatar
Scot Dutchy
Posts: 19000
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:07 pm
About me: Dijkbeschermer
Location: 's-Gravenhage, Nederland
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by Scot Dutchy » Fri Nov 13, 2020 10:46 am

What's going on?

Dominic Cummings to leave Downing Street role by Christmas
Adviser repeats that he wants to be ‘largely redundant’ by end of 2020, after departure of Lee Cain

Boris Johnson’s most senior adviser, Dominic Cummings, is to leave his Downing Street position by the end of this year in a signal of a major change of direction for the government.

Whitehall sources confirmed he will follow Johnson’s communications director, Lee Cain, in leaving No 10.

It follows reports that Cummings told the BBC that “rumours of me threatening to resign are invented”.

However, he said his “position hasn’t changed since my January blog”, when he wrote that he hoped to make himself “largely redundant” by the end of 2020.

The BBC also quoted a Downing Street source as saying Cummings would be “out of government” by Christmas.

On Thursday, a number of Conservatives said Cain’s resignation – after Johnson’s fiancee and inner circle had blocked his promotion to chief of staff – epitomised a No 10 riven by factions, cut off from backbench MPs and lurching from crisis to crisis.

One senior Tory MP openly called on Johnson to “get a grip” on the situation. Others expressed despair at a spectacle in which Carrie Symonds, Johnson’s fiancee and a former Tory party press adviser, joined those protesting at Cain’s promotion at a time when the government is battling Europe’s highest coronavirus death toll and a looming Brexit deadline.

One MP, who asked not to be named, said: “They’re children. Ideologues and self-obsessed fools.” Another, also speaking anonymously, said the prime minister must shoulder the blame for internal rows at such a pivotal time for the country. The government under Johnson has performed a series of U-turns in the pandemic, involving national lockdown measures, furlough support, exam results and free school meals.

“The view from a lot of colleagues today is that we are witnessing the end of hope in Boris as a second-term PM,” they said. “He has left a vacuum at the centre of government and that is being filled by Cummings, who does not like the Conservative party, and his fiancee, who lives above the shop. It’s like the script from a bad soap opera.”
:funny: :funny: :funny:
"Wat is het een gezellig boel hier".

User avatar
Brian Peacock
Tipping cows since 1946
Posts: 38037
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:44 am
About me: Ablate me:
Location: Location: Location:
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by Brian Peacock » Fri Nov 13, 2020 11:31 am

He's ensured a hard Brexit so time to move on to pastures new. Probably got an offer from the Republicans.
Rationalia relies on voluntary donations. There is no obligation of course, but if you value this place and want to see it continue please consider making a small donation towards the forum's running costs.
Details on how to do that can be found here.

.

"It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice.
There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia."

Frank Zappa

"This is how humanity ends; bickering over the irrelevant."
Clinton Huxley » 21 Jun 2012 » 14:10:36 GMT
.

User avatar
Scot Dutchy
Posts: 19000
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:07 pm
About me: Dijkbeschermer
Location: 's-Gravenhage, Nederland
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by Scot Dutchy » Fri Nov 13, 2020 2:25 pm

Brian Peacock wrote:
Fri Nov 13, 2020 11:31 am
He's ensured a hard Brexit so time to move on to pastures new. Probably got an offer from the Republicans.
The pres's job 2024?
"Wat is het een gezellig boel hier".

User avatar
Brian Peacock
Tipping cows since 1946
Posts: 38037
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:44 am
About me: Ablate me:
Location: Location: Location:
Contact:

Re: The state of the UK

Post by Brian Peacock » Fri Nov 13, 2020 5:47 pm

No. Strategic/political advisor to the #ERIC2024 campaign!

Anyway, he's off on his toes now. Cummings and goings...

Image

Dominic Cummings to leave No 10 role with immediate effect.
Rationalia relies on voluntary donations. There is no obligation of course, but if you value this place and want to see it continue please consider making a small donation towards the forum's running costs.
Details on how to do that can be found here.

.

"It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice.
There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia."

Frank Zappa

"This is how humanity ends; bickering over the irrelevant."
Clinton Huxley » 21 Jun 2012 » 14:10:36 GMT
.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 32 guests