Current Affairs

[Kendhni]

This is great news if they can do it
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/nhs-covid-vac ... 03848.html

[david63]

This is great news if they can do it
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/nhs-covid-vac ... 03848.html

It is - but it does rely on the vaccine both being approved and there being a supply of it.

I think that the rollout plan may be a little ambitious and I would expect it to slip back by a few months - but even a few moths, when we are entering the summer, should not be an issue. I believe the aim will be to get everyone vaccinated before autumn 2021.

But vaccinating everyone (who wants it) in this country is only a small part of the overall picture - the whole world has to be vaccinated and that is another challenge.

[Ranchi]

“ As are The Guardian and The Observer”. I read both of these online...are they free? On my iPad it would appear so but if I look at them on my phone I get annoying reminders to ‘upgrade to Premium’. Not sure what’s going on there. No dd are disappearing from my bank account.
We also get ( pay for! ) The Telegraph online ( though we did bin our subscription in the run up to Brexit.) we like the cryptic crossword and other puzzles in that paper. The Telegraph also has (in our opinion) pretty good sports coverage. It has got rid of several very good writers (Henry Winter & Jonathan Lieuw, to mention two) but it does have Michael Deacon who seems to rip into Downing St with even greater vigour than John Crace.

[barney]

This is great news if they can do it
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/nhs-covid-vac ... 03848.html

I’d already read that in The Daily Mail

[Whynd1]

Telegraph my favourite,despite the price.

[screwy]

Mp’s are concerned that a cut in International Aid would be permanent.!
I say cut it by 50%, permanently. The UK is one of very few countries to pay out the 0.7%. of GDP asked. This was agreed by Blair and put in Law by Hug a hoodie Dave.

Thoughts.

[towny44]

Mp’s are concerned that a cut in International Aid would be permanent.!
I say cut it by 50%, permanently. The UK is one of very few countries to pay out the 0.7%. of GDP asked. This was agreed by Blair and put in Law by Hug a hoodie Dave.

Thoughts.

I think it should be spent far more wisely than seems the case at present, it reminds me of local authority budgets where any "savings" nearing the end of the fiscal year have to be spent, or risk losing them entirely.

[Onelife]

Mp’s are concerned that a cut in International Aid would be permanent.!
I say cut it by 50%, permanently. The UK is one of very few countries to pay out the 0.7%. of GDP asked. This was agreed by Blair and put in Law by Hug a hoodie Dave.

Thoughts.

Agree

[Manoverboard]

I would cut it down to 5% but gradually put it up again to say 40% of the previous value but only after the Covid debts are repaid and far tighter rules regarding Aid budgets and expenditure.

[Onelife]

I would near as dam it cut out aid completely until such time that theses countries can prove they are addressing corruption.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I would reduce the amount and put it in a kitty to help out when there is an international disaster, instead of splurging it on nonsense and then making public appeals when there is a real need. I'm sure the stories of sending it to places like India and China are the minority but they bring the while system into disrepute. Next year for example it could be used to buy Covid vaccine for poor developing countries which can't afford to buy it.

[Onelife]

The EU aka France are demanding 80% entitlement to our fishing waters…. the best we should be offering them is 10/15% and a shipment of fishing rods

[david63]

I see that we are still having Government by media. Yesterdays announcements for "Covid Christmas" is double standards to appease the media.

It seems that as far as Covid is concerned you either leak something to the press or you make a lot of noise about how something should be done and the media make sure the Government do it.

Why, if you are in tier three, is it alright for three households to gather in one house but it is not alright for a couple to go to a restaurant? Why is it alright to relax travel restrictions but not relax quarantine restrictions for those with families overseas?

This is all about "families" no consideration for those who do not have families around them.

Also from what I have read Boris wanted these relaxations for a week over Christmas/New Year but Mrs Krankie would have none of it so there is only four days, unless you are in Ireland where there is an extra day at either end - the sooner Scotland gets independence the better!

[oldbluefox]

No time for the media whatsoever. One minute they are banging on about what we should be doing but when the government goes down that track they start criticising with what the effects of that action will be.
The effects of the family Christmas will depend on how sensibly people take it but whatever they do they should be doing their utmost to minimise the risk. Of course there will always be the goons who ignore everything but will be first in line to blame everybody else.
Surprised if it's just for three or four days Mrs Krankie did not prefer Hogmanay relaxation of the rules over Christmas.

[Mervyn and Trish]

The question that irritated me was why are we singling out Christmas for special treatment over other religions' festivals?

Errm. Could that be because Christianity is our state religion? And because whether they're religious or not the overwhelming majority of people in this country celebrate Christmas as a family holiday. Muslims and Hindus I knew well enjoyed their Christmas holiday and shared the celebrations.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Personally we will have our daughter and granddaughters to Christmas dinner and to exchange presents and probably to stay overnight too. But that's it. We won't be getting roaring drunk with 100 of our closest friends!

[Manoverboard]

Unlike you we haven't got 100 closest friends

[screwy]

Neither has Merv, typical BBC, he’s making it up....

[Stephen]

Neither has Merv, typical BBC, he’s making it up....

[Stephen]

Unlike you we haven't got 100 closest friends

I don't know about closest, I haven't got any.

Billy no mates

[david63]

Billy no mates

I thought your name was Stephen - just saying

[Mervyn and Trish]

Neither has Merv, typical BBC, he’s making it up....

Of course I'm not. Just ask my mate Laura......

[Mervyn and Trish]

Unlike you we haven't got 100 closest friends

I don't know about closest, I haven't got any.

Billy no mates

You can come to ours Billy. So long as your bring a bottle and a decent pressie and stay 20m away in the front garden gazebo after you've been decontaminated and fumigated.

[Stephen]

It's tempting.

[Mervyn and Trish]

It's tempting.

I'll send you the address. It's in 'Uddersfield....