National News Sir Keir Starmer

[PottersRightBoot]

Starmer spoke reasonably well last night. Maybe he’s eventually grasped the fact that giving unconditional support to the Government during these awful times will go down well with the voters.

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Starmer spoke reasonably well last night. Maybe he’s eventually grasped the fact that giving unconditional support to the Government during these awful times will go down well with the voters.

If they do the right thing, yes.

 

[Eaststanding]

Captain Hindsight excelling himself on the BBC this morning.

"I called for a lockdown" is a bit of a duff message 7 hours after it arrived. Note he didn`t say anything like "I called for a lockdown in Nov/Dec.....".

Now Louise is giving him a grilling over schools being open or shut........ and he`s as good as saying he would have done the same.

Populism is no way to lead.

He did brighten my Sunday afternoon when he called for a national lockdown some hours after Liverpool city council had first publicly done so. It just smacked of ‘what he said’..
Then when asked about schools said ‘there needs to be a plan’ without saying what that might be until Monday when he said schools will have to close.
Populist indeed.

 

[SteMerritt]

Starmer spoke reasonably well last night. Maybe he’s eventually grasped the fact that giving unconditional support to the Government during these awful times will go down well with the voters.

No government should be given unconditional support during a crisis. If they are heading in the right direction, back them. If they aren't doing the right thing then call them out, but don't get involved in playing politics of point-scoring on issues.

 

[SteMerritt]

He did brighten my Sunday afternoon when he called for a national lockdown some hours after Liverpool city council had first publicly done so. It just smacked of ‘what he said’..
Then when asked about schools said ‘there needs to be a plan’ without saying what that might be until Monday when he said schools will have to close.
Populist indeed.

Johnson supporters calling out populist politics?

 

[Eaststanding]

No government should be given unconditional support during a crisis. If they are heading in the right direction, back them. If they aren't doing the right thing then call them out, but don't get involved in playing politics of point-scoring on issues.

A point for every politician to remember.

 

[PottersRightBoot]

No government should be given unconditional support during a crisis. If they are heading in the right direction, back them. If they aren't doing the right thing then call them out, but don't get involved in playing politics of point-scoring on issues.

Which is what Starmer has been doing.

Which was my point.

Starmer seems to be reading the room better. At the moment.

 

[carefreeoufc]

Whereas Johnson is still working out how to get into the building, let alone read the room.

 

[PottersRightBoot]

Disagree. Look, we all know it’s s**t out there but compare Boris to , for example, Macron.

We have millions of doses of domestically produced vaccine and a population willing to take it. We have already vaccinated more citizens than the rest of Europe.

 

[MC Yellow]

Disagree. Look, we all know it’s s**t out there but compare Boris to , for example, Macron.

We have millions of doses of domestically produced vaccine and a population willing to take it. We have already vaccinated more citizens than the rest of Europe.

I am hoping that the development of the vaccine and its ultimate roll out program will be our finest hour during all of this.

You have to admit though, the route here has mainly been littered with ineptitude, which has become even more infuriating as time has gone on because the rest of us seem to have seen all of this coming using nothing more than basic common sense.

 

[Sheik djibouti]

I am hoping that the development of the vaccine and its ultimate roll out program will be our finest hour during all of this.

You have to admit though, the route here has mainly been littered with ineptitude, which has become even more infuriating as time has gone on because the rest of us seem to have seen all of this coming using nothing more than basic common sense.

Why then are the Government pointing gun squarely at their own foot by going against ALL medical research and saying 12 weeks between doses is just fine and dandy.

It could be a moment of great pride you are right but the cavalier approach of our government, yet again, is putting all of that in jeopardy and actually making things worse, not better in the long run. And looking at the track record to date "littered with ineptitude" is a very accurate summation and gives me no confidence that they will get this right either.

Best thing that can happen is if Kier Starmer says something like...."yeah....12 weeks or even longer if possible between doses is the correct thing to do...and deffo not less than 40 days", then sure as sh!t, Boris will about face and bring it down to less than 40 days.

 

[Eaststanding]

Johnson supporters calling out populist politics?

I was taking a step back from personal Political leanings but again, what you said applies to every politician, regardless of their party.

 

[MC Yellow]

It could be a moment of great pride you are right but the cavalier approach of our government, yet again, is putting all of that in jeopardy and actually making things worse, not better in the long run. And looking at the track record to date "littered with ineptitude" is a very accurate summation and gives me no confidence that they will get this right either.

You are probably right.... just forever remaining hopeful and optimistic that this still works out reasonably well... maybe more luck then judgement then

 

[Foley]

Why then are the Government pointing gun squarely at their own foot by going against ALL medical research and saying 12 weeks between doses is just fine and dandy.

It could be a moment of great pride you are right but the cavalier approach of our government, yet again, is putting all of that in jeopardy and actually making things worse, not better in the long run.

Waiting 12 weeks between vaccine doses 'will save lives', says Jonathan Van-Tam

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam has defended the decision to extend the time between coronavirus jabs from three weeks to 12. The leading scientist said it will allow more people to be vaccinated in a shorter time frame.

www.google.com

Van Tam seems to totally back the 12 weeks between the jabs? There seem to be a number of people who have suggested this. On the basis that Van Tam suggests that it will save lives, I am not sure that the government deserve being beaten up on this? Starmer seems to back it as well?

 

[Essexyellows]

Johnson supporters calling out populist politics?

Irony was wasted then...........

 

[LowerSouth]

Why then are the Government pointing gun squarely at their own foot by going against ALL medical research and saying 12 weeks between doses is just fine and dandy.

It could be a moment of great pride you are right but the cavalier approach of our government, yet again, is putting all of that in jeopardy and actually making things worse, not better in the long run. And looking at the track record to date "littered with ineptitude" is a very accurate summation and gives me no confidence that they will get this right either.

Best thing that can happen is if Kier Starmer says something like...."yeah....12 weeks or even longer if possible between doses is the correct thing to do...and deffo not less than 40 days", then sure as sh!t, Boris will about face and bring it down to less than 40 days.

During today’s Downing Street briefing ,Chris Whitty well and truly put this to bed.
12 weeks it is.
Starmer irrelevant.

 

[Big Ron]

During today’s Downing Street briefing ,Chris Whitty well and truly put this to bed.
12 weeks it is.
Starmer irrelevant.

Yep, because this government is renowned for making a decision and sticking to it. Oh, and not over promising. I’m felling better already.

 

[Sheik djibouti]

During today’s Downing Street briefing ,Chris Whitty well and truly put this to bed.
12 weeks it is.
Starmer irrelevant.

Good...I'm glad to hear it. I take back my criticism, based on earlier reporting, whilst recognising that Professor Witty himself acknowledged that there is a debate "raging" (his word) in the scientific community over the 12 week gap. The efficacy is basically reliant on the virus ability to mutate sufficiently in the 12 week interim to render the second dose ineffective. So it is a gamble because nobody knows for sure, but one where the odds are stacked in our favour that enough people will be protected.

That said they also acknowledge that the more you vaccinate, the more it effectively forces the virus to evolve and we may need many more variants/newly developed vaccines to make it effective for all. I think I'm right in saying that the further good news is that because it is a mRNA vaccine, it makes this much easier to modify to deal with mutations... but I may have misunderstood....

 

[Pillox]

Was disappointed with him sitting on the fence on schools on sunday/Monday. That was the time to strike.

 

[Essexyellows]

Was disappointed with him sitting on the fence on schools on sunday/Monday. That was the time to strike.

It`s easier to say "I support the Government" than upsetting the Unions though.......