Prime Minister to hold press conference at 16.00

Yes, we are in tier4 south east

I just wish they would issue firm & clear LAWS and then enforce them. Even for those of us not in Tier 4, they're now "asking us not to travel" but that puts us in a difficult position if friends or relatives are desperate to see us and we can't even say "it's the law, we can't" because it's not; at the moment it's just advisory, so it's causing all sorts of rows. And what about people who have booked cottages, etc. to go away for Christmas - they can't cancel them and get their money back, because the government isn't forbidding it. I can see another Lockdown happening very soon.

i think the right thing has been done . why would people want to cross all over the country when we got this awful virus spreading faster then butter on hot toast is beyond me .
i cant wait for my vaccination and my life back . fear in older people is a awful thing .

I don’t think he’s wrong in taking these measure it’s just why did he wait so late to do it. He says he was only advised about the new Virus mutation on Friday afternoon but he was advised by two of the country’s medical journals earlier this week that the 5 day break was dangerous and when Keir Starmer only a few days ago suggested changing the Christmas advice he was mocked by Boris Johnson. It was quite obvious by then that infections were rising rapidly and only a couple of days later he has had to eat his words. I feel sorry for the families in Tier 4 who have obeyed all the rules and have had to wait until the days before Christmas to have the money to buy their children’s presents. Now all non-essential shops are closed there are going to be a lot of children who Father Christmas won’t be visiting this year. As for who could do better than Boris Johnson? Think it’s between our 8 year old GD and our eldest cat!

For the love of God give us someone who has the balls to make a firm decision/plan and ENFORCE it with fines, penalties, road blocks, withdrawing of furlough funding......
The lack of direction and leadership is stressing people and or they are so overwhelmed they are just not taking any notice as a way of coping.! Sorry but its time we thought of our grandchildren who will be paying for all this!!!

jaylucy

Not just London that the tier 4 affects. I live in one of the counties north of London and not exactly sure why my county has now been classed as "South East" when we are normally East Anglia!
This means that there will just be myself and my DS for Christmas - had plans to go to my sister's just for a couple of hours , but she not only lives in a different county, but a different tier!
Main problem will be food shopping - I live in a village and the nearest supermarket is in tier 2. Our local Co Op does not stock the GF food my son needs.

I'm still in Essex, which is still the East of England (apparently), even though some of the districts in the south of the county are effectively London suburbs.

PS. We're still Tier 2.

Well, I live in Long Beach, California and we've largely been in lockdown since March. A slight relaxing of the rules for a bit, but then Thanksgiving encouraged many to spend time with family and friends and now we have more people for ICU beds then we have beds. People are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and our wise leader is out on the golf course. I'd take Boris over Donny boy any day.

Nannan2

Doodledog- why the massive rush then if they are simply 'going home?' Why rush to jump on a massively packed train or bus? Theres sure to be another..The mentality of some is beyond me...and why no masks? The train/bus companies should not be allowing this 'overpacking' nor letting them on without masks- and the 'get out of wearing a mask' free card is a load of c**p! If you have respiratory problems already then wearing a mask is the most sensible idea! (My son said so- he has severe asthma) so have several others who have it! Its a sensible thing to do to protect yourself.

Because he announced that the deadline for shutdown was midnight, that night, last minute, so they all, having made plans, got out before midnight.

jaylucy you are allowed to go out for essentials, food shopping is counted as that, click and collect preferable.

Yes May would have done a better job. As would Brown as would a number of others from both main political parties.

We can look at a number of countries to see governments managing it better.

And i should add. I thought Teresa May was cruelly bullied out and she would have been doing a better job as she wouldn't have swept pandemic planning to one side like BoJo did last year.

Trisham

Hurdygurdy
I agree with you. I’d like to see someone else do better. He’s being got at from all quarters. Wrong to take expert advice, wrong not to. Wrong to close shops, wrong not to and wrong to stop seeing families at Christmas and now wrong to prevent it. If I were him I would be sorely tempted to walk away - then where would we be? Who do you think would do a better job? After all he’s just the Frontman.

Me too, i would love to see someone do better and PDQ. As for who as always with the tories there will be somebody salivating at the thought.
God help us.

Nannan2

Doodledog- why the massive rush then if they are simply 'going home?' Why rush to jump on a massively packed train or bus? Theres sure to be another..The mentality of some is beyond me...and why no masks? The train/bus companies should not be allowing this 'overpacking' nor letting them on without masks- and the 'get out of wearing a mask' free card is a load of c**p! If you have respiratory problems already then wearing a mask is the most sensible idea! (My son said so- he has severe asthma) so have several others who have it! Its a sensible thing to do to protect yourself.

Because Tier 4 regulations applied as of midnight? And were announced yesterday?

As for the rest of it, I have no idea, as people will all have their own reasons for what they do, and I can't possibly know what their circumstances are.

All I can say, is that if I had been working in London and needed to get home I would have had no chance other than to get on a train, and if they were overcrowded I would have been very scared, but would have had no choice.

The 'get out of wearing a mask card' comment is also unkind - you have no idea why some people are unable to wear them, so I don't know why you assume that people are 'playing cards', as you put it.

I have respiratory problems too, so I don't need your son's verification. FWIW, I do wear one on the rare occasions that I leave the house, but I don't take that to mean that everyone else experiences life as I do.

This whole thing is bad enough without people making assumptions about others and their motivations. All any of us can do is our best, and speculating about others will only make us bitter and angry. Easier to assume that people are on the whole decent, not that we are the only ones who understand and that everyone else is selfish.

This virus is dreadful fact is if everyone had taken it more seriously n not held big demos n parties perhaps we may have had more of a chance to eliminate it. To those who don’t take this seriously I lost my DF in April n my DM currently fighting for her life in hospital. Along with this lost two good friends one who was in his early 40s a v fit man went to the gym didn’t smoke or drink the other in his early 60s. When this virus hits I was told by my DF consuktant it hits with a bang. As for Boris yes he’s made mistakes but he’s trying his best he’s damned if he does n dammed if he doesn’t. He’s been there he knows how serious this virus is. If we don’t all pull together this won’t go away. Keep safe everyone

Trisham

Hurdygurdy
I agree with you. I’d like to see someone else do better. He’s being got at from all quarters. Wrong to take expert advice, wrong not to. Wrong to close shops, wrong not to and wrong to stop seeing families at Christmas and now wrong to prevent it. If I were him I would be sorely tempted to walk away - then where would we be? Who do you think would do a better job? After all he’s just the Frontman.

Quite so.

Luckygirl

Oh goodee! - more from the great leader.

All he has to do - and it is beyond simple - is to follow the scientific and medical guidance.

He’s stunningly incompetent, despite having the best education money can buy!

jaylucy

Not just London that the tier 4 affects. I live in one of the counties north of London and not exactly sure why my county has now been classed as "South East" when we are normally East Anglia!
This means that there will just be myself and my DS for Christmas - had plans to go to my sister's just for a couple of hours , but she not only lives in a different county, but a different tier!
Main problem will be food shopping - I live in a village and the nearest supermarket is in tier 2. Our local Co Op does not stock the GF food my son needs.

I've noticed of late jaylucy that East Anglia has ceased to exist and is now either the South East - where you are - or Eastern England - where I am in Norfolk.

I just hope all those folk squashing into trains last evening were rushing home from work and not to 2nd homes in Cornwall or North Norfolk or other low incidence areas to spread the virus.

Hurdygurdy
I agree with you. I’d like to see someone else do better. He’s being got at from all quarters. Wrong to take expert advice, wrong not to. Wrong to close shops, wrong not to and wrong to stop seeing families at Christmas and now wrong to prevent it. If I were him I would be sorely tempted to walk away - then where would we be? Who do you think would do a better job? After all he’s just the Frontman.

Its also a good point though- about the food shopping.Not many 'local' shops do stock for dietary needs- we have one shop only and it definitely doesn't stock lactose free items i need.

Jane10

All too easy to snipe from the sidelines. This is an awful situation for any government to deal with. We all should follow the rules which aren't difficult to understand then we'd be in a better position right now.

We're not on the "sidelines" - we're the ones who voted this shower into power (thank goodness, not me personally).

Why was there a deadline? Surely if they can show their address they would still be allowed to go home?!

Doodledog- why the massive rush then if they are simply 'going home?' Why rush to jump on a massively packed train or bus? Theres sure to be another..The mentality of some is beyond me...and why no masks? The train/bus companies should not be allowing this 'overpacking' nor letting them on without masks- and the 'get out of wearing a mask' free card is a load of c**p! If you have respiratory problems already then wearing a mask is the most sensible idea! (My son said so- he has severe asthma) so have several others who have it! Its a sensible thing to do to protect yourself.

Whatdayisit

Absolutely Doodledog. Giving Christmas then snatching it away - after so many have spread the virus doing extra shopping. Having something to look forward to then it disappearing is so much more damaging for mental health than if it had never been on the table in the first place.

Exactly my point. And e very one left london on packed trains to reach their families before the deadline. I don’t blame them in this case.

Sorry, that was in reference to the comment about education.