Seems we are not unlocking.

We wouldn’t be in this blimmin’ position, if Johnson had shut the border to India in a timely matter.

Of course delta will still come in but not at such a large level as happened.

I suspect Johnson will ignore him. Wonder what the constitutional position is? Not that it matters as the backbenchers will vote for him regardless of his behaviour.

MayBee70

Maybe Hoyle should have done something about Johnson lying and not answering questions for the past year. It’s no wonder he thinks he can get away with anything.

Couldn't agree more MayBee. I could never understand why he didn't take a harder line earlier.

Didn't he say he wants to see the PM about it? That should be interesting.

Maybe Hoyle should have done something about Johnson lying and not answering questions for the past year. It’s no wonder he thinks he can get away with anything.

Whitewavemark2

So Hoyle has accused Johnson of misleading the house which is a resigning matter.

What happens now?

Haven’t seen this he is not happy the House of Commons hasn’t been addressed before today’s 6 o’clock announcement

Callistemon

^Someone mentioned it only costs £1500 to get a fare here.^

nanna8 if you mean *PippaZ's post:
Again, in the conversation with my DS this morning he did mention that it would cost him £1500 to get back into Australia if he could - on his own - get over here.

I took it to mean that the cost of getting back into Australia ie just for tests and quarantine, not for the flight itself.
I could be mistaken.

I understand that it also costs quite a lot to obtain a Government exemption to leave and be able to return.

You read it right Callistemon. As I understood it that is your "share" of the quarantine (in Government controlled hotel, I believe) and all that goes with that.

Z

So Hoyle has accused Johnson of misleading the house which is a resigning matter.

What happens now?

Whitewavemark2

Anyone know what Hoyle is so annoyed about?

My guess is that Johnson should announce stuff like extending lockdown etc in parliament before the country? I think parliament should vote on it so Johnson is by-passing us the voter.

I believe parliament is due to vote on this but was never planned for today but later this month

I hope he changes his clothes before appearing on tv tonight. He certainly hasn’t changed them since last Friday, judging by his appearance in Brussels.

Yes that’s it Johnson is flouting the democratic process and us the voter and our representative in parliament.

He needs to be brought in line somehow.

Anyone know what Hoyle is so annoyed about?

My guess is that Johnson should announce stuff like extending lockdown etc in parliament before the country? I think parliament should vote on it so Johnson is by-passing us the voter.

Do many Australians actually want to be travelling the world these days? Thinking back to my youth, when Australians travel they used to take a couple of years out and travel the world. We often used to meet up with them when we were doing our summer grand tour of Europe

I think a lot of them travel back to their countries of origin; they may not have been born there but still have relatives in their home countries. Not just Britain, but Italy, Greece, Croatia, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark etc.
Many firms allowed their employees to take sabbatical so they tended to take longer trips and explore GB and the rest of Europe.

And, of course, there are usually thousands of European backpackers working in Australia but few over the past year or so.

Maddyone, thank you for sharing about your experience in hospital and it not being discriminative.

I suppose this thread just highlights how much people mean to us, those we love and hold close and that is what all of us seem to be missing, the important people in our lives.

nanna8

MayBee70

nanna8

Well I hope our PM does 2weeks isolation when he returns to Australia in the same way everyone else has to. We are not allowed even one visitor in the home here though they claim the lockdown is over. You can meet in a park ,up to 10 together, or in a restaurant but not in your own homes. Masks have to be worn outside at all times but as soon as you get into a restaurant you can take it off. Go figure. We have also just had 5 days without electricity and not a dickybird from anyone on when it was coming back. It came back yesterday afternoon so thank heaven for small mercies.

Just remind me of how many people in Australia have died from covid please?

Very few. 910 to be precise. Also, a bit of a contrast with how they treat the virus over in the UK. You never had to isolate for weeks and months on end because you were not/are not aiming for zero like us. We cannot go overseas at all unless we are football players or politicians and neither can you come to us. We are not vaccinated here so no one other than citizens can come, basically. The vaccine roll out is agonisingly slow.

Do many Australians actually want to be travelling the world these days? Thinking back to my youth, when Australians travel they used to take a couple of years out and travel the world. We often used to meet up with them when we were doing our summer grand tour of Europe. On the subject of sport I think that, given that sport is so important to many people it boosts people’s morale to be able to watch cricket, football, tennis etc and it dies seem to be well regulated. I’ve enjoyed watching the tennis and football this weekend and football is far more important to many people than me. I don’t agree with crowds of fans travelling to see them, though.

Someone mentioned it only costs £1500 to get a fare here.

nanna8 if you mean *PippaZ's post:
Again, in the conversation with my DS this morning he did mention that it would cost him £1500 to get back into Australia if he could - on his own - get over here.

I took it to mean that the cost of getting back into Australia ie just for tests and quarantine, not for the flight itself.
I could be mistaken.

I understand that it also costs quite a lot to obtain a Government exemption to leave and be able to return.

Someone mentioned it only costs £1500 to get a fare here. Grab it with open arms if that is the case because it is usually a lot more. $8,000 just to go to Malaysia just now so a Malaysian friend tells me.

MayBee70

nanna8

Well I hope our PM does 2weeks isolation when he returns to Australia in the same way everyone else has to. We are not allowed even one visitor in the home here though they claim the lockdown is over. You can meet in a park ,up to 10 together, or in a restaurant but not in your own homes. Masks have to be worn outside at all times but as soon as you get into a restaurant you can take it off. Go figure. We have also just had 5 days without electricity and not a dickybird from anyone on when it was coming back. It came back yesterday afternoon so thank heaven for small mercies.

Just remind me of how many people in Australia have died from covid please?

Very few. 910 to be precise. Also, a bit of a contrast with how they treat the virus over in the UK. You never had to isolate for weeks and months on end because you were not/are not aiming for zero like us. We cannot go overseas at all unless we are football players or politicians and neither can you come to us. We are not vaccinated here so no one other than citizens can come, basically. The vaccine roll out is agonisingly slow.

MawBe

Muffinthemoo I do not understand why you have not been at liberty to see your granny under the social distancing regulations at any time since May (and indeed before) whether in her garden or in another outdoors space . If she is in a care home surely outdoor visits have been happening for several weeks.
Or am I missing something?

You are. She lives in Glasgow and Glasgow has been under travel restrictions longer than anywhere else in Europe. Given her frailty and the fact I have children in school and nursery, the family also were not prepared to let me see her until I had had at least a first vaccination. Between the two, it has been a long wait. She is not fit enough to be brought outside for visits or any other purpose.

Muffinthemoo I do not understand why you have not been at liberty to see your granny under the social distancing regulations at any time since May (and indeed before) whether in her garden or in another outdoors space . If she is in a care home surely outdoor visits have been happening for several weeks.
Or am I missing something?

Finally saw my granny for the first time since 2019 on Friday. She only lives two miles away. A lot of us have been kept apart by necessity regardless of distance.

I can think of other reasons why you might have done this but I assure you they would be less than polite.

Why am I unsurprised by this statement.
You don’t agree with me about whatever I’m supposed to have said. That’s fine, disagreement is fine. But trying to pick a verbal fight with me is not fine. Almost every time I post you retort unpleasantly. Ask Headquarters to remove this if it’s not to your satisfaction.

Urmstongran

I spoke to a lady in Malaga yesterday. She has lived there these last 20y. Her daughter & her partner arrived on Saturday from the UK. They are both front line medical staff. It cost them £400 to buy the tests needed to comply and have factored in isolation time upon return before going back to work in the hospital. Very expensive extra cost for 2 people. Most young families couldn’t factor in that kind of cost this summer. Looks like staycation year for 2021.

Again, in the conversation with my DS this morning he did mention that it would cost him £1500 to get back into Australia if he could - on his own - get over here.

£400 for two seems very reasonable by comparison. Whether they are front line medical staff or not is irrelevant. They made the choice.

PippaZ

maddyone

Pippa
Hysterical

Perhaps you aren't. However, you totally misrepresented something that was said and then attacked the person for saying what they hadn't said.

I can think of other reasons why you might have done this but I assure you they would be less polite.

Thank you, PippaZ. ?

I suspect that those who advocate patience probably don’t have beloved family abroad. Many on this site have already waited for the best part of a year and a half, and have no end in sight. I really feel for those Gransnetters.

As I, and others, have said, there are people with children in the UK whom we have not seen for a year and a half, and who have family babies we have yet to meet. What is the difference? And yes, Lucca, when the pandemic is over we can see them more easily, but with respect, I'm not sure of the relevance of that to the question of whether or not we should open up. It is not that I, for one, am unsympathetic to the plight of those with family abroad - as I said, I have close family in Australia, although I would sympathise anyway - but the question is not about that, it is about the wisdom of opening up.

Sadly some are called selfish because they would like to be able to go to see their family. They are not selfish, they are loving parents and grandparents who are following the law but eager to be able to see their family.
And this is just twisting what I said. I am not, and never did say that it was selfish to be eager to see family, and not has anyone else, as far as I remember. You were adamant that you were not hoping that the desire to see family would drive policy, so I can only assume that you have said this in order to have a quite unnecessary dig. There is really no need to be so unpleasant. What I said was that it is selfish to want to open up now that older people are, on the whole, double vaccinated, and not to want to wait until the younger generations have caught up, when they have given up so much.

And no, it is not the same as not seeing your children who live next door and choosing to not even see them over the garden fence. This is also rather spiteful. I would have thought it was obvious that any reference to 'over a garden fence' was used as a metaphor for the fact that children you can't see are children you can't see, wherever they are.

That’s a choice, not being able to travel to Australia, Africa, or Canada isn’t a choice, it’s a necessity. It is a choice for adult children to emigrate, come to that. This does not, of course make it easier for those who miss them, but it is a fact.

Alegrias1

The 56.6% is a proportion of the adult population, and is equivalent to 44.7% of the whole population. Our World in Data is a reliable site.

Thanks for that Alegrias because it’s difficult to know what’s reliable on the internet isn’t it? A recommendation helps.

Glad it was useful Lucca.