ANGER

I'm quite angry- The stimulus money allocated for small business was also given to corporations that didn't meet the criteria- Now the fund is depleted- It made it to maybe 1/8th of the businesses it was designated for-

Thanks Ooopsminty

The NHS has spare capacity in ITU just in case you hadn’t noticed, and plenty of capacity in the Nightingale hospitals. The NHS has risen to problem of this pandemic magnificently. That’s why people of all persuasions are clapping them, because they are doing a magnificent job. The pandemic is worldwide, and that’s why every country in the world is fighting to get sufficient PPE. We were too slow off the mark, that’s a legitimate complaint, but not having a go at people because of who they voted for. In a democracy.

Hear, hear, maddyone

Who said I voted Conservative?

I just didn't like the I inference that Conservative voters shouldn't be clapping

Anyone can clap. Or not clap. Its up to them. No matter their politics

Did you see the clip of Macron getting into a somewhat heated discussion with French medics?

They were saying they'd been struggling for 15 years due to lack of funds

Everywhere is the same

Extraordinary times

Ooopminty
Absolutely. It’s absolutely ridiculous to talk of Tory voters in the way Barmeyoldbat did. It’s ridiculous because many Tory voters are doctors, nurses, or health care workers, or others who work in the NHS in some capacity. Indeed, would anyone ask a doctor or nurse who they voted for before they agreed to be treated for them? I’m fed up of the way people are maligned from the Left for voting as they wished to in a democratic society. Left wingers are NOT the only decent people in society, and what gives them the right to be so down right nasty to other people who exercised their vote democratically. Every single one of us use the NHS and we all have a stake it.

Ooopsminty, how would I know and I wouldn't care but that doesn't change anything. You would have done better, if you voted Tory to have voted for someone who wouldn't run the NHS into the ground than stand outside clapping and showing your appreciation when at the same time you had contributed to the mess they are in now.

We all have anecdotal evidence, Barmeyoldbat

I'm aware of many who dont vote Labour

But we shouldn't be thinking about this really

And how WOULD you feel if a Tory voting consultant/doctor/nurse saved your life?

You wouldn't care how they voted

This is getting silly now

growstuff, yes schools are incubators of germs.

As for an exit strategy, I do not think any strategy should be formulated in stone, it is of necessity going to have to be fluid.

China's strategy of partially opening up again is not working, is it. Deaths have gone up from single figures to 1,290 in the last 24 hours.

Thank you Maizie.

Iam
A good post.
I don’t know if anyone watched Question Time last night. Lisa Nandy was on, and yet again I was impressed by her performance. She is a first rate politician and although I think Keir Starmer is highly intelligent and will do a good job of leading the Labour Party, I much prefer Lisa Nandy, and wish she had been elected leader. Maybe in the future though.

The majority of the Dr at my surgery vote Labour.
The reason for anger at the voters is because they have voted in a Government that has run the NHS to the ground through lack of funding and even clapped when the nurses pay rise was rejected but are quite happy clapping on a Thursday. I know of 2 nurses and all my family who are essential and NHS workers certainly think its two faced.

I'm not sure that Barmeyoldbat is equating the clappers with being tory. I think that what she is saying is that those clappers who voted tory connived at the hollowing out of the NHS (and helped to elect MPs who cheered when the proposal to increase nurse's pay was defeated). Which has a certain irony, hasn't it?

I'm sure that most tory voters do so with the best of intentions, but do they ever look at the actions of their MPs and ask themselves 'Is that what I voted for?'

I agree with those (experts) who say the government acted to slowly. Getting angry about that helps nobody, doesn't change anything. We need to reflect and learn from mistakes, not start into some polarised, angry row about it. Wouldn't it be something if MatHancock acknowledged mistakes have been made, thats what happens, especially in unprecedented times. Its one of the reasons I agree with Starmer, we need to be open in discussing possible exit strategies.

What on earth makes you connect clapping for the NHS with voting Tory, Barmeyoldbat ? feeling angry at " . . all you Tory votes who go out side and clap for the NHS on Thursday"

The appreciation is for the staff of the NHS and other essential workers, who are at the sharp end, caring for those who need them.

Don't be simplistic - differentiate between the generals and the foot sloggers, please. Praising the bravery of the WW1 soldiers who went out onto battlefields bristling with barbed wire and reeking of mustard gas wouldn't be at all the same thing as congratulating those who sent them there, or as glorifying war.

How would you feel if a Conservative voting doctor was looking after your loved ones Barmeyoldbat?

There's quite a few of them around

This is and has been a challenging time for everyone in the world in a variety of ways. It's human nature when one has been thwarted or upset or hurt in any way to look for someone or something to blame. Sometimes there just isn't any clear culprit. It would have been better if China had been quicker off the mark and more open about it but they weren't.
I sincerely believe that our government is doing its very best to help the country to ride out this storm.
Anger is a waste of energy better put into other use.

The Government won't provide an exit strategy while BJ is on sick leave thats my opinion. Rabb is just giving us data and waffle in his daily briefings and nothing will be decided until BJ is back in No 10.
I feel anger at this Government handling of the situation and I also feel anger at all you Tory votes who go out side and clap for the NHS on Thursday.

growstuff
I also agree with your post, in particular about the ability to maintain two metres of distance between pupils and staff in schools.

.......anybody who thinks that children can be kept two metres apart in a classroom have either never been in a classroom or don’t know any children (or both.)

How absolutely true is this growstuff well said.

Anger is very draining and not what is needed right now. We need to bind together and make this a better world when the virus is gone. Anger wouldn’t help..

GrannyLaine
I agree with you, in fact I actually think it’s premature to be discussing exit strategies at the moment. The journalists seem to be the worst offenders, they constantly push government speakers to tell them when, where, and how we’re going to end the lockdown. I’m sure it will be being discussed behind closed doors by the relevant authorities, but now is not the time to discuss it openly, in my opinion.

I don't have a problem with the government not yet discussing what an exit strategy might look like. Judging by other threads where folk openly declare they are making up their own rules about lockdown, I think to even begin to discuss exit strategy well ahead of time will just cause confusion. Those who express concern about getting the economy re-started should surely be perfectly capable of planning for a range of strategies to cover how lockdown might be lifted.

Sorry for the omitted words (blame it on a sticky keyboard, a habit of writing in notes and laziness in proof reading).

which is what I understand Starmer wants.
some parents just do not know what to do with their children
never been in a classroom
carriers and are

It's not premature at all to publish the principles of an exit strategy, which is what understand Starmer wants. I don't think he's demanding an exact time line.

A number of issues have caused me concern.

Firstly, there is pressure for schools to re-open as soon as possible. I can understand the problems with childcare for younger children, the fact that there is likely to be an increase in educational inequality and the fact that some parents just do not know with their children, especially if they're trying to work from home.

Nevertheless, anybody who thinks that children can be kept two metres apart in a classroom have either never been a classroom or don't know any children (or both). Teachers have not been promised any PPE and are, rightly, worried about working in such an infection-ridden atmosphere. Children themselves might be asymptomatic but they can be carriers are likely to spread infection through communities.

Secondly, there is pressure from businesses to return to something like normality. Again, I can understand the concerns. People aren't being paid, but rents and bills continue to mount up. A recession is certain.

However, more businesses open mean that more people will need public transport, leading to overcrowding and putting transport workers at risk. People interacting in the workplace will lead to increases in transmission.

The kind of exit strategy we should have would be termed in general principles, such as "we will do X, only if Y happens" or "we won't do X, if Y is still occurring" or " we will put … strategy in place to protect key workers" or "we understand there is a trade off between the needs of business and an increase in infection rates, so will do …", etc etc etc.

Hetty
I’m absolutely not defending them for being too slow to react, see my earlier post on this thread if you think that. I won’t spout it all again, just look back at the post. Why on earth would you think I was defending them? Whatever you think though Hetty, the scientific advice which was followed was to allow Britain to acquire herd immunity, and as I stated earlier, I think that was immoral. But if you think any other government would have acted differently, then you are mistaken. The government listens to its advisers, that’s why they have advisers, and the advisers are the so called experts. The scientific advice in Britain was completely the opposite to the advice been given out by the WHO and scientists in other countries. Why? I have no idea, but don’t fool yourself into thinking that a different government would have acted in a different way, they would have had the same advisers.