Covid seems to have been profitable for some

There is nothing in this world no matter how terrible, that someone does not make a dishonest, and, even, an honest penny for someone, even though to others, it brings only disaster.

It was the same in WW2 and the great cutting down of railings everywhere, 'to provide metal for spitfires'. Scrap metal merchants collected them up, everyone let them have their railings for free. In fact the metal was unsuitable for any armaments and after the war scrap metal merchants everywhere, made a fortune selling the metal on as scrap.

This ghastly woman posted photos of herself on her newly bought luxury yacht during the pandemic. And had a lavish wedding in the Isle of Man. We paid for that!

You know the corruption is so bad amongst the Tories, that when covid struck and people were suffering and dying, their first instinct appears to make money from it.

maddyone

There is the little fact that as it was a novel virus, no one knew how to deal with it. Some countries did better than others, but absolutely no one got it right. The much lauded on Gransnet, Jacinda Ardern is not so popular in New Zealand due to her aggressive isolationist policy which has destroyed many businesses. My daughter is living there at the moment and told me about this little known fact in Britain.

That in no way excuses our government's unpreparedness for any pandemic, its lethargic reactions and the corrupt awarding of contracts.

Whataboutery is no argument either. .

There is the little fact that as it was a novel virus, no one knew how to deal with it. Some countries did better than others, but absolutely no one got it right. The much lauded on Gransnet, Jacinda Ardern is not so popular in New Zealand due to her aggressive isolationist policy which has destroyed many businesses. My daughter is living there at the moment and told me about this little known fact in Britain.

GrannyGravy13

I am on my iPhone MaizieD didn’t see the wink

Lots of things that can be laid at the door of No.10 but not the following - the pandemic was China’s ineptitude and the war in Europe is Putin’s ego

The pandemic may have been China's ineptitude but our government's failure to deal with it, or even be prepared to deal with it, is entirely down to their total unsuitability to be entrusted with government. From the top down...

Gove has some explaining to do.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/24/michael-gove-under-pressure-explain-role-ppe-deals-michelle-mone

I am on my iPhone MaizieD didn’t see the wink

Lots of things that can be laid at the door of No.10 but not the following - the pandemic was China’s ineptitude and the war in Europe is Putin’s ego

Or ineptitude.
I’m not wearing a hair shirt.

Nice to know who is welcome on this site and who isn’t.

I did put a 'wink' at the end...

Actually, I think that Britain is getting its comeuppance for all its past sins...

How else can we explain the extraordinary combination of appalling political choices, appalling leadership, blatant corruption in high places with a worldwide pandemic and a European war which has led us to the state we are in?

It's Karma

I posted most of the following a week or so ago in a different thread but not everyone read it.

Excerpts from the PAC report from February 2022:

"In its report today the Public Accounts Committee says the total cost of UK Government losses in the response to the Covid 19 pandemic remains uncertain, but it has clearly exposed the taxpayer to substantial, long-term financial risks and “large amounts” - now running into many billions of pounds - of taxpayer’s money will be lost to fraud and error."

"The National Audit Office Covid 19 cost tracker September 2021 update reports that government has spent £261 billion on 374 measures in response to the pandemic. The measures are expected to cost a total of £370 billion over their lifetime – up to 10 years in the repayment term of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) and typically 20 yearsin the Cultural Recovery Fund."

"The Coronavirus Job Retention – or furlough - Scheme alone is estimated to lose £5.3 billion to fraud and error - 8.7% of the funding distributed through the scheme. The estimated loss to fraud and error across all Covid 19 response measures is not known but is expected to be at least £15 billion across the schemes and loans implemented by HM Revenue & Customs, the Department for Work & Pensions and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy."

The Department of Health set up the VIP lane which was used by Number 10, ministers, officials and MPs to put forward suppliers who would be given priority. MH was in charge at the time.

The govt claimed that in times sucn aas the covid pandemic it was not necessary to carry out the usual checks and balances. However MH failed to publish multi million contracts within the required 30 period. This comes from a report on the Good Law Project case. Link to this:

www.theguardian.com/society/2021/feb/19/matt-hancock-acted-unlawfully-failing-publish-covid-contracts-high-court

It's easy enough to find all this information on the net - just google.

Funny how it’s only democracy when you’re on the winning side

So true Urmstongran

Mea culpa.
I suppose it was a trade off as Boris was the only politician promising to enact Brexit. The Lib Dem’s Jo Swanson just wanted to revoke it and Labour wanted a re-run. A second ‘decisive’ referendum. Cheeky buggers.

Funny how it’s only democracy when you’re on the winning side.

MaizieD

Urmstongran

Can we blame Matt Hancock?
Is that why he’s forging himself a new career?
He’s such a shirt button. I’d like to blame him.

I blame everyone who voted the tories into power, basically...

Nice to know who is welcome on this site and who isn’t.

MaizieD

Urmstongran

Can we blame Matt Hancock?
Is that why he’s forging himself a new career?
He’s such a shirt button. I’d like to blame him.

I blame everyone who voted the tories into power, basically...

Hear hear!

I still remember that GN member (no longer on here) who said, 'JC isn't putting his hands into my pockets for taxes'. Vile.

Urmstongran

Can we blame Matt Hancock?
Is that why he’s forging himself a new career?
He’s such a shirt button. I’d like to blame him.

I blame everyone who voted the tories into power, basically...

volver

The £29 million is shocking. But when I think of her I spend most of my energy wondering why a wummin from the East End of Glasgow thought to call herself Baroness Mone of Mayfair.

Mayfair??

And if you've seen some of her tweets...😲 She doesn't come across as a nice woman.

Agreed. Baroness Mone and her tax dodging grifter of a husband. Why Mayfair? Why not somewhere beautiful or relevant or memorable from Scotland? He had the doors of his office kicked in a few months back by the SFO I believe.

All that money made out of bra’s which in my opinion were neither supportive or comfortable.

The £29 million is shocking. But when I think of her I spend most of my energy wondering why a wummin from the East End of Glasgow thought to call herself Baroness Mone of Mayfair.

Mayfair??

And if you've seen some of her tweets...😲 She doesn't come across as a nice woman.

It never stops does it. I think firms who ‘stole’ furlough money should be forced to pay it back and the co-owners of the bankrupt Bulb (?) have just made £millions!

Thank you 😁
It does!

Don't see why you shouldn't, Urmstongran, if it makes you feel better. I find I can usually blame Margaret Thatcher for most things.

Can we blame Matt Hancock?
Is that why he’s forging himself a new career?
He’s such a shirt button. I’d like to blame him.

We ( the tax payer) won’t be seeing a penny of this money.
This is another can being kicked down the road until we ( the taxpayer) forget about/ get sick of discussing.

I think the fact that paddyann has commented on this, even though Michelle Mone is a Glaswegian, demonstrates that she is not just having a go at the English.

It is quite difficult at the moment to be anything but anti-Westminster, given the amount of bad behaviour that we have seen. Of course, not everybody is behaving disreputably but it is hardly surprising that many people feel very disenchanted. The issue of PPE contracts, in particular, is scandalous and someone should be held responsible for what appears to be flagrant profiteering from a national emergency.

Whilst I have always been a Labour supporter, I do have some sympathy with paddyanne's views re its current state - in particular Keir Starmer's seeming inability to show any genuine commitment to anything, and his over-reliance on ever shifting public opinion.

In the final analysis, though, it's a free country and if someone doesn't like the English system why should they not say so?

Not sure I like the reference to Guy Fawkes though - don't like what he planned - or what happened to him.