Coronavirus

[Pulcinella]

I'm pretty sure that I've seen reports giving 'usual average numbers' somewhere (but perhaps not recently).
If I find them I'll post links.

Btw, Draco, did you get your BT email problem fixed?

Thanks, johnb; this looks like the sort of thing I've seen in some reports I've read.
The ONS data was where a Google search directed me to.

[MrGongGong]

And he's not asking for a handout but a commercial loan. So where's the beef ?

Virgin pays no tax
it's not a UK company

There are thousands of small businesses and self-employed people who will go out of business while waiting for the government to come up with help.

You want "realism" ? Why should UK taxpayers support companies that aren't "based" here and pay no tax?
If we want (and I really think we should) to be charitable then we should be giving our money to countries where the idea of having water to wash your hands in the first place is a fantasy.

Not that I have any to give or any income at all at the moment
BUT I did pay tax "on account" in January so maybe i'm a bit irritated that it's possibly going to be used to support people who own private islands or Tesco shareholders etc

[DracoM]

THx to all.
Yes, after literally FOUR HOURS ON PHONE to various BT sources in one morning, got it sorted.
Why their link pages to let me change passwords were so difficult to contact eluded both me AND the excellent BT woman who eventually talked me through it.
She also openly admitted BT had scored an own goal!!

[johnb]

For anyone interested in the ONS figures and the overall mortality there is a "free to read" article on the FT website that goes into a fair amount of detail:

https://www.ft.com/content/67e6a4ee-3d05-43bc-ba03-e239799fa6ab

[Dave2002]

PMQs right now - interesting.

Ian Blackford - suggests Universal Basic Income - DR's response - want to target resources, but totally misses the point that the worst off in our society - probably those who are hardly in it - won't have any income. The response assumes that all "worthy" people are in work, and have some way of accessing funds. I agree that many of us don't need UBR - but it would be one possible solution to a very big problem.

Peter Bone - really good point about banks ripping us all off. The answer that banks are extending overdrafts etc. is total rubbish. What part of the words "trapped by loan sharks" doesn't DR understand? The point being that if people have hardly any money, and are then "offered" overdrafts to tide them through, but at 40% p.a., then the interest which the banks will no doubt chase up will totally cripple those people in the future.

[oddoneout]

PMQs right now - interesting.

Ian Blackford - suggests Universal Basic Income - DR's response - want to target resources, but totally misses the point that the worst off in our society - probably those who are hardly in it - won't have any income. The response assumes that all "worthy" people are in work, and have some way of accessing funds. I agree that many of us don't need UBR - but it would be one possible solution to a very big problem.

Peter Bone - really good point about banks ripping us all off. The answer that banks are extending overdrafts etc. is total rubbish. What part of the words "trapped by loan sharks" doesn't DR understand? The pont being that if people have hardly any money, and are then "offered" overdrafts to tide them through, but at 40% p.a., then the interest which the banks will no doubt chase up will totally cripple those people in the future.

The example of advances of Universal Credit payments amply demonstrates that even interest-free loans cause difficulties for those who have no resources.

[MrGongGong]

Ian Blackford - suggests Universal Basic Income - DR's response - want to target resources, but totally misses the point that the worst off in our society - probably those who are hardly in it - won't have any income. The response assumes that all "worthy" people are in work, and have some way of accessing funds. I agree that many of us don't need UBR - but it would be one possible solution to a very big problem.
.

If the government is going to lend money, surely it's far far better to lend it to those who will pay it back in tax (if UBI is taxable income) than a loan to an offshore airline?

[oddoneout]

Well prepared for a pandemic

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/22/revealed-private-firm-running-uk-ppe-stockpile-was-sold-in-middle-of-pandemic

[Dave2002]

If the government is going to lend money, surely it's far far better to lend it to those who will pay it back in tax (if UBI is taxable income) than a loan to an offshore airline?

I agree - but there are still a lot of people who the Chancellor has admitted "can't be helped".

Where a lot might be over a million. I think we are looking at slightly different issues here. I was interested that Peter Bone - himself belonging to "that" party, was clearly unhappy with DR's response, and did seem to think the banks were trying it on.

[Dave2002]

Well prepared for a pandemic
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...le-of-pandemic

Fascinating. Yuk!

[Bryn]

As ever, outsourcing has led to scrutiny being at further and further removes.

[Pulcinella]

As ever, outsourcing has led to scrutiny being at further and further removes.

And more than likely substantial financial rewards to many of those involved along the way.

[Bryn]

Hotpants Hancock at it again. "Test, test test" translated into "Delay, delay , delay".

[MrGongGong]

Hotpants Hancock at it again. "Test, test test" translated into "Delay, delay , delay".

Pants on fire

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/22/eu-turns-up-pressure-on-matt-hancock-over-covid-19-ppe-scheme

[johnb]

The hapless Health Minister, Helen Whately said on this morning's Today programme that the government hadn't received the email about the EU's bulk procurement.

Most people would find it utterly mortifying to repeat such obvious bunkum on the radio and TV.

Talk about brass neck.