To mask or not to mask

[oddoneout]

I won't be the only person old enough to remember the energy crises last century - candlelit shops, school half the week as the boilers couldn't be fuelled, doing homework round a table lit by a Tilley lamp - so my heart sinks at the current news. How much worse must it be for the NHS, already struggling financially and logistically, to be having to contemplate greatly increased power costs and possible supply disruption. Then add in the winter pressures, plus Covid...

[Petrushka]

The problems are beginning to pile up for the idiot Johnson. So far, much of the chaos has been deliberate divide and rule policy but I doubt if he will be forgiven for calling another lockdown. He's got an interest in keeping Covid going because, for the moment, it hides the Brexit shambles but that won't last forever and a winter of food and fuel shortages together with rampaging Covid could finally see the penny drop with voters and his chums in the right wing press finally turn on him.

The next few months are going to be interesting.

[Prommer]

The problems are beginning to pile up for the idiot Johnson. So far, much of the chaos has been deliberate divide and rule policy but I doubt if he will be forgiven for calling another lockdown. He's got an interest in keeping Covid going because, for the moment, it hides the Brexit shambles but that won't last forever and a winter of food and fuel shortages together with rampaging Covid could finally see the penny drop with voters and his chums in the right wing press finally turn on him.

The next few months are going to be interesting.

You can hope, I guess, if your main focus is on the political fallout of this. (i.e. Everyone realises Johnson is a LIAR! Brexit is RUBBISH! etc etc) But the rest of us would prefer the next few months NOT to be interesting in that sense, and to get on with life. We'll think about who to vote for in 2023/4.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

On a train from Southampton to London this morning I would say that fewer than 5% of passengers were wearing a mask.

We've been using SW trains quite a lot recently while recce-ing places - thank god that's over now - and have seen mask-wearing drop off considerably. This lack of consideration renders fairly pointless having London still within striking distance, at least until covid is under control.

The need to stick cotton buds down ones throat and up ones nose - possibly the most unpleasant self-inflicted experience ever - before choral rehearsals doesn't help either.

[kernelbogey]

We'll think about who to vote for in 2023/4.

Some politico pundits think BJ will call an election before then - as he now can.

[oddoneout]

Prommer
But the rest of us would prefer the next few months NOT to be interesting in that sense, and to get on with life. We'll think about who to vote for in 2023/4.

Some politico pundits think BJ will call an election before then - as he now can.

But it won't make any difference thanks to FPTP, especially in the absence for all practical purposes of a party of Opposition. I don't know(and don't really want to know, it's too depressing and enraging) how small a minority of the vote the Tories can get and still field way more MPs than anyone else.

[LHC]

But it won't make any difference thanks to FPTP, especially in the absence for all practical purposes of a party of Opposition. I don't know(and don't really want to know, it's too depressing and enraging) how small a minority of the vote the Tories can get and still field way more MPs than anyone else.

I assume Johnson will want to wait until after the Boundary Commission's proposals have been finalised in 2023, so that these can be agreed before the next election. If these remain close to the Boundary Commission's proposals published earlier this year, Scotland and Wales will lose seats, while Southern England will gain some seats. Overall, the changes are likely to provide the Tories with an estimated extra 10 seats, with Labour, Plaid and the SNP all losing seats.

[french frank]

But it won't make any difference thanks to FPTP

The new Elections Bill plans to dump the Supplementary Vote for local mayors and PCCs, and revert to FPTP (along with introducing voter ID and limiting the powers of the Electoral Commission). And to think the country voted against a form of preferential voting and in favour of FPTP.

[Prommer]

The Prime Minister is also availing himself once more of the right to call elections when he chooses, with the ditching of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act.

But my point is, trying to use Covid (let alone trends in mask-wearing) as some barometer of likely political outcomes is unlikely to be very instructive. We are surely past the point when the left is banking on it to tank the Government. Ditto Brexit.

They will have to work harder (and become more coherent) than that. And develop an appealing and realistic programme.

[Serial_Apologist]

The Prime Minister is also availing himself once more of the right to call elections when he chooses, with the ditching of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act.

But my point is, trying to use Covid (let alone trends in mask-wearing) as some barometer of likely political outcomes is unlikely to be very instructive. We are surely past the point when the left is banking on it to tank the Government. Ditto Brexit.

They will have to work harder (and become more coherent) than that. And develop an appealing and realistic programme.

Whatever you mean by "the left!", I don't think they are.

[kernelbogey]

But my point is, trying to use Covid (let alone trends in mask-wearing) as some barometer of likely political outcomes is unlikely to be very instructive.

Another lockdown this autumn (which I think is highly likely in some degree or form) could have unforseen political outcomes. There are so many variables in the political scene that domino effects can sometimes happen.

[Cockney Sparrow]

I'm not acquainted with the details of the boundary change/timing/attack on the Electoral Commission and the Courts/other central office electoral shenanigans - how they might affect General Election numbers.

One sentiment that gives cause for hope arises from the The Liberal conference - how they intend to go for the soft underbelly of the new More Right Tory party (MoreRight?/Far Right? - terminology a matter of personal choice ). Their canvassers at Amersham and Chesham reported much unwillingness by Tory voters to cast in favour of a government cast in the image of the shameless, immoral, undemocratic, complacent, ineffective, partisan, plain dangerous - I'll stop there - PM. And that Labour went easy there, as the Liberals put their limited efforts in Batley and Spen to peeling away the susceptible previously Tory faithful. I'm hoping both parties can build on this - gives me hope about the values - decency survives - of my fellow citizens and country.

“Tories repelled by Johnson can help the Lib Dems knock down the blue wall” - Andrew Rawnsley, Observer 19 September:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/19/tories-repelled-by-johnson-can-help-lib-dems-knock-down-blue-wall

[kernelbogey]

One sentiment that gives cause for hope arises from the The Liberal conference - how they intend to go for the soft underbelly of the new More Right Tory party (MoreRight?/Far Right? - terminology a matter of personal choice ). Their canvassers at Amersham and Chesham reported much unwillingness by Tory voters to cast in favour of a government cast in the image of the shameless, immoral, undemocratic, complacent, ineffective, partisan, plain dangerous - I'll stop there - PM. And that Labour went easy there, as the Liberals put their limited efforts in Batley and Spen to peeling away the susceptible previously Tory faithful. I'm hoping both parties can build on this - gives me hope about the values - decency survives - of my fellow citizens and country.

[Frances_iom]

... Their canvassers at Amersham and Chesham reported much unwillingness by Tory voters to cast in favour of a government cast in the image of the shameless, immoral, undemocratic, complacent, ineffective, partisan, plain dangerous - I'll stop there - PM. ...

False hope indeed - the bye-election was a safe opportunity to warn their party that proposed changes to planning regulations were highly unwelcome in these blue-wall high-priced-housing areas (+ of course the disruption caused by HS2 which brings no benefit to the affected areas) - they have had some effect already with Gove given job of sorting out planning. Since it looks impossible for Lib Dems to get anywhere near a sizeable number then if there is any doubt that a left leaning government is in offing then the blue wall will rapidly rebuild out of sheer self interest tho Johnson has already given them one sop in that their high price houses can safely be handled on to offspring .

[oddoneout]

The new Elections Bill plans to dump the Supplementary Vote for local mayors and PCCs, and revert to FPTP (along with introducing voter ID and limiting the powers of the Electoral Commission). And to think the country voted against a form of preferential voting and in favour of FPTP.

The country was promised a vote on proportional representation or FPTP, but that was not what was delivered at the ballot and the result wasn't so much a vote for FPTP as a vote against the deliberately engineered no better alternative - which of course was the intention. Better the devil you know from the electorate's point of view in many cases I think.

As far as continued mask wearing goes it still seems largely in favour in my home town, young and old, male and female at the moment. The group that seems most to have seized the freedom offered is male, roughly 30s and 40s.