Coronavirus - political views - supporting or otherwise...

[huds1475]

So Laura from the BBC asks why a group of 15 kids can't go INSIDE for several hours but are allowed OUTSIDE to go to a ZOO with their immediate household. Did it take her all day to think that question up?

I'm amazed she's not been 'pivoted' away from the front line by now

 

[Hacker Khan]

So Laura from the BBC asks why a group of 15 kids can't go INSIDE for several hours but are allowed OUTSIDE to go to a ZOO with their immediate household. Did it take her all day to think that question up?

I think the point was that why are the government increasingly looking very incompetent and yet again flailing around for leadership when it comes to plans for children's education, which some may argue is quite important. But we have some firm plans for visits to zoos. Which some may argue is not. Unless I suppose the school is on a day trip to a zoo. In which case well done Boris, tick that box and move on to not grasping the next topic.

 

[SocketRocket]

I think the point was that why are the government increasingly looking very incompetent and yet again flailing around for leadership when it comes to plans for children's education, which some may argue is quite important. But we have some firm plans for visits to zoos. Which some may argue is not. Unless I suppose the school is on a day trip to a zoo. In which case well done Boris, tick that box and move on to not grasping the next topic.

I think some would say the issue with childrens education is a very difficult one and there is no simple solution to it with this virus still in a dangerous phase. But hey ho let's put it down to incompetence .

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I'm amazed she's not been 'pivoted' away from the front line by now

And well done to LK and also to Beth Rigby of Sky News for refusing to be shut-down by Johnson during the briefing Q&A.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

And well done to LK and also to Beth Rigby of Sky News for refusing to be shut-down by Johnson during the briefing Q&A.

Yes well done for persisting with questions that have already been answered.

I cannot see a single journalist who has emerged from these briefings with an enhanced reputation.

Their failure to grasp even the most basic information, be it offered by the politicians or scientists is embarrassing.

Far too interested in trying to promote themselves

 

[SocketRocket]

I'm amazed she's not been 'pivoted' away from the front line by now

Has she been demoted, Was she their chief political editor, I noticed another Woman has that title.

 

[rulefan]

How would it be?

There may be exemptions for farm buildings in certain situations. I don't know the details.

From what I've read, ......

Always a guarantee of accuracy

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Planning is more relaxed for staff/family accommodation on farms but I would imagine that building on green belt still needs actual planning consent.

 

[NearHull]

So Laura from the BBC asks why a group of 15 kids can't go INSIDE for several hours but are allowed OUTSIDE to go to a ZOO with their immediate household. Did it take her all day to think that question up?

Up to one or two months ago, I considered Laura to be a politically astute journalist who worked long hours, particularly during the Brexit issue, but now she has destroyed all her credibility by constantly asking such inane questions. I do listen to the daily briefing but nowadays immediately turn off the tv after the two public questions have been answered ( or evaded).

 

[drdel]

I think the point was that why are the government increasingly looking very incompetent and yet again flailing around for leadership when it comes to plans for children's education, which some may argue is quite important. But we have some firm plans for visits to zoos. Which some may argue is not. Unless I suppose the school is on a day trip to a zoo. In which case well done Boris, tick that box and move on to not grasping the next topic.

The "zoo" was merely an example of an outside family trip. You will have noticed the PM referred to the soon to be announced plans for how kids would get help to catch up: but keep up with the negative spin.

 

[Paperboy]

I think the point was that why are the government increasingly looking very incompetent and yet again flailing around for leadership when it comes to plans for children's education, which some may argue is quite important. But we have some firm plans for visits to zoos. Which some may argue is not. Unless I suppose the school is on a day trip to a zoo. In which case well done Boris, tick that box and move on to not grasping the next topic.

Where do you think it's easier to socially distance in a classroom or at a zoo?

Experts have said for schools to function anywhere near ideal the SD would need to be 1m.

 

[GB72]

Up to one or two months ago, I considered Laura to be a politically astute journalist who worked long hours, particularly during the Brexit issue, but now she has destroyed all her credibility by constantly asking such inane questions. I do listen to the daily briefing but nowadays immediately turn off the tv after the two public questions have been answered ( or evaded).

I agree with that. Even just simple things, you get a wide spectrum on ministers every week each with their own department and each dealing with a more specialist area of response to the pandemic. Surely it does not take too much common sense to realise that the best option, the way of obtaining the best information, is to question each minister on the matters that their ministry is dealing with and then aim the broader or more political questions at the PM on Wednesday. It is really a waste to be questioning the culture secretary about minute details on track and trace or to be questioning the health secretary about details of the economic schemes put in place. It is not as if ministers are not there every week. You know that most weeks you will hear from the health secretary on Monday, the PM on Wednesday and then a mix of the Chancellor, business secretary, home secretary, culture secretary and a few others who are relevant for specific points.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Yes well done for persisting with questions that have already been answered.

I cannot see a single journalist who has emerged from these briefings with an enhanced reputation.

Their failure to grasp even the most basic information, be it offered by the politicians or scientists is embarrassing.

Far too interested in trying to promote themselves

Except the subject being questioned is an ongoing one and therefore it is 100% appropriate to continue to ask the question on the current situation and what we can learn from how we did it previously - because the journalists fail to get an honest answer.

So what lessons have we learnt? A very valid question. Because if there is a second spike later this year we have to know that the government and their advisors have understood what they did not get right back in March - because they did NOT get it right so let's use hindsight to learn. Tell us in advance - so that's now - what the governments strategy and plans are were a second spike to happen. And tell us the 'why' - the rational around the plans - we are not stupid - and of course that 'why' is going to be linked back to what we did 'then'. But we need honesty now from the government over what was done 'then' and why it didn't work - so we are accepting of the plans were there to be a second spike.

Just be honest to yourself and others about the past. Much better that way than being in denial about it.

 

[drdel]

Except the subject being questioned is an ongoing one and therefore it is 100% appropriate to continue to ask the question on the current situation and what we can learn from how we did it previously - because the journalists fail to get an honest answer.

So what lessons have we learnt? A very valid question. Because if there is a second spike later this year we have to know that the government and their advisors have understood what they did not get right back in March - because they did NOT get it right so let's use hindsight to learn. Tell us in advance - so that's now - what the governments strategy and plans are were a second spike to happen. And tell us the 'why' - the rational around the plans - we are not stupid - and of course that 'why' is going to be linked back to what we did 'then'. But we need honesty now from the government over what was done 'then' and why it didn't work - so we are accepting of the plans were there to be a second spike.

Just be honest to yourself and others about the past. Much better that way than being in denial about it.

You cannot analyse the "past " until the volatility of the process has subsided; that would be knee jerk policy making.

 

[Foxholer]

I think the point was that why are the government increasingly looking very incompetent and yet again flailing around for leadership when it comes to plans for children's education, which some may argue is quite important. But we have some firm plans for visits to zoos. Which some may argue is not. Unless I suppose the school is on a day trip to a zoo. In which case well done Boris, tick that box and move on to not grasping the next topic.

I think some would say the issue with childrens education is a very difficult one and there is no simple solution to in with this virus still in a dangerous phase. But hey ho let's put it down to incompetence .

I actually have some sympathy for the government on this issue. Their intentions are certainly fine, but there are so many permutations/combinations that it is very difficult to apply a simple policy to all circumstances. And they are 'implementing' a general policy with no pilot, so I actually expect some glitches. In IT terms (which I am far more familiar with) there'd be a vast amount of testing of the supposed 'finished' system before implementation. I'm pretty certain SILH would concur with similar 'projects' too. And these are with fairly well kinown 'boundaries', unlike the myriad of styles/formats/sizes/environmenmts of schools and the things that can happen with each. Compared to schools, most businesses are pretty simple, or even trivial, 'environments', so it's pretty simple for the business to define how to cope with the requirements.

I agree that 'leadership' is required, but it's not necessarily the Government that should be responsible. To me, Government should be setting a policy and individual schools should decide how to implement that policy in their school. Heads, Governors and Staff should all be involved in formulating their particular implementation, though the Government can certainly help by providing checklists, guidelines, recommendations and the like - simply to minimise the numner of queries about individual circumstances that are bound to be raised. And that policy needs to be made available to parents - again, to avoid, or at least minimise the number of questions that will inevitably be generated.

 

[Foxholer]

You cannot analyse the "past " until the volatility of the process has subsided; that would be knee jerk policy making.

While I agree with that as a concept, I don't believe 'waiting for the volatility to subside' is an option! This is much more akin to a 'war' (or even 'battle') environment - where 'waiting for volatility to subside' isn't an option!

 

[GB72]

I actually have some sympathy for the government on this issue. Their intentions are certainly fine, but there are so many permutations/combinations that it is very difficult to apply a simple policy to all circumstances. And they are 'implementing' a general policy with no pilot, so I actually expect some glitches. In IT terms (which I am far more familiar with) there'd be a vast amount of testing of the supposed 'finished' system before implementation. I'm pretty certain SILH would concur with similar 'projects' too. And these are with fairly well kinown 'boundaries', unlike the myriad of styles/formats/sizes/environmenmts of schools and the things that can happen with each. Compared to schools, most businesses are pretty simple, or even trivial, 'environments', so it's pretty simple for the business to define how to cope with the requirements.

I agree that 'leadership' is required, but it's not necessarily the Government that should be responsible. To me, Government should be setting a policy and individual schools should decide how to implement that policy in their school. Heads, Governors and Staff should all be involved in formulating their particular implementation, though the Government can certainly help by providing checklists, guidelines, recommendations and the like - simply to minimize the numner of queries about individual circumstances that are bound to be raised.

This is where I am somewhat confused. I am not exonerating the Government in any way and I am not looking at this from a purely political standpoint. I suspect most businesses, as soon as lockdown started, began working on plans for re-opening, whether it could all be at once, whether it needed to be phased and these plans would have been tweaked and amended to take into account new guidelines and changes in developments. I know, for example, that my gym is drawing up new plans almost every week with various contingents for use of outside spaces etc. So, the question is, why have heads and local education authorities not been doing the same for their schools. I would expect each of them to have detailed plans in place for how many pupils they can take at present with social distancing, what other facilities they have or could be provided with that can increase that, how that changes with 1m social distancing etc. Schools are all different and unique and so should each have a full and detailed plan for what they can achieve at any given time.

 

[Foxholer]

This is where I am somewhat confused. I am not exonerating the Government in any way and I am not looking at this from a purely political standpoint. I suspect most businesses, as soon as lockdown started, began working on plans for re-opening, whether it could all be at once, whether it needed to be phased and these plans would have been tweaked and amended to take into account new guidelines and changes in developments. I know, for example, that my gym is drawing up new plans almost every week with various contingents for use of outside spaces etc. So, the question is, why have heads and local education authorities not been doing the same for their schools. I would expect each of them to have detailed plans in place for how many pupils they can take at present with social distancing, what other facilities they have or could be provided with that can increase that, how that changes with 1m social distancing etc. Schools are all different and unique and so should each have a full and detailed plan for what they can achieve at any given time.

I would expect they have been! At least as much as they are able to in their own lockdown environments!

 

[huds1475]

Has she been demoted, Was she their chief political editor, I noticed another Woman has that title.

IDK.

Avoid her like the plague since she hit rock bottom during the Cummings interview and the week after.

Pointless

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Except the subject being questioned is an ongoing one and therefore it is 100% appropriate to continue to ask the question on the current situation and what we can learn from how we did it previously - because the journalists fail to get an honest answer.

So what lessons have we learnt? A very valid question. Because if there is a second spike later this year we have to know that the government and their advisors have understood what they did not get right back in March - because they did NOT get it right so let's use hindsight to learn. Tell us in advance - so that's now - what the governments strategy and plans are were a second spike to happen. And tell us the 'why' - the rational around the plans - we are not stupid - and of course that 'why' is going to be linked back to what we did 'then'. But we need honesty now from the government over what was done 'then' and why it didn't work - so we are accepting of the plans were there to be a second spike.

Just be honest to yourself and others about the past. Much better that way than being in denial about it.

You clearly don't understand.

It is not the questioning that disappoints me.

It is the quality of the questions and the objectives of the questioners.

The Government may well be shown to have failed in certain areas when it is possible to judge but it is equally clear to me that the media are also letting us down.