O/T Demonic Cummings.

[ramAnag]

So now we know. Cummings has recovered from Coronavirus and is attending SAGE (Scientific Group for Emergencies) meetings.

Cummings, for those who don’t know, is a political advisor who graduated from Oxford with a degree in Ancient and Modern History.
He first worked for Iain Duncan Smith, who he described as incompetent. He then worked for Michael Gove at the DoE before becoming Director of the ‘Vote Leave’ campaign and Johnson’s chief advisor.

As regards Coronavirus he is alleged to have been a supporter of the ‘herd immunity’ strategy and advocated the adoption of that strategy as our first responsibility is to ‘protect the economy and if that means some pensioners die, too bad’!

He is undoubtedly a very clever - if equally flawed - human being. His areas of expertise are history and politics.

So what the hell is this unelected and unqualified individual doing on a group which is made up of Scientific and Medical advisors?

[Geoff Parkstone]

Writing the minutes?

[mistaram]

RA you forgot to tell us one a farm , who last year got £124,000 in EU subsidies You know the same EU he despises two faced dangerous person with a disturbing agenda

[ramAnag]

RA you forgot to tell us one a farm , who last year got £124,000 in EU subsidies You know the same EU he despises two faced dangerous person with a disturbing agenda

I didn’t forget...I just didn’t know. Can’t say I’m surprised...he is, imo, exactly what you describe.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Not wishing to defend the guy but I come from a many generational farming family and can assure you that the entire farming economy is dependent on EU subsidies and the old CAP. That system has its flaws but it protects the entire EU farming industry from total economic disaster. Despite heavy EU subsidies, which replaced the UK subsidies that had been in place since the end of WW2, my brother still loses money since the cost of growing crops in UK exceeds the global market price in most cases.

Add to this the massive investment needed in equipment, with a new combine at approx 1/2 million, and rewilding plus environmental pressures to leave ground fallow for the wildlife, and you have an industry that is totally dependent on subsidies from whoever controls agricultural policy.

So, please don't sling mud for the sake of it. He may have many flaws but to throw that mud is akin to slagging off people who take state aid during this virus via the reliefs, grants, furlough schemes, loan schemes etc.

Your, and my, businesses may not qualify for similar subsidies as farmers, and we may be fortunate to be able to make things and perform services at below sales price. But farmers cannot - and by and large have not been able to in the past 75 years since post war governments adopted cheap food policies.

[mistaram]

Not wishing to defend the guy but I come from a many generational farming family and can assure you that the entire farming economy is dependent on EU subsidies and the old CAP. That system has its flaws but it protects the entire EU farming industry from total economic disaster. Despite heavy EU subsidies, which replaced the UK subsidies that had been in place since the end of WW2, my brother still loses money since the cost of growing crops in UK exceeds the global market price in most cases.

Add to this the massive investment needed in equipment, with a new combine at approx 1/2 million, and rewilding plus environmental pressures to leave ground fallow for the wildlife, and you have an industry that is totally dependent on subsidies from whoever controls agricultural policy.

So, please don't sling mud for the sake of it. He may have many flaws but to throw that mud is akin to slagging off people who take state aid during this virus via the reliefs, grants, furlough schemes, loan schemes etc.

Your, and my, businesses may not qualify for similar subsidies as farmers, and we may be fortunate to be able to make things and perform services at below sales price. But farmers cannot - and by and large have not been able to in the past 75 years since post war governments adopted cheap food policies.

No mud for the sake of it Geoff . You have a man here without any scruples whatsoever who used every media outlook he could,in the run up to the last election to tell us how bad the EU were for our country . But at the same time he was quite prepared to take their subsidies . Wonder why he never told us that

[Geoff Parkstone]

He wouldn't need to say anything - you're a farmer, you are subsidised. You might just as well ask why he didn't disclose the fact that he sometimes farted.

[ramAnag]

Mista’s point is about hypocrisy, either way the farming issue is sidetracking us away from the thread...question is...why is an unelected, unqualified ‘political historian’ sitting in SAGE meetings?

[Geoff Parkstone]

Don't ask me, but why not? All well structured committees should have non executive members

[Ram59]

.

As regards Coronavirus he is alleged to have been a supporter of the ‘herd immunity’ strategy and advocated the adoption of that strategy as our first responsibility is to ‘protect the economy and if that means some pensioners die, too bad’!

It's very easy to argue against the 'herd immunity' strategy because it isn't guaranteed. But let's say that, for a moment, that the theory WAS guaranteed and you or I had to make a decision.

A, take action to protect the NHS and keep the death toll down to 30,000. In the process trashing the economy, resulting in a further 130,000 related deaths and much hardship for years to come.

or

B, expose everyone to the virus immediately, overwhelm the NHS for 3 months, the economy would take a smaller hit and the initial death toll would rise to 60,000. But the economy would recover far more quickly and as a result all those surviving would benefit.

An extremely tough decision, but if the results could be guaranteed then B would be the correct option. Trouble is, it is only a theory.