Face Masks not stopping the spread of Coronavirus.

[BCram]

Single handedly defeated the virus!!!

Do you believe that?

More worrying does she believe that?

She dosent bother about the economy as she thinks that's something else she can blame on the UK.....then we leave Europe takes control and we all live happily ever after.

Rampant inflation cannot be far away now to go with its 1st cousin mass unemployment.

Still no long till st Andrews day.��

No I don't believe but, more worryingly, I think she does believe it. I think that she is surrounded by people who have a sole focus on keeping her image intact as the one true strong consistent voice which gives us the strength to carry on following orders. I fear it is an impossible position that she finds herself in and Scotland has no voice of reason in opposition.

As you have said, almost from the beginning, we need to get our Scottish economy moving. If Westminster stops the furlough scheme there might be a massive spike in redundancies. That's the prediction but perhaps getting everything fired up at the same time might actually prevent a gradual decline - a death by a 1000 cuts - and boost confidence.

I suppose the logical thing to do is to stop the furlough scheme and allow the local governments to borrow under their own power what they think they need. It's one of the levers of economic power that the SNP have been shouting about so why not give this to them now? Genuine question, don't know why they shouldn't be able to borrow what they want.

[islaydarkblue]

No I don't believe but, more worryingly, I think she does believe it. I think that she is surrounded by people who have a sole focus on keeping her image intact as the one true strong consistent voice which gives us the strength to carry on following orders. I fear it is an impossible position that she finds herself in and Scotland has no voice of reason in opposition.

As you have said, almost from the beginning, we need to get our Scottish economy moving. If Westminster stops the furlough scheme there might be a massive spike in redundancies. That's the prediction but perhaps getting everything fired up at the same time might actually prevent a gradual decline - a death by a 1000 cuts - and boost confidence.

I suppose the logical thing to do is to stop the furlough scheme and allow the local governments to borrow under their own power what they think they need. It's one of the levers of economic power that the SNP have been shouting about so why not give this to them now? Genuine question, don't know why they shouldn't be able to borrow what they want.

How is the SNP controlled Scottish Government going to pay back the £500 million that Kate Forbes the cabinet secretary for finance thinks that they should be permitted to do.
The other problem with the furlough scheme is that some firms are ‘milking it’
During the lockdown I phoned my bank using telephone banking and I received a recorded message stating that due to the lockdown they had greatly reduced numbers of staff. Two weeks ago when I last phoned the reduced staff due to the pandemic message was still being quoted. People still have to contact their bank and it is wrong that they are using the furlough scheme to bankroll their company instead of bringing in the necessary staff to man the phones.
Yesterday, 31st August 2020 swimming pools throughout Scotland were allowed to reopen for the first time since the start of the lockdown.
However the community run swimming pool in Bowmore Islay will not reopen for swimming until November as the management have decided to ‘milk’ the furlough scheme until it ends ob 31st October 2020. Amazingly the manager of the swimming pool stated this in an article in last Saturday’s Ileach details of which are shown on the enclosed Ileach website. http://www.ileach.co.uk/
I cannot believe that the manager has admitted this especially when taxes are going to rise to help pay back the cost of the furlough scheme.
If businesses have been given the go-ahead to reopen they should not be permitted to remain in the furlough scheme.
That might encourage them to get their premises back open for business instead of the taxpayer contributing towards the cost of their staff’s wages and salaries.

[Returnofrros]

No I don't believe but, more worryingly, I think she does believe it. I think that she is surrounded by people who have a sole focus on keeping her image intact as the one true strong consistent voice which gives us the strength to carry on following orders. I fear it is an impossible position that she finds herself in and Scotland has no voice of reason in opposition.

As you have said, almost from the beginning, we need to get our Scottish economy moving. If Westminster stops the furlough scheme there might be a massive spike in redundancies. That's the prediction but perhaps getting everything fired up at the same time might actually prevent a gradual decline - a death by a 1000 cuts - and boost confidence.

I suppose the logical thing to do is to stop the furlough scheme and allow the local governments to borrow under their own power what they think they need. It's one of the levers of economic power that the SNP have been shouting about so why not give this to them now? Genuine question, don't know why they shouldn't be able to borrow what they want.

Good I thought you had lost your mind.

I agree I think she thinks she is doing brilliantly.

Noah put it well......"wee tyrant"

[Returnofrros]

How is the SNP controlled Scottish Government going to pay back the £500 million that Kate Forbes the cabinet secretary for finance thinks that they should be permitted to do.
The other problem with the furlough scheme is that some firms are ‘milking it’
During the lockdown I phoned my bank using telephone banking and I received a recorded message stating that due to the lockdown they had greatly reduced numbers of staff. Two weeks ago when I last phoned the reduced staff due to the pandemic message was still being quoted. People still have to contact their bank and it is wrong that they are using the furlough scheme to bankroll their company instead of bringing in the necessary staff to man the phones.
Yesterday, 31st August 2020 swimming pools throughout Scotland were allowed to reopen for the first time since the start of the lockdown.
However the community run swimming pool in Bowmore Islay will not reopen for swimming until November as the management have decided to ‘milk’ the furlough scheme until it ends ob 31st October 2020. Amazingly the manager of the swimming pool stated this in an article in last Saturday’s Ileach details of which are shown on the enclosed Ileach website. http://www.ileach.co.uk/
I cannot believe that the manager has admitted this especially when taxes are going to rise to help pay back the cost of the furlough scheme.
If businesses have been given the go-ahead to reopen they should not be permitted to remain in the furlough scheme.
That might encourage them to get their premises back open for business instead of the taxpayer contributing towards the cost of their staff’s wages and salaries.

They will milk it as long as possible.

Every week that goes by it becomes increasingly difficult to get the economy going again.

The UK govt won't admit they made a mistake shutting a service economy down, the Scottish govt will use covid as an excuse for another referendum and deep down probably welcome the chaos and fear.

[BCram]

They will milk it as long as possible.

Every week that goes by it becomes increasingly difficult to get the economy going again.

The UK govt won't admit they made a mistake shutting a service economy down, the Scottish govt will use covid as an excuse for another referendum and deep down probably welcome the chaos and fear.

If this is the plan that they have I don't think it has any intellectual honesty. The money for furlough has already been borrowed and will over time have to be paid back. Scotland will have its share of that debt to service and any other portion of the U.K. National debt. We won't be starting with a clean slate unless we sell some assets. Oil reserves are dwindling, fishing rights might be valuable, but I can't see very much more apart from possibly renting the nuclear sub base at Faslane. Be funny to see how the Greens would react to that.

[BCram]

https://www.oscr.org.uk/media/1778/2...leo-report.pdf

I think all local government Arms Length External Organisations have been facing the same problem. They get help through their charitable status but they have been hammered by the independent status which puts them outside direct funds from government. I agree it seems wrong that a local authority facility is not available but they really are between a rock and a hard place. It isn't at all unique to Islay and I don't think your local operator is really deserving of your criticism. You just have to look at all the problems being faced by businesses like gyms and bars to realise that the level of activity that is permitted by the social distancing laws make it possible to trade at pre covid level and as a result they are all potentially loss making.


They are not milking it IMO. They are taking the only course of action that gives them a possibility of continuing to operate. The hope was that the virus could be defeated and this would happen by the end of October. Given the spectacular announcements coming from China and S.Korea that they had control of the virus in April this must have seemed a reasonable bet. I think even Nicola and Jason realise that this isn't going to happen. The vaccine is still some way off and the test and trace system is finding people with the virus. What they need is a realistic change of approach. They haven't got one and the more testing they do the more the numbers of suspected cases goes up. We have lost sight of the number of deaths, don't seem to have any understanding of what the death rate is for these latest cases. If the vulnerable people are looking after themselves there might be cause for optimism if those who are contracting the virus are surviving without hospital treatment.

[Returnofrros]

https://www.oscr.org.uk/media/1778/2...leo-report.pdf

I think all local government Arms Length External Organisations have been facing the same problem. They get help through their charitable status but they have been hammered by the independent status which puts them outside direct funds from government. I agree it seems wrong that a local authority facility is not available but they really are between a rock and a hard place. It isn't at all unique to Islay and I don't think your local operator is really deserving of your criticism. You just have to look at all the problems being faced by businesses like gyms and bars to realise that the level of activity that is permitted by the social distancing laws make it possible to trade at pre covid level and as a result they are all potentially loss making.


They are not milking it IMO. They are taking the only course of action that gives them a possibility of continuing to operate. The hope was that the virus could be defeated and this would happen by the end of October. Given the spectacular announcements coming from China and S.Korea that they had control of the virus in April this must have seemed a reasonable bet. I think even Nicola and Jason realise that this isn't going to happen. The vaccine is still some way off and the test and trace system is finding people with the virus. What they need is a realistic change of approach. They haven't got one and the more testing they do the more the numbers of suspected cases goes up. We have lost sight of the number of deaths, don't seem to have any understanding of what the death rate is for these latest cases. If the vulnerable people are looking after themselves there might be cause for optimism if those who are contracting the virus are surviving without hospital treatment.

The vast vast majority will survive without hospital treatment.

Govts have got to admit they overeacted.

They won't.

[BCram]

The vast vast majority will survive without hospital treatment.

Govts have got to admit they overeacted.

They won't.

I agree Rross. What we need is a form of words that allows everyone to claim victory and get us moving forward. I think it's a bit like Arthur Scargill declaring the strike over and marching the miners back to work. I really hope that Nicola Sturgeon will eventually understand that independence is not the glue that holds her party together. I don't think everyone who votes SNP believes in their heart of hearts that independence is essential for there to be a successful Scotland. Maybe she will realise that her personal dream isn't viable just now, and working with any Westminster government is in Scotland's best interests.

[noahrab]

They will milk it as long as possible.

Every week that goes by it becomes increasingly difficult to get the economy going again.

The UK govt won't admit they made a mistake shutting a service economy down, the Scottish govt will use covid as an excuse for another referendum and deep down probably welcome the chaos and fear.

She’s told the LA’s to milk the furlough scheme.

Getting Westminster (who they hate...apparently) to pay the majority of LA wages.

Hope someone audits them.

[noahrab]

I agree Rross. What we need is a form of words that allows everyone to claim victory and get us moving forward. I think it's a bit like Arthur Scargill declaring the strike over and marching the miners back to work. I really hope that Nicola Sturgeon will eventually understand that independence is not the glue that holds her party together. I don't think everyone who votes SNP believes in their heart of hearts that independence is essential for there to be a successful Scotland. Maybe she will realise that her personal dream isn't viable just now, and working with any Westminster government is in Scotland's best interests.

Its a pipe dream built on hatred.

That won’t change.