O/T. The Government's handling of Covid

[ramAnag]

If I were negotiating I'd take the approach The EU did with UK - 'so you want to be an independent nation do you? well cop for these conditions tich'...

Hmmm...interesting observation from someone who repeatedly defended - without ever ‘supporting’ - Brexit... absolutely accurate too. Wish you’d recognised that all along.

[Andy_Faber]

Hmmm...interesting observation from someone who repeatedly defended - without ever ‘supporting’ - Brexit... absolutely accurate too. Wish you’d recognised that all along.

We seem to be all loved up on here today so don't ignite all that again!

[ramAnag]

We seem to be all loved up on here today so don't ignite all that again!

I’m not really trying to ‘ignite’ anything. It’s just interesting that it’s taken till now for you to concede that ‘Brexit’ - i.e. going it alone - is likely to put us in, in your own words, the position of ‘tich’...a bit player rather than a major player.

[Andy_Faber]

I’m not really trying to ‘ignite’ anything. It’s just interesting that it’s taken till now for you to concede that ‘Brexit’ - i.e. going it alone - is likely to put us in, in your own words, the position of ‘tich’...a bit player rather than a major player.

Not meaning that at all rA, just reflecting the perception most big people/entities have of their smaller relations. The vaccine rollout is a great and high profile early win for ‘tich’ ’, time will tell if it’s an anomaly or not.

[swaledale]

Not meaning that at all rA, just reflecting the perception most big people/entities have of their smaller relations. The vaccine rollout is a great and high profile early win for ‘tich’ ’, time will tell if it’s an anomaly or not.

Not sure its a "big win" from Brexit, we as a nation do lots of things well on our own and a lot of things well in conjunction with other countries. So far we ahve rolled out the vaccine programme fast, time will tell whether that makes a difference in the long run.

I find this point scoring literally pointless, in the grand scheme of things, thats where misguided patriotism as per the Scots, self determination (given they enjoy a lot already) is fine, but don't overlook things like economy and defence, health etc. which would be weaker on ones own.

[Ram59]

I’m not really trying to ‘ignite’ anything. It’s just interesting that it’s taken till now for you to concede that ‘Brexit’ - i.e. going it alone - is likely to put us in, in your own words, the position of ‘tich’...a bit player rather than a major player.

It sounds like a simple comparison with Brexit, but in reality it's nothing like, RA.

I personally back their right to choose and wouldn't worry unduly if they did leave. Their contribution to the UK's gdp is around 8% and a decent part of that, including MOD contracts, would be returned to the rest of the UK. Future energy will not come from the North Sea, so that'll be no great loss. The damage to the UK will be limited, economically. It's a well known fact that the UK government subsidise the the Scottish government.

Let's look at it from Scotland's point of view, in comparison to Brexit, they want their independence and then to give it back to the EU. They want to keep the pound, but won't be able to, especially if they join the EU. Then joining the EU, is no forgone conclusion, will Spain allow it, with their own problems with Catalonia? Scotland doesn't fulfil existing economic conditions to join either, how long will the application process last, how is Scotland run in the meantime? They will have no representatives or embassies throughout the world.

[Andy_Faber]

Not sure its a "big win" from Brexit, we as a nation do lots of things well on our own and a lot of things well in conjunction with other countries. So far we ahve rolled out the vaccine programme fast, time will tell whether that makes a difference in the long run.

I find this point scoring literally pointless, in the grand scheme of things, thats where misguided patriotism as per the Scots, self determination (given they enjoy a lot already) is fine, but don't overlook things like economy and defence, health etc. which would be weaker on ones own.

Forget the B word, it appears to be a big win for a smaller, more adept entity (who might have had some lucky guesses on vaccines but hey ho!) and I'm more impressed with the absolute numbers than any comparisons, half a million jabs in a single day deserves the highest praise as does what appears to be a mainly 'we're all in it together' attitude - apart from (it is rumoured) NHS senior managers in Notts who suddenly decided they were front line and got themselves a dose

[Andy_Faber]

It sounds like a simple comparison with Brexit, but in reality it's nothing like, RA.

I personally back their right to choose and wouldn't worry unduly if they did leave. Their contribution to the UK's gdp is around 8% and a decent part of that, including MOD contracts, would be returned to the rest of the UK. Future energy will not come from the North Sea, so that'll be no great loss. The damage to the UK will be limited, economically. It's a well known fact that the UK government subsidise the the Scottish government.

Let's look at it from Scotland's point of view, in comparison to Brexit, they want their independence and then to give it back to the EU. They want to keep the pound, but won't be able to, especially if they join the EU. Then joining the EU, is no forgone conclusion, will Spain allow it, with their own problems with Catalonia? Scotland doesn't fulfil existing economic conditions to join either, how long will the application process last, how is Scotland run in the meantime? They will have no representatives or embassies throughout the world.

....and that's the (start of) the logical conundrum, not the romantic one which will always be won for the seperatists - I actually wish all English folk were as patriotic as the Scots

[ramAnag]

....and that's the (start of) the logical conundrum, not the romantic one which will always be won for the seperatists - I actually wish all English folk were as patriotic as the Scots

We never will be...our history includes too much villainy and skullduggery and too little of the underdog.

It was actually you who made the comparison between us and the Scots and us and the EU with your, see how you like independence ‘titch’, comment.

[Ram59]

Not sure its a "big win" from Brexit, we as a nation do lots of things well on our own and a lot of things well in conjunction with other countries. So far we ahve rolled out the vaccine programme fast, time will tell whether that makes a difference in the long run.

I find this point scoring literally pointless, in the grand scheme of things, thats where misguided patriotism as per the Scots, self determination (given they enjoy a lot already) is fine, but don't overlook things like economy and defence, health etc. which would be weaker on ones own.

On the contrary, this just shows what government can do to support its people, without the constraints of the bureaucratic sloth of the EU. We are now in a position to act quickly and favourably for what is best for the UK.

I was wondering how your German friends were doing distributing the extra 30 million doses vaccine, that you assured us they'd bought in PARALLEL with the EU vaccination programme, Swale?

Just like so many of your facts, absolute codswallop.