tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30996235882676704582024-03-21T17:48:13.014+00:00Gary's SoapboxViews on the world and things in it.
I started writing the blog as a way of keeping track of information when fact checking things and to formulate my thoughts. It is still that, I'm no great writer.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger416125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-75910602590453842142022-03-03T14:44:00.000+00:002022-03-03T14:44:52.179+00:00Ukraine Invasion: What do they say about cornering a rat?<p>Its doubtful now that Putin can retreat from Ukraine without looking weak - which could result in Putin either being killed or overthrown. (Although that may already be on the cards)</p><div><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc dati1w0a e5nlhep0" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_af"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> He can't afford to stay in Ukraine and get bogged down in a bloody and expensive war.<br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">He can drop a Nuclear tactical weapon on Ukraine to force them to surrender - this would clearly risk igniting WWIII.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Or would it?</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Would NATO really risk all out nuclear war if a tactical short range nuclear weapon was used with limited killing field of around 1km?</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Its doubtful, again Putin knows this and his back is to the wall with not many options left. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">With all the sanctions, Putin now has limited time to achieve his aims. Tactical battlefield weapons have always been part of Russian battle plans. With NATO its last resort defense.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">However, should that option be used NATO would have to respond or they may as well pack up and let Russia take over the world. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Lets hope that particular decision is never needed.</div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-55588818685105874882022-03-01T00:07:00.006+00:002022-03-01T00:07:37.972+00:00Ukraine Invasion: Turkey to implement pact limiting Russian warships to access to the Black Sea<p> Turkey to implement pact limiting Russian warships to access to the Black Sea</p><p>It wouldn't be just Russian it would be both Russian and Ukraine warships however as Ukraine has very limited naval vessels its unlikely they would be going through the straights.</p><p>Turkey is a member of NATO could be issues there?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux_Convention_Regarding_the_Regime_of_the_Straits">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux_Convention_Regarding_the_Regime_of_the_Straits</a></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosporus">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosporus</a></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dardanelles">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dardanelles</a></p><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-implement-international-pact-access-shipping-straits-due-ukraine-war-2022-02-27/">Turkey to implement pact limiting Russian warships to Black Sea</a></p><p><a href="https://treaties.un.org/pages/showDetails.aspx?objid=0800000280166981">https://treaties.un.org/pages/showDetails.aspx?objid=0800000280166981</a></p><p><a href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/naval-arms-control-1936.htm">https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/naval-arms-control-1936.htm</a></p><p><a href="https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/02/27/turkey-says-may-block-russian-warships-a76634">https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/02/27/turkey-says-may-block-russian-warships-a76634</a></p><p><a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-02-26/card/uDQCa9dMZsNGZLQsfWYg">https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-02-26/card/uDQCa9dMZsNGZLQsfWYg</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-2582721899887217962022-02-27T18:03:00.000+00:002022-02-27T18:03:18.755+00:00Ukraine Invasion: This isn't a war it's a special military operation in the Donbas - LIE<p> "This isn't called a war it's called a special military operation in the Donbas," says the Russian ambassador.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYy03R942Z7s3bhPzZT8bJtO5TtfqDRe5awOPHeZaAEdgP7RJqI-j0RSpdwcBt_XfMr01eP6xQT3eiFWAiOL-QS0V7Mm6VEXQeTItiidqMbkIDnFdTSKYNWbBj4ozeQRTFzL5jN_PIhvn0ZFDozWY07Sw7p2r8G27yIDZLsDmLzcnR_HT3wOiir44o=s980" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="980" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYy03R942Z7s3bhPzZT8bJtO5TtfqDRe5awOPHeZaAEdgP7RJqI-j0RSpdwcBt_XfMr01eP6xQT3eiFWAiOL-QS0V7Mm6VEXQeTItiidqMbkIDnFdTSKYNWbBj4ozeQRTFzL5jN_PIhvn0ZFDozWY07Sw7p2r8G27yIDZLsDmLzcnR_HT3wOiir44o=w400-h241" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Kyiv is 722km away from the Donbas area.</p><p>Kherson is over 533km away from the Donbas area.<br /><br />There are multiple areas of invasion into Ukraine all hundreds of Kilometres from the Donbas area.</p><p>Its clear that Putin is lying and this is no special operation, this is an invasion, a war, an act of aggression and an attempt to take over another country.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The Russian Ambassador blatantly lies in the UN and to the world</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzGK7pRoQjCHmWDOZ7sODHNl6YIqpVoe697SP_oaBEW3Ct2rEO64Jetp8L_f_t8mv2MGWmK5eqsvv50wEyxYQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="goog_1234322877"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXQgjp0pZcI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXQgjp0pZcI</a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-1811108373161270612022-02-27T17:14:00.003+00:002022-02-27T17:14:26.541+00:00Ukraine Invasion: American funded germ warfare labs in Ukraine American funded germ warfare labs in Ukraine<div><br /></div><div>The US does fund a <a href="https://ua.usembassy.gov/embassy/kyiv/sections-offices/defense-threat-reduction-office/biological-threat-reduction-program" target="_blank">Biological Threat Reduction Program</a> in Ukraine, as it does in other countries in the world. Which appears to be based on identifying outbreaks (deliberate, accidental, or natural) of the world’s most dangerous infectious diseases. The latest of which was Covid.<br /><br />Some might suggest it's just a cover for Germ Warfare but still seems like a strange place to base them if they were germ warfare. Plus Russia is well aware of them and has never asked for them to be moved.<br /><div><br /></div>From a common-sense point of view why would the US base germ warfare labs in a country so close to Russia, so easily spied upon by Russia, so easily attacked by Russia, so easily captured by Russia. The US could base germ warfare research labs anywhere in the world, way away from Russia and probably do.<br /><br /></div><div>Another example of Putin's multiple lines of disinformation, building a reason for continued aggression.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>LINKS</div><div><a href="https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-biolabs-have-been-developing-new-biological-weapons-in-ukraine">https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-biolabs-have-been-developing-new-biological-weapons-in-ukraine</a></div><div><a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/feb/25/tweets/there-are-no-us-run-biolabs-ukraine-contrary-socia/">https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/feb/25/tweets/there-are-no-us-run-biolabs-ukraine-contrary-socia</a></div><div><a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2022/02/25/fact-check-claim-us-biolabs-ukraine-disinformation/6937923001/">https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2022/02/25/fact-check-claim-us-biolabs-ukraine-disinformation/6937923001</a></div><div><a href="https://thebulletin.org/2022/02/us-official-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-risks-release-of-dangerous-pathogens/">https://thebulletin.org/2022/02/us-official-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-risks-release-of-dangerous-pathogens</a></div><div><a href="https://www.opindia.com/2022/02/russia-ukraine-invasion-bioweapons-labs-patrushev-putin-wuhan-coronavirus/">https://www.opindia.com/2022/02/russia-ukraine-invasion-bioweapons-labs-patrushev-putin-wuhan-coronavirus</a></div><div><a href="https://www.opindia.com/2022/02/russia-ukraine-invasion-bioweapons-labs-patrushev-putin-wuhan-coronavirus">https://www.opindia.com/2022/02/russia-ukraine-invasion-bioweapons-labs-patrushev-putin-wuhan-coronavirus</a></div><div><a href="https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/02/24/us-biolabs-ukraine-russia">https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/02/24/us-biolabs-ukraine-russia</a></div><div><a href="https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/does-the-us-have-a-secret-germ-warfare-lab-on-russias-doorstep">https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/does-the-us-have-a-secret-germ-warfare-lab-on-russias-doorstep</a></div><div><a href="https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-biolabs-have-been-developing-new-biological-weapons-in-ukraine">https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-biolabs-have-been-developing-new-biological-weapons-in-ukraine</a></div><div><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1200679">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1200679</a></div><div><a href="https://ua.usembassy.gov/embassy/kyiv/sections-offices/defense-threat-reduction-office/biological-threat-reduction-program">https://ua.usembassy.gov/embassy/kyiv/sections-offices/defense-threat-reduction-office/biological-threat-reduction-program</a></div><div><a href="https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/biological-weapons-bioterrorism-and-vaccines">https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/biological-weapons-bioterrorism-and-vaccines</a></div><div><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-08-30-0508300130-story.html">U.S., Ukraine sign pact on germ threat</a></div><div><a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/05-829-Ukraine-Weapons.pdf">https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/05-829-Ukraine-Weapons.pdf</a></div><div><a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/COMPS-672/pdf/COMPS-672.pdf">https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/COMPS-672/pdf/COMPS-672.pdf</a></div><div><a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/pro-kremlin-propaganda-in-ukraine-changes-tone">https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/pro-kremlin-propaganda-in-ukraine-changes-tone</a></div><div><a href="https://thebulletin.org/2022/02/russian-media-spreading-disinformation-about-us-bioweapons-as-troops-mass-near-ukraine/">https://thebulletin.org/2022/02/russian-media-spreading-disinformation-about-us-bioweapons-as-troops-mass-near-ukraine</a></div><div><a href="https://cissm.umd.edu/sites/default/files/2021-10/NonProliferationReview_False%20allegations%20of%20biological%20weapons%20use%20from%20Putin%20s%20Russia.pdf">False allegations of biological-weapons use from Putin’s Russia</a><br /><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/russia-china-nikolai-patrushev-vladimir-putin-biological-weapons-1581896">https://www.newsweek.com/russia-china-nikolai-patrushev-vladimir-putin-biological-weapons-1581896</a></div><div><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/russia-china-team-up-to-peddle-insane-us-covid-lab-theory">https://www.thedailybeast.com/russia-china-team-up-to-peddle-insane-us-covid-lab-theory</a></div><div><a href="https://www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Health-Readiness/Global-Health-Engagement/Biological-Threat-Reduction-Program">https://www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Health-Readiness/Global-Health-Engagement/Biological-Threat-Reduction-Program</a></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-68425989107725291032022-02-27T15:29:00.005+00:002022-02-27T15:31:22.300+00:00Ukraine Invasion: Russia has already broken 3 points of the Budapest Memorandum Russia has announced that its nuclear deterrent has been put on "special alert", its highest level.<div><br /></div><div>Whilst it's a normal threat from Putin suggesting aggression from NATO or Ukraine to qualify its own unwarranted aggression. It's getting close to breaking another of the Budapest Memorandums no. 4 or has that broken it? NATO countries will of course be avoiding being drawn into Ukraine's actual fighting. But where does it stop? Putin continues to push and is obviously seeing NATO's reluctance to do anything as a sign of weakness. How long is his bullying allowed to continue?</div><div><p align="left" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 27px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i></i></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Northern Ireland and the United States of America reaffirm their commitment to </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">seek immediate United Nations Security Council action to provide assistance to </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ukraine, as a non-nuclear-weapon State party to the Treaty on the </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, if Ukraine should become a victim of an </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">act of aggression or an object of a threat of aggression in which nuclear </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">weapons are used;</span></i></span></blockquote><p>That doesn't mean if Nuclear weapons are used it means if they are threatened. </p><p>Russia has already broken No1 & No2</p><p align="left" style="border: 0px; color: #222222; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 27px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Northern Ireland and the United States of America reaffirm their commitment to </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ukraine, in accordance with the principles of the Final Act of the Conference on </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Security and Cooperation in Europe, to respect the independence and sovereignty </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and the existing borders of Ukraine;</span></i></span></blockquote><span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></i></span><p></p><span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"></span></i></span><p></p><p align="left" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 27px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></i></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Northern Ireland and the United States of America reaffirm their obligation to </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">used against Ukraine except in self-defence or otherwise in accordance with the </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Charter of the United Nations;</span></i></span></blockquote><p> </p><p>To reiterate How long is Putin's bullying allowed to continue?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>LINKS<br /><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170312052208/http://www.cfr.org/nonproliferation-arms-control-and-disarmament/budapest-memorandums-security-assurances-1994/p32484" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20170312052208/http://www.cfr.org/nonproliferation-arms-control-and-disarmament/budapest-memorandums-security-assurances-1994/p32484 </a></p><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-33076018522090008322022-02-27T14:00:00.000+00:002022-02-27T14:00:48.431+00:00Ukraine Invasion: President Zelenskyy's, speech to the Russian people [English subtitles]<p> I have copied the video to here in case the YouTube video goes missing original link was <a href="https://youtu.be/p-zilnPtZ2M">https://youtu.be/p-zilnPtZ2M</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzHh5fxM2lLtPHQIiynYTF9xTwXU5h0QX80hiPAI6Coxxhcr2Xmd5GA-HNViVnqG43IGj611LDagtA2HstJpw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">President Zelenskyy's, speech to the Russian people [English subtitles]</div><p><br /></p><p>Powerful speech the more I find out about this man who was unknown to me and I wager most of us in the UK the more respect I have.</p>How many of our so-called leaders would stay rallying the troops and people when the offer of evacuation to safety is/was there.<br /><br />He knows his fight is one to the death for if they fail he's unlikely to come out of it alive. <div><br />Respect</div><div><br /></div><div>Unless of course, Putin deems he doesn't want a Dead martyr and wants to put him on trial for fake crimes.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-24735005167608726792022-02-26T21:23:00.000+00:002022-02-26T21:23:10.508+00:00Ukraine Invasion: UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace “We stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine<p> These off the cuff blase comments really annoy me</p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444;"><i>UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said: “We stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and are pursuing every option to support them in their defence against President Putin’s unprovoked and illegal invasion.</i></span></blockquote><p>Sorry Mr Wallace you might be showing support you are not standing shoulder to shoulder. If you were you would be on the front line or at least in Kyiv standing shoulder to shoulder with the Ukraine people and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-12919614613281907432022-02-26T20:16:00.006+00:002022-02-26T23:21:55.385+00:00Ukraine Invasion: President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy - The Fight is here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_GcC0j27cWR7Gk23W1v0ML0w2ZvBVnHIxAcZcwH4iOaa0OxL4v6FgA48buqNN__jM1JBzefyuGF-klZPFVrS_iYOmresVAAQeySNaxgMR8njtEGS21DdK-gjf02T-ZwgMdyK3hlZABnlK7_BCODWSBy7N0UMoqSWcrbEL7H9tGB4uvHKa3fyx6Df7=s587" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="587" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_GcC0j27cWR7Gk23W1v0ML0w2ZvBVnHIxAcZcwH4iOaa0OxL4v6FgA48buqNN__jM1JBzefyuGF-klZPFVrS_iYOmresVAAQeySNaxgMR8njtEGS21DdK-gjf02T-ZwgMdyK3hlZABnlK7_BCODWSBy7N0UMoqSWcrbEL7H9tGB4uvHKa3fyx6Df7=w400-h194" width="400" /></a></div><p>In response to the US offer to evacuate him Volodymyr Zelenskyy replied as seen in the above tweet <br /><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-size: 23px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><blockquote>“The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.” </blockquote><p></p><p>Today the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stands leading his country against the invasion of nuclear power, Russia.</p><p>Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former actor and comedian, with no political experience appears to be showing formidable leadership qualities in rallying his countries troops and people in the defence of their country.<br /><br />Who knows what can be achieved.<br /><br />Ukraine is fighting for its life, Russian soldiers don't seem to be clear what they are fighting for or even why they are there.<br /><br />Let's hope that Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine are able to beat the odds.<br /><br />Fortune favours the brave.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZv6ZB-g1Ib26m95Dzd7KXpCf59aoLaqp_H1h9jOwXbR452hjNt3a86rCt5j4N5Le-9VzYkdBPJ3kLdsO4VOkhDJ1F0NLNOSz9LWZTUNgKu9o0WzEBdbXpUUj1x3Fb-EtyTEcJRGet06UzEFVr0a8LW5390L1FCLqOM5gXcaKdBV9j79OGZj6_VV8E=s680" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="679" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZv6ZB-g1Ib26m95Dzd7KXpCf59aoLaqp_H1h9jOwXbR452hjNt3a86rCt5j4N5Le-9VzYkdBPJ3kLdsO4VOkhDJ1F0NLNOSz9LWZTUNgKu9o0WzEBdbXpUUj1x3Fb-EtyTEcJRGet06UzEFVr0a8LW5390L1FCLqOM5gXcaKdBV9j79OGZj6_VV8E=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>LINKS</p><p><a href="https://www.axios.com/ukraine-volodymyr-zelensky-russia-invasion-248d6e91-d48e-4c05-925f-46b7a0e7bf59.html?">https://www.axios.com/ukraine-volodymyr-zelensky-russia-invasion-248d6e91-d48e-4c05-925f-46b7a0e7bf59.html?</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-57729745506449928742022-02-26T19:39:00.003+00:002022-02-26T19:39:15.080+00:00Ukraine Invasion: Greed or insanely clever?<p>Most of Europe does not allow anonymous investments.</p>The two biggest offshore havens with great capacity to receive anonymous investment are the United States and the United Kingdom.<p>The UK allows anonymous ownership of property.</p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444;"><i>In May 2016, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron organized a big international conference to oppose anonymous ownership, presumably because of sheer embarrassment. He <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c1a49662-17a1-11e6-b197-a4af20d5575e?mhq5j=e7">lamented</a> that 99,000 buildings in the United Kingdom had anonymous owners.</i></span></blockquote><p>The USA allows not only anonymous ownership of property but also anonymous money transfers.</p><p>So either the UK and USA have been complicit in turning a blind eye. Or maybe they have been playing a long game. Allowing Russian investments so that if an occasion such as the Ukraine attack happened, massive amounts of Russian money could be frozen.<br /><br />Greed or insanely clever?<br /><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>LINKS</p><p><a href="https://www.democraticaudit.com/2016/04/06/david-cameron-and-the-tax-havens-transparency-is-only-partial-answer-to-a-much-bigger-question/">https://www.democraticaudit.com/2016/04/06/david-cameron-and-the-tax-havens-transparency-is-only-partial-answer-to-a-much-bigger-question/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/apr/07/david-cameron-offshore-trusts-eu-tax-crackdown-2013">https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/apr/07/david-cameron-offshore-trusts-eu-tax-crackdown-2013</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/apr/05/david-cameron-left-dangerously-exposed-by-panama-papers-fallout">https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/apr/05/david-cameron-left-dangerously-exposed-by-panama-papers-fallout</a></p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-announces-new-global-commitments-to-expose-punish-and-drive-out-corruption">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-announces-new-global-commitments-to-expose-punish-and-drive-out-corruption</a></p><p><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c1a49662-17a1-11e6-b197-a4af20d5575e?mhq5j=e7">https://www.ft.com/content/c1a49662-17a1-11e6-b197-a4af20d5575e?mhq5j=e7</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-10235471298881854702022-02-17T00:22:00.001+00:002022-02-17T00:22:19.155+00:00Boris Johnson's economy liesWhy do we hark back to distant times which have no bearing on the now? The main point is Johnson is a lying b'stard always was always will be.<div><br />We were/are told the UK is outperforming everyone in Europe, which is clearly a lie.</div><div><br /><a href="https://www.nationalworld.com/news/uk/inflation-rates-in-europe-2022-how-january-uk-cpi-compares-to-eu-countries-including-germany-and-france-3571914?fbclid=IwAR1Mfq9MgltfBMNDh4VVXaTg0hRvXgNEkNbbA2Rgiqm9Nghjrm239QzWS5g">https://www.nationalworld.com/.../inflation-rates-in...</a></div><div><br /></div><blockquote><div><span style="color: #444444;"><i>When comparing inflation over the last 12 months, the UK’s rate has proportionally grown more than all but Spain, Belgium and Ireland.</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444;"><i><br />And if you compare the current rate with our closest neighbours, the UK’s CPI is at the upper end of the scale.</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444;"><i><br />However, it is not as extreme as Spain (6.1%), the Netherlands (6.4%) or Belgium (7.59%) and only sits 0.2% above the EU average.</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444;"><i><br />When you take into account the direction of travel of inflation rates, a more nuanced picture emerges. </i></span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div><span style="color: #444444;"><i>UK prices grew 0.1% in January 2022 compared to December 2021, which was in line with the EU average.</i></span></div></blockquote><div></div><div><br />The real picture is we are a little above the EU average. Not doing better than all of Europe.</div><div><br />It matters not now, that inflation was whatever when Labour was in power when arguing this particular point.</div><div><br />Same as it doesn't matter that Thatcher created the biggest unemployed totals and would have been voted out if it wasn't for the Falklands. Very opportune that but another argument.</div><div><br />Or that they have continuously created more debt in the UK every time they are in power, in fact, creating more debt than every other government combined since 1901.</div><div><br />It doesn't matter that the NHS was created on Labours watch, a service so incredible and game-changing that the Tories now try to claim to be proponents of and a service that no doubt everyone on here has at some time used and saved thousands in doing so.</div><div><br />The fact that they increased the UK debt by over 850 billion, during the worst austerity since the war and whilst claiming the UK was bankrupt, and they were able to give away 94 billion in tax concession to big corporations, who had neither asked or expected it, should be a wake-up call for everyone who has even a modicum of intelligence.<br /><br />The problem is the continuous lies more than by any other politician in UK history.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-76686371135088348672022-02-17T00:12:00.000+00:002022-02-17T00:12:29.701+00:00Johnson's high wage economy<p> Johnson's high wage economy is a great plan for the UK. Although maybe "plan" isn't the correct word as we've seen no plan on how this would be achieved.</p><div>Baring in mind that the Tories for years said that unions claims for higher wages were unrealistic as the economy would spiral out of control.</div><div><br />We have the bank of England also saying please don't ask for pay rises. <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t34/1/16/1f914.png" /></div><div><br />So when, if ever, is this high wage economy going to be achieved. How is it going to be achieved?</div><div><br />Or is the government just firing out sound bites that they know the people want to hear but they also know aren't achievable.</div><div><br />Interesting that one or the other has to be wrong on the economy the bank of England or the Government. <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t34/1/16/1f914.png" /><br /><br /></div><div>Interesting that no breaks are being put on bankers bonuses. The same people that were complicit in the 2008 crash.</div><div><br />Interesting that councils are saying that <u>below</u> inflation rate pay rises are unrealistic. <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t34/1/16/1f914.png" /> bearing in mind that anything below inflation is a pay decrease.</div><div><br />Interesting that we are now letting those Johnny foreigners back in because we haven't got enough staff for the NHS or Care homes. Could have told them that 3 years ago.</div><div><br />So come on Boris when and how does this high wage economy get achieved, what's the plan.</div><div> <br />I have little doubt that there is no plan. Just sound bites for the sheep.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-20342229483937665582022-02-10T11:44:00.001+00:002022-02-10T11:44:24.210+00:00Why would Boris Johnson want to mislead the parliament?<p><span class="CssComponent__CssInlineComponent-sc-1oskqb9-1 UserSelectableText___StyledCssInlineComponent-lsmoq4-0 kghFzc"><span class="q-box qu-userSelect--text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></span></p><p class="q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow-wrap: anywhere;"><span style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Lie
to parliament or the more politically correct mislead parliament? They
are one and the same to me. However, in parliament, an MP cant accuse
another of lying, so they have to use the term mislead. One can mislead
by omitting detail but Johnson rarely does that he just states incorrect
details, which is lying. I'm not in parliament so I'll go with the term
lie</span></p> <p class="q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow-wrap: anywhere;"><span style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Boris Johnson is well documented for lying and I believe has been sacked twice for it.</span></p> <p class="q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow-wrap: anywhere;"><span style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">I
always thought Johnson was a pathological liar. The most dangerous type
of liar as they actually believe what they are saying is true, even
though it's not and they will defend the lie even when its proved to
them that what they are saying is incorrect.</span></p> <p class="q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow-wrap: anywhere;"><span style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">However,
I've since discovered that the key feature of a pathological lie is
that it has no obvious motivation. This is clearly not the case with
Johnson as there is always the motivation behind his lies.</span></p> <p class="q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow-wrap: anywhere;"><span style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">In a 1941 article titled “</span><span class="q-inline" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;"><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--underline Link___StyledBox-t2xg9c-0 KlcoI" href="https://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/goeb29.htm" rel="noopener nofollow" style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; position: relative;" target="_blank" title="research.calvin.edu">Churchill’s Lie Factory</a></span><span style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">” Joseph Goebbels wrote:</span></p><span class="CssComponent__CssInlineComponent-sc-1oskqb9-1 UserSelectableText___StyledCssInlineComponent-lsmoq4-0 kghFzc"><span class="q-box qu-userSelect--text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><blockquote class="q-relative qu-color--gray qu-borderWidth--retinaOverride" style="border-color: transparent; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 1em; position: relative;"><p class="q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow-wrap: anywhere;"><i><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-weight: normal;">“One
should not as a rule reveal one’s secrets, since one does not know if
and when one may need them again. The essential English leadership
secret does not depend on particular intelligence. Rather, it depends on
a remarkably stupid thick-headedness. The English follow the principle
that when one lies, one should lie big, and stick to it. They keep up
their lies, even at the risk of looking ridiculous.”</span></span></i></p></blockquote><p class="q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow-wrap: anywhere;"><span style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Ring any bells?</span></p> <p class="q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow-wrap: anywhere;"><span style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Johnson
likes to think of himself as Churchill and wrote a book on him, he is
also distantly related. Boris and Winston are 11th cousins twice
removed!</span></p> <p class="q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow-wrap: anywhere;"><span style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">So why does Boris Johnson lie to parliament and the general public?</span></p> <p class="q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere;"><span style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Johnson
works on the principle of if you tell a lie and keep repeating the lie
it becomes the truth in the minds of the general population. Regardless
of what parliament thinks, Johnson knows that if he can fool the public
they are the ones who vote him in.</span></p></span></span> <br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-72453018219165951692022-02-10T11:08:00.002+00:002022-02-10T11:08:27.359+00:00COVID ~ Did the UK run out of PPE during the 1st wave of Covid<p></p><p>Just going by the parliamentary public spending watchdog report the answer has to be YES!</p><p>Why would any Government go out and source substandard quality PPE if we had enough?</p><blockquote><div><p><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/9680c20f-7b71-4f65-9bec-0e9554a8e0a7" target="_blank">May 1 2020</a></p> <i><span style="color: #444444;">The tweets were terse and, to the uninitiated, obscure. “Gowns” — “examination gloves” — “green aprons” — read the messages from the accounts of procurement leaders in the UK’s National Health Service. But to their colleagues in other hospitals, each represented a cry for help, signalling shortfalls of key items of personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to keep clinicians safe while they fought a once-in-a-century battle against coronavirus. </span></i><br /></div></blockquote><blockquote><p><a href="https://www.nao.org.uk/press-release/the-supply-of-personal-protective-equipment-ppe-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/" target="_blank">November 25, 2020</a></p></blockquote><blockquote><i><span style="color: #444444;">Today’s report by the National Audit Office (NAO) finds that government
was initially reliant on stockpiles of personal protective equipment
(PPE) that proved inadequate for the COVID-19 pandemic. In a rapidly
deteriorating situation government made a huge effort to boost supply,
but it has paid very high prices due to unusual market conditions and
many front-line workers reported shortages of PPE.</span></i></blockquote><blockquote><div></div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">10 February 2021</a><p></p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444;"><i>The UK government wasted hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’
money on poor quality and unusable personal protective equipment (PPE)
while leaving frontline workers insufficiently protected from covid-19,
the parliamentary public spending watchdog has concluded.</i></span></blockquote><p></p><br /><p> </p><p></p><p><b>LINKS</b><br /></p><p><a href="https://fullfact.org/health/ppe-shortages-first-wave" target="_blank">https://fullfact.org/health/ppe-shortages-first-wave</a></p><p><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/9680c20f-7b71-4f65-9bec-0e9554a8e0a7" target="_blank">FT - How poor planning left the UK without enough PPE</a></p><p><a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n399" target="_blank">BMJ - Covid-19: Government wasted millions on poor quality PPE, spending watchdog finds</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nao.org.uk/press-release/the-supply-of-personal-protective-equipment-ppe-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/" target="_blank">NAO - The supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic</a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-46368495244610075702022-01-30T16:53:00.002+00:002022-01-30T21:39:28.982+00:00Labour won't get into power for the next 2 or 3 General Elections.Doesn't matter how much Labour try to slag the Government down with their little schemes, Labour won't get into power for the next 2 or 3 General Elections.<br /><br /><br />Hopefully, because by then Tories really will have no excuse for their incompetence and we can check how much bankrupt Britain (Their words not mine) owes by then. <br /><br />They always seem to have something that comes along and saves them. Thatcher it was the Falklands (By design or incompetence? another argument) The Cameron, May & Johnson, run its been covid. We won't bring Brexit into it because everything was going to be so much better, so it can only be covid.<br /><br />There's one gamble that did pay off.... the Vaccinations. Although Johnson is like the gambler that plays the fruit machines puts in £900 wins £400 and claims he's won.<br /><div><br />The rest of the gamble/incompetence has cost fortunes, the one pays for the rest, although we are not seeing any financial evidence of that yet.<br /></div><div><br />Upping NI to "Fund the NHS" just means that those with money pay less, normal for the tories.<br />I'm all for funding the NHS but everyone should pay the same percentage and not when the Tories are spunking our money up the wall ...to coin a phrase.<br /><br />And let's not forget we would not have the NHS if it wasn't for William Beveridge (Beveridge Report 1942) who was Liberal and the Labour government who put it in place although Bevin couldn't get all measures through which is why doctors surgeries are privately owned to this day amongst other things.<br /><br />The NHS was put in place when the UK really was bankrupt after the war. Would the Tories have done the same?</div><div><br />I'm sure you have availed yourself of NHS services over the years?</div><div><br />What would your circumstances be had you had to rely on the insurance-based model that was in place before the war that few could afford?<br /><br />Your treatments and drugs over the years would have cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and it's unlikely you would still be covered on insurance. Unless you're lucky enough to have not needed it in which case what a relief to know that it's always there as a safety blanket for that unlucky moment.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>LINKS</b></div><div><a href="https://ifs.org.uk/taxlab/taxes-explained/national-insurance-contributions-explained">https://ifs.org.uk/taxlab/taxes-explained/national-insurance-contributions-explained</a></div><a href="https://www.income-tax.co.uk">https://www.income-tax.co.uk</a><div><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/jan/28/middle-income-earners-hit-hardest-national-insurance-higher-percentage-uk-rishi-sunak">https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/jan/28/middle-income-earners-hit-hardest-national-insurance-higher-percentage-uk-rishi-sunak</a></div><div><a href="https://www.if.org.uk/2021/09/09/national-insurance-young-people-and-lower-earners-hit-the-hardest">https://www.if.org.uk/2021/09/09/national-insurance-young-people-and-lower-earners-hit-the-hardest</a></div><div><a href="https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/a-caring-tax-rise">https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/a-caring-tax-rise</a></div><div><a href="https://www.sochealth.co.uk/national-health-service/the-sma-and-the-foundation-of-the-national-health-service-dr-leslie-hilliard-1980/a-national-health-service/">https://www.sochealth.co.uk/national-health-service/the-sma-and-the-foundation-of-the-national-health-service-dr-leslie-hilliard-1980/a-national-health-service</a></div><div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Beveridge">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Beveridge</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-14802626250435969612022-01-03T00:15:00.005+00:002022-01-03T00:15:55.395+00:00 Tony Blair Knighted<p> Tony Blair Knighted</p>Apparently, Tony Blair got Knighted or Anthony Charles Lynton Blair if the media is to be believed and there's already a petition <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t4c/1/16/1f642.png" />....<div><a href="https://www.change.org/p/the-prime-minister-tony-blair-to-have-his-knight-companion-of-the-most-noble-order-of-the-garter-rescinded?">https://www.change.org/p/the-prime-minister-tony-blair-to-have-his-knight-companion-of-the-most-noble-order-of-the-garter-rescinded?</a><br /><div><br />Now I've checked on the Gov website new years honours list and even downloaded the spreadsheet.<br /> Tony Blair or Anthony Charles Lynton Blair doesn't appear<br /><br /></div><div>Which is somewhat strange</div><div><br />Obviously, I'm looking in the wrong place <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t34/1/16/1f914.png" /></div><div><br />I only started looking because the first mention of this, I saw, was on a Laura Kuenssberg spoof site on Twitter.</div><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-18u37iz r-15zivkp" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; align-items: stretch; background-color: white; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1iusvr4 r-16y2uox r-1777fci" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-pack: center; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1 0 0px; justify-content: center; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-zl2h9q" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px 0px 2px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-k4xj1c r-18u37iz r-1wtj0ep" style="-webkit-box-align: start; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; -webkit-box-pack: justify; align-items: start; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; justify-content: space-between; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1d09ksm r-18u37iz r-1wbh5a2" style="-webkit-box-align: baseline; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; align-items: baseline; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 1; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1wbh5a2 r-dnmrzs" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 1; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-1dbjc4n r-1loqt21 r-1wbh5a2 r-dnmrzs r-1ny4l3l" href="https://twitter.com/BBCLauraKT" role="link" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 1; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1wbh5a2 r-dnmrzs r-1ny4l3l" id="id__gcs90okru9" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 1; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1awozwy r-18u37iz r-dnmrzs" style="-webkit-box-align: center; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; align-items: center; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-901oao r-1awozwy r-18jsvk2 r-6koalj r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-b88u0q r-rjixqe r-bcqeeo r-1udh08x r-3s2u2q r-qvutc0" dir="auto" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: flex; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 css-bfa6kz r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline; font: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline; font: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space: inherit;"></span></span></div></div></div></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><blockquote><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-18u37iz r-15zivkp" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; align-items: stretch; background-color: white; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1iusvr4 r-16y2uox r-1777fci" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-pack: center; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1 0 0px; justify-content: center; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-zl2h9q" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px 0px 2px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-k4xj1c r-18u37iz r-1wtj0ep" style="-webkit-box-align: start; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; -webkit-box-pack: justify; align-items: start; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; justify-content: space-between; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1d09ksm r-18u37iz r-1wbh5a2" style="-webkit-box-align: baseline; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; align-items: baseline; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 1; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1wbh5a2 r-dnmrzs" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 1; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-1dbjc4n r-1loqt21 r-1wbh5a2 r-dnmrzs r-1ny4l3l" href="https://twitter.com/BBCLauraKT" role="link" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 1; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1wbh5a2 r-dnmrzs r-1ny4l3l" id="id__gcs90okru9" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 1; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1awozwy r-18u37iz r-dnmrzs" style="-webkit-box-align: center; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; align-items: center; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-901oao r-1awozwy r-18jsvk2 r-6koalj r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-b88u0q r-rjixqe r-bcqeeo r-1udh08x r-3s2u2q r-qvutc0" dir="auto" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: flex; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 css-bfa6kz r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline; font: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline; font: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space: inherit;">Laura Kuenssberg Translator</span></span></div><div class="css-901oao r-18jsvk2 r-xoduu5 r-18u37iz r-1q142lx r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-rjixqe r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" dir="auto" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: inline-flex; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></div></div><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-18u37iz r-1wbh5a2" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 1; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-901oao css-bfa6kz r-14j79pv r-18u37iz r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-rjixqe r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" dir="ltr" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #536471; display: inline; flex-direction: row; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline; font: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space: inherit;">@BBCLauraKT</span></div></div></div></a></div></div><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1joea0r" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1awozwy r-6koalj r-18u37iz" style="-webkit-box-align: center; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; align-items: center; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-18u37iz r-1h0z5md" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; -webkit-box-pack: start; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; justify-content: flex-start; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="menu" aria-label="More" class="css-18t94o4 css-1dbjc4n r-1777fci r-bt1l66 r-1ny4l3l r-bztko3 r-lrvibr" data-testid="caret" role="button" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-pack: center; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; justify-content: center; margin: 0px; min-height: 20px; min-width: 0px; outline-style: none; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="css-901oao r-1awozwy r-14j79pv r-6koalj r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-1h0z5md r-rjixqe r-bcqeeo r-o7ynqc r-clp7b1 r-3s2u2q r-qvutc0" dir="ltr" style="-webkit-box-align: center; -webkit-box-pack: start; align-items: center; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #536471; display: flex; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; justify-content: flex-start; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: color; white-space: nowrap;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-xoduu5" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1niwhzg r-sdzlij r-1p0dtai r-xoduu5 r-1d2f490 r-xf4iuw r-1ny4l3l r-u8s1d r-zchlnj r-ipm5af r-o7ynqc r-6416eg" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-radius: 9999px; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; inset: 0px; margin: -8px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; position: absolute; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, box-shadow; z-index: 0;"></div><svg aria-hidden="true" class="r-4qtqp9 r-yyyyoo r-1xvli5t r-dnmrzs r-bnwqim r-1plcrui r-lrvibr r-1hdv0qi" viewbox="0 0 24 24"><g><circle cx="5" cy="12" r="2"></circle><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="2"></circle><circle cx="19" cy="12" r="2"></circle></g></svg></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="css-1dbjc4n" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; background-color: white; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1s2bzr4" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 12px 0px 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-901oao r-18jsvk2 r-37j5jr r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-vrz42v r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="id__tadcn4i8ew" lang="en" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: inline; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline; font: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space: inherit;">BREAKING: Tony Blair has been given a knighthood for killing a million innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan</span></div></div></div><div class="css-1dbjc4n" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"></div></div><div><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-14j79pv r-1loqt21 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" href="https://twitter.com/BBCLauraKT/status/1477046462953439234" role="link" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #536471; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: inherit;">10:38 PM · Dec 31, 2021</a><span aria-hidden="true" class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-14j79pv r-1q142lx r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-s1qlax r-qvutc0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #536471; display: inline; flex-shrink: 0; font: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px 4px; white-space: inherit;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline; font: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space: inherit;">·</span></span><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-14j79pv r-1loqt21 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-1jeg54m r-qvutc0" href="https://help.twitter.com/using-twitter/how-to-tweet#source-labels" rel="noopener noreferrer" role="link" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #536471; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Twitter Web App</a></div></blockquote><div><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-14j79pv r-1loqt21 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-1jeg54m r-qvutc0" href="https://help.twitter.com/using-twitter/how-to-tweet#source-labels" rel="noopener noreferrer" role="link" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #536471; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"></a></div><div> <br />Since then it's all over but I've still not found it on the Honours list unless the queen has a separate one.</div><div><br /></div><div>But it's amazing how many people, judging from their comments, think the <a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-1dbjc4n r-1loqt21 r-1wbh5a2 r-dnmrzs r-1ny4l3l" href="https://twitter.com/BBCLauraKT" role="link" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 1; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1wbh5a2 r-dnmrzs r-1ny4l3l" id="id__gcs90okru9" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 1; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1awozwy r-18u37iz r-dnmrzs" style="-webkit-box-align: center; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; align-items: center; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-901oao r-1awozwy r-18jsvk2 r-6koalj r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-b88u0q r-rjixqe r-bcqeeo r-1udh08x r-3s2u2q r-qvutc0" dir="auto" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: inline !important; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 css-bfa6kz r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline !important; font: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline; font: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space: inherit;">Laura Kuenssberg Translator</span></span></div></div></div></a> on Twitter is the real Laura Kuenssberg.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>LINKS</b></p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1044469/ny22-honours-list-spreadsheet.csv/preview">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1044469/ny22-honours-list-spreadsheet.csv/preview</a></p><p><a href="https://www.gbnews.uk/news/new-years-honours-full-list/195300">https://www.gbnews.uk/news/new-years-honours-full-list/195300</a></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/BBCLauraKT">https://twitter.com/BBCLauraKT</a></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-4279836662747565722022-01-02T12:53:00.001+00:002022-01-02T12:53:54.157+00:00COVID ~ Pinged and PCR Test SagaFinally got the PCR test back 12 days after being pinged for close proximity. Bearing in mind Xmas was in the way.<br /><br />Timeline ....<div><br />Tues 21st pinged on app close proximity of someone who tested positive.</div><div><br />Gov website says all I need to do is 5 days of LFTs no isolation.</div><div><br />I work in care homes, work says I need a PCR test and do LFTs every day till I get the result of PCR.</div><div> <br />Trying to get a PCR test is a nightmare as although there is a selection for NHS and care workers on 1st page of the PCR ordering page, all routes lead to the answer "You don't need to do a PCR test"</div><div><br />Wrong... I do because NHS and care home staff do need one it says so on the Gov website.</div><div><br />Also, work says I can't work till I get the PCR test result <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t51/1/16/1f603.png" /></div><div><br />Anyway, long story short finally managed to get around the system and order the PCR test.</div><div><br />Sent PCR test back the next day on 24th, got it on 23rd but didn't arrive till late in the afternoon so missed all post.</div><div><br /></div><div>Got a negative email back at 04:05 this morning 02/01/22</div><div><br />The test was done on 29th Dec (I can see from the email)<br /><br />That's 12 days after being pinged <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/td0/1/16/1f602.png" /></div><div><br />Which would appear to be a pretty pointless exercise.</div><div><br />LFTs I believe are pretty accurate if they give you a positive there is a high chance it's correct.</div><div><br />LFTs I believe are not so accurate on false negatives so you might get a series of negatives but you actually have it and do not have symptoms.</div><div><br />If the latter then for 12 days I could have been spreading it around <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/td0/1/16/1f602.png" /></div><div><br />By the time I got the PCR test back, I was out of the isolation period anyway.</div><div><br />We've all got to catch this and all varients albeit in a controlled way.</div><div><br />Keep calm and carry on <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/td0/1/16/1f602.png" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-81561449466040276522021-12-24T14:54:00.001+00:002021-12-29T15:00:43.352+00:00COVID - Just how bad is Omicron<div><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc dati1w0a e5nlhep0" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_lb"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Daily
Covid cases have gone through 100k for 1st time ever. In comparison
daily deaths are 90% less than the peak of deaths in February 21.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">We all need to catch this and variants ....albeit in a controlled way.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Keep calm and carry on</div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div><p>On the face of current information it would appear Omicron is in the majority no worse than a cold even to the unvaccinated.</p><p>The caveat to that is regardless of what the viruses some will always be affected worse than others. </p><div><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc dati1w0a e5nlhep0" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_lb"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div><p> </p><p> </p><p>Daily Deaths</p><p></p><p></p><p>Daily cases 119,789 - 23 Dec 21<br />Daily Deaths 147 - 23 Dec 21 (5 Jan22 would match the 12 days back in Jan)<br />Percentage 0.12<br />Daily Deaths - 52 (12 days prior to cases peak) 12 Dec 21<br />Percentage 0.043<br /><br />Peaks<br />Daily cases 67,794 - 8 Jan 21<br />Daily Deaths 1824 - 20 Jan 21 (12 days after cases peaked)<br />Percentage 2.69<br />Daily Deaths - 317 (12 days prior to cases peak)<br />Percentage 0.47<br /><br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Daily cases 129,471 - 28 Dec 21<br />Daily Deaths 143 - 27 Dec 21 (One would expect this to be much higher but its not)<br />Percentage 0.11<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-30949958627082555642021-12-08T14:59:00.006+00:002021-12-09T14:21:40.889+00:00COVID ~ Downing Street Party<p></p><p>To start its not about a party its about the morals of the party leading the country.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5c0wpCufAUk" width="402" youtube-src-id="5c0wpCufAUk"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Mr Johnson says a party didn't happen. Oh sorry he's been assured a party didn't happen.</li><li>10 Downing street is the PMs home.</li><li>If he was at home it should be obvious to him whether a party went on.</li><li>If he wasn't there it should be easy for him to ascertain whether a party went on in a matter of days if not hours.<br /></li><li>Why does it need an investigation? - again basically to kick the can down the road so that people forget.<br /></li><li>We now have the police saying they don't investigate old cases but there are several old cases from a similar time being investigated.</li><li>Sajid Javid said categorically there was no party, not that he'd been assured a party didn't happen. 100% a party didn't happen.</li><li>The get out clause here would be that in the video staff are joking about a party that wasn't a party </li><ol><li>"It wasn't a party it was cheese and wine"</li><li>"Is cheese and wine alright? It was a business meeting"</li><li>"This fictional party was a business meeting ...and it was not socially distanced"</li><li> So Sajid Javid will say when its proven a party did happen that no he didn't lie a party didn't happen it was a cheese and wine business meeting!</li></ol><li>UPDATE - And now Allegra Stratton resigns over a party that didn't happen? </li><li>Boris Johnson says he "doesn't just take responsibility for things that
happens in this building, I take responsibility for everything that
happens in this government". Although seems he's quite happy to let others fall on their sword. Which makes one wonder exactly what responsibility he's taking?</li><li>Responsibility without accountability is where the problem lies.</li><li>But as a Conservative MP pointed out in PMQT seems like this story has been released to distract from something else.<br /></li></ol><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>LINKS</p><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59532066</a><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"> https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/news/08122021-downing-street-party-scandal-who-is-allegra-stratton/</a><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-15650437180512463752021-12-06T13:41:00.006+00:002021-12-18T22:54:29.239+00:00Covid - Moderna Booster Jab<p>Had Covid booster jab today so thought I'd log the side effects if any.<br /></p><p>The vaccine was Moderna, Vaccine Lot 3004737. </p><p>Got offered the Flue jab while I was there, never had it before but took them up on that as I was there. Was asked if left or right-handed, Covid jab goes in the left arm and Flue jab in the right arm.</p><p></p><blockquote><i><span style="color: #444444;">You are likely to be asked to wait for 15 minutes after your booster
vaccine. This is so that in the very unlikely event of a severe allergic
reaction, help will be at hand.</span></i></blockquote><p></p><p>Waited for 5m and then went and sat in the van for 10min.<br /></p><p>Not had Moderna before 1st 2 jabs were Pfizer and the only side effects with that were slightly achy arm on 1st one and 2nd like an insect bite.</p><p>Apparently, Moderna is more intense and gives very slightly better protection but you get slightly worse reactions to it, so we will see.</p><blockquote><i><span style="color: #444444;"><b>Common side effects are logged as</b><br /></span></i><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i><span style="color: #444444;">Having a painful, heavy feeling and tenderness in the arm where you had your injection – this tends to be worst around 1 to 2 days after the vaccine </span></i></li><li><i><span style="color: #444444;">Feeling tired</span></i></li><li><i><span style="color: #444444;">Headache </span></i></li><li><i><span style="color: #444444;">General aches, or mild flu like symptoms</span></i></li></ul></blockquote><p> </p><p>So had Jab at around 1200 06/12/21</p><p>1316 - Very slight heavy feeling in the left arm <br /></p><p>2221 - Ache in the arm, can feel it if I move the arm but more noticeable when I press it. Noticed my hands and fingers went very cold, I was wearing fleece and weight training gloves indoors and couldn't get warm in the afternoon. Have warmed up now. The flu jab arm is fine.</p><p>0100 07/12/21 - Arm aching and unable to lie on it in bed - I sleep on that side.</p><p>1100 07/12/21 - Arm tender to touch but not aching, feel more tired than normal.</p><p>2226 07/12/21 - Same Arm tender to touch but not aching, feel more tired than normal.</p><p>0100 08/12/21 - Arm was aching when I lie on it otherwise wasn't, but unable to lie on it in bed.</p><p>0100 09/12/21 - Arm OK now and able to sleep on it.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>LINKS</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-booster-how-to-choose-the-right-shot-pfizer-moderna-2021-11?r=US&IR=T">https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-booster-how-to-choose-the-right-shot-pfizer-moderna-2021-11?r=US&IR=T</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/safety-and-side-effects/" target="_blank">https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/safety-and-side-effects/ </a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-27853259654373665552021-09-16T23:27:00.001+01:002021-09-17T00:45:32.259+01:00Insulate Britain protesters, Police are a disgrace or are they?<br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBoGVHCNgTFVLgIiWX6-6ZypVmBdURSl0NbvWqJtQPjF85euWJ9nWS7a2TWV-JnJoCeK5D2z9c3Bfa6-CqtlKbuCafNPPpqb_Ck4NEKIUSoMHsAKocvIsiAWDBq5bxhaLDhe1HJetA2s/s2048/260858.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBoGVHCNgTFVLgIiWX6-6ZypVmBdURSl0NbvWqJtQPjF85euWJ9nWS7a2TWV-JnJoCeK5D2z9c3Bfa6-CqtlKbuCafNPPpqb_Ck4NEKIUSoMHsAKocvIsiAWDBq5bxhaLDhe1HJetA2s/w400-h225/260858.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Lots of meltdown over this one</b></div><div><blockquote>'<span style="color: #444444;"><i>Police are a disgrace!</i></span>' Britons react to 'wish-washy woke' M25 protest response</blockquote><blockquote> “<span style="color: #444444;"><i>I didn't see any real effort put in to move them by force. I want my council tax refunded as it's obviously not being used for policing</i></span>.”</blockquote><blockquote>Mr Liddell-Grainger backed '<span style="color: #444444;"><i>much tougher sentences' for 'arrogant and stuck-up' climate anarchists who 'cause immense harm to people's lives and livelihoods'. </i></span></blockquote><p> And many more comments</p><p><br /></p><div><b>Yes, Police could have arrested protestors for obstruction of a British road</b></div><div><i style="color: #444444;"><b></b></i><blockquote><i style="color: #444444;"><b>Obstruction of the Highway</b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/66/section/137">Section 137</a> of the Highways Act 1980 says that “if a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway he is guilty of an offence”. The penalty for this offence is a fine and not imprisonment.<br /><br />Any occupation of a road is potentially an obstruction and a series of court cases have established a highway can include the grass verge at the side of a road, a footpath, an industrial estate, the pavement outside Parliament and, since the Occupy protests of 2012, parts of the churchyard at St Paul’s Cathedral.<br /></i><p><i style="color: #444444;"><b>In examining ‘lawful excuse’, courts need to decide if an activity causing an obstruction is itself lawful and whether it is reasonable: in the case of a protest, taking into consideration Article 10 (freedom of expression) and Article 11 (freedom of assembly) of the ECHR.</b> For example, the peace campaigner Brian Haw’s long-term protest in </i><i>Parliament Square in London was found not to constitute an obstruction of the highway as it was deemed reasonable, bearing in mind his right to protest.</i></p></blockquote><b>However, there is also a right to peaceful protest</b></div><blockquote><i><span style="color: #444444;">Freedom of speech and the right to protest peacefully are protected by both the common law and the Human Rights Act 1998.<br /><br />Furthermore, the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights) as implied in Article 10 (the Right to Freedom of Expression) protects a right that’s fundamental to our democracy – freedom of expression – which means that we’re free to hold opinions and ideas and to share them with others without the state interfering. Article 11 (the Right to Peaceful Assembly) of the Human Rights Act 1998, meanwhile, allows for peaceful protest to take place without disturbance from authorities – unless of course any act of hostility or violence were to take place.</span></i></blockquote><div><br /></div><div><b>and the catch 22 on this is </b></div><div><blockquote><span style="color: #444444;"><i>"Peaceful protest can only take place on public highways"</i></span></blockquote><p> </p>It's quite easy to see why the police were considering this before acting.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's also easy to see why members of the public trying to forcibly remove protestors then found themselves targets of the police, the members of the public were not acting peacefully. Simple one for the police to act on.</div><div><br /></div><div><p>Now whilst I don't necessarily agree with blocking the M25 and being stuck on the M25 or any motorway for 3 hours isn't fun. We should be careful with the calls to remove the right to protest or fine people more heavily for protesting. It's a little picture big picture thing dating back to many 100s of years before the suffragettes in 1913. The government is already chipping away at these rights, so be careful what you wish for.</p><div><br /></div><blockquote><br /></blockquote><p><b>LINKS</b></p><p><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9992613/Eco-mob-block-M25-AGAIN.html">https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9992613/Eco-mob-block-M25-AGAIN.html</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/13/climate-protesters-arrested-after-blocking-m25-junctions-in-rush-hour">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/13/climate-protesters-arrested-after-blocking-m25-junctions-in-rush-hour</a></p><p><a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1492341/Extinction-Rebellion-news-topless-protester-XR-Insulate-Britain-M25-traffic-chaos">https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1492341/Extinction-Rebellion-news-topless-protester-XR-Insulate-Britain-M25-traffic-chaos</a></p><p><a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1492439/police-M25-protest-Insulate-Britain-traffic-blockade-climate-change-latest-tiktok-video-VN">https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1492439/police-M25-protest-Insulate-Britain-traffic-blockade-climate-change-latest-tiktok-video-VN</a></p><p><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/m25-traffic-drivers-warned-to-avoid-parts-of-motorway-as-climate-protesters-block-slip-roads-12406944">https://news.sky.com/story/m25-traffic-drivers-warned-to-avoid-parts-of-motorway-as-climate-protesters-block-slip-roads-12406944</a></p><p><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/09/16/m25-protesters-blocking-motorway/amp/">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/09/16/m25-protesters-blocking-motorway/amp/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9997159/The-Insulate-Britain-protesters-strolled-M25-police-let-walk-free.html">https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9997159/The-Insulate-Britain-protesters-strolled-M25-police-let-walk-free.html</a></p><p><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16144087/travel-chaos-eco-warriors-block-m25-second-time-2/">https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16144087/travel-chaos-eco-warriors-block-m25-second-time-2/</a></p><p><a href="https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/93/human-rights-joint-committee/news/156037/government-plans-to-change-law-to-restrict-demonstrations-breach-human-right-to-protest-says-jchr/">https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/93/human-rights-joint-committee/news/156037/government-plans-to-change-law-to-restrict-demonstrations-breach-human-right-to-protest-says-jchr/</a></p><p><a href="https://netpol.org/resources/common-criminal-offences/">https://netpol.org/resources/common-criminal-offences/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.daslaw.co.uk/blog/right-to-peaceful-protest">https://www.daslaw.co.uk/blog/right-to-peaceful-protest</a></p><p><a href="https://nationallegalservice.co.uk/uk-protest-rights/">https://nationallegalservice.co.uk/uk-protest-rights/</a></p><p><br /></p></div></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-54788130067217146862021-05-26T12:57:00.010+01:002021-06-20T15:15:08.106+01:00COVID - Dominic Cummings inquiry<p>Cummings inquiry 26/05/21<br /></p><p>Dominic Cummings main comments <br /></p><p><br /></p><p>"Matt Hancock lied and should be sacked"</p><p>The Gov had no plans for an emergency situation, chaotic incompetence.</p><p></p><p>PM Boris Johnson said "I'm more concerned with you (Dominic Cummings) having the powers to resolve the chaos, chaos isn't that bad it means that everyone needs to look to me to resolve the chaos" </p><p>Lamp in march lateral flow tests could have been available in march which would have reduced the impact of the autumn spike of cases. Money should have been put into Lamp and LFT in march but the time was wasted.</p><p>Let the body's pile up in their thousands was that said "There are various versions of this rumor, the BBC version is correct"<br /></p><p>Untested people sent back into care homes - PM said "What on earth are you telling me? (polite version) Hancock told me people world be tested before being sent back to care homes"</p><p>PM said "If i shut down the borders we wont have any tourism company's left" we said if you don't there wont be any left anyway. <br /></p><p>Essentially PM had responsibility for devolved nations tighter restrictions but was delayed due to not wanting to effect tourist industry.</p><p>"The system is creaking and at some stage people are just going to stop obeying orders from this PM as its not a legitimate government."</p><p>Surely you going to learn the lessons from march, PM said no were "going to hit and hope"</p><p>"If you took the top 1% of the country then any of them would have dealt with Covid better"</p><p>Patrick Valance was very clear, the data was very clear the PM didn't accept the advice.</p><p>You should not sack him the time to sack him is when the inquiries come along.<br /></p><p>Do you think Michael Gove is culpable - I don't think Michael had a huge amount of responsibility regarding this.</p><p>Asians all do what their told - who said that? - "I don't want to get into who said what in specific meetings"<br /></p><p>Do you think Boris Johnson is a fit a proper person to get us through this pandemic? "No"</p><p>"We still don't have a proper border policy"<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-74774733483588305632021-01-28T23:09:00.002+00:002021-01-28T23:09:18.125+00:00COVID - Oxford University/AstraZeneca partnership & The EU<br /><br /> Unlike me to not be knocking the UK Gov but .... credit where credit due.<div><br />The Oxford University and AstraZeneca partnership came out of the UK Govs dedicated Vaccines Taskforce, basically the Gov fitted them together.</div><div><br />Oxford University’s vaccine research was given £20 million Government funding.<br />AstraZeneca will work with global partners on the international distribution of the vaccine, particularly working to make it available and accessible for low and medium-income countries.</div><div><br />Both partners have agreed to operate on a not-for-profit basis for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.<br />Only the costs of production and distribution are being covered.</div><div><br />Uk got early access because Gov basically took a punt on it being successful as they ordered millions of doses before the trial results were out.<br />EU ordered 3 months later so unfortunately behind us in the queue.</div><div><br />The agreements between Astra and UK & EU have not been released but apparently, Astra saying that it was a best endeavours agreement. So not sure how far EU will get with that one. If it goes to court the agreements would have to be released.<br />EU supply will happen when previous commitments have been fulfilled.</div><div><br />Think there's a lot of smoke being blown around.<br />EU because they were late ordering, but then would you order a car if there was no guarantee the engine would work.<br />UK Gov took a speculative punt and this time it paid off. If the trials had failed then would have been a different story, I guess they were sweating for a while there. But it didn't and so we were front of the queue.</div><div><br />In the big scheme of things, there seems to be some disparity with costs of the vaccine being sold to smaller countries for double the price, but I guess whether that is true or not will come out in the wash.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>LINKS</div><div><a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2020-04-30-oxford-university-announces-landmark-partnership-astrazeneca-development-and">https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2020-04-30-oxford-university-announces-landmark-partnership-astrazeneca-development-and</a></div><div><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55836463">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55836463</a></div><div><a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/charles-michel-says-eu-could-invoke-urgent-measures-response-coronavirus-vaccine-shortfall/">https://www.politico.eu/article/charles-michel-says-eu-could-invoke-urgent-measures-response-coronavirus-vaccine-shortfall/</a></div><div><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-european-union-demands-plan-from-astrazeneca-to-deliver-promised-vaccines-as-row-continues-12200919">https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-european-union-demands-plan-from-astrazeneca-to-deliver-promised-vaccines-as-row-continues-12200919</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-30663569239499007742021-01-27T15:13:00.002+00:002021-01-27T18:42:25.841+00:00COVID - Why does the UK have highest death rate in Europe.<div style="text-align: left;">The question seems to be being asked as to why we have the highest death rate in Europe.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />To me its a no brainer, not sure why its even a question, seems fairly obvious.<br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>UK Gov, didn't take on board the reccomendations of the 2016 pandemic report, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_Cygnus">operation cygnus</a>, this wasnt an if it was a when. It was known this would happen, they just couldnt predict exactly when.</li><li>Because of point 1 frontline staff ran out of PPE and the Gov had to spend millions to get stocks, some of which were not fit for purpose. <br /></li><li>UK's High population density in relation to land mass.</li><li>One of the lowest levels of ICU beds and staff in Europe.</li><li>Didnt close borders. Easy for the UK to close borders as we are an island.<br /></li><li>Slow to react in bring in a lock down, which wasnt really a lock down. Initially went down herd immunity route until doing a sharp U Turn.<br /></li><li>Inconsistent and changing messages all the way through, meaning the public didnt buy into it fully.</li><li>Allowed major sporting events to go ahead. Cheltenham a point in case 500,000 people from all over the country.</li><li>Failed to instigate a working track & trace at the start and wasted millions. Other countries seemed to be able to instigate working systems. </li><li>Kept schools/universities open, saying "theres no indication of it spreading in schools" and Boris "I'll keep schools open regardless of the cost", he didnt say wether that was monetry cost or deaths. Meanwhile specialists (so the scientists knew) on the radio were saying of course it spreads in schools and silently, as kids rarely show symptoms. Later schools were struggling to stay open due to lackof staff.</li></ol><p>There are many others, but 10 will do.<br /></p><a href="https://garysoapbox.blogspot.com/2021/01/covid-sweden-per-capita-is-still-better.html" target="_blank">From previous post</a> <br /><blockquote><span style="color: #444444;"><i>The closest country that is similar to the UK in population and population density is Vietnam total cases 1,549 total deaths 35. (If you believe the figures)<br /><br />Whilst Vietnam didn't lock down totally. Months before the rest of the world acted, it brought in travel restrictions, closed the border with China, schools were closed for 6 months, anyone entering the country quarantine for 14 days, 40% of quarantined cases had the virus but were asymptomatic carriers. Any towns with Positive cases were locked down with no one allowed in or out until two weeks had passed with no confirmed cases. </i></span></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">It wasnt like this snuck up on us, it could be seen coming across the world like a tidal wave. Italy was the best warning but the UK Gov seemed to chose to ignore, stand on the beach and watch the wave coming, rather than running for high ground.</p><p style="text-align: left;">A short sharp lock down at the start, including locking borders and we would have been out of it in 3-6 months, it would have never got to the levels it has. People will say ah well easy to say that in hindsight, well it wasnt hinsight. Ive been saying it from the start, its just common sense, and Vietnam our closest comparison (land area and population density), did just that, locked down well in advance of other countries and achieved possibly the lowest death rate.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Others that have closed borders etc Australia, NZ have achieved the same, although not really compareable, due to population density being much lower.</p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"> ooOOoo</p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p> <i><strong><a href="https://www.health.org.uk/about-the-health-foundation/our-people/directors-team/dr-jennifer-dixon">Dr Jennifer Dixon</a>,
<span style="color: #444444;">Chief Executive of the Health Foundation, responding to data showing
the death toll from COVID-19 has exceeded 100,000 people in the UK,
said:</span></strong></i></p><div class="c-content c-content--top-level"><div class="o-layout-container c-content__layout_wrapper"><div class="c-content__wrapper"><blockquote>
<p><span style="color: #444444;"><i>‘This is a tragic milestone, and our deepest sympathy goes out to all those who have lost friends and family to COVID-19.</i></span></p><span style="color: #444444;">
</span><p><span style="color: #444444;"><i>‘The scene for the current crisis was set long before the virus
arrived. There has clearly been a lack of long-term planning and horizon
scanning — and the investment across government and public agencies
needed to do this. Underinvestment in public services has been ignored,
leading to staffing shortages in the NHS, an obviously inadequate system
for social care and cuts to public health grants over the last decade.
This, plus a bias in decision-making towards the short term, has meant
the country was not prepared and has struggled to find the capacity
needed to deal with a crisis of this magnitude.</i></span></p><span style="color: #444444;">
</span><p><span style="color: #444444;"><i>‘Decisions and action to protect people in care homes was late and
inadequate. Over a quarter of deaths took place in care homes.</i></span></p><span style="color: #444444;">
</span><p><span style="color: #444444;"><i>‘There was poor appreciation of the skills available in local
authorities to help develop a strong test and trace system. Instead the
government relied heavily on private contractors, many selected quickly
without normal due diligence to cost or value, and the system has
struggled to meet its own targets.</i></span></p><span style="color: #444444;">
</span><p><span style="color: #444444;"><i>‘The pandemic has severely tested governments around the world. The
toll of 100,000 deaths in the UK rightly raises huge questions as to how
the pandemic was managed. There will need to be full inquiry to make
sure lessons are learned for the future. Crucially, this will need to
consider the extent to which existing health and economic inequalities
in the UK, compared with other developed nations, made our experience
far worse.’</i></span></p></blockquote><p></p><span style="color: #444444;">
</span></div><span style="color: #444444;">
</span></div><span style="color: #444444;">
</span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/news/health-foundation-response-to-the-uk-covid-19-death-toll-exceeding-100000"></a></p><blockquote><a href="https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/news/health-foundation-response-to-the-uk-covid-19-death-toll-exceeding-100000">https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/news/health-foundation-response-to-the-uk-covid-19-death-toll-exceeding-100000</a></blockquote> <br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"> <br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>LINKS</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.theweek.co.uk/107044/uk-coronavirus-timeline">https://www.theweek.co.uk/107044/uk-coronavirus-timeline</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_in_England_(2020)" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_in_England_(2020) </a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_in_England_(2021)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_in_England_(2021)</a><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-88131021751487184492021-01-26T00:28:00.003+00:002021-06-20T15:17:52.527+01:00COVID ~ Sweden per capita is still better than in the UK<p><br /></p><p>They should be with 1/12th of our population density. If a country could have pulled off no lockdowns Sweden should have been able to. However, they are currently doing U-Turns and now have the laws to allow a lockdown, if needed. They brought in face masks on public transport about 2 weeks ago, not that I totally agree with face masks, as they are not used correctly.</p><p>Sweden's population is 14% of ours</p><p>Population density is 8% of ours</p><p>UK 724/mi2</p><p>Swe 58/mi2</p><p>Their death rate is 11% of ours which is kind of on a par with us in comparison to the population.</p><p>However with their population density being so much lower and if not locking down was actually working that figure should be much lower.</p><p>Difficult to compare countries that are so far apart on population density.</p><p>One of the big differences is the swedes are more compliant to following rules, so whilst no lockdown was imposed, social distancing was advised and in the main followed ...try that here in the UK 😀 😀</p><p>The closest country that is similar to the UK in population and population density is Vietnam total cases 1,549 total deaths 35 (if you believe the figures)</p><p>Whilst Vietnam didn't lock down totally. Months before the rest of the world acted, it brought in travel restrictions, closed the border with China, schools were closed for 6 months, anyone entering the country quarantine for 14 days, 40% of quarantined cases had the virus but were asymptomatic carriers. Any towns with Positive cases were locked down with no one allowed in or out until two weeks had passed with no confirmed cases. </p><p>We shall see how Sweden fairs in the next month but with their population density and the broadly compliant population they should be able to pull it off. But not comparable to the UK. 🙂</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>LINKS</b><br /><a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries">https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries<br /></a><a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-by-density">https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-by-density</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104709/coronavirus-deaths-worldwide-per-million-inhabitants/">https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104709/coronavirus-deaths-worldwide-per-million-inhabitants/</a><br /><a href="https://covid19.healthdata.org/sweden?view=resource-use&tab=trend&resource=all_resources">https://covid19.healthdata.org/sweden?view=resource-use&tab=trend&resource=all_resources<br /></a><a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/">https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk<br /></a><a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/sweden">https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/sweden<br /></a><a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/viet-nam/">https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/viet-nam<br /></a><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-52628283">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-52628283<br /></a><a href="https://www.euronews.com/2020/10/19/has-sweden-s-coronavirus-strategy-helped-it-avoid-pandemic-fatigue">https://www.euronews.com/2020/10/19/has-sweden-s-coronavirus-strategy-helped-it-avoid-pandemic-fatigue<br /></a><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/b376ae27-4889-4f54-803d-8507de9dcb7e">Sweden’s distinctive Covid strategy nears an end as lockdown proposed<br /></a><a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201218-sweden-does-u-turn-on-face-masks-to-fight-virus">Sweden does U-turn on face masks to fight virus</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099623588267670458.post-70027345106784219552020-12-09T17:29:00.001+00:002020-12-22T17:31:19.705+00:00BREXIT - Vocal Brexiter Sir Jim Ratcliffe moves out of UK<p><br /></p>Strange how those who were so vocal about how 'Great' Britain would be after Brexit are now moving their companies and themselves out of Great Britain ......<br />Makes you wonder how they made their money in the 1st place, doesn't it? <br />With Britain about to become so great once we've finally completed Brexit, only a fool would move their Company into Europe.<br />Idiots the lot of them probably had all their money handed to them on a plate. <br />"he said in September 2019. “The decision to build in the UK is a significant expression of confidence in British manufacturing,"<br />So I guess that confidence has somewhat waned then <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t34/1/16/1f914.png" /> go on then Ratcliffe fcuk off to Monaco and don't come back you absolute lying twat.<p> </p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-weight: 700;"></span></p><blockquote>Vocal Brexiter Sir Jim Ratcliffe vowed to make new Grenadier 4x4 in Bridgend but has now bought car plant at Hambach</blockquote><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;"><p><span style="font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif;">Ratcliffe, a vocal Brexit supporter who recently </span><a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/sep/25/sir-jim-ratcliffe-uks-richest-person-moves-to-tax-free-monaco-brexit-ineos-domicile" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(220, 220, 220); color: #ab0613; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s;">left the UK for tax-free Monaco</a><span style="font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif;">, said Hambach had presented the company with “a unique opportunity that we simply could not ignore”.</span> </blockquote><p></p></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">Ratcliffe </span><a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/07/jim-ratcliffe-ineos-land-rover-rival-france-wales" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(220, 220, 220); color: #ab0613; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s;">last year announced plans to build a factory in Bridgend and employ 500 British people building the new vehicle</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">. “We have looked long and hard at possible manufacturing locations for Grenadier across the world with lots of good options to choose from,” he said in September 2019. “The decision to build in the UK is a significant expression of confidence in British manufacturing, which has always been at the heart of what Ineos stands for.”</span></blockquote><p></p><blockquote> <span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">“We’d like to retain the Britishness and have a bit of passion about UK manufacturing,” he </span><a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/4494945/jim-ratcliffe-new-land-rover-defender-brexit-car-plant-britain/" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(220, 220, 220); color: #ab0613; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s;">told Sun readers</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;"> at the time. “We believe that Britain can produce something as reliable as Germany or Japan if we do it well.”</span></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>LINKS<br /></b><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/sep/25/sir-jim-ratcliffe-uks-richest-person-moves-to-tax-free-monaco-brexit-ineos-domicile">https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/sep/25/sir-jim-ratcliffe-uks-richest-person-moves-to-tax-free-monaco-brexit-ineos-domicile<br /></a><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/dec/08/ineos-boss-opts-to-build-british-heir-to-land-rover-defender-in-france?">https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/dec/08/ineos-boss-opts-to-build-british-heir-to-land-rover-defender-in-france?<br /></a><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/07/jim-ratcliffe-ineos-land-rover-rival-france-wales">https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/07/jim-ratcliffe-ineos-land-rover-rival-france-wales</a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;"></span><p></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;"></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0