The UK has now officially passed the horrific milestone of 100,000 Covid deaths – one of the highest death rates of any country in the world, though in reality that number was passed a considerable time ago.
This huge loss of life is not solely the result of Government incompetence, which is as far as the so-called ‘mainstream’ media will go, if they address it at all. It is the direct result of the Tory Government refusing to try to eliminate the virus – as New Zealand and other nations have so successfully done – instead, trying to “live with the virus” and “balance” the loss of lives and the economy and failing disastrously on both. Unless the Government urgently corrects its approach then many tens of thousands more Covid deaths are inevitable.
This crisis has deepened pre-existing inequalities in our society with those in lower-paid work and unable to work from home, Black and Asian communities and those in poorer housing amongst the hardest hit.
The UK coronavirus death toll was absolutely avoidable. Had the government followed the ‘Zero Covid’ strategy adopted by numerous countries in East Asia and the Pacific then many thousands of lives would have been saved. In New Zealand, Vietnam and across all the countries following a Zero Covid plan, the death rate is hundreds of times lower than in the UK – New Zealand has seen only 25 deaths in the whole pandemic and is enjoying an almost entirely normal societal life and minimal economic impact, thanks to its government’s competence and diligence. Other societies are reopening safely and their economies are recovering.
Members of the Socialist Campaign Group of MPs (SCG) called for a ‘Zero Covid’ strategy in a statement on 9 September. It is needed now more than ever. While the vaccines offer real hope, it will be many months until the whole country has been properly vaccinated and the government’s changes of strategy are threatening even that.
The SCG has today repeated its call in a statement just released:
We cannot continue with months more of this failing strategy. If the virus is once again allowed to spiral out of control, millions more will be infected, putting further strain on the NHS, and risking further dangerous mutations of the virus.
We believe that this Tory Government has shown itself to be completely unwilling to implement the policies needed to save lives and livelihoods. It will only change direction under huge pressure. The role of Labour in this crisis is not primarily to support the government – it is to support the lives and livelihoods of the population. The priority for the Labour Party must now be to step up the opposition to the government’s failed strategy and force it to change direction.
We believe that means stepping up the campaigning for a new public health strategy that will drive virus levels down and for the economic support that can help people get through this crisis.
We call for
▪️A proper lockdown that lasts as long as needed to drive the number of cases to the very low levels of last summer so that we can get the virus under control, begin to reopen society safely and finally break the cycle of lockdowns.
▪️An emergency package of financial support that ensures that every single person in our society has a minimum income that guarantees them a decent standard of living so that they can afford to “stay at home” and aren’t pushed into poverty or greater debt as many have been during this crisis.
▪️Statutory Sick Pay to be increased to Real Living Wage levels and available to all workers to ensure everyone can afford to self-isolate.
▪️A program of emergency measures to help people self-isolate, for example, making available free hotel spaces for those living in cramped accommodation
▪️A comprehensive testing and supported hotel quarantine system for all arrivals to the UK, in line with WHO recommendations
▪️The lockdown period to be used to fix “Test and Trace” so that when society reopens cases can be targeted and isolated. That means ending the role of the profiteers such as Serco and investing in the NHS so it can deliver this key service.
▪️Schools to reopen only once it is safe to do. The immediate priority must be urgent government action so that all pupils have guaranteed access to a laptop and internet access within days. The Government must be investing now in the measures advocated by the education unions to make schools safe for whenever they reopen
▪️Trade unions to be centrally involved in ensuring that all workplaces are safe for workers to return to once the virus is under control.
How many more people will die before the Tories listen to workers and those who represent them? Will it ever happen?
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Weirdly, New Zealand’s success might actually create a bit of a conundrum for the government soon.
Immune systems not having been challenged presumably means no antibodies?
If they want to open their borders again – ever – doesn’t that mean they ALL have to be vaccinated?
Won’t that mean a few actually dying OF the vaccine?
Like I said – weird.
‘Course I could be talking out of my arse again 🙂
What’s the problem in vaccinating all the NZ population? Isn’t that what every country aims to do?
No, David, the vaccine will kill no-one!
Vaccines can have adverse reactions – or when I had mine yesterday I wouldn’t have been asked a series of health & medication questions to check for contraindications – NOW WOULD I?
Richard, don’t be stupid – theres always some minuscule percentage of deaths, even with childhood vaccines – they’re just usually not directly attributable, particularly with older patients with many more comorbidities.
NZ is in the unusual position of having NO current mortality, but it now has to vaccinate to allow travel.
Some WILL die as a result and it will be painfully obvious that the reason is commercial.
I suspect the antivaxxers might fight particularly hard against vaccination when Covid isn’t endemic.
NOW do you get the point?
Apparently anal swabs have been proved to be more accurate than the oral ones
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/china-start-anal-swabbing-test-23400827
“China has started using anal swabbing to test for coronavirus because it’s ‘more effective’ than the nose and mouth.
“Anal swabs require inserting a cotton swab 3 to 5 centimetres (1.2 to 2.0 inch) into the anus and gently rotating it
I heard something about the yesterday. Apparently, they’re keith stammer-shaped, and have extra grease at one end. They’re so lifelike, in fact, that the only difference is that the real one is already full of 💩
Best get your bulk order in, wee man! 👍😆
Steve H…do you study this swabbing method and are you a expert?
communicating through the arse – sounds familiar?
Keith Starmer might now try to pretend he is providing opposition. But he can’t. He brought Johnson and Cummings to government -> 102,000 + excess deaths to date. Deaths and distress., the result of Starmer’s Treachery. Highest Covid-19 Deaths per Capita IN THE WHOLE WORLD. That’s the Starmer achievement by proxy or firm association. The rest of us knew Johnson to be a lazy person who is INCAPABLE of taking anything seriously due to being indulged all his life possibly. The rest of us despise Tories because we know their heartlessness. Yet Starmer, Bliar and Mandelson WORKED hard to sabotage a Labour victory. Their actions showed deceit, toxic devious plots, gross insensitivity to the many millions who were desperate for a Labour government. Their mission was to make Labour lose so Tories will pursue what Starmer supports – the status quo🔴🔴🔴
Starmer is unfit to lead anything, let alone Labour.
What puzzles me is, even after seeing what Starmer’s done AND seeing what he’s doing, some still are willing to sit back and hope for a crumb, so won’t organise to drag the parasite out🔴🔴🔴
Given that there are four or five times as many Blairite MPs as there are socialist MPs in the LP, could you explain how they – the left-wing MPs – could ‘drag him out’?
The fact that you castigate them for NOT doing so implies you think there is some way they can, or could, so would you mind elaborating. Cheers
I think its called guts and determination White flag man Allan Howard.ITs something that would be alian to a person without a backbone or any concept of human understanding….!
Says Okeefe, completely ignoring the point I made about there being four or five times as many Blairite MPs in the LP as there are socialists.
So perhaps you’d like to explain how they COULD get rid of Starmer if they had the ‘guts’ you claim they don’t have. Needless to say, you’re spouting complete bollox, and just because you ARE, you chime in with the usual personal abuse, which is of course what black propagandists DO when they have no legitimate answer! But perhaps you could explain how having ‘guts’ could overcome the ‘arithmetic’.
No? Thought not!
PS Does anyone else know how socialist MPs could topple Starmer given the arithmetic (and obviously replace him with one of their number, as otherwise it would just be a pointless excercise anyway)?
What percentage of the PLP does an MP need now to nominate them so as to make a leadership challenge – I think it’s 15% – and are there enough socialist MPs to do so? I just this minute did a search and it appears that it was reduced from 15% to 10%, and if they pass that threshold, they then need nominations from at ‘least 5% of CLPs’.
I just checked, and it appears that the SCG have 24 members at present, so enough to nominate one of their number (and I assume there would be more than enough CLPs who would back them). But what would happen in such an eventuality? Whoever the left-wing challenger WAS, they would inevitably be dubbed Corbynistas by the MSM, and that’s just for starters! BUT, that wouldn’t influence the vast majority of left-wing members, as they would see it for the propaganda that it is. Yes, and no doubt most – if not ALL – left-wing members who were duped into voting for Starmer in the leadership election have realised long before now that they WERE duped, but I doubt they amounted to more than a relatively small minority of the members that DID vote for Starmer, AND, left-wing members have been leaving the party in droves as of since Jeremy announced he was standing down, and ESPECIALLY in the past nine months or so since Starmer was elected leader. But, in the event that the socialist challenger DID win, what would happen then?!
Yep, they would of course just be smeared and demonised by the MSM et al, and ESPECIALLY so in the run up to a general election (and local council elections). But what would happen in the unlikely event that they DID win a general election? Yep, the Blairites would just sabotage most of their program, with more than a little ‘assistance’ from the MSM – ie the Establishment’s black propaganda machine.
Allan – You’ve made a mistake, below is an extract from page 21 of the 2020 Rule Book.
Where there is no vacancy, nominations may be sought by potential challengers each year prior to the annual session of Party conference. In this case any nomination must be supported by 20 per cent of the combined Commons members of the PLP and members of the EPLP . Nominations not attaining shall be null and void. this threshold The sitting Leader or Deputy Leader shall not be required to seek nominations in the event of a challenge under this rule
Well it WAS reduced from 15% to 10% not so long ago, so it’s obviously been changed to 20% quite recently, which one would expect of Starmer and Co. So that would amount to forty nominations which, as far as I’m aware, the SCG don’t have, so hopefully the shills on here will NOW stop fraudulently criticising left-wing MPs (for not making a leadership challenge) and fraudulently calling them gutless etc.
Allan – If you read page 21 of the current rule book all will become clear. It is 10% if there is a vacancy and 20% if challenging an incumbent leader. This was put in place to protect Corbyn (it had absolutely bugger all to do with Keir Starmer)
We in Cambodia and many other neighbours have been successful in having C19 infections in the low hundreds.and no fatalities.I am sure that climate or culture plays some part.On the other hand we have a petri dish of deaseases that would drop a elephant.We are despite being a third world country fortunate to have a government that reflects the culture and practices of the khmer people.,not all perfect.Britain is ruled by a group of people that in no way reflect the culture and practices of the ordinary people.IT will take much more stringent treatment to remove the establishment system than it will to remove the C19 virus.And hopfuly they that have ruled for centuries will be eradicated sooner rather than later because the country cannot afford to carry the parasites any longer.
I have no longer any interest in what the pathetic Labour Party does or doesn’t do, and feel rather sorry for the remaining left still clinging to this hulk. I must take issue with The Sqwawkbox , however, re the implication that the MSM blames government incompetence for the dire straits we are in. It doesn’t. Yes there are some columns in The Guardian that state this, and the Daily Mirror, not to mention the Morning Star and a few outspoke independent radio outlets too. But on the whole the MSM DOES NOT highlight government incompetence in anything like a challenging way, and the best we can hope for from the BBC (and sadly Channel 4News now) is a timorous suggestion, always with a question mark at the end, that just perhaps it may possibly be to do with the government not quite getting it right. This collusion has been for me one of the most shocking hallmarks of this whole pandemic tragedy.
noelstevenson12
Sadly I have noticed C4News has succumb to barely challenging the government on issues. I feel they lost their bite when the Channel was threatened with privatisation.
Occasionally you get Krishna Guru Murthy being tough with these charlatans. For me the days of Jon Snow tearing them apart seems to be a distant memory.
Keir and the shadow cabinet already support all the bulleted points in the article above.
Oh, he has, has he? So he’s no longer: “No ifs buts or equivocation” anymore?
What a guy, eh? 😒
https://labourlist.org/2021/01/labour-sets-out-measures-needed-for-full-reopening-of-schools-in-march/
SH Crystal ball and stargazing to ascertain opening schools in march,SH you misfits are also experts in annal Swabbing no doubt..Bulleted points? ….?
Oh, they suddenly found their voices, have they?
Pity they could not care a toss about the x-leader, the membership of Labour being endlessly attacked by this cult of new Labour 2.0. That has taken over the party silence on that…
But they are talking tough! Wow, I am so impressed NOT… This makes a few headlines wag your finger then go back to silence is not good enough!
There craven acceptance of this right-wing take over of Labour shows there so-called socialism is very shallow..
So what WOULD be good enough DG? Could you elaborate?
And a article in the morning star highlights a young single mother takes her own life after a letter from DWP\crapita…She was found with the letter in her hand after having her so called “Benifits” cancelled.This is life in Britain on what masquerades as Social security system.This is what a true Opposition fights against…And the Labour establishment party?..sweet F.A.
There’s another example of why the Left are practically useless at politics
Look at the picture, no JC, if they had a spine or guts they would have him front and centre
The right would not have had a second thought
Would you want these people behind you in a battle
Here we go again! The fascist shills who infest this blog coming up with one of the most pathetic smears of socialist MPs YET! And of course one of them makes the initial (false and phony) denigration, and then a second chimes in shortly afterwards and hypes up the (false and phony) denigration even MORE! It’s a standard technique of propagandists!
Yeh sure guys, they all thought how they couldn’t possibly have Jeremy in the picture (who wasn’t there) even though they have all backed Jeremy and defended him and condemned Starmer and Co for suspending him and then withdrawing the whip shortly after he was reinstated.
Talk about scraping the barrel you fucking shill twats! If there’s still any readers of skwawkbox who haven’t already seen through you, then if THIS pathetic ‘attack’ doesn’t convince them of what you are, then nothing ever will!
Such a very good point Doug…. is code for ‘such a very good totally fake and phony point Doug to further dupe and deceive readers of skwawkbox’!
As I say, not a day goes by without the shills on here trying to discredit and trash socialist MPs, who they have been specifically targetting for the past couple of months or more, but they have of course posted literally HUNDREDS of posts trashing and smearing left-wing members and Jeremy Corbyn during the past eighteen months or so.
White flag man is the Opposite of Corbyn who was a recruitment sergeant for the Socialist revival…We should have a prize draw for how many people Allan Howard has called a Shill,,now resorting to filthy low life language ,as”you fucking shill twats “…Hes seriously driving new socialist posters away.
No Ian Lavery or Jon Trickett in that photo so a couple missing there as well Doug
“Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim’rous beastie[s],
O, what a panic’s in thy breastie[s]!”
Being in a photo with Corbyn would inevitably invite unfavourable comparisons.
All politicians want to be PM and Corbyn’s huge popularity was a slap in the face to all 649 of them.
A salutary lesson on their place in the big picture. A humiliation that would cause any politician to review his prospects.
Some of those in the picture will probably have decided they need to ‘moderate’ their socialism if they ever want to get ahead.
“Would you want these people behind you in a battle?”
Nah. Let them hide in the cellar with the rest of the civilians.
Such a very good point Doug.I am now beginning to see how truly gutless they are.IF Corbyn had been invited into the shot it would have sent a clear message to the leader and the membership just were the left stood.Now youve pointed out the cowardice of the group its looking like its more of the same limp response from the real permanent embarrassment…well spotted.
Have seen this photo before. I think the photo was taken just after the 2019 election, new intake of socialist MP’s to the SCG. It’s certainly not recent; too many in a group/ no masks/ no social distancing. Maybe just a poor choice of photo for this article ?
Just what I was wondering, @Foggy. Thanks for pointing that out x
Labour will not put forward any of these recommendations, but will just agree with Tory Covid19 policies.
This group of socialists are sat inside a Tory party lying it is Labour, and should move off to such as the Breakthrough party, as sitting MPs, and be the opposition that is needed.
Much rumours of early general in 2022 or 2023, when Labour should have entirely ceased to exist, so we get a new socialist party voted into government, as we need an immediately Clement Attlee to help people from the ‘war’ like scenario of the needed lockdown for public health, and the high death rate we’ve suffered (more than the Blitz in 2nd world war).
Oh how predictable! Just eight minutes after I posted my comment the shills – using one of their secondary personas – post a comment ‘endorsing’ what two of the ‘every-day shills posted! And given that it must have taken ‘Grey Swans’ at least several minutes to compose and type out his post, you can be sure that the shills KNEW I’d posted my comment almost immediately I DID. And yet AGAIN, the shills – ie ‘Grey Swans’ in THIS case – fraudulently condemns the SCG for continuing to stay in the LP AND for not breaking away and forming a new socialist party (or sitting as Independents), when they know damn well it’s never gonna happen, and know that it wouldn’t make the slightest bit of difference to anything even if they did, as the MPs themselves know of course.
Yes, and their little joke was to post a SECOND ‘endorsement’ of ‘Dougs’ comment, so-called, precisely because of what I said about the ‘tactic’ of propagandists to post an ‘endorsement’ of what the first one said shortly after they posted their post! Yes, they HAVE to leave it a little while before posting the ‘endorsement’ – in this case twenty-six minutes – otherwise it would look too blatantly obvious!
No-one had posted a comment for about five hours prior to ‘Doug’ posting his bit of poisonous vitriol, and then Okeefe piles in with his fascist B/S shortly afterwards…. Yeah, funny, isn’t it, that the person that just happens to see ‘Dougs’ post shortly after he posted it just HAPPENED to be someone who not only ‘endorsed’ Dougs totally spurious and malicious and fraudulent accusation, but then expanded on and ‘developed’ what he’d said!
Oh, and then a SECOND ‘endorser’ of the B/S just happens to post a comment just EIGHT minutes after I posted my response to ‘Doug’ and Okeefe.
Oh, right, but it’s ALL just coincidence of course!
As I said above, if Jeremy had been at the meeting you can be ABSOLUTELY certain he would have been in the picture. And the conjuring up of a way to discredit the SCG in such a scurrilous and disingenuous manner is RIGHT out of the Sun and the Mail’s playbook of dirty tricks!
Nurse Nurse!…..white flag man has broken out again….Yes I know its the early hours but hes ranting,and foaming at the mouth….HELP..!
Oh, if only the SCG had had Jeremy ‘front and center’ in the picture that accompanies the above article, ‘it would have sent a clear message to the leader and the membership just where the left stood’! Yeah, if only they HAD, I’m sure it would have had Starmer quaking in his boots. NOT!
Just like the fascist owned and/or controlled MSM so often do to those they target, Doug and Okeefe conjured up a way to discredit the SCG out of thin air!
Needless to say, Doug and Okeefe know damn well that the SCG are 100% supportive of Jeremy, and have nothing but admiration for him.
How many people can you get in a mini?…The Opposite of that must be how many posters can white flag man Allan Howard insult castigate and lie about in one article.Well it appears to be Windchimes,dasabled grandad,Doug,.Greyswans,and myself Joseph Okeefe .That must be a record and the golden boot winner of the most powerful rant over the early hours of a deranged individual Allan white flag Howard…!Take a bow and get to bed sunshine 🌞🌞🌞
.
Allan Howard
Who was it who said something like
They will stop attacking you, when you stop running away
Genuine question
Thankyou David,I am going to keep them clips that will remind me what the British are best in in the world at….We are going to watch all of them for a Saturday night treat.Now I know we are both getting old,but its a brilliant way to relax and laugh out here and that is so very very important nowadays.I had nearly forgotten about them comedy greats especially here in Cambodia which is so far removed from the memorys of great British comedy and the wonderful sense of humour….thanks again from both of us ..carol and joe.
Two of those in the so-called Left Wing group enabled Starmer to destroy our chances to win the 2019 General Election by supporting Starmer and the PV and Remain brigade.. = McDonnell and Abbott. IMHO There is only one genuine left winger in that photograph. I will NEVER follow that group as long as McDonnell is in it.
How many MPs in the SCG supported socialist Chris Williamson? – NONE
How did NZ get to have no Covid without a vaccination program ? How does Taiwan have a reported level of just seven covid cases when it has a population density 7 times greater than the UK ? Is comprehensive vaccination the best way to go ? There seems to be an assumption that it is. Le Monde Diplomatique picked up on a Dutch finding that testing for traces of Covid in the water supply might be more effective than testing individuals. fIn Amersfoort, they found the virus in the water system before the first human cases. Would a comprehensive vaccination program be too much of a gift to the monopoly power of big pharma ? Where did the Labour policy on generic medicines go ? Good point about Williamson. It appeared to be politically expedient to get rid of him as he was undiplomatic and less media cuddly than some of his opponents.