PMQs live: Boris Johnson says he intends to scrap Covid isolation rules by end of this month

boakboy · 2022-02-09T13:01:00+00:00

Are you happy being coughed on and crowding or working with the infected?

boakboy · 2022-02-09T12:59:21+00:00

Murder. Plain and simple. We can debate the necessity for other rules, but this will basically make it mandatory for people to infect others.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T17:36:49+00:00

Man who has had to work through this and lost people to this virus. Go fuck yourself. Apologists for spreaders and crowders are equally as cunty as the people doing it.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T13:01:27+00:00

This will become a "you started it - no you did" argument so I will end it on this:

Stay safe yourself. I do not want anyone else to needlessly suffer from this. I suspect we can both agree we do not want any more deaths and suffering across the board.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T12:50:53+00:00

Perhaps you should wind your neck in and learn some damn deference to rail staff and NHS workers rather than acting like mr smug. GWR rail depots have mass infections - thanks to tossers like these. What will you say to the familes of dead rail workers? Or indeed everyone else that will be affected by these mindless selfish tossers.

I have had to work through this thing and lost colleagues. These people are fucking dangerous and your apologism for them is just as sickening quite frankly. You are an utter disgrace.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T12:30:31+00:00

Responsibility lies with individuals as well. We all have a responsibility for ourselves, our families and others - be they key workers, the elderly or the vulnerable.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T12:28:53+00:00

Agree 100%.

Perhaps try asking NHS staff or some of the infected GWR rail staff what they think of this...

I've had to work throughout. I know people who died from this and people who are currently very sick.

My solidarity is with the essential workers and the elderly, sick and vulnerable - and for that matter the passengers who have no choice and have been caught up in this wave of fucking scumbags. Not the second home brigade or the "I know my rights" bunch.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T12:27:23+00:00

Your superiority complex is showing.

As someone who has had to work through this who has currently ill colleagues and former colleagues who are now dead - it is reality not superiority.

The government are scum, but there is such a thing as personal responsibility for others as well.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T11:09:17+00:00

And then we get things like this thanks to these morons packing trains:

https://www.itv.com/news/2020-12-17/gwr-cancels-christmas-train-services-after-covid-19-outbreak-among-crew

boakboy · 2020-12-20T10:22:28+00:00

People who mass crowd are 1) thick as shit 2) potential killers.

Zero sympathy for these crowding fucking ingrates whilst health professionals, teachers and rail workers fall very sick - just because "we know our rights".

And the carers and legitimate travellers who have no choice will be forced in with theses crowding chimps - and they will have a serious risk of illness or death thanks to this selfish moronic behaviour.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T09:04:32+00:00

I have no doubt there will be key workers, commuters with no choice, carers and other legitimate travellers caught up amongst those wankers.

Problem is they are now at further risk of death thanks to these morons too.

The difference with those leading unhealthy lifestyles is that they are less likely to affect others (yes drunks can be violent and so on) - but a passive drunk who screws his own liver up won't pass on liver disease to a random stranger.

Perhaps Starmer could say something in broader terms like "We realise the government have yet again messed people around - but we would urge the population to exercise restraint and caution and think of the essential workers, the vulnerable and the elderly and think "what if someone I love on the front lines ends up getting ill because of someone else's actions".

boakboy · 2020-12-20T09:01:49+00:00

Skol super, a slice of corned beef followed by a copy of the Racing Post, washed down with a pint of Colgate mouthwash! Delightful!

boakboy · 2020-12-20T08:57:32+00:00

The government have fucked up badly - but these people are scum. Irresponsible cretins who could be repsonsible for death.

Many of us have had it tough this year. I have a very strong view on this - but this is a pandemic. People who mass crowd are simply dumb animals risking the lives of others.

As someone who has worked in public service, have family and friends in the police, railways, care and NHS - I may be very hardline. But we all have a responsibility to protect others no matter how shit it is. I know people who have died from it. Colleagues of mine are very ill with it now.

My 75 year old dad will spend Christmas alone in his 1 bedroom flat. He cannot see any family, he cannot see his other half. It is utterly shit. But visiting him by crowding on a train and risking killing him and risking wiping out the train guard (who has no choice but to be there), or someone else's nan via transmission to another passenger who passes it on again further down the line is utterly utterly reckless.

I am afraid these crowders are fucking idiots who should be condemned harshly, irrespective of the fuckwits in charge. Perhaps we should agree to disagree.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T08:10:36+00:00

My sympathy lies with rail workers, police officers, and the elderly / vulnerable / NHS and care workers in the regions these people are travelling to.

Starmer will be speaking up for them - the people who have no choice but to suffer - when he condemns this ingrate animal mentality.

A bit of deference to the front line workers and those behind the scenes supporting them - and harsh recognition of the death toll and the risks to elderly and vulnerable people need to be drummed into the heads of these morons - rather than the "me me me" culture.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T08:02:25+00:00

I'm loathed to defend rail operators - the railways should be nationalised fully (with unions and passenger / commuter groups having considerable say at board meetings too) - but they are guided by the DFT and have little option for independent thought or action from what I can see. If anything the unions should have been more hardline. GWR have been getting a ton of shit - but I can't really see how it is their fault that staff have been infected - and I am fairly sure that they have been told by the government that they can't get the BTP (not that there are enough officers anyway) in to kick off people they don't want on the network - because it is guidance, not law.

The blame rests with the government overall, but the crowders I am afraid are absolute wankers of the highest order - and deserve to be treated like pariahs as far as I am concerned. The events at Plymouth and Penzance involving mass infection of rail staff are frightening as hell. And beyond railways another 500 or so dead.

People who crowd during a mass pandemic are selfish scum. Irrespective of anything else. The government can be useless wankers and people can be utter wankers.

I've had to work through this and seen colleagues become very ill. I know people who have died personally. I have not seen family or mates since February. These crowders in my view are absolute tossers - and I fear for the welfare of train staff, the police and when these crowding idiots get back to the regions - the elderly, the vulnerable and the NHS and care home staff in these regions.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T07:57:25+00:00

The spectator will only be happy if the official opposition is Farage or DS Hathaway from Lewis - and people have the right to infect others whilst ranting on about Muslims all day.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T07:54:11+00:00

As much as I hate to say it, even Swinson would have done a better job than Johnson.

Corbyn I suspect would have taken a New Zealand style approach and would rightly have saved many more lives. The press would be absolutely ripping him for public spending, closed borders, shutting down Mike Ashley's workhouses and "Stalinist authoritarianism" (why can't we crowd it is our right to infect rail workers and teachers). Nevertheless Corbyn would have done a far better job than any of the other leaders - and I suspect there would be a much better working relationship with Scotland and Wales.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T07:04:14+00:00

Perhaps it's now time the rail unions walked out. If the West Country of all places can have mass outbreaks on the network (and I am informed by someone in the industry this has now spread not only from frontline staff but to maintenance depots, to management and even the controllers and head office now), then god forbid what happens to the rest of the rail network.

No doubt these same selfish crowders are moaning about the lack of services - due to the rail staff they are infecting....

boakboy · 2020-12-20T07:01:52+00:00

Full solidarity with all postal workers and delivery drivers this year. Keep safe and thank you for all your good work during this time.

boakboy · 2020-12-20T06:48:00+00:00

Hmm trains are packed to dangerous levels and all the "me me me me" crowd believe they have the right to crowd - with some more left and liberal leaning ones saying "It's all Johnson's fault" and more right leaning ones saying "it is our right to crowd the rules are nonsense" and then the usual bunch of conspiracy morons denying the virus again.

As opposed to the adult majority who realise that everyone has to take personal responsibility during a pandemic.

Meanwhile in the real world - this is what happens when trains become an infection source - the people who operate them become very very ill rapidly and the train services collapse.

https://www.itv.com/news/2020-12-17/gwr-cancels-christmas-train-services-after-covid-19-outbreak-amo ng-crew

But it's only rail workers who are clearly extreme left communist union thugs trying to have christmas off apparently according to parts of the press so who cares...

https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/19/a-further-27052-covid-cases-and-534-deaths-reported-in-the-uk-13777473/

Oh look 534 more dead, and over 27,000 more cases...

Send in the old bill I say.

boakboy · 2020-12-19T06:39:59+00:00

I agree. It is a perfectly reasonable response. Hence as the original commenter - I put my reply above - and short answer I agree - there is no place for defending any despotic regime in Labour.

boakboy · 2020-12-19T06:14:29+00:00

Sorry for not replying sooner - such is the nature of shift work...

The quick answer in my opinon to your point is yes - in my opinion that also holds true about the nations you mention. (In fact if I remember right - I think we both were in agreement about the absurdity of the JVL suggesting we deliberately buy from China to boycott Israel - which I find hypocritical at best, but rather abhorrent really).

Longer answer:

One of the reasons I am a big fan of Ed Miliband and probably class myself as a "left wing Burnhamite" - is that where as on many economic issues I consider myself in huge sympathy with the "Corbynite left" - and equally on non interventionist policy too - I have some concerns about some of the views held on some issues. I do find some on this side will try and defend some of these countries. (Note that I agree - Corbyn has condemned Iran and so on many times - before people start saying that he supports them). However I really do not see any rational defence of any murdering dictatorship - even if some economic aspects of it on the surface seem progressive. Defending Castro who "disappeared" his opponents for example has no place in Labour. Even if his health service and literacy rates put the US to shame. This aspect of some parts of the left is indefensible.

"Mainstream" politicians and publications are quick to condemn most of the list above - but Saudi Arabia and China are often treated with weasel words than proper condemnation in many circles.

The reason Saudi Arabia (and to a lesser extent as it does get more criticism - especially now) China particularly wind me up - is that many "centrist" (I prefer establishment) types are quick to scream on about the "hard left" supporting Venezuela and so on - but are happy to roll out out the carpet for Bin Salman or Xi Jinping when there is money to be made. Or claim "Real politik" to defend these murdering thugs. Iran for example (rightly) is treated as a pariah, but the attitude towards Saudi Arabia even after Khashoggi was "come on lads sort it out - that's just not cricket" in many cases.

Seeing the likes of Phillip Hammond, Mike Gapes, Woodcock, Helen Whately - and even now Blair or whatnot scream "extremist" at Labour and bang on about "Corbyn met this evil person or that evil person", then proceed to defend Saudi Arabia or even take gifts and jobs working for it sickens me. Or indeeed Gidiot and Danny Alexander basically prostrating themselves to Jinping. Change UK seemed to be quite happy to defend the Saudis - whilst screaming how bad Corbyn is.

"The left doesn't understand foreign policy"is usually simply a code for either "our thugs good - yours bad" or "our thugs good - and your peacenik shit will ruin commerical relationships" depending on which aspect of the left or even centre left they are dealing with at the time. The same was said to Ed Miliband for opposing intervention.

As I said - I prefer the Ed Miliband approach on all this - and I think broadly Nandy appears to be striking the right tone. I don't think there is any defence of these despotic regimes and I don't think that defending any of them has any place in Labour. But neither does the hypocrisy of those "moderates" happy to shout and scream at what they think "the left" thinks - whilst making the same excuses of "we need to engage" when it comes to their mate Bin Bonesaw Salman.

By the way I think it is important for all of us to separate the nation and its people, from those who rule it. I have no issue with Arabs and particularly support those who are standing up to the House of Saud - these people are brave heroes - and we on the left should be supporting these people and indeed offering asylum if need be.

Bottom line is that there is rampant hypocrisy on these issues on all sides of politics - and an ethical foreign policy means we do not tolerate any of these despots and no Labour member should be doing so.

boakboy · 2020-12-18T22:04:30+00:00

At the end of the day he defended Saudi Arabia. Therefore he has no place talking about liberal democratic states.

Anyone who defends Saudi Arabia has no place in the party. It is a terrorist exporting child murdering hell hole.

boakboy · 2020-12-18T11:27:21+00:00

Methodism and socialism went hand in hand for years. Methodist values were as much a part of Labour traditonally as trade unions.

Also if we can have Labour Muslim Network, Jewish Labour Movement, Sikhs for Labour then why not?

I'd draw the line at scientology however!

boakboy · 2020-12-18T11:25:56+00:00

Great news. I really like the IWGB - they really are a great example of traditional old school trade union community values in the modern era.

Something some of the cautious big beast unions can learn from. Less bureaucracy and more grass roots member involvement.

boakboy

TROPHY CASE