A few short years ago I would have enjoyed spending a great day on the 9th of February celebrating June’s birthday, but as much as I still miss my mother’s vibrant company, this year I was soon to feel thankful that I wouldn’t be struggling to care for her through the ravages of this global pandemic. The Covid restrictions would have stifled her gregarious nature, as the inability to socialize would have been inexplicable to her dementia addled mind. She lived with me and died very suddenly, but I was right there beside her which is a great comfort to me now. I was spared the agony of worrying about her feeling abandoned and isolated in a Care Home surrounded only by infected patients discharged from Hospitals to spread Covid among the vulnerable and staff chronically ill equipped to care for them. Far from the “protective ring” Matt Hancock claimed to have placed around such facilities, the reality was a cruel and needless slaughter inflicted on our elderly by this heartless Tory Government now relieved of the cost of their care!
I found a comment that I posted on that day back in February when Covid was confined to just a few pockets of contagion beyond China and the UK had strong advanced warning to prepare. After casting my vote for Bernie at a site set up for Democrats abroad I took the bus home; March the 7th was the last time I got on a bus as I soberly assessed my own personal risk. This is where our response should have started, with a ‘Covid Risk Algorithm’ to help people to assess their personal risk and what precautions they should take to reduce that risk for the public good as well as their own benefit. Public as well as personal because I consider it to be exceptionally selfish for anyone who is in a high risk category to consciously decide to ignore that risk knowing that NHS staff will be required to put their lives at risk to provide for the afflicted in intensive care. The algorithm would need to include community risk, work environment, societal and accommodation risk as well as co-morbidities, age and ethnicity, with help for completion.
These risk assessments could have been done online or over the phone with skilled people available to assist those who found the process confusing. If this had been strongly encouraged early on it would have been possible to identify most of the people at greatest risk within the community and target those who might need extra assistance to isolate as and when the Covid situation progressed. This was valuable Public Health data that could have greatly increased preparedness and reduced infection rates. As a former yacht delivery Captain I’m very familiar with quarantine; a centuries old concept that evolved to stop the spread of disease arriving on ships from foreign ports. When you dock the boat after a long passage there is nothing you want more than to race ashore find a pub and down a cold pint, but you’re trapped onboard with the ‘Q’ flag flying until you have cleared quarantine. Early on we really should have placed restrictions and quarantine requirements on all those entering the UK via our ports and airports.
At one time in the UK we were strict with quarantining TB patients, even quite young children, in Sanatoriums: they were miserable places, but before drugs were available to treat TB the public good took precedence over personal freedom. The greatest point of failure in requiring those suspected of exposure to self-isolate is the totally unrealistic level of support provided, which, in far too many cases, has been no support at all. It is difficult to imagine how this painfully obvious non-compliance risk could not have been fully anticipated by the Government, but just like discharging untested Hospital patients back into Care Homes filled with vulnerable elderly, it screams culpable negligence! If the necessary restrictions had begun with personal choices made by those most at risk and then expanded to banning mass gatherings like Cheltenham and the Liverpool match, where football fans from a Covid hotspot in Madrid escalated infections, we wouldn’t now be dealing with massive fatigue over repeated harsh lockdowns nine months on.
I think it would have been perfectly feasible for pubs and restaurants to stay open after investing in all the Government mandated precautions, especially if those who self-assessed at higher risk stayed away or were served outside during the warmer weather. The precautions could have been improved by providing grants for businesses to fit Hepa-filters for increased air exchange and baseboard level ultra-violet LED lights to kill the virus, (I use a uv light wand to kill germs on packages delivered to my door.) The mushrooming infection rates in schools are still being ignored as the risk school children pose to older relatives in multigenerational households was never taken into account. This could have been recognized early on with that aforementioned algorithm, so that extra precautions could have helped reduce any risk. Lack of affordable housing has forced many minimum wage earners, in zero hours contract jobs, to remain living with parents and they are too financially insecure to take time off work without extra support.
This Tory Government created a perfect storm through a decade of austerity and exploitation with the obscene poverty and gross negligence of deprived areas worse in the north than in any other part of the UK; is it any wonder the infection rates have been so much higher in the abandoned north? But the Tory Government response is even more punitive there, forcing businesses to close while staff are expected to survive on just a percentage of minimum wage. Forget all the optimistic Tory PR spin about ‘levelling up’ the tier system of regional lockdowns appears tailor made to cripple northern businesses and drive the population into destitution on mass. The Tories are ‘decimating down’ on an industrial scale and crash-out Brexit will be the final blow. The car manufacturers will move to the continent because the tariffs and an end to just-in-time production lines will signal an abrupt halt to viability. The
Brexiteer profiteers are counting on being able to strip away workers rights and protections and break the UK Unions; Covid helps!
That comment I had made in response to one of Craig Murray’s posts back on the 9th of February feels even more relevant and ominous now nine months on. I had written that: “I am constantly being told that people really were just ‘too stupid’ to see the writing on the wall; they voted against their own self interest in favour of Brexit. I am now told that the same ‘idiots’ supported the Tories to ‘Get Brexit Done,’ despite the looming risk of crashing out of the EU without a deal which now seems increasingly likely. I can understand why some people voted for Brexit under the blizzard of disinformation that blindsided so many people in the UK, but I cannot fathom the Tory ‘landslide’ and, beyond the unacceptable insult, stupidity does not come close to justifying such an unbelievable result.” A full nine months on, Johnson’s “oven ready deal” has been incinerated with the machinations over Covid lockdown restrictions being used to deviously distract the public while the PM deliberately runs down the clock to crass-out day!
I documented that, “Although I am sometimes gratuitously accused of implying that those who voted for Brexit were just ‘stupid bigots,’ I have never been so insulting as to put their decision down to stupidity or racism; this type of angry mudslinging gets us nowhere in the debate. I prefer to claim that we were all a lot too trusting. We trusted politicians who lied to us on both sides of the EU Referendum issue. It’ is not a crime to be too trusting and even the smartest among us can be fooled by a slick con artist. However, our politicians should not be lying to us and we should be able to hold them to account when they do. That is what needs to change.” Sadly nothing has changed and the lies continue flowing thick and fast with zero accountability from this Government. The most distressing observation is the disgraceful way in which the BBC have constantly reinforced blatantly obvious pieces of false information to present a warped reality where a serial liar endorses Tory abuse while an honest man is vilified as a monster!
Back then I was still trying to uncover the truth when I wrote, “The lies of Brexit were so successful in winning over the vote and, since those who told the most outrageous ‘Porkies’ were never reprimanded let alone punished for misleading the electorate, the entire landscape of what is permissible in terms of exaggeration and BS has spiralled way out of control. The message on the side of the bus, and the invasion of the Turks worked well for Boris, so why not boast of building 40 new hospitals and drum home that PR pitch by deliberately lying to parliament during PMQs? MPs can be disciplined for calling another MP a liar in the Chamber, but no rule prevented Margaret Hodge from defaming Jeremy Corbyn as an ‘anti-Semite’ without a shred of evidence to support her insult.” Now Johnson has stretched the fake pledge even further, no longer just 40 new Hospitals, he now claims it will be 48, but Labour “Under New Leadership” is too busy trying to force Corbyn to retract a true statement of fact, to challenge the PMs Porkies!
I could clearly see the direction of travel way back in February and the situation has got so much worse since then. Early on I had serious concerns about the direction Keir Starmer would take if he became the Labour Party Leader, but the extent of his ruthless abuse of power has been truly shocking. The totally unwarranted capitulation to pay off the Ware SLAPP Suit was a clear signal he is a Tory Trojan horse sent in to destroy loyal opposition. I had written, “The current political climate penalizes those who speak truth to power and demonizes those who adhere to honest and truthful conduct. To limit scrutiny, Boris Johnson wants to cherry-pick which journalists he will condescend to speak to, while he is still threatening the viability of an already heavily Tory compliant BBC. The PM plans to effectively neuter the Judiciary to eliminate any possibility of future interference in his authoritarian power grab. He already appears totally devoid of accountability for his numerous lies, mistakes and dodgy financial dealings.”
Things have got so much worse since then as Covid has presented the perfect vehicle for the PM to introduce unpleasant aspects of authoritarian rule under the guise of a pandemic crisis. It sounded alarmist at the time but look where we are now: it isn’t hard to imagine the continuation of this dire trajectory. I wrote, “We must fight to restore the integrity of our democracy before we are frog marched into a Dictatorship. This is not just one reckless loon catastrophising; the Tory agenda was documented on page 48 of their manifesto and all of the classic warning signs are falling into place. We can demand increased scrutiny of the government and we should expect full accountability. Investigating this last General Election is a vital first step in order to validate the unfathomable result or correct the injustice of a rigged vote. No matter what is discovered, exposing the serious flaws that leave our Electoral System wide open to corruption must drive long postponed Government reform. Please read, sign, share and link to this Petition:
2019 TORY LANDSLIDE VICTORY DEMANDS URGENT NATIONWIDE INVESTIGATION.”
This next revelation plucked from an article I read is morphing into a new reality for Covid Britain with the Tory Government able to pin the destruction of viable businesses, hollowing out of already deprived cities and towns with a massive drop in wages, not on an avoidable crash-out Brexit, but a global pandemic. How convenient for the wealthy elite who will take every opportunity to max-out their post Brexit exploitation of the working poor. Back in February the harsh impact of Covid wasn’t obvious when I wrote, “Still dreaming of those sunny uplands of post Brexit prosperity? This International Business Times Article has a few stark words of warning from those who do stand to reap the profits: ‘One of the biggest names in European private equity said that Brexit will be good for his business, but will mean a 30% wage reduction for UK workers. He added that EU immigration will be replaced with workers from the Indian subcontinent and Africa, willing to accept ‘substantially’ lower pay’.” Tories are laughing all the way to the bank!
At a time when intolerance was at its highest level, as Brexiteers ant Tories touted their fake victory, I warned, “This does not look good, but however you, your family and your friends may have voted in the EU Referendum or in the recent General Election, let us try to ditch the insults and the assumptions that others might want to insult those with whom they don’t agree. We have all been a lot too trusting while politicians have lied and continue to lie to us. This must stop. To restore trust we must demand genuine honesty, politicians cannot limit or sensor robust public scrutiny; no one is above the law so they must always be held fully accountable if they lie and cheat.” The sickening development since then is that now we’re not just dealing with a devious serial liar PM and his dangerous handler Cummings taking a wrecking ball to Government, but a thoroughly untrustworthy dictatorial power monger bringing “New Leadership” with zero Labour Opposition self destruction under the Captain of Capitulation, Sir Keir Starmer!
In a Skwawkbox Article entitled, “Corbyn is no longer Labour leader, nor even currently a Labour MP, but he’s STILL the face of party’s fight against antisemitism,” they reveal the disgraceful truth. “Starmer’s Labour cares so much about combating anti-Jewish hate that it hasn’t bothered to update its page on the subject, seven months after he stepped down as leader. Four months ago to the day, Skwawkbox exposed the fact that the Labour party had not updated its page about the party’s stand against antisemitism. Almost four months after Keir Starmer took over as Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn was still the face of the party in its solidarity with Jewish people and its efforts to educate people to eradicate antisemitism: Another four months later and Corbyn is not even currently a Labour MP – forced to sit as an independent by Keir Starmer’s breach of Labour’s rules and of the EHRC’s ban on political interference in disciplinaries (and in spite of the EHRC’s clear reaffirmation of Corbyn’s right to comment on the report).”
However despite the very public vilification and relentless claims of serious outrage from his accusers over alleged support of anti-Semitism astoundingly the Skwawkbox report that, “he is still the only face of Labour’s official stand against anti-Jewish racism. As of No Place For Antisemitism – The Labour Party (archive.org): Keir Starmer and his acolytes care so much about antisemitism and standing with Jewish people that they haven’t even bothered to update Labour’s official page on the subject. ‘Weaponising’ Jewish people against left-wing members for political purposes, as Jewish members have criticised him for doing, sure. That‘s not too much trouble. But updating a page to show solidarity and educate others – or even just to avoid the embarrassment of having an MP you’ve thrown out of the parliamentary party and tried to kick out as even an ordinary member? Clearly that’s a step too far for the shoddy, shallow, Starmer-‘led’ Labour party.” When it comes to hypocrisy that really says it all!
“New Leadership” by dictate might work well for the PM, but Sir Keir Starmer’s, ‘my way or the highway’ arrogant ‘Stalinist’ rule is not acceptable in a Party that is so heavily reliant on its hardworking Party faithful to get out the vote: the progressive Left will not accept being gagged! In the Skwawkbox Article entitled, “Breaking: full London CLP votes ‘no confidence’ in Starmer AND Evans,” they report on the growing anger and fierce push-back from Labour CLPs throughout the country. They ask, “Is Hackney South and Shoreditch the first full constituency party to defy free-speech ban and formally vote down leader and general secretary? Hackney South and Shoreditch constituency Labour party (CLP) has just voted through the following motion: This CLP affirms it has no confidence in Keir Starmer and David Evans, who have demonstrated they are unfit to lead and manage our party at this time when the working class desperately needs a Labour Party offering a united fight against the Tories with bold socialist policies.”
This is no isolated incident or just a progressive Labour Left outlier as they demonstrate their disgust in Starmer’s ego driven ‘New Leadership;’ the prohibition of free speech is being very publically called out and condemned, despite an eerie, if well anticipated, silence from the BBC and Tory dominated Mainstream Media. A few days ago the Skwawkbox reported that, “Smaller branch units have already passed similar motions and one CLP has voted no-confidence in Evans, but HS&S appears to be the first full CLP to have passed a no-confidence motion in Starmer in the short time since he broke parliamentary rules to withdraw the whip from Jeremy Corbyn after Corbyn was reinstated by a right-dominated panel of National Executive Committee (NEC) members because legal advisers confirmed there were no valid grounds for his initial suspension. However, other CLPs are busy preparing motions despite the flagrant abuse of party rules and Jewish left-wingers by the hierarchy to suppress free speech.” Bring it on!
The typhoon is about to spill out of the teaspoon, with a full scale civil war now underway within the Labour Party. Sir Keir Starmer himself must have fallen into the trap of actually believing that vile fantisemitism news, demonizing Jeremy Corbyn, had succeeded in turning his predecessor from hero into hated villain. However, a massive groundswell of support for the former Labour Leader is underway right across the country totally discrediting one of the key premises under which Labour supposedly lost last December’s vote. In reality the propaganda pumped out by the Tory compliant BBC, right wing Media and cooked up by the ‘Integrity Initiative,’ a fake ‘charity’ paid directly by the Tory Party, obviously failed to convince any genuine Labour supporters. Any political Party that has proven funding connections with an organization deliberately generating fake news to cripple the opposition, as Conservatives have, this would be more than enough corruption to see the Tories removed from power in a properly functioning democracy.
This already proven extreme level of corruption should have seen the Tories removed from power even without the additional high level of suspicion warranting challenge of the unfathomable ‘landslide victory’ claimed by Boris Johnson in the Covert 2019 Rigged Election. So now, as we head for the inevitable long planned Tory catastrophe of crash-out Brexit, this very long overdue challenge must be launched to prevent even further disaster that will solidify decades of Tory Dictatorship. Corbyn is obviously not hated by Labour members who, based on false accusations of racism, decided to ‘lend’ their votes to the Tories. I believe that if the fraud and corruption of the Covert 2019 election is fully exposed the EU will agree to grant more time and an extension of the transition period, but I think this should be conditional on another referendum. Look at the EU response to the situation in Belarus and it is obvious they cannot support further negotiations or the decision of a corrupt, fully delegitimized Dictatorship: the Tories must go!
DO NOT MOVE ON!