Future of testing

[Pamplemousse]

Just out of interest (if you don't mind me asking, of course), what's your opinion of Keir compared to both Boris and Corbyn?

Especially as you also admitted to disliking Blair a while back.

He's preferable to either of them; Blair was just an ersatz Tory in a smart suit, Corbyn sadly was a nobody who's achieved nothing in his entire political career - never sat on a committee, never put any papers forward and had politics at a level best suited to sixth-form debating society which might explain his youth appeal. That said, I liked some of his policies; but sadly, the 1970s have gone, never to return and he never seemed to realise that no matter how much the Three Quid Trots feted him. And let's be honest, the sort of people who lauded Corbyn were actually very comfortably-off people who'd have been shielded by the economic disaster he'd have brought.

Johnson is beneath contempt is all I'll say. He should never have been allowed to enter politics, never mind the highest office in the country. Nye Bevan was right.

Starmer, by comparison, is really boring; but right now we don't need 'characters' - you only have to look at the damage caused by Trump, Farage and Johnson to see what these types of people can do. What we need is a staid, boring and sensible person who can look at facts in the cold light of day and not play to the gallery. The fact that Starmer takes Johnson to pieces every week at PMQs says a lot - all Johnson is left with is name calling, playing to the gallery and bluster.

I know people will say "but Starmer's not working class" - well, actually he's a lot more 'working class' than Blair or Corbyn ever were! He is what old-fashioned people like me call "a working class boy made good", which is what older working class folk always wanted their kids to do, rather than this modern idea that you stay in your social groove and never climb out of it lest you be branded a 'traitor'.

Sorry, got very political there - my apologies!!

[pulisa]

That's politics for ya.



With a name like Alexander Boris de Pfeffel I reckon he'll be OK lol.

Boris de Piffle...That has a good ring to it! That poor man has been through such a lot this year whatever you think of him as a person or whatever your political persuasion. Who would want to be PM at this precise moment in time..

[Lencoboy]

He's preferable to either of them; Blair was just an ersatz Tory in a smart suit, Corbyn sadly was a nobody who's achieved nothing in his entire political career - never sat on a committee, never put any papers forward and had politics at a level best suited to sixth-form debating society which might explain his youth appeal. That said, I liked some of his policies; but sadly, the 1970s have gone, never to return and he never seemed to realise that no matter how much the Three Quid Trots feted him. And let's be honest, the sort of people who lauded Corbyn were actually very comfortably-off people who'd have been shielded by the economic disaster he'd have brought.

Johnson is beneath contempt is all I'll say. He should never have been allowed to enter politics, never mind the highest office in the country. Nye Bevan was right.

Starmer, by comparison, is really boring; but right now we don't need 'characters' - you only have to look at the damage caused by Trump, Farage and Johnson to see what these types of people can do. What we need is a staid, boring and sensible person who can look at facts in the cold light of day and not play to the gallery. The fact that Starmer takes Johnson to pieces every week at PMQs says a lot - all Johnson is left with is name calling, playing to the gallery and bluster.

I know people will say "but Starmer's not working class" - well, actually he's a lot more 'working class' than Blair or Corbyn ever were! He is what old-fashioned people like me call "a working class boy made good", which is what older working class folk always wanted their kids to do, rather than this modern idea that you stay in your social groove and never climb out of it lest you be branded a 'traitor'.

Sorry, got very political there - my apologies!!

Well that's a welcome relief as I was half expecting you to think he's as bad as nearly all the others, but what a nice surprise, eh!

And yes, you're correct in the sense that the 70s are long gone and the politics of that era in the ideals of the Corbynites would probably be unworkable today, plus he would no doubt be crucified even more than Boris and Co over his perceived handling of the Covid pandemic and there would no doubt have been BS fairy tales circulating in the press and on social media about him being in secret cahoots with China and/or Russia and talk of germ warfare, etc, especially with all the endless speculation about him siding with communists, anti-Semites, and terrorists in general. I'm sure I read somebody somewhere even tried to shoehorn historical child abuse into his list of alleged past scandals, but that could have very likely been fake news, as per usual these days!

So all in all it's probably just as well he called it quits when he did, otherwise Boris would still no doubt be considered the lesser of the two evils.

[Pamplemousse]

Boris de Piffle...That has a good ring to it! That poor man has been through such a lot this year whatever you think of him as a person or whatever your political persuasion. Who would want to be PM at this precise moment in time..

Thing is Pulisa, in his case it's all self-inflicted - the shaking hands with Covid victims, the horribly tangled domestic life he has caused by his serial philandering - I actually feel a little sorry for Carrie Symonds because she must know their relationship will last only until the next woman catches his eye. Let's not forget he dumped his last wife - who at the time was undergoing cancer treatment - to be with her.

I do try to see good in people, I really do - but in him, there is none.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Well that's a welcome relief as I was half expecting you to think he's as bad as nearly all the others, but what a nice surprise, eh!

And yes, you're correct in the sense that the 70s are long gone and the politics of that era in the ideals of the Corbynites would probably be unworkable today, plus he would no doubt be crucified even more than Boris and Co over his perceived handling of the Covid pandemic and there would no doubt have been BS fairy tales circulating in the press and on social media about him being in secret cahoots with China and/or Russia and talk of germ warfare, etc, especially with all the endless speculation about him siding with communists, anti-Semites, and terrorists in general. I'm sure I read somebody somewhere even tried to shoehorn historical child abuse into his list of alleged past scandals, but that could have very likely been fake news, as per usual these days!

So all in all it's probably just as well he called it quits when he did, otherwise Boris would still no doubt be considered the lesser of the two evils.

Starmer ordered a review into the mishandling of the grooming gangs but the work to bring this into the light came not from his office. If they hadn't fought for justice the police and CPS may have continued to look the other way.

Public opinion forced them to take action.

So it's not a case of just him but many people. The point is, just as he is trying now, he does what all politicians do and try to distance themselves from their past failures.

Do any of them not have scandals and errors behind them? I doubt it. So it's always about weighing it up and not a binary good vs evil case that many on either ends of the spectrum like to make out.

[phil06]

Testing has a low reliability rate compared to some of the proposed vaccines. Expect to see testing to start to scale back once the vaccine programmes are in full flow. Once that happens a COVID test will not be acceptable for travel permission.
Some of the Asian, African & South and Central American destinations are already drawing up additions to their existing medical requirements (yellow fever for example), that will require COVID vaccine on the list. Some of these countries have had a relatively low problem with COVID, and they are trying to keep it that way, considering some tests are as low as 50% accuracy, they won't accept that level of risk.
I wouldn't be surprised if the EU eventually requires the same along with US.

There is no proof testing will be scaled back and some people can’t take this vaccine so should surely be testing in place of a vaccine.

[spectrum123]

There is no proof testing will be scaled back and some people can’t take this vaccine so should surely be testing in place of a vaccine.

Testing is just not reliable enough. If the vaccine(s) can reach 90-95% other countries will rely on that rather than an unreliable test. There will be a small percentage that can't take the vaccine, another country will probably refuse those that can't to protect their own who can't. Refusing those that can't will have little economic impact.

[phil06]

Testing is just not reliable enough. If the vaccine(s) can reach 90-95% other countries will rely on that rather than an unreliable test. There will be a small percentage that can't take the vaccine, another country will probably refuse those that can't to protect their own who can't. Refusing those that can't will have little economic impact.

The current lab test is accurate and the saliva ones are good it’s the lateral flow tests which are not as good. And even then France still letting the trucks through with it.

[phil06]

Testing is just not reliable enough. If the vaccine(s) can reach 90-95% other countries will rely on that rather than an unreliable test. There will be a small percentage that can't take the vaccine, another country will probably refuse those that can't to protect their own who can't. Refusing those that can't will have little economic impact.

Why should someone with allergies be banned from going abroad? That’s health discrimination

[spectrum123]

Why should someone with allergies be banned from going abroad? That’s health discrimination

Take that up with countries that already require certain inoculations/vaccinations for you to visit them, I'm sure there are people who are allergic to them. There is no such thing as health discrimination, there are disability discrimination laws but they vary and can be thin on the ground outside the EU. Ultimately it will be get vacinated or don't visit to a lot of countries outside the EU.