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Long-ish post which I could stick anywhere but this seems as good a place as any.
Just finished reading The Long Shot by Kate Bingham The inside story of the UK's successful Covid Vaccine programme which was headed up by the author, the people involved, the approach they took, the obstacles they overcome and the frustrations they felt. Read it with huge interest as (a) I know someone who helped design & test the roll-out processes and (b) I'm an absolute sucker for reading anything about teams which break the rules to get things done and how their mind-processes work.
Firstly, it's anything but self-congratulatory. She actually down-plays her role and gives credit to loads of people and makes sure the unsung heroes like the French police - who made sure the vaccine shipments got to the Channel Tunnel OK - get ample credit. Kate Bingham, though, is clearly a pretty special person, and we were lucky she and others stepped up to the plate, working for free to try and get the UK vaccinated. I'm sure @tim would both understand and enjoy her experiences.
Some fascinating stuff in the book like Merkel & Macron wanting to do a deal with the UK (it was turned down as too risky) to develop and distribute vaccines rather than via the EU - which may account for those two trying to trash the AZ vaccine - and the UK program scope and contracts being written to include the whole supply chain rather than just the final delivery of doses which was the EU approach.
The heroes included the Armed Forces, Drug companies, the MoD contracts team who wrote the contracts, UK industry who seconded people free of charge and with no questions asked, parts of the NHS, the volunteers for the vaccine trials and - surprisingly - the tabloid newspapers who Bingham praises for explaining the different types of vaccines being developed and working to counter anti-vax sentiments, and also Boris Johnson who needed to un-block the bureaucracy to make the program work.
The thing which was staggering to read was how many in government tried to block and/or obstruct the program. These included Hancock, who was pissed off the program wasn't under his Department's control, Sunak's Treasury (who actually demanded VAT be charged on up-front payments to drug companies), Press Officers who leaked information to the press, the National Audit Office who wanted to delay the program until they had spent weeks checking the bona fides of the task force members, and many Opposition MP's (inc. Starmer) who used unfounded accusations of corruption (her husband is a Tory MP) to attack her as being on the make and called for her to be sacked.
She is particularly scathing about the No. 10 Press Head, Lee Cain, who briefed against her (and was eventually sacked by Johnson), The Times and The Guardian. She publishes emails between herself and the latter's editor who begged for an interview with her "as an example of a successful woman" after the success of the program, despite after having targeted her as being unfit for the role for months before hand on the basis she's married to Tory MP.
She and her team clearly achieved a remarkable success both in facilitating the development of vaccines, their purchase and deployment, but also built a foundation to develop and grow a leading-edge vaccine development and manufacturing infrastructure in the UK. What is sad is the infrastructure she set up, the relationships between drug companies and government seems to have been left to wither either thru neglect or deliberately.
Great read which clearly exposes what is right (a bit) and what is badly broken (a lot) in UK government.
Overall a remarkable story by a clearly remarkable woman.
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Yeah but the vaccines don’t work, haven’t you been paying attention?
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@Catogrande said in British Politics:
Yeah but the vaccines don’t work, haven’t you been paying attention?
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@Victor-Meldrew said in British Politics:
@Catogrande said in British Politics:
Yeah but the vaccines don’t work, haven’t you been paying attention?
Whilst I wouldn’t wish any such suffering on anyone, I’m happy it’s that idiot and not someone else.
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Could go anywhere, but I'll stick it here.
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So Rishi sat down with Piers for an hour last night.
The interview won't change anybody's opinion but he came across very calm, measured and determined to steer the ship in the direction it needs to be going. I wouldn't say Morgan was easy on him, but he certainly could have been a lot harder. Sunak didn't really allow him to talk over the top of him either, keeping himself calm and making his points.
Fair bit of political answering (i.e- not answering) but he made himself pretty clear on what he's trying to implement. Made a nice change, and I'd certainly say that he's probably the best professional communicator since David Cameron.
It's a shame that the trans discussions have to continually come up, but I thought Rishi answered the questions very well. He basically just took the stupidity out of the questions and talked rightly about both sides & why it was so difficult.
He politically failed on the question about Nurses pay / parking charges etc & then there was a huge pause when Morgan asked him how wealthy he was. Awkward.
Regardless, he's doing the things his voters want (certainly not the hard left with his comments about illegal immigration (illegals can fuck off)) & it's undeniable that the country is much more economically stable than it was during the caTrusstophe.
All in all, he came across well. I'm almost 100% sure it's too late for the Tories at the next election, but I can honestly say that right now, there's nobody else I want in that job.
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Your last comment. Is that because you feel Rishi is the right man or just that there seem to be no viable alternatives? Bit of both may be?
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The right man.
If you labeled all the attributes of a perfect PM / President, he doesn’t have all of them. But after the leadership void of May, the blister and bollocks of Boris, the catastrophe of Truss, a calm, measured thinker prepared to make shit decisions is spot on.
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@MajorRage said in British Politics:
there was a huge pause when Morgan asked him how wealthy he was. Awkward.
I really don't get this obsession the press has with a politician's wealth.
Yeah, you can argue a uber-wealthy PM doesn't understand Joe Public (and Sunak had a pretty average upbringing) but you can equally argue a PM who isn't wealthy doesn't understand rich people enough to encourage investment.
It just snobbery to me. Inverted or otherwise.
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When you increase Corporation Tax by 30%, don't be surprised companies invest and create wealth elsewhere.
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Roost.
Home.
Chickens. -
@Victor-Meldrew Hunts response is very very strange.
It reads to me that he doesn’t think it will happen.
Which I fully don’t understand.
Really unsure of the path we are on right now.
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@MajorRage said in British Politics:
@Victor-Meldrew Hunts response is very very strange.
It reads to me that he doesn’t think it will happen.
Which I fully don’t understand.
Seems to me he knows high tax is bad, will curb growth and cost more in the long run, but doesn't have any other options right now. Zero vision - just like Sunak - and way too afraid to take the decisions needed to move the country forward for fear of upsetting the vested interests in his party and the country.
Really unsure of the path we are on right now.
Welcome to the Keir Sunak & Rishi Starmer show...
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@MajorRage it's almost like Hunt made his money during the favorable conditions to be an entrepreneur under New Labour, and is now pulling the ladder up behind him..?
The more time passes since Kwarteng/Truss were ousted, the more annoyed I am about the absolute stitch up. At least they had a dynamic vision and wanted to change the policy direction of the UK from the "managed decline" of 2008-present. The fact the likes of Biden and the bloody IMF were weighing in on the intricacies of their tax policy was outrageous, when it amounted to 1% of a spending package that was already pre announced to minimal fanfare.
Everyone wants to point at the market meltdown that coincided with their mini budget as being totally caused by it. Bollocks, in my opinion as a professional investor - 2022 was crazy with rates vol blowing up, inflation going crazy, Ukraine, and generational USD strength. If Boris happened to implode under the weight of his lies just a few months later, and Truss was taking over now instead (with ridiculously buoyant markets), everything would be just fine and dandy.
Incredibly unlucky timing, and now we're stuck with two socially democratic parties with bugger all difference between them, where every single problem is met with the staggeringly original solution of MORE GOVERNMENT 🤮
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@TeWaio said in British Politics:
@MajorRage it's almost like Hunt made his money during the favorable conditions to be an entrepreneur under New Labour, and is now pulling the ladder up behind him..?
The more time passes since Kwarteng/Truss were ousted, the more annoyed I am about the absolute stitch up. At least they had a dynamic vision and wanted to change the policy direction of the UK from the "managed decline" of 2008-present. The fact the likes of Biden and the bloody IMF were weighing in on the intricacies of their tax policy was outrageous, when it amounted to 1% of a spending package that was already pre announced to minimal fanfare.
Everyone wants to point at the market meltdown that coincided with their mini budget as being totally caused by it. Bollocks, in my opinion as a professional investor - 2022 was crazy with rates vol blowing up, inflation going crazy, Ukraine, and generational USD strength. If Boris happened to implode under the weight of his lies just a few months later, and Truss was taking over now instead (with ridiculously buoyant markets), everything would be just fine and dandy.
Incredibly unlucky timing, and now we're stuck with two socially democratic parties with bugger all difference between them, where every single problem is met with the staggeringly original solution of MORE GOVERNMENT 🤮
The only thing that has become crystal clear is the government has zero interest in levelling up & a lot of interest in levelling down.
It's the sheer laziness of people since the pandemic that has really killed it though. I see it absolutely everywhere. Councils sending out things for LGBT inclusiveness whilst the road potholes increase, NHS bookings becoming an impossibility, yet when you get one your the only person in the clinic, hundred of thousands of people on strike (which costs them money) whilst thousands of part time jobs are unfulfilled.
If I was Rishi I'd give everybody 24 hours to sign the pay offers or they are withdrawn. As much as I respect peoples right so strike, I respect my right to actually get something for the taxes I pay. And if I'm getting nothing, why should I pay?
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