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PMQ - Boris v Starmer - Spider And The Fly







blue-shifted

Banned
Feb 20, 2004
7,645
a galaxy far far away
Have you got any evidence for this?

All the anecdotal evidence I've heard is that everything is being recorded as covid19.

*edit* just seen the excess death figures. So the next question: is there any evidence that it's been gerrymandered for the benefit of the government?

All the public want is the politicians to be straight with them. Boris knows there's no chance that these excess deaths are anything other than COVID 19. The actual figure will get revised up in time and we can all make our daily decisions based on the actual risk rather than the doctored numbers. Just admit the truth. The Government very much come across as if their primary aim is to avoid blame rather than save lives.
 


Uh_huh_him

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2011
11,110
Have you got any evidence for this?

All the anecdotal evidence I've heard is that everything is being recorded as covid19.

*edit* just seen the excess death figures. So the next question: is there any evidence that it's been gerrymandered for the benefit of the government?

I don't think anyone has suggested that the care-home deaths are being deliberately not classified as Covid-19 related.
It is just that without sufficient testing available, it is impossible to categorise these as Covid related.
 


Bognor Seagull

Active member
Dec 2, 2011
890
What a douche

BE45BFBE-ED8D-4A32-8464-5E46261A06A1.jpeg
 






lawros left foot

Glory hunting since 1969
Jun 11, 2011
13,794
Worthing
Massive u-turn from our Government to exclude carers , and NHS staff including cleaners and porters from the health surcharge.

Completely right, it should have never included NHS staff in the first place,and certainly not in the present circumstances.

Good job Sir Keir Starmer called out the comical charlatan of Downing Street who folded faster than a deckchair in a hurricane.
 
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Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 15, 2008
31,921
Brighton
It is just that without sufficient testing available, it is impossible to categorise these as Covid related.

Weren't the death certificate rules changed to allow recording of death as covid-19 if there were symptoms, even when no test was complete?
 


Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
70,897
Massive u-turn from our Government to exclude carers , and NHS staff including cleaners and porters from the health surcharge.

Completely right, it should have never included NHS staff in the first place,and certainly not in the present circumstances.

Good job Sir Keir Starmer called out the comical charlatan of Downing Street who folded faster than a deckchair in a hurricane.

As Starmer says, it's "a victory for common decency"
 






Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,839
A first 'Bravo' to Starmer for pushing this at PMQs and getting the PM to change policy.

A second 'Bravo' for not seeking to make political capital out of this by grandstanding following the government u-turn.

Only 3 days ago Dominic Raab stated there was no imminent change in policy. I applaud Boris for making the change but it was an awful policy to start with and one he could have scrapped in recognition of migrants saving his life. The fact it wasn't personal experience but poll ratings that drove the change tells you all you need to know about the man.

I also have to say that Piers Morgan is doing an amazing job as Labour's Deputy Leader. It's like Prescott and Blair all over again.
 






studio150

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2011
29,809
On the Border
Massive u-turn from our Government to exclude carers , and NHS staff including cleaners and porters from the health surcharge.

Completely right, it should have never included NHS staff in the first place,and certainly not in the present circumstances.

Good job Sir Keir Starmer called out the comical charlatan of Downing Street who folded faster than a deckchair in a hurricane.

Although Matt Hancock was again lying at the Press Briefing today, when asked about the change, in that he said that yesterday at PMQs the PM was answering a question on the whole of the levy applied to all non EEA nationals not just NHS staff.

He clearly hopes that no one watches PMQs or reads Hansard.

The exact questioning from Keith Starmer was


Every Thursday, we go out and clap for our carers. Many of them are risking their lives for the sake of all of us. Does the Prime Minister think it is right that careworkers coming from abroad and working on our frontline should have to pay a surcharge of hundreds, sometimes thousands of pounds to use the NHS themselves?


The PMs answer

I have thought a great deal about this, and I accept and understand the difficulties faced by our amazing NHS staff. Like the right hon. and learned Gentleman, I have been a personal beneficiary of carers who have come from abroad and frankly saved my life. I know exactly the importance of what he asks. On the other hand, we must look at the realities. This is a great national service—it is a national institution—that needs funding, and those contributions help us to raise about £900 million. It is very difficult in the current circumstances to find alternative sources, so with great respect for the right hon. and learned Gentleman’s point, I think it is the right way forward.


Leaving aside the £900m is at least 10 times the amount raised from overseas NHS staff, Johnson clearly stated that the levy should apply.

Negative headlines and no doubt fearing it would cost him future votes he decided on a quick UTurn.

Hopefully people won't forget Johnsons and the Tories original position was totally wrong.
 


Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,465
Uffern
A first 'Bravo' to Starmer for pushing this at PMQs and getting the PM to change policy.

While Starmer brought it to people's attention, I think the pressure exerted by Jeremy Hunt (chair of the health select committee) and other Tory back benchers probably had more effect than Starmer.

There were stories last week that Patel was pushing ahead with the policy even though members of the cabinet disagreed with her, so it was not a universally supported policy anyway. One thing about this is that it's a massive slap in the face for her.
 


Lever

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2019
5,400
A first 'Bravo' to Starmer for pushing this at PMQs and getting the PM to change policy.

A second 'Bravo' for not seeking to make political capital out of this by grandstanding following the government u-turn.

Only 3 days ago Dominic Raab stated there was no imminent change in policy. I applaud Boris for making the change but it was an awful policy to start with and one he could have scrapped in recognition of migrants saving his life. The fact it wasn't personal experience but poll ratings that drove the change tells you all you need to know about the man.

I also have to say that Piers Morgan is doing an amazing job as Labour's Deputy Leader. It's like Prescott and Blair all over again.

Spot on... in every point.
 


*Gullsworth*

My Hair is like his hair
Jan 20, 2006
9,351
West...West.......WEST SUSSEX
A first 'Bravo' to Starmer for pushing this at PMQs and getting the PM to change policy.

A second 'Bravo' for not seeking to make political capital out of this by grandstanding following the government u-turn.

Only 3 days ago Dominic Raab stated there was no imminent change in policy. I applaud Boris for making the change but it was an awful policy to start with and one he could have scrapped in recognition of migrants saving his life. The fact it wasn't personal experience but poll ratings that drove the change tells you all you need to know about the man.



I also have to say that Piers Morgan is doing an amazing job as Labour's Deputy Leader. It's like Prescott and Blair all over again.

Completely agree. Another amendment that needs to be pushed to the public's attention is the abolition of the NHS registration fee paid annually by certain employees of our beloved free at point health service. Now others will agree with me or disagree with me depending on their or others they know who work for the NHS circumstances but I can only give details of my step daughters circumstances. She is a band 6 staff nurse in charge of an ICU, of which has been at the front end if the covid 19 crisis. She deals with death in an unprecedented parallel in recent NHS history. It has undoubtedly will have a lasting effect on her mental health but she doesn't moan or regret doing the job she loves and chose to do. What I think I is wrong is for the ' privilege ' of keeping her highly qualified and highly responsible job she is charged a sum of in excess of £100 annually. You may thinks its slightly emotive to think this fee should be waived but don't you agree it's hard to understand how someone who has to commit a lot of skill, hard work, risking their own health, and her family (she had had suspected Covid and passed it to her husband and two boys) having to pay a fee to keep her registered as a Nurse in the NHS.
Wouldn't it be morally correct to rid the NHS workers of this additional expenditure to show our appreciation to marvellous service this country has witnessed, especially recently.
I may be right or I may be wrong but I think this fee is on a par with ridding the fee, albeit on a temporary basis to foreign workers had to pay to use the NHS highlighted by Starmer and prompting the government to make a moral and correct u turn. In my opinion it should be free to continue to be registered for the job you have qualified for, worked hard at, emotionally and physically and invested a large chunk of your life committed to. Why should you have to pay for the privilege to do the job you love.???
 




Billy the Fish

Technocrat
Oct 18, 2005
17,520
Haywards Heath
All the public want is the politicians to be straight with them. Boris knows there's no chance that these excess deaths are anything other than COVID 19. The actual figure will get revised up in time and we can all make our daily decisions based on the actual risk rather than the doctored numbers. Just admit the truth. The Government very much come across as if their primary aim is to avoid blame rather than save lives.

Can't argue with that. There's no need to go blag it and even if they try they'll always get caught out. They're getting criticised either way so better to fight out head on.
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
52,098
Faversham
While Starmer brought it to people's attention, I think the pressure exerted by Jeremy Hunt (chair of the health select committee) and other Tory back benchers probably had more effect than Starmer.

There were stories last week that Patel was pushing ahead with the policy even though members of the cabinet disagreed with her, so it was not a universally supported policy anyway. One thing about this is that it's a massive slap in the face for her.

I love the sound of that. Or would do had I the privilage of witnessing it.
 


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