Peston once again completely fails to understand the consequences of austerity and the systemic underfunding of health services for people with special needs
Cohen grapples with the fact that the government he and the publication he’s writing for enabled, might be on the way to yet another monumental cock-up.
AOB?
Bit puzzled by that CQC piece. Surely the informative comparison isn’t between year on year increases in deaths, but between the current death rate of people with learning disabilities versus those without? Which isn’t there to be seen.
FORM AN ORDERLY QUEUE: Parliament returns from recess today with MPs braced to spend hours of their day standing in queues waiting to vote under Jacob Rees-Mogg’s bold new vision for parliament. The Commons leader will today press ahead with plans to scrap the online voting system introduced just a few weeks ago and force MPs to vote in person, which in the current climate will mean a socially distanced, kilometer-long queue snaking all through parliament and out into Westminster Hall. Many more MPs will be unable to vote at all, given they’re shielding at home and Rees-Mogg has made no provision for them to exercise their rights. […] Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle told members they must “ration” the time they spend in the Commons chamber, given only 50 of them will be allowed in at any one time and there will no longer be provision for others to ask questions via Zoom. Rees-Mogg [claims] “voters’ interests will be better represented” by the new system (even though, erm, fewer MPs will be able to take part.)
Meanwhile in the Lords: As the Commons ends its brief dalliance with digital technology, parliament’s checks notes modernizing and forward-looking upper chamber is moving in the opposite direction. “Hybrid” proceedings (a mixtures of virtual and in-person) will kick off in the House of Lords next Monday afternoon, with the first digital votes to be held the following week.
And yet, this line of thinking persists:
Its true though a tree does take time to grow, that really makes me think 
Its like that story of the man who built his house on the sand.
I can see what you’re saying but I’d be very surprised if there was such a significant increase of any other demographic iirc at it’s peak the UK fatality rate was about 109% of it’s yearly average.
Yeah for sure. I’m just surprised that comparison isn’t front and centre. “More people with learning disabilities are dying during this pandemic” isn’t really any sort of revelation is it?
If I were on the opposition benches, I’d be looking to get 50 people into the chamber first thing every morning setup to stay for the whole day.
True, I suspect it’s partly because there are some difficulties with getting the data necessary to make those sorts of comparisons, not all healthcare providers need to notify CQC if someone has learning disability etc.
Actually thinking about it a bit more I can see a more sinister explanation. Basically the only information in the CQC release there is the non-covid deaths of learning disabled people are not up this year significantly, and all the increased deaths can be attributed to it. So it could be argued that it’s just a “covid innit” shrug to explain the higher death rate.
yeah or there’s that. Tinfoil hat back off now.
Genuinely wonder at times like this whether the SNP should just fully withdraw, Sinn Féin style, from the HoC. On the other hand, it’d be portrayed (with a degree of justification) as a petty taking-my-ball-home move. Especially if done mid-parliament, rather than full absenteeism being an upfront part of the platform and manifesto on which an MP is elected. And there’s much to be said for being the grit in the oyster. On balance, I think to withdraw would further consolidate the marginalised representation rather than hasten any sort of resolution.
they could protest by not turning up for a month or something
but to fully withdraw would surely be seen as just removing the voices of a lot of people?
Sinn Féin’s voters know that they’ll not be attending the HoC at all, it would surely just push a lot of SNP voters to other parties via the calculation that any representation is better than none
edit: think I’ve probably just repeated what you’re saying haha
I’m withdrawing from parliament!
For an hour.
so openly ignoring the government guidelines then? Very cool!
Just absolutely fucking desperate to be noticed again isn’t he. Loves being the panto villain.
i can see why they find this less complicated than pressing a big fucking Yes or No button on their sofa
Real Pelosi vibes off this
Slaps thigh, spits out tea. My god, she’s done it again