22nd February - Roadmap out of the pandemic, lifting of restrictions.

[Eyersey468]

Remove the cotton wool of furlough and other support measures wait a week and then rerun the poll suspect the outcome will be somewhat different.

I agree and also it depends what was asked and how the questions were worded

 

[NorthOxonian]

I couldn't believe it when I saw a bit of Good Morning Britain this morning and they mentioned that over two thirds(71%) of people who voted in a GMB poll said they would support restrictions continuing beyond the 21st June if the government thought it necessary!! What the ???!!! Who are all(well a lot of them anyway) these people voting in these polls? With the way things are going now we certainly don't need restrictions continuing any longer than 21st June! I emailed in to say how absolutely amazed I was at hearing the result of this poll, and mentioned the severe damage all these long term restrictions have had on the economy, people's livelihoods and mental health, and that all these ridiculous over the top restrictions really needs to end on 21st June at the very latest, and that we need to get this country back to normal sooner rather than later. We just can't go on with this nonsense for much longer now.

And with polls like this overwhelmingly supporting restrictions continuing after 21st June, I really hope this doesn't influence Johnson and his cabinet to keep this nonsense dragging on past 21st June!

I don't believe that poll. I don't know anyone who supports restrictions continuing past then, barring an absolute disaster which is virtually impossible at that point. The comments made by Mary Ramsay on Sunday inspired real anger (as well as extreme misery), for example - even among people I know who are usually very pro-restriction.

Which makes me wonder how they must have framed that poll. Did they ask people to imagine there was a huge surge in hospitalisations, which is barely mathematically possible now? What did they mean when they said "if the government thought it necessary"?

 

[Horizon22]

I couldn't believe it when I saw a bit of Good Morning Britain this morning and they mentioned that over two thirds(71%) of people who voted in a GMB poll said they would support restrictions continuing beyond the 21st June if the government thought it necessary!! What the ???!!! Who are all(well a lot of them anyway) these people voting in these polls? With the way things are going now we certainly don't need restrictions continuing any longer than 21st June! I emailed in to say how absolutely amazed I was at hearing the result of this poll, and mentioned the severe damage all these long term restrictions have had on the economy, people's livelihoods and mental health, and that all these ridiculous over the top restrictions really needs to end on 21st June at the very latest, and that we need to get this country back to normal sooner rather than later. We just can't go on with this nonsense for much longer now.

And with polls like this overwhelmingly supporting restrictions continuing after 21st June, I really hope this doesn't influence Johnson and his cabinet to keep this nonsense dragging on past 21st June!

I agree it would be nonsense to continue, but this forum (and presumably the people forum users associate with) is rather atypical with regards to opinions about lockdown and restrictions. Hardly surprising as we are in / support an industry that's been heavily effected and may continue to be long after.

But anyway I suppose may have got used to some of the nicer perks without having to face up to some of the consequences yet. And I don't consider a GMB poll a particularly good indicator unless done by a reputable survey company!

 

[birchesgreen]

Who are all(well a lot of them anyway) these people voting in these polls?

People who can be bothered to vote in a poll for a breakfast TV show, I doubt it's a realistic sample of the population.

 

[Scotrail12]

Did Piers Morgan hijack the poll now that he has the time on his hands?

For decent quality breakfast broadcasting and none of the pro lockdown tripe, head to Julia Hartley-Brewer's radio show.

 

[Class 33]

These polls from the likes of GMB and YouGov are very suspect with the overwhelming number of voters supporting longer restrictions/tougher restrictions/longer lockdown's or whatever. A hell of a lot of people in the UK are sick of all this nonsense now and want normal life back again.

Did Piers Morgan and Dr. Hilary Jones hijack the poll?

For decent quality breakfast broadcasting and none of the pro lockdown tripe, head to Julia Hartley-Brewer's radio show.

Dr Hilary Jones apparantly thinks we are only half way through this pandemic!

 

[Scotrail12]

Dr Hilary Jones apparantly thinks we are only half way through this pandemic!

He claimed in around May last year that we'd need distancing until 2024. The guy is a fool but again, doesn't affect him with his cushy GP and ITV salary to enjoy.

Shame as he was quite a good source of info when COVID started until this time last year when we went into lockdown.

 

[Jamiescott1]

These polls from the likes of GMB and YouGov are very suspect with the overwhelming number of voters supporting longer restrictions/tougher restrictions/longer lockdown's or whatever. A hell of a lot of people in the UK are sick of all this nonsense now and want normal life back again.



Dr Hilary Jones apparantly thinks we are only half way through this pandemic!

The guy had been irrelevant since the 90s so he's probably loving being back in the spotlight again.

Dr Sarah jarvis who is often on vines radio 2 show is very prolockdown too.

 

[Wychwood93]

The guy had been irrelevant since the 90s so he's probably loving being back in the spotlight again.

Dr Sarah jarvis who is often on vines radio 2 show is very prolockdown too.

She is also, as most of you know, a regular on his TV show as well as popping up on the BBC. Does she have time for GP work? Do her patients remember her? Is she 'just a GP' or does she have a specialist subject - virology would be useful. Getting more than a little annoyed by her gloom.

 

[Scotrail12]

Dr. Sarah Jarvis is usually the vacation fill at GMB when Jones is off.

I find her a bit condescending to be honest. I remember her arguing her points with the 83 year old lady from Yorkshire who got some attention for straight talking anti lockdown views and Jarvis just talking to her like she was an idiot.

 

[Eyersey468]

Tui plans 48 more high street store closures

The UK’s biggest tour operator said the travel industry and the high street ‘are both facing unprecedented pressure’.

uk.finance.yahoo.com

Can't say I am surprised

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Tui plans 48 more high street store closures

The UK’s biggest tour operator said the travel industry and the high street ‘are both facing unprecedented pressure’.

uk.finance.yahoo.com

Can't say I am surprised

Surprised they still bothered with them anyhow with everything done online these days but its this drip drip of business disappearing from the high street is going to leave many looking very unattractive to any but necessary shopping unless youv'e got a Tory MP then the Towns Fund will come to the rescue. Anyhow getting off topic.

 

[DustyBin]

I’m absolutely baffled by people who actually want their freedoms restricted. It’s like a form of self harm. By definition it’s not something anybody in their right mind would desire. I really can not believe some of what I read/hear at times. There are of course people who genuinely think it’s just too scary out there, and there are people for whom these restrictions aren’t actually restrictions at all as they led such miserable existences beforehand, but these groups are surely a minority. I simply don’t believe these polls are truly representative. If they are then I really do despair!

 

[nlogax]

Looking around online there seems to be a fair amount of evidence that the last year has helped bolster an epidemic of agoraphobia either directly caused by lockdowns and the various messages of 'stay home / stay safe' or exacerbated by them. From a mental health perspective it's obvious the country is in deep trouble. Forget immediate need for ICU beds..these are issues that will place additional burden on the NHS for years to come.

 

[Yew]

I do wonder if we're seeing some sort of lockdown Stockholm syndrome?

 

[35B]

I agree it would be nonsense to continue, but this forum (and presumably the people forum users associate with) is rather atypical with regards to opinions about lockdown and restrictions. Hardly surprising as we are in / support an industry that's been heavily effected and may continue to be long after.

Precisely - "people I know" tends to suggest a degree of affinity; judging by many of the posts on here, I'm not surprised that the posters' contacts are heavily biased to people who think like them on Covid.

The interesting question, especially for those who disagree with consensus, is to question why the consensus is different from what they think it should be. And as it's rarely true that the reason is that people are idiots and/or that they've been misled/programmed, arguing that is rarely going to give an informed view of their thinking.

 

[yorksrob]

The interesting question, especially for those who disagree with consensus, is to question why the consensus is different from what they think it should be. And as it's rarely true that the reason is that people are idiots and/or that they've been misled/programmed, arguing that is rarely going to give an informed view of their thinking.

The old phrase "give 'em an inch and they'll take a mile" springs to mind.

The medical Establishment would never have dreamed that they could keep people locked up indefinately. Until, that is, we showed them that they could.

 

[Yew]

Precisely - "people I know" tends to suggest a degree of affinity; judging by many of the posts on here, I'm not surprised that the posters' contacts are heavily biased to people who think like them on Covid.

The interesting question, especially for those who disagree with consensus, is to question why the consensus is different from what they think it should be. And as it's rarely true that the reason is that people are idiots and/or that they've been misled/programmed, arguing that is rarely going to give an informed view of their thinking.

Media coverage.

I imagine if you asked a random selection of the populous what the IFR of Sars-Cov-2 is, you'd get a number one or two orders of magnitude higher than it actually is.


Similarly, I think the answers to basic questions such has 'has any RCT of community mask wearing shown any level of effectiveness', 'did scientists recommend lockdowns to control viruses before 2020' or 'have any of Fergursons predictions ever came true', or 'is Swedens death rate higher than the EU average'

Overall, the facts of the situation are being misconstrued to help sell papers.

 

[kristiang85]

I do wonder if we're seeing some sort of lockdown Stockholm syndrome?

I've thought this for a while. And any extra freedoms Boris gives, people praise him to the hilt, even though he's completely overstepped the mark for a while.

The irony is that Stockholm was one of the most lockdown-free cities...

 

[bramling]

I’m absolutely baffled by people who actually want their freedoms restricted. It’s like a form of self harm. By definition it’s not something anybody in their right mind would desire. I really can not believe some of what I read/hear at times. There are of course people who genuinely think it’s just too scary out there, and there are people for whom these restrictions aren’t actually restrictions at all as they led such miserable existences beforehand, but these groups are surely a minority. I simply don’t believe these polls are truly representative. If they are then I really do despair!

Yes I don't get it. There's people who seem to absolutely relish in the idea of restrictions being "tough". In a lot of cases I think there's an element of delighting in others being stopped from doing things.

 

[Yew]

I've thought this for a while. And any extra freedoms Boris gives, people praise him to the hilt, even though he's completely overstepped the mark for a while.

The irony is that Stockholm was one of the most lockdown-free cities...

Indeed, there's a lot of. "he's doing his best' rather than 'he's the tyrant who is torturing us all based on shoddy science'

Yes I don't get it. There's people who seem to absolutely relish in the idea of restrictions being "tough". In a lot of cases I think there's an element of delighting in others being stopped from doing things.

They don't want to save lives, they want to make a sacrifice and be a martyr; from their comfortable detached house with large garden in the (working from ) Home Counties.

 

[DustyBin]

Precisely - "people I know" tends to suggest a degree of affinity; judging by many of the posts on here, I'm not surprised that the posters' contacts are heavily biased to people who think like them on Covid.

The interesting question, especially for those who disagree with consensus, is to question why the consensus is different from what they think it should be. And as it's rarely true that the reason is that people are idiots and/or that they've been misled/programmed, arguing that is rarely going to give an informed view of their thinking.

Whilst still purely anecdotal, I don't really have any friends or other contacts that share my interest in railways, and yet I don't know anybody who favours ongoing restrictions. I think the real question is who participates in these polls and how are the questions worded?

 

[Class 33]

He claimed in around May last year that we'd need distancing until 2024. The guy is a fool but again, doesn't affect him with his cushy GP and ITV salary to enjoy.

Shame as he was quite a good source of info when COVID started until this time last year when we went into lockdown.

Distancing until 2024??!! Four years of social distancing??!! He's an absolute nutter coming up with that nonsense. We've got over half the country vaccinated now, and near enough(taking into account some people will not want to take the vaccine or for some medical reason will be unable to) the whole country will be vaccinated by the end of July! Hospital numbers and deaths are continuing to tumble week on week, and all of these will be incredibly low within the next month or two. We were led to believe that these vaccinations will be our way out of all these restrictions! Absolutely no justification to keep this social distancing and face mask wearing nonsense going any longer than 21st June at the LATEST!

Also he's a GP, so he should know the effects all these continuing restrictions and lockdowns are having on millions of people's mental health and wellbeing!

 

[Yew]

Distancing until 2024??!! Four years of social distancing??!! He's an absolute nutter coming up with that nonsense. We've got over half the country vaccinated now, and near enough(taking into account some people will not want to take the vaccine or for some medical reason will be unable to) the whole country will be vaccinated by the end of July! Hospital numbers and deaths are continuing to tumble week on week, and all of these will be incredibly low within the next month or two. Absolutely no justification to keep this social distancing and face mask wearing nonsense going any longer than 21st June at the LATEST!

Also he's a GP, so he should know the effects all these continuing restrictions and lockdowns are having on millions of people's mental health and wellbeing!

So why is he talking on epidemiological matters, maybe ITV need to find an epidemiologist?

 

[bramling]

They don't want to save lives, they want to make a sacrifice and be a martyr; from their comfortable detached house with large garden in the (working from ) Home Counties.

I do also wonder if there's an element of "village people" types who like the idea of putting up the drawbridge and keeping "their village" to themselves. This would fit in with the hypocrisy theme, as presumably such places are fully self-sustaining in every way!

I suggest this based on some of the nasty stuff we saw last year, though to be fair there doesn't seem to have been so much of it over time, the Acton Bridge couple excepted!

 

[DustyBin]

I do also wonder if there's an element of "village people" types who like the idea of putting up the drawbridge and keeping "their village" to themselves. This would fit in with the hypocrisy theme, as presumably such places are fully self-sustaining in every way!

I suggest this based on some of the nasty stuff we saw last year, though to be fair there doesn't seem to have been so much of it over time, the Acton Bridge couple excepted!

I think there are a significant number of "shy granny killers" as well which distorts things. I'm sure you know what I'm getting at, but think "shy tory" when it comes to political polling....

 

[bramling]

I think there are a significant number of "shy granny killers" as well which distorts things. I'm sure you know what I'm getting at, but think "shy tory" when it comes to political polling....

Absolutely. Do as I say, not as I do, springs to mind.

I've seen some pretty blatant examples of it on Facebook - "I want for coffee in town today, and was shocked at how busy it was".

 

[Mojo]

I do also wonder if there's an element of "village people" types who like the idea of putting up the drawbridge and keeping "their village" to themselves. This would fit in with the hypocrisy theme, as presumably such places are fully self-sustaining in every way!

No doubt. My other half’s family were very unkind to him visiting before Christmas and even threatened to phone the police!
Subsequent to then we have found out that multiple family members are visiting her house multiple times per week, and the ringleader even got an NHS app alert to self isolate and didn’t do so.

These are people most of whom have been eligible to have the vaccine for weeks now if they booked via NHS website, yet are declining to do so until the GP in the village writes to them.

 

[birchesgreen]

Yes I don't get it. There's people who seem to absolutely relish in the idea of restrictions being "tough". In a lot of cases I think there's an element of delighting in others being stopped from doing things.

People who did nothing before the pandemic perhaps.

 

[Domh245]

I do wonder if we're seeing some sort of lockdown Stockholm syndrome?

Personally, I'm just utterly broken by it all to the point of indifference. I'm not enjoying it at all, and certainly don't want it to continue, but seeing as "I'm alright Jack" is the flavour of the year, and I'm alright*, I don't particularly care if it goes on longer or not. When I'm also feeling personally failed by society, it's tricky to care about it's long term success as well!

*I've no financial worries, and I've got things to do that mostly fill my time. "Alright" by most other metrics, I certainly am not