Coronavirus Thread

[UpTheLeagueFox]

1 hour ago, StanSP said:

This is the issue for me - there seems to be some in the Tory party (PM included) who seem so far detached from reality of the general working folk

I've always felt most politicians have been detached from the average Joe.

[reynard]

1 hour ago, Dunge said:

Certainly I think there’s an element here of people concerned about their investments in London office buildings going down the pan, and rating those concerns over the wishes of the populace. And indeed a degree of ivory tower thinking. Whether Boris himself is part of that thinking or just appeasing it is unclear. Indeed, it’s unclear exactly what Boris believes a lot of the time.

 

I think there is also an element here of worrying what genie might have been let out of the bottle though. For instance, if companies decide they don’t need physical offices anymore, how long before they decide they don’t need UK workers anymore either? There could be some unpleasant consequences down the road that the government don’t want to countenance or answer.

 

However, trying to stop the world from turning is rarely the right answer. They probably need to start making plans for hybrid working or protective legislation instead.

Agree with a lot of this. However, the dynamics of the economy depend upon people going to work in towns and cities. If that doesn't happen then there will need to be some big changes to the taxation system. Certainly there will need to be a tax on things bought online, perhaps as muchas 20%? The take from business rates will also be badly affected. Transportation systems such as the rail network, bus system, transport for London etc will all be adversly affected. Rail fares for off peak journeys, heavily subsidised by commuters will need to be increased a lot. Same applies to air fares.

I don't think you will be far out on the employment point either. If someone, Lonodn based, now works from Cornwall then you can probably, down the line, shift that work to India. I see no reason moving forwards why people should any longer get a London salary weighting if they are going to be working from home. That would be vital to protect local housing markets too.

 

Hybrid working is probably the way to go but a lot of folk I know who were dead keen on working from home are now, after 12 months, starting to have had enough of it. It really comes to be living at work rather than working from home.

 

[DennisNedry]

3 minutes ago, reynard said:

Agree with a lot of this. However, the dynamics of the economy depend upon people going to work in towns and cities. If that doesn't happen then there will need to be some big changes to the taxation system. Certainly there will need to be a tax on things bought online, perhaps as muchas 20%? The take from business rates will also be badly affected. Transportation systems such as the rail network, bus system, transport for London etc will all be adversly affected. Rail fares for off peak journeys, heavily subsidised by commuters will need to be increased a lot. Same applies to air fares.

I don't think you will be far out on the employment point either. If someone, Lonodn based, now works from Cornwall then you can probably, down the line, shift that work to India. I see no reason moving forwards why people should any longer get a London salary weighting if they are going to be working from home. That would be vital to protect local housing markets too.

 

Hybrid working is probably the way to go but a lot of folk I know who were dead keen on working from home are now, after 12 months, starting to have had enough of it. It really comes to be living at work rather than working from home.

 

This.

 

I've gone from never working from home, to a year of working from home 100% of the time. I don't like either arrangement. I'm really hoping a bit of both becomes the norm.

[VLC86]

1 hour ago, foxile5 said:

It's not so much the going back to the office issue but the way it's couched. The Prime Minister is effectively suggesting people working from home are being idle. They're not. They're doing their best in a difficult situation. 

 

Of course I'm sure none of the party have a vested financial interest in having office buildings full. 

Speak for yourself pal.

[StanSP]

 

 

 

[String fellow]

All this discussion (and all the predictable Boris-bashing) seems to have overlooked the social aspect of going out to work. Many people in this country can't wait to return to the working arrangements that we had pre-Covid-19. If folk here are so keen to work from home, would they be equally happy for home schooling for their children? Taking this point further, why bother attending football matches? We could all simply make do with watching City on TV from now on.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56237586

[Dahnsouff]

People mocking the message to go back to the workplace need to take off their political partisan glasses  and actually think about how our economy is currently constructed. From transport, to food, to entertainment, to shopping, the entire economy is currently built around cities and their workplaces. Let’s not bash the message because of who it was from and his delivery.   

Boris may be a tw@t, but the message is pertinent.

[leicsmac]

6 minutes ago, String fellow said:

All this discussion (and all the predictable Boris-bashing) seems to have overlooked the social aspect of going out to work. Many people in this country can't wait to return to the working arrangements that we had pre-Covid-19. If folk here are so keen to work from home, would they be equally happy for home schooling for their children? Taking this point further, why bother attending football matches? We could all simply make do with watching City on TV from now on.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56237586

Well, hopefully going forward a mixed approach where people can choose which of working at office or home they prefer will be adopted, seeing as both seem possible.

 

5 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

People mocking the message to go back to the workplace need to take off their political partisan glasses  and actually think about how our economy is currently constructed. From transport, to food, to entertainment, to shopping, the entire economy is currently built around cities and their workplaces. Let’s not bash the message because of who it was from and his delivery.   

Boris may be a tw@t, but the message is pertinent.

Yes - however, this pandemic has shown there is a significant area of industry that doesn't have to be built around the workplace. outside the food and retail mentioned here. Those aforementioned areas really do not make up the "entire" economy - or even close to it.

[Dahnsouff]

Just now, leicsmac said:

Well, hopefully going forward a mixed approach where people can choose which of working at office or home they prefer will be adopted, seeing as both seem possible.

 

Yes - however, this pandemic has shown there is a significant area of industry that doesn't have to be built around the workplace. outside the food and retail mentioned here. Those aforementioned areas really do not make up the "entire" economy - or even close to it.

So you feel free to bash me for a blanket statement but relent on those with an opposing blanket - that’s pretty poor, especially from you.

[StanSP]

2 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

People mocking the message to go back to the workplace need to take off their political partisan glasses  and actually think about how our economy is currently constructed. From transport, to food, to entertainment, to shopping, the entire economy is currently built around cities and their workplaces. Let’s not bash the message because of who it was from and his delivery.   

Boris may be a tw@t, but the message is pertinent.

Yeah but implying we've all had some days off just cos we worked from home is very wide of the mark and quite insulting, really. Especially considering it was out of a lot of people's hands that it was the case, too. 

 

I was wfh way before COVID anyway and while there's the social aspect of travelling to work which shouldn't be understated, in terms of productivity I can't see myself being that productive in an office again in this role. 

 

I think if he comes out with that kind of stuff we can't just ignore the actual words he's said and the delivery of it. It's exactly the kind of thing that should be scrutinised. Why can't he just say things normally every now and then? Why does there have to be some quip or joke attached to it? 

 

As for the social aspect, being in the workplace isn't the only way or place to socialise so it's not like it's exclusive to that. 

 

As for @String fellow suggesting we all just watch footy on the TV just because we can, that's laughable. Not the same as going to work and if anything dumbs down far too much the experience of going to the game. A poor example or analogy, in my opinion.

 

 

I get that working from home isn't for everyone and socialising won't stop just because we are at home. If your workplace is sensible about it they'll try to be flexible with their staff to allow meeting with other colleagues or giving the option of office/workplace if the job allows. It'd be naive of them to make it just the one or the other if its shown that the work can be done at home just as well as it can from the office. 

[Dahnsouff]

2 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Yeah but implying we've all had some days off just cos we worked from home is very wide of the mark and quite insulting, really. Especially considering it was out of a lot of people's hands that it was the case, too. 

 

I was wfh way before COVID anyway and while there's the social aspect of travelling to work which shouldn't be understated, in terms of productivity I can't see myself being that productive in an office again in this role. 

 

I think if he comes out with that kind of stuff we can't just ignore the actual words he's said and the delivery of it. It's exactly the kind of thing that should be scrutinised. Why can't he just say things normally every now and then? Why does there have to be some quip or joke attached to it? 

 

As for the social aspect, being in the workplace isn't the only way or place to socialise so it's not like it's exclusive to that. 

 

As for @String fellow suggesting we all just watch footy on the TV just because we can, that's laughable. Not the same as going to work and if anything dumbs down far too much the experience of going to the game. A poor example or analogy, in my opinion.

 

 

I get that working from home isn't for everyone and socialising won't stop just because we are at home. If your workplace is sensible about it they'll try to be flexible with their staff to allow meeting with other colleagues or giving the option of office/workplace if the job allows. It'd be naive of them to make it just the one or the other if its shown that the work can be done at home just as well as it can from the office. 

I was focusing more on the message and not his bumbling inept delivery tbh. I have worked from home for more than 10 years, productivity and structure is key for any home worker. Not sure why he would imply such nonsense, but I am so over Boris I focus only on the bits I view pertinent.

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

So you feel free to bash me for a blanket statement but relent on those with an opposing blanket - that’s pretty poor, especially from you.

I think that Boris made the original blanket statement and the opinions stated afterwards were judgements on him for doing so and not inaccurate.

 

I picked out your response (my own rather negative feelings towards Boris aside) because it was inaccurate. Apologies if you felt that was somehow inconsistent.

 

If it makes you feel better, I've complimented the UK government on their handling of the vaccine rollout before and I'll do it again here.

[Dahnsouff]

Just now, leicsmac said:

I think that Boris made the original blanket statement and the opinions stated afterwards were judgements on him for doing so and not inaccurate.

 

I picked out your response (my own rather negative feelings towards Boris aside) because it was inaccurate. Apologies if you felt that was somehow inconsistent.

 

If it makes you feel better, I've complimented the UK government on their handling of the vaccine rollout before and I'll do it again here.

No, I do not like Boris so therefore won’t vote for him on Dancing on Ice when he appears, but I felt the message for workplace return value from the Government was not without merit. Which part of my statement was inaccurate? Picking me up on specifics would have been more valid, or perhaps I missed that critique?

[reynard]

9 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Well, hopefully going forward a mixed approach where people can choose which of working at office or home they prefer will be adopted, seeing as both seem possible.

 

Yes - however, this pandemic has shown there is a significant area of industry that doesn't have to be built around the workplace. outside the food and retail mentioned here. Those aforementioned areas really do not make up the "entire" economy - or even close to it.

Of course you are right in this. But the retail and hospitality sector employ both directly and indirectly millions of people. A significant long term move to home working would significantly impact on this if people switch to online buying only. Right now I don't see the sectors that contribute more to the national GDP taking up the slack in unemployed people.Plus there's nothing to stop firms employing people from anywhere in the world if they can make working from home a realistic long term prospect. The world may have become a truly global workplace.

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

No, I do not like Boris so therefore won’t vote for him on Dancing on Ice when he appears, but I felt the message for workplace return value from the Government was not without merit. Which part of my statement was inaccurate? Picking me up on specifics would have been more valid, or perhaps I missed that critique?

Certainly!

 

20 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

People mocking the message to go back to the workplace need to take off their political partisan glasses  and actually think about how our economy is currently constructed. From transport, to food, to entertainment, to shopping, the entire economy is currently built around cities and their workplaces. Let’s not bash the message because of who it was from and his delivery.   

Boris may be a tw@t, but the message is pertinent.

This is the inaccurate part, given the primacy of other service industries in the UK.

 

Apologies for the lack of clarity first up.

 

Just now, reynard said:

Of course you are right in this. But the retail and hospitality sector employ both directly and indirectly millions of people. A significant long term move to home working would significantly impact on this if people switch to online buying only. Right now I don't see the sectors that contribute more to the national GDP taking up the slack in unemployed people.Plus there's nothing to stop firms employing people from anywhere in the world if they can make working from home a realistic long term prospect. The world may have become a truly global workplace.

To be honest, on industries that can be remotely operated, I think that is an inevitability and a matter of time.

 

It's going to result in a massive shake-up, no doubt, but the world was ever thus.

[Dahnsouff]

2 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

This is the inaccurate part, given the primacy of other service industries in the UK.

 

Apologies for the lack of clarity first up..

Thank you  You are of course correct, the economy of the UK at large is varied and complex, my mind was focused on the working public’s activities before, during and after work time, a rather specific (yet unspecified ) distinction, so my apologies for the lack of clarity.

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Thank you  You are of course correct, the economy of the UK at large is varied and complex, my mind was focused on the working public’s activities before, during and after work time, a rather specific (yet unspecified ) distinction, so my apologies for the lack of clarity.

No problem!

 

And apologies if you thought I was singling you out unfairly - certainly not my intent.

[BenTheFox]

Can we please refrain from calling the Prime Minister 'Boris' on this thread? I can't recall any Prime Minister or any politician for that matter in my lifetime being called by their first name. 

[UpTheLeagueFox]

2 minutes ago, BenTheFox said:

Can we please refrain from calling the Prime Minister 'Boris' on this thread? I can't recall any Prime Minister or any politician for that matter in my lifetime being called by their first name. 

 

Thatcher was often called Maggie. Blair was "Call Me Tony". Starmer is Kieth.

Not sure it's that big a deal is it? 

[Dunge]

Bozzer? 

[StanSP]

14 minutes ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

Starmer is Kieth.

Is he? 

[UpTheLeagueFox]

18 minutes ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

 Starmer is Kieth.

 

4 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Is he? 

My mistake.

It should have read: Starmer is not-twenty-points-ahead.

[Houdini Logic]

On 25/03/2021 at 17:57, Strokes said:

I reckon I’ll be able too blag it what with my good looks and charming personality. You might struggle mind.

Did you pull it off?

[Strokes]

1 minute ago, Houdini Logic said:

Did you pull it off?

Literally just got back, yeah I didn’t even have to use my charm or good looks.

You might be alright @Innovindil

[Strokes]

28 minutes ago, BenTheFox said:

Can we please refrain from calling the Prime Minister 'Boris' on this thread? I can't recall any Prime Minister or any politician for that matter in my lifetime being called by their first name. 

No.