The Covid-19 serious chat thread

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I will edit misinformation that I consider disrespectful and insulting. If you can’t respect that, they’ll be changed more firmly.

Such censorship is disappointing, but unsurprising given the often over-zealous moderating on here. Little wonder so many posters have drifted away when fair discussion is discouraged and alternative points of view are policed.

Over such a sensitive subject, and with people on here likely to have known people who have died, I stand by it on this issue and find your need to make a dig at the site disappointing.

Any further complaints can be directed to my inbox. Further comments will be moderated. Dangerous misinformation, especially presented as fact, will be moderated. If you feel your liberties unjustly compromised, go shout out a window or something.

[Duty281]

I definitely read the post so know not to reply.

[JuliusHMarx]

I seem to recall before the first lockdown, there was a general public outcry as to why the Government was delaying the lockdown. I.e. a majority of people - at that time, at least - wanted lockdown, so the Government gave the people what they wanted. I'm not sure how that is sinister.

If enough people think that the Tories have either been incompetent (I'm one of those people) or acting in a more malevolent way, they will easily be voted out at the next election. Yet I think the Tories still lead in the latest polls.

I have a friend who, like Duty, considers lockdown more damaging than not locking down, who I quite regularly argue with about it. My main point is that without lockdown, I genuinely think we'd be at 500,000 deaths above the norm, plus countless lives affected by serious Covid-related illnesses, loss of income from deceased main income earners, etc. which is vastly greater damage than anything I think lockdown could do. My friend's main point is the hit on the economy, job losses etc.

[Samo]

Cases started rising - we go into lockdown - cases come down - we come out of lockdown - cases go back up again, and a new variant mutates which further raises cases - we go back into lockdown - cases come down.

Naaaaaaaaaah Lockdowns dont work. Thats why New Zealand is essentially Covid free.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Cases started rising - we go into lockdown - cases come down - we come out of lockdown - cases go back up again, and a new variant mutates which further raises cases - we go back into lockdown - cases come down.

Naaaaaaaaaah Lockdowns dont work.  Thats why New Zealand is essentially Covid free.

As much as I love just seeing people reference New Zealand, and it can be argued as a great example, the country is just incomparable to here.

[Duty281]

I seem to recall before the first lockdown, there was a general public outcry as to why the Government was delaying the lockdown. I.e. a majority of people - at that time, at least - wanted lockdown, so the Government gave the people what they wanted. I'm not sure how that is sinister.

If enough people think that the Tories have either been incompetent (I'm one of those people) or acting in a more malevolent way, they will easily be voted out at the next election. Yet I think the Tories still lead in the latest polls.

I have a friend who, like Duty, considers lockdown more damaging than not locking down, who I quite regularly argue with about it. My main point is that without lockdown, I genuinely think we'd be at 500,000 deaths above the norm, plus countless lives affected by serious Covid-related illnesses, loss of income from deceased main income earners, etc. which is vastly greater damage than anything I think lockdown could do. My friend's main point is the hit on the economy, job losses etc.

Sinister precedent, not sinister action.

And I wish I could agree with you on the second point, that the Tories will be easily voted out, but a myriad of factors will see them retain office in spite of their lack of popularity - mainly FPTP, the lack of a competent, popular opposition, and the old broadcasting rules.

I think your friend's main point is broadly the same as mine, but I do see where you (and others who have the courage to argue your case) are coming from as well.

[Duty281]

Cases started rising - we go into lockdown - cases come down - we come out of lockdown - cases go back up again, and a new variant mutates which further raises cases - we go back into lockdown - cases come down.

Naaaaaaaaaah Lockdowns dont work.  Thats why New Zealand is essentially Covid free.

As much as I love just seeing people reference New Zealand, and it can be argued as a great example, the country is just incomparable to here.

Yes, which is what I've referenced before when saying death tolls are not entirely related to government action. Though I've criticised this government's incompetence, the UK's death toll is exacerbated by a heavily urban population, a quite dense population (especially compared to countries such as New Zealand), and a quite older one in terms of overall demographics.

[JuliusHMarx]

And a lack of common sense at times, fuelled by a selfishness/sense of entitlement that I find is more prevalent in the UK population than many other places I'm familiar with, or have read about.

[WELL-PAST-IT]

With regard to not having a high death rate compared to other countries, I agree we should not use countries such as NZ as a comparison, but see below the death rates in comparable countries, not just the death rate, but the amount of cases:

UK Cases 4.18M Deaths 123K
France Cases 3.76M Deaths 87K
Italy Cases 2.94M Deaths 94K
Spain Cases 3.20M Deaths 70k
Germany Cases 2.46M Deaths 70K
Turkey Cases 2.71M Deaths 28K ( possibly a government figure and therefore not correct)


All have similar of larger populations and have done a lot better than we have. Why?

[navyblueshorts]

With regard to not having a high death rate compared to other countries, I agree we should not use countries such as NZ as a comparison, but see below the death rates in comparable countries, not just the death rate, but the amount of cases:

UK              Cases     4.18M      Deaths    123K
France        Cases      3.76M     Deaths      87K
Italy           Cases      2.94M     Deaths      94K
Spain         Cases       3.20M      Deaths    70k
Germany    Cases       2.46M     Deaths     70K
Turkey       Cases        2.71M    Deaths     28K  ( possibly a government figure and therefore not correct)


All have similar of larger populations and have done a lot better than we have. Why?

That's what we're waiting to find out at the enquiry(ies). Difficult to draw too many definitive conclusions just now.

[Samo]

I could have a guess.

[navyblueshorts]

I could have a guess.

You would .

[LordDowlais]

I bet they will spout some nonsense like the UK having a bigger older age generation or some rubbish along those line.

But we are an island, we could have been a lot more proactive. International travel should have been banned from the outset, accept for exceptional or serious instances like business or import and export, and even then that could have been controlled better.

[dummy_half]

With regard to not having a high death rate compared to other countries, I agree we should not use countries such as NZ as a comparison, but see below the death rates in comparable countries, not just the death rate, but the amount of cases:

UK              Cases     4.18M      Deaths    123K
France        Cases      3.76M     Deaths      87K
Italy           Cases      2.94M     Deaths      94K
Spain         Cases       3.20M      Deaths    70k
Germany    Cases       2.46M     Deaths     70K
Turkey       Cases        2.71M    Deaths     28K  ( possibly a government figure and therefore not correct)


All have similar of larger populations and have done a lot better than we have. Why?

That's what we're waiting to find out at the enquiry(ies). Difficult to draw too many definitive conclusions just now.

Ignoring Turkey, where it is very likely the figures are incorrect (and anyway is not comparable in terms of lifestyle or climate), I'm not sure you'd say anyone bar Germany has done A LOT better - Spain has had more cases per head, and the differences otherwise could well be to do with different means of collating the data (the BBC lists 3 different numbers for Covid deaths in the UK) as much as different outcomes, so I think we could describe as comparable with Spain, Italy and France. The US has an even higher case rate (may be an artefact of more testing earlier in the pandemic) and only slightly lower death rate than the UK.

I'm not for a moment arguing that the Government or the population in general have handled the pandemic well (with the exception of the vaccine roll-out, which has largely been well handled), and I've argued previously that in trying to have the best of both worlds of controlling the virus and minimising economic damage, we've ended up having the worst of both. We've also had some bad luck with the Kent mutation increasing infection rates rapidly around November (accepting that the bad luck was partly of our own making, in that relatively high case levels increased the likelihood of such mutations). Oh, and some of the issues like procurement have been badly handled and even more poorly messaged.

[Pr4wn]

Procurement appears to have been outwardly corrupt. Hancock saying last week that it wasn't in the public interest to declare that the government had broken the law regarding these contracts really says it all.

Vaccine roll-out has been superb, what an amazing effort by all involved.

Telling that the vaccine roll-out is actually being done by the NHS (amazing) but "NHS" Track and Trace is being managed by Serco and it's been a complete farce despite costing "" (twenty-flipping-two!!) billion pounds.

[dummy_half]

Hancock's answer was stupid. He should have said something like 'we were rather busy dealing with a pandemic and needed supplies fast, which this achieved'. I think people could understand some bending of normal rules under the circumstances, but it's another case where the Gov haven't controlled the message well.

Serco are just a bit crap generally. They keep getting contracts for things that they aren't competent at or experienced in (happened with stuff they took over at the council where my wife works), and it ends up costing their customer rather than saving them money.

[Samo]

a complete farce despite costing "" (twenty-flipping-two!!) billion pounds.

Looks like its going to top out at £37bn. Meanwhile nurses get an extra £3.50 a week.

Its good to have friends in high places.

[Pr4wn]

a complete farce despite costing "" (twenty-flipping-two!!) billion pounds.

Looks like its going to top out at £37bn. Meanwhile nurses get an extra £3.50 a week.

Its good to have friends in high places.

I just don't understand why this isn't a big deal in the press. It's an absolute tragedy.

[navyblueshorts]

With all due respect to 'the nurses', not all of them are/were on the Covid 'frontline' and just when the country is in hock to an additional, what, ~£400 billion quid, that's the right time to agitate for inflation busting pay increases? Good grief.

...and I say this as an academic who's had f-all by way of a decent pay rise for eons. Seven years formal training to post-doctoral level, plus years thereafter prior to the academic position. Work my butt off, 55-y/o, not even close the the 40% income tax bracket, pension scheme being eviscerated, UKG doesn't (and never has) give a schiesse about value of HE to the UK....

[BamBam]

Hold on just a minute, surely the NHS nurses don't need a pay rise after all those claps they got last year?!

[hampo17]

It's funny that they can only afford to give the nurses a 1% pay rise, anyone remember when an independent body had to stop the MPs getting a nice juicy pay rise last year, that was an awful lot higher than 1%.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

Ah but that's different. Somehow.

[Samo]

With all due respect to 'the nurses', not all of them are/were on the Covid 'frontline' and just when the country is in hock to an additional, what, ~£400 billion quid, that's the right time to agitate for inflation busting pay increases? Good grief.

...and I say this as an academic who's had f-all by way of a decent pay rise for eons. Seven years formal training to post-doctoral level, plus years thereafter prior to the academic position. Work my butt off, 55-y/o, not even close the the 40% income tax bracket, pension scheme being eviscerated, UKG doesn't (and never has) give a schiesse about value of HE to the UK....

This sounds like "I didnt get one so why should they?"

With all due respect..

[Luckless Pedestrian]

The last year repeatedly proved that the govt can afford to do anything it feels is necessary. When they say they can't afford to give nurses a decent pay rise, what they mean is they don't feel it's necessary. Like austerity, it's a choice. They can, they just don't want to.

(@Nick_Pettigrew on Twitter)

[Duty281]

It's funny that they can only afford to give the nurses a 1% pay rise, anyone remember when an independent body had to stop the MPs getting a nice juicy pay rise last year, that was an awful lot higher than 1%.

It's the independent body - IPSA - who decide on MPs' pay and possible pay rises, not MPs themselves. IPSA had advocated for a MP's pay rise back in October, of somewhere around 4%, but they performed a u-turn after a backlash from many MPs, including Johnson and Starmer.

[navyblueshorts]

It's funny that they can only afford to give the nurses a 1% pay rise, anyone remember when an independent body had to stop the MPs getting a nice juicy pay rise last year, that was an awful lot higher than 1%.

Apologies if I have this arse about face, but wasn't it an independent review body that recommended a nice fat increase, but which wasn't accepted as good optics by those self-same MPs?

Out of interest, does anyone really think MPs are paid anywhere near enough? Love them or loathe them, they are kind of responsible for a lot.

[hampo17]

It's funny that they can only afford to give the nurses a 1% pay rise, anyone remember when an independent body had to stop the MPs getting a nice juicy pay rise last year, that was an awful lot higher than 1%.

Apologies if I have this arse about face, but wasn't it an independent review body that recommended a nice fat increase, but which wasn't accepted as good optics by those self-same MPs?

Out of interest, does anyone really think MPs are paid anywhere near enough? Love them or loathe them, they are kind of responsible for a lot.

Some of them, yes I do. I live in North Wales and look at the stupid bint who is conservative MP for Wrexham, Sarah Atherton. She has done zero for local business. The local pubs who made sure they kept going by turning to takeaways got zero coverage from her, but when Maccies reopened she was posing for pictures all over the show with a big mac. In her case, and countless others who are beyond useless a pay cut would be quite justified.

On the subject of nurses, living with one has given me an insight in to the toll it has taken on their mental and physical health over the last 18 months, the hospitals are underfunded and understaffed anyway but when you throw in a pandemic things become much worse very fast.

[navyblueshorts]

Hold on just a minute, surely the NHS nurses don't need a pay rise after all those claps they got last year?!

Did I say they didn't deserve a pay rise, period? I don't think so. I think the timing is pathetic, however. Still, suppose their Union has to strike while the pandemic is in the public's mind, eh?

The real problem is that the UK public won't wear the tax bill in order to supply enough funds to pay good nurses what they're worth. No, I don't mean all of them, but there are loads who're outstanding, deal with a lot of genuinely difficult issues and have a huge skills set. They should have the ability to earn a salary commensurate with that skill set.
Christ - if the NHS didn't already exist, there's no way the good old clapping UK public would accept its creation on the basis that it currently exists. That would mean dipping into pockets for a large wad and we can't have that, can we?

[Duty281]

It's funny that they can only afford to give the nurses a 1% pay rise, anyone remember when an independent body had to stop the MPs getting a nice juicy pay rise last year, that was an awful lot higher than 1%.

Apologies if I have this arse about face, but wasn't it an independent review body that recommended a nice fat increase, but which wasn't accepted as good optics by those self-same MPs?

Out of interest, does anyone really think MPs are paid anywhere near enough? Love them or loathe them, they are kind of responsible for a lot.

I think MPs should be paid a lot more, yes, but the number of MPs needs to be drastically cut. Double the pay, halve the number, happy days.

[hampo17]

I said this on twitter earlier and seems quite apt for this thread at the moment.

Twelve months ago the nurses were heroes, you were told you were unsympathetic if you didn't clap on a Thursday and that you didn't respect or appreciate them. Now their pay rise is being discussed, they're being called scroungers for wanting to be paid what they deserve.

The sad state of a percentage of the British public.

[navyblueshorts]

With all due respect to 'the nurses', not all of them are/were on the Covid 'frontline' and just when the country is in hock to an additional, what, ~£400 billion quid, that's the right time to agitate for inflation busting pay increases? Good grief.

...and I say this as an academic who's had f-all by way of a decent pay rise for eons. Seven years formal training to post-doctoral level, plus years thereafter prior to the academic position. Work my butt off, 55-y/o, not even close the the 40% income tax bracket, pension scheme being eviscerated, UKG doesn't (and never has) give a schiesse about value of HE to the UK....

This sounds like "I didnt get one so why should they?"

With all due respect..

You would see it that way. Still, that would only move me inline w/ the average 'what's in it for me?' Brit.
Read it that way if you want, but the important issue (clouded, admittedly, by the last ranting paragraph; still, I teach pre-clinical medics, but I still get relative peanuts for qualifications/experience - you're damned right I'm ****ed off re. my own renumeration) is that this is not the time to be stupid over demanding a pay increase? Talk about dumb - what are they going to do if they don't get it? Strike? Yeah, that'll win hearts and minds when we aren't yet out of the pandemic or its aftermath. Their Union should be shot.

[navyblueshorts]

The last year repeatedly proved that the govt can afford to do anything it feels is necessary. When they say they can't afford to give nurses a decent pay rise, what they mean is they don't feel it's necessary. Like austerity, it's a choice. They can, they just don't want to.

(@Nick_Pettigrew on Twitter)

Nonsense. Who is that tool?

Yeah, you can make/print money etc. Borrow like crazy, but get this - it has to come from somewhere eventually.

[navyblueshorts]

It's funny that they can only afford to give the nurses a 1% pay rise, anyone remember when an independent body had to stop the MPs getting a nice juicy pay rise last year, that was an awful lot higher than 1%.

It's the independent body - IPSA - who decide on MPs' pay and possible pay rises, not MPs themselves. IPSA had advocated for a MP's pay rise back in October, of somewhere around 4%, but they performed a u-turn after a backlash from many MPs, including Johnson and Starmer.

Them's the people I was trying to recall.

[Duty281]

I said this on twitter earlier and seems quite apt for this thread at the moment.

Twelve months ago the nurses were heroes, you were told you were unsympathetic if you didn't clap on a Thursday and that you didn't respect or appreciate them. Now their pay rise is being discussed, they're being called scroungers for wanting to be paid what they deserve.

The sad state of a percentage of the British public.

Who is calling them scroungers? And how much of a pay rise is the 'deserved' amount?

[hampo17]

I said this on twitter earlier and seems quite apt for this thread at the moment.

Twelve months ago the nurses were heroes, you were told you were unsympathetic if you didn't clap on a Thursday and that you didn't respect or appreciate them. Now their pay rise is being discussed, they're being called scroungers for wanting to be paid what they deserve.

The sad state of a percentage of the British public.

Who is calling them scroungers? And how much of a pay rise is the 'deserved' amount?

Like I said Duty, I have taken a post I put on social media so as you can imagine, there are plenty on that wonderful sesspool calling them that and worse.

As for the amount, that isn't for me to say, but £3.50 a week net is a bit of a joke isn't it? Would you be happy with that? I certainly wouldn't and I do an office job.

[Duty281]

I said this on twitter earlier and seems quite apt for this thread at the moment.

Twelve months ago the nurses were heroes, you were told you were unsympathetic if you didn't clap on a Thursday and that you didn't respect or appreciate them. Now their pay rise is being discussed, they're being called scroungers for wanting to be paid what they deserve.

The sad state of a percentage of the British public.

Who is calling them scroungers? And how much of a pay rise is the 'deserved' amount?

Like I said Duty, I have taken a post I put on social media so as you can imagine, there are plenty on that wonderful sesspool calling them that and worse.

As for the amount,  that isn't for me to say, but £3.50 a week net is a bit of a joke isn't it? Would you be happy with that? I certainly wouldn't and I do an office job.

Well, yes, it's Twitter. Lovely place.

It's £3.50 a week for 'experienced nurses', I don't know the exact figure for those at the lower-end of the pay band. And, yes, it's low, no doubt, but there's a severe economic crisis and over a million other public sector workers - teachers, the police etc. - won't have any pay rise at all for a year.

[hampo17]

I said this on twitter earlier and seems quite apt for this thread at the moment.

Twelve months ago the nurses were heroes, you were told you were unsympathetic if you didn't clap on a Thursday and that you didn't respect or appreciate them. Now their pay rise is being discussed, they're being called scroungers for wanting to be paid what they deserve.

The sad state of a percentage of the British public.

Who is calling them scroungers? And how much of a pay rise is the 'deserved' amount?

Like I said Duty, I have taken a post I put on social media so as you can imagine, there are plenty on that wonderful sesspool calling them that and worse.

As for the amount,  that isn't for me to say, but £3.50 a week net is a bit of a joke isn't it? Would you be happy with that? I certainly wouldn't and I do an office job.

Well, yes, it's Twitter. Lovely place.

It's £3.50 a week for 'experienced nurses', I don't know the exact figure for those at the lower-end of the pay band. And, yes, it's low, no doubt, but there's a severe economic crisis and over a million other public sector workers - teachers, the police etc. - won't have any pay rise at all for a year.

The police were awarded a 2.5% pay rise last year, teachers I believe had a 5.5% pay rise announced last year. That's why people are reacting the way they are.

[navyblueshorts]

It's funny that they can only afford to give the nurses a 1% pay rise, anyone remember when an independent body had to stop the MPs getting a nice juicy pay rise last year, that was an awful lot higher than 1%.

Apologies if I have this arse about face, but wasn't it an independent review body that recommended a nice fat increase, but which wasn't accepted as good optics by those self-same MPs?

Out of interest, does anyone really think MPs are paid anywhere near enough? Love them or loathe them, they are kind of responsible for a lot.

Some of them, yes I do. I live in North Wales and look at the stupid bint who is conservative MP for Wrexham, Sarah Atherton. She has done zero for local business. The local pubs who made sure they kept going by turning to takeaways got zero coverage from her, but when Maccies reopened she was posing for pictures all over the show with a big mac. In her case, and countless others who are beyond useless a pay cut would be quite justified.

On the subject of nurses, living with one has given me an insight in to the toll it has taken on their mental and physical health over the last 18 months, the hospitals are underfunded and understaffed anyway but when you throw in a pandemic things become much worse very fast.

We should have a recall process for pants MPs - do we? That said, I wouldn't know what my MP has to do and for which she's paid what I think is very little for. She's a wet blanket and I don't think she's any good, but I don't see all these superstar members of the public rushing to stand.

To be clear on nurses - I know their value. My mum spent a career as an SRN and Sister. I know a good few through work colleagues and the fact I watched many of them repeatedly save my son over ~14 months post-partum neonatal intensive care when he decided he was going to **** up a number of people's lives through being born at 28 weeks. We love him really. Sort of. However, not all nurses are 'heroes' or anything close to it.

I hope your other half is OK. I would happily see the best of that profession rewarded much more than they are now. Staffing levels and funding of the NHS is a wide issue, but one the UK apparently isn't willing to discuss like grown ups.

[Samo]

I said this on twitter earlier and seems quite apt for this thread at the moment.

Twelve months ago the nurses were heroes, you were told you were unsympathetic if you didn't clap on a Thursday and that you didn't respect or appreciate them. Now their pay rise is being discussed, they're being called scroungers for wanting to be paid what they deserve.

The sad state of a percentage of the British public.

Who is calling them scroungers? And how much of a pay rise is the 'deserved' amount?

Like I said Duty, I have taken a post I put on social media so as you can imagine, there are plenty on that wonderful sesspool calling them that and worse.

As for the amount,  that isn't for me to say, but £3.50 a week net is a bit of a joke isn't it? Would you be happy with that? I certainly wouldn't and I do an office job.

Well, yes, it's Twitter. Lovely place.

It's £3.50 a week for 'experienced nurses', I don't know the exact figure for those at the lower-end of the pay band. And, yes, it's low, no doubt, but there's a severe economic crisis and over a million other public sector workers - teachers, the police etc. - won't have any pay rise at all for a year.

But they still managed to find £37bn of taxpayer money to give to their mates.

[Duty281]

I said this on twitter earlier and seems quite apt for this thread at the moment.

Twelve months ago the nurses were heroes, you were told you were unsympathetic if you didn't clap on a Thursday and that you didn't respect or appreciate them. Now their pay rise is being discussed, they're being called scroungers for wanting to be paid what they deserve.

The sad state of a percentage of the British public.

Who is calling them scroungers? And how much of a pay rise is the 'deserved' amount?

Like I said Duty, I have taken a post I put on social media so as you can imagine, there are plenty on that wonderful sesspool calling them that and worse.

As for the amount,  that isn't for me to say, but £3.50 a week net is a bit of a joke isn't it? Would you be happy with that? I certainly wouldn't and I do an office job.

Well, yes, it's Twitter. Lovely place.

It's £3.50 a week for 'experienced nurses', I don't know the exact figure for those at the lower-end of the pay band. And, yes, it's low, no doubt, but there's a severe economic crisis and over a million other public sector workers - teachers, the police etc. - won't have any pay rise at all for a year.

The police were awarded a 2.5% pay rise last year, teachers I believe had a 5.5% pay rise announced last year. That's why people are reacting the way they are.

Yes, and NHS nurses had a three year deal in place (called the New Pay Deal, from 2018-2021) where their salaries increased by a minimum of 6.5% in that time-frame, so they haven't previously been denied raises.

[Duty281]

It's funny that they can only afford to give the nurses a 1% pay rise, anyone remember when an independent body had to stop the MPs getting a nice juicy pay rise last year, that was an awful lot higher than 1%.

Apologies if I have this arse about face, but wasn't it an independent review body that recommended a nice fat increase, but which wasn't accepted as good optics by those self-same MPs?

Out of interest, does anyone really think MPs are paid anywhere near enough? Love them or loathe them, they are kind of responsible for a lot.

Some of them, yes I do. I live in North Wales and look at the stupid bint who is conservative MP for Wrexham, Sarah Atherton. She has done zero for local business. The local pubs who made sure they kept going by turning to takeaways got zero coverage from her, but when Maccies reopened she was posing for pictures all over the show with a big mac. In her case, and countless others who are beyond useless a pay cut would be quite justified.

On the subject of nurses, living with one has given me an insight in to the toll it has taken on their mental and physical health over the last 18 months, the hospitals are underfunded and understaffed anyway but when you throw in a pandemic things become much worse very fast.

We should have a recall process for pants MPs - do we? That said, I wouldn't know what my MP has to do and for which she's paid what I think is very little for. She's a wet blanket and I don't think she's any good, but I don't see all these superstar members of the public rushing to stand.

To be clear on nurses - I know their value. My mum spent a career as an SRN and Sister. I know a good few through work colleagues and the fact I watched many of them repeatedly save my son over ~14 months post-partum neonatal intensive care when he decided he was going to **** up a number of people's lives through being born at 28 weeks. We love him really. Sort of. However, not all nurses are 'heroes' or anything close to it.

I hope your other half is OK. I would happily see the best of that profession rewarded much more than they are now. Staffing levels and funding of the NHS is a wide issue, but one the UK apparently isn't willing to discuss like grown ups.

Only if they commit crime or get suspended from the House of Commons. Otherwise it's the usual five-year contract.

[navyblueshorts]

It's funny that they can only afford to give the nurses a 1% pay rise, anyone remember when an independent body had to stop the MPs getting a nice juicy pay rise last year, that was an awful lot higher than 1%.

Apologies if I have this arse about face, but wasn't it an independent review body that recommended a nice fat increase, but which wasn't accepted as good optics by those self-same MPs?

Out of interest, does anyone really think MPs are paid anywhere near enough? Love them or loathe them, they are kind of responsible for a lot.

Some of them, yes I do. I live in North Wales and look at the stupid bint who is conservative MP for Wrexham, Sarah Atherton. She has done zero for local business. The local pubs who made sure they kept going by turning to takeaways got zero coverage from her, but when Maccies reopened she was posing for pictures all over the show with a big mac. In her case, and countless others who are beyond useless a pay cut would be quite justified.

On the subject of nurses, living with one has given me an insight in to the toll it has taken on their mental and physical health over the last 18 months, the hospitals are underfunded and understaffed anyway but when you throw in a pandemic things become much worse very fast.

We should have a recall process for pants MPs - do we? That said, I wouldn't know what my MP has to do and for which she's paid what I think is very little for. She's a wet blanket and I don't think she's any good, but I don't see all these superstar members of the public rushing to stand.

To be clear on nurses - I know their value. My mum spent a career as an SRN and Sister. I know a good few through work colleagues and the fact I watched many of them repeatedly save my son over ~14 months post-partum neonatal intensive care when he decided he was going to **** up a number of people's lives through being born at 28 weeks. We love him really. Sort of. However, not all nurses are 'heroes' or anything close to it.

I hope your other half is OK. I would happily see the best of that profession rewarded much more than they are now. Staffing levels and funding of the NHS is a wide issue, but one the UK apparently isn't willing to discuss like grown ups.

Only if they commit crime or get suspended from the House of Commons. Otherwise it's the usual five-year contract.

Ta. Clearly, we don't want something where MPs are recalled at the drop of a hat, but not sure what you describe is stringent enough IMO.

[lostinwales]

With all due respect to 'the nurses', not all of them are/were on the Covid 'frontline' and just when the country is in hock to an additional, what, ~£400 billion quid, that's the right time to agitate for inflation busting pay increases? Good grief.

...and I say this as an academic who's had f-all by way of a decent pay rise for eons. Seven years formal training to post-doctoral level, plus years thereafter prior to the academic position. Work my butt off, 55-y/o, not even close the the 40% income tax bracket, pension scheme being eviscerated, UKG doesn't (and never has) give a schiesse about value of HE to the UK....

I am a former academic turned consulting engineer. I am, overall, much happier in my current role, however I am currently being paid less than I was as an academic 10 years ago.

[navyblueshorts]

With all due respect to 'the nurses', not all of them are/were on the Covid 'frontline' and just when the country is in hock to an additional, what, ~£400 billion quid, that's the right time to agitate for inflation busting pay increases? Good grief.

...and I say this as an academic who's had f-all by way of a decent pay rise for eons. Seven years formal training to post-doctoral level, plus years thereafter prior to the academic position. Work my butt off, 55-y/o, not even close the the 40% income tax bracket, pension scheme being eviscerated, UKG doesn't (and never has) give a schiesse about value of HE to the UK....

I am a former academic turned consulting engineer. I am, overall, much happier in my current role, however I am currently being paid less than I was as an academic 10 years ago.

Interesting. Guess your new career choice was driven by job satisfaction. Interesting insight into consulting engineer salaries too, because the majority academic salaries (given qualifications etc) are scheisse. No, it's not poverty, but...

[navyblueshorts]

Interesting and amateur back of fag packet numbers on nurses salaries, powered by red wine:

RCN are asking for what appears to be absurd 12.5%.

# of nurses in NHS: ~300,000 (source)
Average NHS salary: ~£33,000 (source)

Basic 12.5% increase based on above: 0.125 x 33000 x 300000 = ~£1.24 billion.

Doesn't seem so bad in context of some other pandemic-related costs I guess.

Anyone out there tax or pension experts? How would the above sort of numbers add(?) to overall cost?

I presume one of the issues UKG is considering is some of the optics re. other public sector workers if nurses are seen to be given 12.5%.

[hampo17]

Let’s be honest, 12.5% is a headline grabbing figure, that would never happen. But going back to my Mrs, she’s on £24k as are a lot of nurses, so that’s a £2.40 gross pay rise per week, she’d be happy with a annual pay rise that would cover the cost of having to join the NMC.

[king_carlos]

Interesting and amateur back of fag packet numbers on nurses salaries, powered by red wine:

RCN are asking for what appears to be absurd 12.5%.

# of nurses in NHS: ~300,000 (source)
Average NHS salary: ~£33,000 (source)

Basic 12.5% increase based on above: 0.125 x 33000 x 300000 = ~£1.24 billion.

Doesn't seem so bad in context of some other pandemic-related costs I guess.

Anyone out there tax or pension experts? How would the above sort of numbers add(?) to overall cost?

I presume one of the issues UKG is considering is some of the optics re. other public sector workers if nurses are seen to be given 12.5%.

Therein lies the longer term issue with some of the absurd incompetency in procuring PPE. The magic money tree was shaken and cash showered down on companies incapable of delivering. When that happens others will naturally ask why not us?

[lostinwales]

With all due respect to 'the nurses', not all of them are/were on the Covid 'frontline' and just when the country is in hock to an additional, what, ~£400 billion quid, that's the right time to agitate for inflation busting pay increases? Good grief.

...and I say this as an academic who's had f-all by way of a decent pay rise for eons. Seven years formal training to post-doctoral level, plus years thereafter prior to the academic position. Work my butt off, 55-y/o, not even close the the 40% income tax bracket, pension scheme being eviscerated, UKG doesn't (and never has) give a schiesse about value of HE to the UK....

I am a former academic turned consulting engineer. I am, overall, much happier in my current role, however I am currently being paid less than I was as an academic 10 years ago.

Interesting. Guess your new career choice was driven by job satisfaction. Interesting insight into consulting engineer salaries too, because the majority academic salaries (given qualifications etc) are scheisse. No, it's not poverty, but...

I think there are some issues with my current (possibly soon to be ex) employers. Job satisfaction is indeed very high, but salary wise not so great. In academia I was a senior research fellow (or equivalent) so being paid at roughly the same level as a principle lecturer. I would have needed to go to reader (or eventually professor) to move on up the tree, but lots of reasons as to why that wasn't going to happen.

[Samo]

Interesting and amateur back of fag packet numbers on nurses salaries, powered by red wine:

RCN are asking for what appears to be absurd 12.5%.

# of nurses in NHS: ~300,000 (source)
Average NHS salary: ~£33,000 (source)

Basic 12.5% increase based on above: 0.125 x 33000 x 300000 = ~£1.24 billion.

Doesn't seem so bad in context of some other pandemic-related costs I guess.

Anyone out there tax or pension experts? How would the above sort of numbers add(?) to overall cost?

I presume one of the issues UKG is considering is some of the optics re. other public sector workers if nurses are seen to be given 12.5%.

Well according to Johnsons big red bus the NHS should be £18.2bn better off a year. We could maybe use some of that?

[Soul Requiem]

Were there not a global pandemic your continued insistence to bring up the buses might have some relevance. Shows a lack of mental dexterity.

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