I can't promise that there will be a long hot summer in 2021. But what worries me is that the government has built up people's hopes and they now think things are going back to normal.
That already looks to be unlikely with regard to foreign holidays and the NHS is already contingency planning for another big Covid peak after schools, shops and other premises are fully reopened. If that happens the government will find it hard to contain the heat of people's anger this summer - and they need to be doing something about that now.
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[…] I have already said elsewhere this morning, we could be in for a long hot summer of raised temperatures resulting from […]
Looking at some of the below the line in media such as the Independent & Gau’ there is some expectation that the summer will lead to significant disturbances due to, amogst other things: no job, no money and no future. Brexit will continue to bite (increasingly) and here in EU-land Covid will not be “sorted” (if it ever is) until end of summer. Thus summer hols for Brits in mainland Europe might be an increasingly dim prospect.
Trigger events include the toryscum putting their “chums” in to run Liverpool (40 years on from the events of 1981 – I was there 🙂 ) what could possibly go wrong? The May elections, if the SNP do well (or very well) will pile on the pressure on the toryscum gov. If things do boil over, it will be interesting to see where peoples anger is directed. It will be also interesting to see how the gov reacts (well we can predict that – for an isolated incident – what happens when it is nation wide?).
The lack of leadership on the left of U.K. politics is the main problem here. Starter and Co have no credibility and can offer nothing to the unemployed, the low paid, women scared to go out, disaffected youth, those concerned about climate change and nuclear weapons and all who rely on public services.
Unable to channel their grievances and having been cooped up inside for over a year, I fear that there will be trouble on the streeets.
Even the neoliberal leaning SNP have shown that they can give NHS staff a 4% pay rise out of the pocket money so generously given Scotland by Westminster. If the political will is there, much can be achieved. Starmer and Co are giving the most right wing government since Bonar Law a free pass. Shame on them!
Richard, I am sure you have seen this Naked Capitalism post on school opening
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2021/03/new-cdc-guidelines-to-reopen-schools-based-on-outdated-cherry-picked-and-misinterpreted-data-puts-students-teachers-and-communities-at-risk.html
We have had a plateau for new cases for a couple of weeks, but last week we are just starting to see an increase (6% or 2% depending on how you do the calculation)
I would expect deaths to fall for another week or two, but it is too soon to see a rise to match the rise in cases.