THIS TORY ROADMAP WILL NOT RESCUE US - IT WILL BE ANOTHER FAILURE AND LEAD TO EVEN MORE SUFFERING AND DEATH

 Channel 4 News gives a voice to a number of medical and scientific professionals whose expertise I recognize and respect. Their understanding of what is happening in this coronavirus pandemic makes sense to me. These guys do not collude with a government that has been responsible for these killing fields that are now part of the UK landscape. Much of the rest of the world have the measure of the man who has ended up as the prime minister of this country. They know his past history. They know he is a serial liar with little in his career to mark him out as talented. On the contrary, in a fashion similar to Donald Trump, he has the marks of the narcissist and the bragger. They know he has been world-beating since becoming PM in one sense only: our COVID-19 death-figures, relative to our population size, are almost the highest in the world. And it has all been down to the decisions he took and did not take when the virus first threatened - and the decisions he continues to take, and not take. 

You would never know that this was so from the overall presentation in our national media. But an occasional glimpse of the truth is still possible from time to time. 

Professor Stephen Reicher 

Professor Stephen Reicher is based in the psychology department at the University of Edinburgh. He sits on the advisory bodies to the UK and Scottish Governments on COVID-19 and is also a member of Independent Sage. I first heard his impressive voice on Channel 4 News; this blogpost is based on his analysis that appears in today's 'i' newspaper (Tuesday, 23 February 2021). I think Stephen Reicher is

IS THERE A CLASS DIVIDE? JUDGE FOR YOURSELF

 Thanks as ever to SKWAWKBOX for this material:

Video: Rees-Mogg dismisses poverty as ‘balderdash’ – so the BBC decides to cover… Weetabix and beans

Rees-Mogg’s contempt for the grinding poverty of millions, or his distaste for Weetabix with beans? Guess which the BBC chose to cover

The SKWAWKBOX has covered Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg’s disgraceful dismissal of working-class hardship and poverty as ‘balderdash‘ today, when he was challenged by Labour MP Jon Trickett to debate the grinding poverty and shortening life expectancy of poor people in the north.

But the BBC’s response was no less disgraceful. As Boris Johnson’s front-bencher arrogantly poured scorn on the plight of poor people – including more than four million children, the

THE CLASS DIVIDE NEVER WENT AWAY - IT'S JUST THAT MANY HAVE BEEN BLIND-SIDED.

 Thanks again to SKWAWKBOX - and John Trickett, M.P. - and, perversely, Jacob Rees-Mogg, a politician it would be hard to invent but who does give the game away. There really is a class divide. Still.   

Video: Poverty, social exclusion and falling life expectancy in north are ‘balderdash’, says Tory old Etonian Jacob Rees-Mogg

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Leader of the House of Commons

‘Lord Snooty’ thinks reality of northern working-class life in north is made up

Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg – personal fortune in excess of £100 million, according to the Spectator – thinks poverty, social exclusion and falling life expectancy in the north are ‘made-up’ and ‘absolute nonsense’.

Challenged by northern working-class MP Jon Trickett to a debate on the plight of millions in the north (and of millions in other parts of the country), the man often compared to the
Beano’s ‘Lord Snooty’ responded that Trickett’s claims about the harsh reality of life for many people is ‘balderdash’:

This country has more than four million children in poverty, with many thousands even of poor working households dependent on the mushrooming number of food banks for even basic subsistence. Life

VIDEO TIME AT DONOVAN ENTERPRISES

And now for something a little different. Here in St Ives, I have my local running circuit - 1.75 miles up to the top of the hill at Little Treganna and then back down again. This is a designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. My route has provided me with the framework for the twelve chapters of my latest book: 'Dying to Know - Running through a Pandemic' as I explain on my website page (press here) and in this blogpost (press here).   

'Dying to Know' has an illustrated text - this image is taken a few yards from the top of the hill and appears on p.3.

I thought you might be interested in viewing the local landscapes from the top of Little Trevalgan, a little higher than the summit of the B3306 where I turn round to run back down the hill. One lunchtime in late September last year, after a morning run, I returned by car and took a medley of photographic images. Some of these were made into this video:

 

Facebook does provide one service for free that I really value: the making of videos from your own images. Here is another one that has appeared. It gives a glimpse into my life and the life of Louise, my