Chris Whiteside's Blog

I posted the Steeleye Span version of this carol at the beginning of December. As today is "Gaudete Sunday" here is the King's Singers version of "Gaudete, Christus est natus" (Rejoice, Christ is born.)

 

The government has set   out one of the toughest bans on the import of hunting trophies in the world , protecting nearly 7,000 species and supporting long-term conservation – delivering on our manifesto commitment. More animal species are now threatened with extinction than ever before in human history because of trophy hunting – we need to save these species. So in response to the consultation on hunting trophies, the UK government has now set out one of the toughest bans in the world on importing hunting trophies from thousands of endangered and threatened species – including lions, rhinos, elephants, and polar bears. This will help to protect some of the world’s most endangered animals and support long-term conservation – delivering on our manifesto commitment.

The Conservative government has  announced the expansion of HGV Skills Bootcamps to support more than 11,000 people gain the skills they need , helping them progress in the industry and easing driver shortages. The government is worked tirelessly to tackle the driver shortage caused by coronavirus and years of undervalued wages – and in the run up to Christmas, this programme is being taken further. That means expanding the HGV Skills Bootcamps to support more than 11,000 people gain the skills they need to progress in the industry – backed by £34 million, making 500 more HGV driving tests available a week, equivalent to up to 26,000 more per year, and helping Christmas deliveries run smoothly by extending flexible retail delivery hours. This will help to get more HGV Drivers on the road in the run up to Christmas – supporting businesses and ensuring everyone can get the goods they need.

“Given the available evidence, or rather lack of it, it is worrying that the BBC has so far defended its report that there were ‘clearly’ anti-Muslim shouts from the bus, while the antisemitic gestures were only ‘alleged’. They need to provide the evidence  to support their defence or rethink and issue an urgent correction and apology.” Former BBC chairman Lord Michael Grade , urging the corporation to prove its claim that Jewish victims of an antisemitic attack on Oxford Street  last week made an anti-Muslim slur, or retract it and apologise. This intervention comes after a week of complaints from the Jewish community over the BBC's reporting of a sickening attack on a busload of Charedi youngsters, most of them teenagers, celebrating Chanukah in central London when their bus was attacked by a group of young men who appeared to be motivated by Anti-Semitism. The BBC has published reports like this one of the incident which includes the allegation, as amended, that "A slur ab...

From today,   face masks will be a legal requirement in most indoor public places , slowing the spread of the virus and buying us time as we continue to ramp up our booster programme. The omicron variant is spreading much faster than the previous delta variant - we need to take steps now to help slow the spread of the variant and reduce the chances of the NHS coming under unsustainable pressure. That is why from today, wearing face masks will be a legal requirement in most indoor public places, including in theatres, cinemas, places of worship, shops, and museums. There will be exemptions where this is not practical, such as when eating, drinking, or exercising. This – along with other Plan B measures – will help to slow the spread of the virus and buy time to deliver more boosters. Vaccines continue to be our first line of defence and it is vital that everyone gets their booster when called forward. Earlier this week I was at a Cumbria Health Scrutiny meeting. The NHS is under rec...

This week the government has announced plans for a Victim’s Law , to give victims of crime get the support they deserve while holding offenders accountable. Victims should feel supported by our criminal justice system, so they can properly engage with the process at every stage. Changes must be made to the existing system to ensure this is the case. So the government is launching a consultation on the Victims’ Bill to improve victims’ experience of the justice system, with five key elements in mind – amplifying victims’ voices, increasing transparency, sharpening accountability, improving support, and furthering protection. The proposed plans are intended to deliver a world-class service to victims of crime, ensuring they get the support they deserve in their hour of need, while holding offenders accountable. 

"Freedom is unlikely to be lost all at once and openly. It is far more likely to be eroded away, bit by bit, amid glittering promises and expressions of noble ideals . ( Thomas Sowell , American economist)

"My remarks seemed to make light of the rules, rules that people were doing everything to obey. "That was never my intention. I will regret those remarks for the rest of my days and I offer my profound apologies to all of you at home for them." ( Allegra Stratton , former Number Ten press spokesperson, apologising for her remarks on a leaked video during her statement yesterday resigning from her subsequent government post as an advisor on the environment to which she had moved from Number ten a few months ago and held until yesterday.)

This is the text of the statement made by PM Boris Johnson at the start of today's COVID-19 Briefing (8th December 2021) "As soon as we learned of the new Omicron variant, this Government acted, introducing targeted and proportionate measures as a precaution, while our scientists discovered more. And we’re still learning more every day. We do not yet know Omicron’s severity, its exact rate of transmission, nor indeed the full effectiveness of our vaccines against it. But since I last spoke to you, it’s become increasingly clear that Omicron is growing much faster than the previous Delta variant, and it’s spreading rapidly all around the world. 568 cases have been confirmed through genomic sequencing across every region of the UK, and the true number is certain to be much higher. Most worryingly, there is evidence that the doubling time of Omicron in the UK could be currently between two and three days. And while there are some limitations to what we can learn from South Africa...

Yesterday  the Prime Minister spoke with world leaders about the situation in Ukraine  – stressing the importance of ceasing Russian threats towards Ukraine.   Britain and the free world must not and will not accept Russian threats or intimidation to Ukraine – these actions are unacceptable. The leaders of the USA, Britain and our allies have underlined the importance of Russia ceasing their threatening behaviour towards Ukraine. They agreed on the need for ongoing dialogue with Russia to encourage this outcome - our allies believe an incursion into Ukraine would be a strategic mistake. Britain will continue to use all the economic and diplomatic tools at our disposal to prevent any Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Today   marks one year since Britain's vaccination programme delivered the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine   – kickstarting our world beating vaccination programme that has saved countless lives as we continue to bolster our defences against the virus. A year ago today, the UK became the first country in the world to deliver an approved COVID-19 vaccine – we are now reaching almost 120 million doses across the UK as we boost our booster programme. So many people have been involved in this effort - including our brilliant NHS staff, pharmacists, the military, scientists and thousands of volunteers - that has helped saved almost 130,000 lives and prevent almost 260,000 hospitalisations. Our fight against the virus is not over, but vaccines remain our first and best line of success – we encourage everyone to get their booster jab when called to further strengthen our defences against the virus this winter.  

  I agree with Thomas Sowell. And what's more, it's scary how many words I can think of which it appears to be possible to brainwash quite a lot of people by repeating.

I spent this morning at Cumbria Health Scrutiny Committee. A lot of interesting points came out of it which will probably find there way into one or two later posts but the thing which I will particularly remember will be the comment from one member of the committee about a young man known to him who refused to have the Coronavirus vaccine because he bought into some of the ideas put out by anti-vaxxers. Sadly that young man has died of COVID-19. A tragic and almost certainly avoidable death.

Today,   new measures come into effect to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant   – taking precautionary steps to bolster our wall of defence against Covid-19. The Omicron variant is a stark reminder that we are not yet out of this pandemic, and we must take steps to protect the gains we have made in our fight against the virus.  That is why, from 04:00 today, new measures to slow the spread of the variant come into effect – all travellers to the UK will be required to take a lateral flow or PCR test before their departure, and will not be allowed to travel if they receive a positive result, and measures will be reviewed once further data about Omicron is available. While experts continue to assess the Omicron variant, and the government will take further steps if necessary, vaccines remain our first line of defence and everyone who is eligible to come forward for their booster jab is encouraged to do so.

 

Today the government announced a Prisons Strategy White Paper, setting out plans for safer, more secure prisons that cut reoffending as we build back safer. Prisons keep people safe by taking dangerous criminals off our streets, but they can only bring down crime and keep the public safer in the longer-term if they properly reform and rehabilitate offenders. That is why the government has published a new Prisons Strategy White Paper – which will set out our plan for providing prisoners with rehabilitative drug treatment, deliver increased prisoner education, support prisoners into jobs as they leave custody, and implement airport-style security to reduce the flow of illicit contraband in prisons.  This strategy will help to keep the hardworking majority safe – rehabilitating offenders and preventing reoffending, while ensuring the most serious offenders remain in prison. 

Britain has now reached   the milestone of 20 million booster jabs   – as we continue to urge everyone to get their top-up jabs and help build up our wall of defence this winter. With Christmas around the corner, it is absolutely crucial that everybody who is eligible gets a booster jab to top up their immunity before spending time with their loved ones. That is why – as we reach the brilliant milestone of 20 million top-up jabs – the government, NHS and health professionals continue to urge everyone who is eligible to get their booster jabs, and come forward for their first and second doses if they haven’t already, This will help to strengthen our wall of defence against Covid-19 and allow everyone to enjoy Christmas safely with their families and loved ones.

Today the government publishes a 10-year Drugs Strategy, which will help to crush drug crime and make Britain's streets safer. Drugs are a scourge on our society and fuel violence on our streets, with vile county lines gangs blighting our neighbourhoods, exploiting children and ruining lives. That is why the government is publishing today a new 10-year Drugs Strategy, which will keep our streets safe by strengthening police programmes that crack down on drug gangs, giving law enforcement new powers to expand drug testing, and using innovative new methods to discourage drug taking. This strategy builds on the significant progress we have made already – with crimes rates falling, an extra 11,053 police officers on our streets and over 1,500 drugs lines closed since 2019.

I have just received the 336 page agenda for the December meeting of Cumbria Pensions Committee which will be held in Cumbria House, Carlisle on Friday 10th December 2021 at 9.30 am. The first fourteen items on the agenda are expected to be open to the press and public: items fifteen to twenty are expected to include information which is not in the public domain. The agenda and those of the supporting documents which are public can be found on the County Council website by following this link: Agenda for Cumbria Pensions Committee on Friday, 10th December, 2021, 9.30 am | Cumbria County Council It is not unknown for the odd sarcastic comment to be posted here when I refer to a meeting having a long agenda or a lot of pages. Given that this committee is responsible for billions of pounds of public money representing the pensions savings of most of the public servants in Cumbria - for the district councils and other public employees in the county as well as county council staff - it is i...

 

This weekend the government announced   new measures to slow down the seeding of the virus in the UK , taking precautionary steps to bolster our wall of defence against Covid-19. The Omicron variant is a stark reminder that we are not yet out of this pandemic, and we must take steps to protect the gains we have made in our fight against the virus.   That is why the government has announced new measures to slow the spread of the new variant – from Tuesday, all travellers to the UK will be required to take a lateral flow or PCR test before their departure, and will not be allowed to travel if they receive a positive result. While scientists continue to assess the Omicron variant and further steps will be taken if necessary, vaccines remain our first line of defence and everyone who is eligible and has not already done so - as nearly 20 million people have - is strongly urged to come forward for their booster jab.

The government, the NHS and health professionals are urging everyone to get their booster jabs , as Britain approach 20 million top-up jabs and continue to build up our wall of defence this winter. With Christmas around the corner, it is absolutely crucial that everybody who is eligible gets a booster jab to top up their immunity before spending time with their loved ones. That is why – as we approach the brilliant milestone of 20 million top-up jabs – government and most health professionals alike are urging everyone who is eligible to get their booster jabs, and come forward for their first and second doses if they haven’t already, This will help to strengthen our wall of defence against Covid-19 and allow everyone to enjoy Christmas safely with their families and loved ones. There are a very small number of people with specific clinical conditions to whom this advice does not apply. If you have any concerns about whether you should take the vaccine please discuss them with an approp...