IntenseDebate - Fernando

1 week ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Profile: Black people ... · 1 reply · +1 points

It usually takes a generation of so for migrants to become fully integrated. Go back a hundred years and I expect we would find that Irish migrants fared worse in British society.

Already people of Indian and Chinese backgrounds do well at school and in the professions. In a generation's time I reckon their career prospects, aspirations and achievement will certainly be average or better.

It is dangerous to generalise but I seem to remember a report in 2007 that mentioned that 60% of children of black Caribbean background were living with one parent, invariably the mother. This was three times the rate for the rest of society. It is difficult, but not impossible, to overcome this disruptive start to life. I have no idea how to address this matter but a solution would go a long way to correcting the grievances.

1 week ago @ http://www.conservativ... - David Green: Johnson's... · 0 replies · +1 points

We also had similar raids in Cornwall in the seventeenth century. It is a reminder that slavery was a feature of most societies in the past. In Europe, almost no-one - in the church, in commerce and politics - thought slavery was wrong until the middle of the eighteenth century.

We benefited from slavery but we were the main protagonists that led to its abolition in the early nineteenth century and the enforcement of that ban in other countries.

4 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Our panel. There is ri... · 2 replies · +1 points

I'm more forgiving than you. Based on what we saw in Italy and Spain there was a real fear that the NHS would be overwhelmed. As it happens the outbreak was managed such that that did not occur. The Nightingale hospitals were unnecessary after all, although few expected that at the time.

I agree very much that this virus can't be eliminated and the likelihood of a vaccine is problematic. On-going those under 50 should carry on much as before. This is already happening. Only the elderly and those at risk should stay in lockdown.

I say this as a male nearing 80. I don't expect the young to disrupt their education, damage their career prospects, curtail their social lives just to keep me safe.

4 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - The BBC and politics. ... · 2 replies · +1 points

Surely we should get a reduction in the licence fee during the current outbreak. From a customer's point of view all we see are repeats. No contemporary sporting events being shown. This is certainly not what we expected when we paid up.
From the point of view of the BBC their costs must be lower. No new programmes are being filmed. Even Gardeners' World relies on Monty Don filming himself, using old footage and relying on clips submitted by the general public.

So come, Aunty, give us a reduction on next year's fee.

4 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Iain Dale: The arrogan... · 1 reply · +1 points

“An advisor who is a distraction and gets himself into the headlines cannot possibly have his mind on the job.”

I don’t know your evidence for this, Ian. Cummings seems very single-minded and able to handle stress. Apart from his statement to the press and the ensuing questioning has he had to spend a great deal of time on this issue? The police have not been much involved and there is no inquiry. Of course, there has been an enormous amount of interest in the media and among his enemies. Cummings has been headline news for months, inevitable given his success with Brexit and the recent election. His enemies would dearly like to write his political obituary. Rather like Mandelson he has bitter critics on his own side and he doesn’t come across as someone who suffers fools gladly. If he has any sense he has ignored the comments swirling around and got on with his job.

4 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Henry Hill: Why the Sc... · 0 replies · +1 points

A quite absurd comment. What ever else Cummings did he ensured that his family was isolated, practised social distancing and therefore did not spread the virus. If we all did this the sooner the disease could be reduced to a manageable level.

Of course, the lockdown vigilantes aren't interested in ensuring the virus doesn't spread because people act responsibly. They want to micro-manage our lives with intrusive rules and penalties. It is this ultra-controlling attitude that will undermine the lockdown, especially among the young who will mostly escape the worst features of the virus.

4 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Henry Hill: Why the Sc... · 0 replies · +1 points

Surely the whole point of devolution is that the regions can vary policy according to local needs. It is happening with the Lander in Germany and it is certainly a feature of the USA response to the virus. I can't see the problem.

As there is a common travel area for the whole of the British Isles the response has been very similar and I would include the Irish Republic in that. The course of the pandemic has been remarkedly similar and the response of the different authorities has not been very different. Often key changes might vary by a week or so and, of course, the SNP is always going to try to differentiate the Scottish situation to the rest of the British Isles.

My one observation would be that if I lived in Wales I would be asking what was the benefit of health being a devolved matter for the Principality. But that is for the Welsh to decide.

5 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Andrew Gimson's Common... · 0 replies · +1 points

Why do you think that being a party in a dispute, precludes you recommending that people move on? For example, say I have a dispute and angry words with someone in my U3A group do I need to give an abject apology and admit blame before recommending that we set the matter aside and move on.

You might have a point if I was definitely in the wrong and the aggrieved party felt an apology was needed before they would have contact with me.

That is not the position here. Cummings does not believe he did wrong by putting the interests of his family foremost and managing to do that while self-isolating his family and social distancing in such a way that there was no chance of spreading the virus, which is the whole point of the guidance. Johnson supports Cummings and sympathises with the situation in which he found himself. I actually agree.

So there is no reason why Johnson shouldn't say: you have an opinion and I have mine; I think I am right and so probably do you. Let's move on.

5 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Daniel Hannan: Where w... · 2 replies · +1 points

The chances of seeing a policeman in this part of Cornwall is almost nil, so I can claim to be disinterested.

When I was 70, however, I did add "getting arrested for a cause I thought important" to my bucket list. I am still waiting for the cause to reveal itself.

5 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Daniel Hannan: Where w... · 0 replies · +1 points

The worst aspect of the lockdown IMO has been the licence it has given to the lockdown vigilantes. The snoopy neighbours are bearable (just) but the reaction of one shopper to my Kenyan son-in-law (who couldn't possibly belong here?) was not.

The hounding of Cummings who practised social distancing and self-isolation such that I can't see how he could have spread the disease, which after all is the whole point of the lockdown, is another example. I notice that even poor old Varadkar has been in trouble for attending a picnic. The sooner these vigilantes get back behind their lace curtains the better for us all.

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