Petition WAG Let Parents Buy Essential Goods

[The Lone Gunman]

I confuse myself regularly, so I'm happily accepting that I'm 1-0 down on that one.

I think I'm referring to someone who has their bee in a bonnet about something so they don't like, so look for any minor loophole, difference, whatever, to put down the thing they don't like, but by doing so, they intentionally miss the bigger picture.

Right. Very good. But if you read the guide note, it's crystal clear that the advice to the WAG was that there needs to be a clear, simple set of rules and messages with achievable actions and goals. In order for it to be effective, the WAG badly needed to get the public onboard with this firebreak lockdown, but I believe they've made a complete pig's ear of doing that. Instead, they've actually done the opposite of what was needed in that regard - they've confused people and pissed a lot of people off rather than engage the public.

To me, that is the bigger picture.

[Rjk]

Right. Very good. But if you read the guide note, it's crystal clear that the advice to the WAG was that there needs to be a clear, simple set of rules and messages with achievable actions and goals. In order for it to be effective, the WAG badly needed to get the public onboard with this firebreak lockdown, but I believe they've made a complete pig's ear of doing that. Instead, they've actually done the opposite of what was needed in that regard - they've confused people and pissed a lot of people off rather than engage the public.

To me, that is the bigger picture.

I think backing down over being able to buy tea lights and new crockery for the next 2 weeks would hav had a much more damaging effect on the public's adherence to the lockdown

[Tuerto]

I think backing down over being able to buy tea lights and new crockery for the next 2 weeks would hav had a much more damaging effect on the public's adherence to the lockdown

Agreed, There's this perception of him as a weak dithering man in the same way corbyn was portrayed, albeit on a much smaller scale. Some of the people moaning about the current situation would've called him out for changing his mind. I really do believe that because people are pissed off with this charade and they can't do what they'd like to do, they're picking a fight. I have a teenager (like many other people) who has acted impeccably during this pandemic. They're the ones getting the shit end of the stick, they can't claw back their education and teenage years, yet it doesn't seem to be them that are whinging. Which generation are the real snowflakes, i wonder?

[The Lone Gunman]

Agreed, There's this perception of him as a weak dithering man in the same way corbyn was portrayed, albeit on a much smaller scale.

There's also a perception of a him as a petty individual who will make decisions simply to differ from the government in Westminster and shit like this doesn't help in that regard.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

There's also a perception of a him as a petty individual who will make decisions simply to differ from the government in Westminster and shit like this doesn't help in that regard.

Some people have that perception

But they are generally miserable gits who like a good moan or tory daily mail readers

[J R Hartley]

Some people have that perception

But they are generally miserable gits who like a good moan or tory daily mail readers

Not like you to stereotype.

[The Lone Gunman]

I think backing down over being able to buy tea lights and new crockery for the next 2 weeks would hav had a much more damaging effect on the public's adherence to the lockdown

Yeah, coz it's all about tea lights, innit....?

That's an opinion and you're fully entitled to it. But the problem as I see it is the fact that the WAG thought this was a good idea in the first place. If they were genuinely competent and were following the scientific advice they were being given, the suggestion would have been kicked into the long grass during the first meeting in which it was proposed. They should instead have concentrated their efforts on clear and unequivocal messaging that once again underlined the basics and the importance of keeping social interaction with friends and family to as close to zero levels as possible during the period concerned.

The WAG have unwittingly created a sideshow by introducing a petty, pointless measure that, based on the scientific evidence they were given, was never likely to do anything other than cause irritation and confusion. It's a situation that was completely avoidable.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Right. Very good. But if you read the guide note, it's crystal clear that the advice to the WAG was that there needs to be a clear, simple set of rules and messages with achievable actions and goals. In order for it to be effective, the WAG badly needed to get the public onboard with this firebreak lockdown, but I believe they've made a complete pig's ear of doing that. Instead, they've actually done the opposite of what was needed in that regard - they've confused people and pissed a lot of people off rather than engage the public.

To me, that is the bigger picture.

I couldn't agree more that WG have made a total bollocks of this issue and fully agree with your post.

However, someone of limited intelligence like me knows the basics of people not mixing when they're not allowed to (and acknowledging any regulations that discourage that etc). Keep distancing if you are among other people. A mask might not be particularly effective, but even if it is 0.0001% effective, it has to be worth wearing, if not for my own benefit, but for the benefit of others who won't approve of my bad breath.

I feel we're now in the splitting hairs over poor government advice zone. All UK countries are not covering themselves in glory here, but I feel it's being played out to divide people against each other. My feeling on social media is that people are as split on what to do about Covid as they were about Brexit.

Governments balls things up regularly. They get things wrong. Mistakes happen, especially if advice changes. I couldn't imagine what WW2 would have been like if we had social media. Then there was a general unquestioning acceptance of how things were. Now plenty of people don't care for the opinion of experts.

We're in unprecedented times. I don't blame any of our governments for getting some things wrong during this pandemic, where the logic and advice argues for something. The lack of acceptance for what they say is alarming and points to other issues.