Standard for a narcissist, that has a world record in opening threads, and a world record for zilch replies.Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Matt Hancock AXES 'obstructive' Public Health England after a litany of coronavirus disasters from testing to death figures - and replaces it with body run by Tory Baroness to give UK 'best chance' of beating virus
Questions are being raised over the appointment of Baroness Dido Harding (pictured right) as interim chief of the new National Institute for Health Protection despite her recent track record in charge of the government's disastrous Test and Trace scheme. Harding, who was made a peer by David Cameron and used to run mobile company Talk Talk, oversaw the catastrophic launch of the government's contact tracing app that was delayed for months amid bungles over technology. The health secretary Matt Hancock (announced the 52-year-old's appointment in a speech today (left), when he officially confirmed the axing of PHE. Mr Hancock said the new institute would have a 'single and relentless mission: protecting people from external threats to this country's health like biological weapons, pandemics and infectious diseases of all kinds.'
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
Coronavirus: Matt Hancock to scrap Public Health England and set up new organisation for pandemic, reports say
It added that Baroness Dido Harding, the Conservative peer and former TalkTalk telecoms boss who currently runs NHS Test and Trace, was being tipped to lead the organisation, despite criticism over the effectiveness of the UK’s contact tracing system in recent weeks.
A report in The Times on Saturday also said that a merger of the public health body with NHS Test and Trace was under consideration.
The apparent move comes after weeks of criticism of PHE from senior Tories, who have urged Boris Johnson to scrap the organisation.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative Party leader, said in July he would “abolish PHE tomorrow” if he were prime minister and claimed the agency was guilty of “arrogance laced with incompetence”.
Sir Iain has apparently welcomed the news and said: “The one thing consistent about Public Health England is that almost everything it has touched has failed.”
How many more fukups can **** Harding oversee before someone cottons one she isn't very effective? Oh sorry forgot she's Boris's mate...that's ok then
World beating?
Gavin Williamson digs in: Under-fire Education Secretary insists he is here to STAY amid calls for him to resign over exams shambles, as Labour blasts Boris's failure to sack him saying this is 'no way to run a country'
Gavin Williamson today insisted he intends to stay on as Education Secretary long into the future despite growing calls for him to quit over the A-level results fiasco. Mr Williamson yesterday announced a screeching U-turn as the Government said grades will now be based on teachers' assessments rather than a controversial algorithm developed by regulator Ofqual. The algorithm resulted in a lmost 40 per cent of grades issued being lower than teacher predictions, prompting widespread pupil and parent anger. Mr Williamson apologised for the 'distress' caused by the debacle as tens of thousands of pupils face an uncertain future with universities now trying to find them places on courses which could already be at capacity. The Education Secretary said this morning he was 'incredibly sorry' but repeatedly refused to say whether he had offered his resignation to Boris Johnson. But signalling his intention to dig in amid mounting calls for him to resign, Mr Williamson said he is ' absolutely determined over the coming year that I am going to be delivering the world's best education system'.
I don’t see the relevance of my quote you’re highlighting, when a solution to the missed final exams is being sought. Any solution will definitely not be a 100% accurate one.
Andrew Pierce is a bigger Tory than you.
ANDREW PIERCE: From hubris to humiliation... an anatomy of a political shambles
ANDREW PIERCE: Fiasco doesn't begin to do it justice. Perhaps omnishambles - a word first coined in the BBC political satire The Thick of It - comes a little closer.
I don’t see the relevance of my quote you’re highlighting, when a solution to the missed final exams is being sought. Any solution will definitely not be a 100% accurate one.
There is no respite for the education secretary, who faces further criticism for his handling of the exams U-turn.
The Daily Mail's sketchwriter, Henry Deedes, describes Gavin Williamson's round of media interviews on the subject yesterday as "a study in political ineptitude" and "a masterclass in ministerial feebleness".
Students at a protest in Leeds tell the Daily Mirror he is "shameless" and must quit. The Guardian says trade unions and MPs are warning that parents and teachers have lost faith in his competence to lead a safe return of pupils to England's schools.
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
Coronavirus: Matt Hancock to scrap Public Health England and set up new organisation for pandemic, reports say
It added that Baroness Dido Harding, the Conservative peer and former TalkTalk telecoms boss who currently runs NHS Test and Trace, was being tipped to lead the organisation, despite criticism over the effectiveness of the UK’s contact tracing system in recent weeks.
A report in The Times on Saturday also said that a merger of the public health body with NHS Test and Trace was under consideration.
The apparent move comes after weeks of criticism of PHE from senior Tories, who have urged Boris Johnson to scrap the organisation.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative Party leader, said in July he would “abolish PHE tomorrow” if he were prime minister and claimed the agency was guilty of “arrogance laced with incompetence”.
Sir Iain has apparently welcomed the news and said: “The one thing consistent about Public Health England is that almost everything it has touched has failed.”
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
'I'm sick of customers being so rude!' Staff rebel, queues spill over and restaurants pull out of Rishi Sunak's Eat Out to Help Out scheme because of 'entitled' diners as 35m meals are eaten at cost to taxpayer of £180m
Diners using the Eat Out to Help Out scheme introduced by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak have been slammed as 'rude' by staff at a number of eateries across the UK. Under the scheme, which came into force earlier this month, restaurants charge customers half price - up to £10 per diner - on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays then claim the money back from the Government. However the move has now seen a number of restaurant bosses pulling their venues out of the discount scheme - with some claiming the initiative was losing their business money. Landlady of the Westleigh Inn in Bideford, Devon, Steph Dyer (left), told the BBC she would be pulling the plug on the scheme due to the 'physical and mental stress' being put on their staff while owner of the C-Bay Bistro in Crantock near Newquay, Nina Eyles (centre), claimed the scheme was actually losing her business and explained customers were not booking for the days the incentive was not running. Meanwhile owner of The Tavern Inn in Newquay, Kelly Hill (right), who has also pulled her venue out of the discount scheme, said the initiative had brought her 'nothing but negativity'. It comes as dozens of over-worked restaurant, pub and bar staff flocked to social media to share their thoughts on Rishi Sunak's scheme. One user slammed those who were 'rude towards staff' (left inset) while another person said she was 'sick of customers being so rude' (right inset). The claims come as the Government revealed it was set to pay out £180 million to cover the cost of the discounted meals so far.
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
Matt Hancock vows to introduce mass testing of the public but fails to offer a time frame and calls it 'a moonshot' after months of calls for population-wide surveillance
Matt Hancock today vowed to bring in population-wide mass coronavirus testing - but failed to offer a time frame and referred to the project as a 'moonshot'. The Health Secretary told the BBC's Today programme that the government would bring in mass testing and ministers were working as 'fast as we can' on the scheme that is crucial for a further return to normality. His pledge follows months of calls from top experts and politicians to set-up a mass-testing programme. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair warned it was the only way to prevent a second wave. But Mr Hancock was vague on details when he revealed the government was trialling new tests, saying some give results in just 10 minutes and rely on saliva - cutting out the need to have long swabs stuck down throats. Current tests can take several days to produce results because they need to be sent to laboratories.
Where's Boris? Demands for Johnson to come out of his tent and take charge of education shambles as he defies calls to sack Gavin Williamson over exams fiasco that has left the Government a laughing stock
The PM (left) has been accused by one Tory veteran of a 'lack of grip' after a series of mishaps during the coronavirus crisis have left the Government being 'laughed at'. He is expected to make 'minor' changes to his Cabinet after the summer recess before a full January 'reset' after the Brexit transition period has ended. Mr Johnson is refusing to sack his Education Secretary (right), who is desperately trying to cling onto his job after his humiliating A-levels climbdown (bottom inset, angry youth protesters in front of the Department for Education on August 16). The Government has also faced criticism for its handling of the pandemic, including its botched NHS Test and Trace app and its excessive lockdown curbs. Mr Williamson's humiliating U-turn and effort to blame Ofqual for the exams fiasco is seen by a growing number of Tory MPs as one mishap too far.
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them.
This is not optional. Not wearing masks in some settings is illegal. Although not required in some similar settings. The Government have threatened to impose fines, but haven't put forward a method of policing this. Masks protect the wearer, but also those around them, so it would be stupid to say they are optional.
If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Not according to The Government.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
This bit gets you an award for stating the blindingly obvious.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
Some are fairly easy. Sandwich shops could be stopped from allowing people to eat in. Allow takeaways to be bought by mask wearing members of the public. That would be logical, and clear.
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
You still don't see it. I think some of the rules will increase the number of infections, rather than decrease them, putting hospital capacities at risk. Unless you have an alternative explanation for the recent outbreaks in caravan sites, pubs, factories etc.
If you knew someone who lost a family member, through contracting the virus while eating in a sandwich shop. Who do you think they should blame?
You don’t seem to be able to get your mind around the fact that the virus is here to stay, for the foreseeable. More transmissions, more deaths resulting.( highly likely to be the 1% or 2% death rate ) A long drawn out herd immunity, although not announced, seems to be the line being taken by most countries. There doesn’t seem to be any other choice. Countries are just playing their health sectors.
The Daily Telegraph leads with what it describes as "fresh exam turmoil" for close to half a million BTec students after the "11th hour" decision to withhold results due today. It says the development will heap further pressure on Education Secretary Gavin Williamson for not including BTecs in the original "about turn" on grades.
The Times says that Mr Williamson was told directly, six week ago, about the risk that A-level and GCSE grading would produce unfair results - but pushed ahead anyway. The paper says it was told by a "senior source" at the Department for Education that concerns about the statistical formula were raised in a letter by a former director general for schools - Sir Jon Coles.
A government source said Mr Williamson had raised the issue with the regulator, Ofqual, and had been "given assurances". The Times suggests its "revelation" appears at odds with Mr Williamson's claim that the scale of the problem only became clear at the weekend.
The Guardian, in a similar vein, says a warning was made to Ofqual about flaws in its grading algorithm, at least a month before A-level results were published. But the paper says the regulator pressed ahead because of longstanding ministerial pressure to prevent grade inflation.
The Guardian also believes this raises questions about when Mr Williamson became aware of the unfairness of the process.
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
Coronavirus: Matt Hancock to scrap Public Health England and set up new organisation for pandemic, reports say
It added that Baroness Dido Harding, the Conservative peer and former TalkTalk telecoms boss who currently runs NHS Test and Trace, was being tipped to lead the organisation, despite criticism over the effectiveness of the UK’s contact tracing system in recent weeks.
A report in The Times on Saturday also said that a merger of the public health body with NHS Test and Trace was under consideration.
The apparent move comes after weeks of criticism of PHE from senior Tories, who have urged Boris Johnson to scrap the organisation.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative Party leader, said in July he would “abolish PHE tomorrow” if he were prime minister and claimed the agency was guilty of “arrogance laced with incompetence”.
Sir Iain has apparently welcomed the news and said: “The one thing consistent about Public Health England is that almost everything it has touched has failed.”
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
Thanks, Miss! QUARTER of all GCSE pupils get A/A* equivalent grades and 38% of A-level students now have an A after government U-turn ditched algorithm
A record high proportion of GCSE entries in England were today awarded the equivalent of A* or As after a Government U-turn meant results could be based on teachers' estimated grades amid cancelled exams. Hundreds of thousands of youngsters received their results at 8am this morning following major changes - but around 200,000 Btec pupils will not get their final results following a last-minute review of grades. More than one in four (25.9 per cent) GCSE entries in England scored one of the three top grades of 7 to 9 this year, up from just over a fifth (20.7 per cent) last summer, figures from exams regulator Ofqual show. The proportion receiving the top grades - at least a 7 or an A grade - is a record high based on available data following the decision to award grades based on teachers' assessments, rather than an algorithm. The subject with the highest proportion of pupils gaining a 7 to 9 grade was classics at 74.6 per cent, followed by modern languages other than French, German and Spanish, and triple science (biology, chemistry and physics) at 53 per cent. More than three in four (76 per cent) entries were awarded at least a 4 or a C grade in England this summer, which is up 8.9 percentage points on last year when 67.1 per cent achieved the grades. Pictured: Students receive their results today at Bristnall Hall Academy in Oldbury in the West Midlands (top left), Lewes Old Grammar School in East Sussex (bottom left) and Ark Academy in London (centre).
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
Coronavirus: Matt Hancock to scrap Public Health England and set up new organisation for pandemic, reports say
It added that Baroness Dido Harding, the Conservative peer and former TalkTalk telecoms boss who currently runs NHS Test and Trace, was being tipped to lead the organisation, despite criticism over the effectiveness of the UK’s contact tracing system in recent weeks.
A report in The Times on Saturday also said that a merger of the public health body with NHS Test and Trace was under consideration.
The apparent move comes after weeks of criticism of PHE from senior Tories, who have urged Boris Johnson to scrap the organisation.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative Party leader, said in July he would “abolish PHE tomorrow” if he were prime minister and claimed the agency was guilty of “arrogance laced with incompetence”.
Sir Iain has apparently welcomed the news and said: “The one thing consistent about Public Health England is that almost everything it has touched has failed.”
How many more fukups can **** Harding oversee before someone cottons one she isn't very effective? Oh sorry forgot she's Boris's mate...that's ok then
Government has paid private firms £6.5BILLION during COVID crisis - including £500,000 to test-and-trace disaster Baroness Dido Harding's ex consultancy - as services struggled to cope
More than 1,200 deals have been done, often without tendering, as ministers scrambled to adapt to the lightning-fast spread of the virus and the economic collapse that followed.
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
'Passed my GCSEs without putting pen to paper!': Pupils brag 'everyone's a winner' on results day after grades were decided by their teachers... and not government's loathed algorithm
Several students joked on Twitter about how they had passed their exams without picking up a pen. It comes after the grades were decided by teacher predictions rather than a controversial government algorithm. A record high proportion of GCSE entries in England were today awarded the equivalent of A* or As after the Government U-turn. And students were quick to celebrate their success, sharing memes and videos online bragging about their grades and how they earned them without exams.
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
The great exams fiasco continues: 450,000 BTEC students must wait a WEEK for grades after exam board Pearson axed results at 'nearly the 12th hour' despite warnings of 'systemic issues' with algorithm a week ago
The shock 11th-hour move affects 450,000 pupils in the UK, all due to collect results this morning along with GCSE candidates.
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
STEPHEN GLOVER: Why I fear Boris Johnson's silence on this exam fiasco heaps arrogance upon incompetence
STEPHEN GLOVER: Where is Boris? We are told he's camping in Scotland with fiancée Carrie Symonds and baby son Wilfred. It's hard to imagine him banging in tent pegs.
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
'Cloud will hang over Class of 2020' As is common at this time of year, the papers are full of photographs of excited teenagers celebrating their GCSEs - but there's also concern about inflated grades following a record-breaking set of results. "Prizes For All In Class Of Covid", says the Daily Mail. According to the Guardian, headteachers are considering challenging the "unusually high" marks, with some reporting "bizarre anomalies" where pupils were unexpectedly upgraded beyond their school assessed grade by the now discredited algorithm used by the exams regulator, Ofqual. The Daily Telegraph's leader column warns that "a cloud will always hang over the 2020 generation", but puts the blame squarely at the door of ministers. "Given everything else the country is going through", it says, "maintaining rigorous education standards is a battle the government hasn't had the heart to see through."
Some folks are more worried than others regarding mask wearing. If they choose to wear them, let them. If the truth be known, then everybody would have a mask on all day, unless at home alone, or outside with no close contact with anybody.
Eating with a mask on is a non starter. Unless of course, the meal gets blended in a glass and sucked through a straw via a tiny whole in ones mask, after the bung is carefully removed.
Haysie, why don’t you try to come up with some conclusions yourself?
This government is quite liberal imo, they are reluctant to force anybody to do anything. But that doesn’t mean there might come a time they force the issue. Think hospital capacity.
Confused, you're not alone! Fewer than HALF of us now know what the lockdown rules actually are, compared with 90% in March
University College London researchers found that only 45 per cent of people in England understand the lockdown rules, compared with 90 per cent understanding the rules in March.
The vulnerable will always be vulnerable. If folks struggled with’ stay alert’ , just two words, then a list of advice or rule changes will be lost on them, as things open up and close down again. Maybe reduce the message to one word.
'Boris carries on camping' The front page of the Daily Mail claims to reveal where the Prime Minister has been on holiday throughout what the paper calls the "extraordinary exams fiasco". With the headline, "Boris Carries On Camping!", it says Mr Johnson has been spending time at a remote cottage on the Scottish coast - with a tepee-style tent pitched nearby.
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Questions are being raised over the appointment of Baroness Dido Harding (pictured right) as interim chief of the new National Institute for Health Protection despite her recent track record in charge of the government's disastrous Test and Trace scheme. Harding, who was made a peer by David Cameron and used to run mobile company Talk Talk, oversaw the catastrophic launch of the government's contact tracing app that was delayed for months amid bungles over technology. The health secretary Matt Hancock (announced the 52-year-old's appointment in a speech today (left), when he officially confirmed the axing of PHE. Mr Hancock said the new institute would have a 'single and relentless mission: protecting people from external threats to this country's health like biological weapons, pandemics and infectious diseases of all kinds.'
Gavin Williamson today insisted he intends to stay on as Education Secretary long into the future despite growing calls for him to quit over the A-level results fiasco. Mr Williamson yesterday announced a screeching U-turn as the Government said grades will now be based on teachers' assessments rather than a controversial algorithm developed by regulator Ofqual. The algorithm resulted in a lmost 40 per cent of grades issued being lower than teacher predictions, prompting widespread pupil and parent anger. Mr Williamson apologised for the 'distress' caused by the debacle as tens of thousands of pupils face an uncertain future with universities now trying to find them places on courses which could already be at capacity. The Education Secretary said this morning he was 'incredibly sorry' but repeatedly refused to say whether he had offered his resignation to Boris Johnson. But signalling his intention to dig in amid mounting calls for him to resign, Mr Williamson said he is ' absolutely determined over the coming year that I am going to be delivering the world's best education system'.
ANDREW PIERCE: From hubris to humiliation... an anatomy of a political shambles
ANDREW PIERCE: Fiasco doesn't begin to do it justice. Perhaps omnishambles - a word first coined in the BBC political satire The Thick of It - comes a little closer.
There is no respite for the education secretary, who faces further criticism for his handling of the exams U-turn.
The Daily Mail's sketchwriter, Henry Deedes, describes Gavin Williamson's round of media interviews on the subject yesterday as "a study in political ineptitude" and "a masterclass in ministerial feebleness".
Students at a protest in Leeds tell the Daily Mirror he is "shameless" and must quit. The Guardian says trade unions and MPs are warning that parents and teachers have lost faith in his competence to lead a safe return of pupils to England's schools.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-53829638
Diners using the Eat Out to Help Out scheme introduced by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak have been slammed as 'rude' by staff at a number of eateries across the UK. Under the scheme, which came into force earlier this month, restaurants charge customers half price - up to £10 per diner - on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays then claim the money back from the Government. However the move has now seen a number of restaurant bosses pulling their venues out of the discount scheme - with some claiming the initiative was losing their business money. Landlady of the Westleigh Inn in Bideford, Devon, Steph Dyer (left), told the BBC she would be pulling the plug on the scheme due to the 'physical and mental stress' being put on their staff while owner of the C-Bay Bistro in Crantock near Newquay, Nina Eyles (centre), claimed the scheme was actually losing her business and explained customers were not booking for the days the incentive was not running. Meanwhile owner of The Tavern Inn in Newquay, Kelly Hill (right), who has also pulled her venue out of the discount scheme, said the initiative had brought her 'nothing but negativity'. It comes as dozens of over-worked restaurant, pub and bar staff flocked to social media to share their thoughts on Rishi Sunak's scheme. One user slammed those who were 'rude towards staff' (left inset) while another person said she was 'sick of customers being so rude' (right inset). The claims come as the Government revealed it was set to pay out £180 million to cover the cost of the discounted meals so far.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
Matt Hancock today vowed to bring in population-wide mass coronavirus testing - but failed to offer a time frame and referred to the project as a 'moonshot'. The Health Secretary told the BBC's Today programme that the government would bring in mass testing and ministers were working as 'fast as we can' on the scheme that is crucial for a further return to normality. His pledge follows months of calls from top experts and politicians to set-up a mass-testing programme. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair warned it was the only way to prevent a second wave. But Mr Hancock was vague on details when he revealed the government was trialling new tests, saying some give results in just 10 minutes and rely on saliva - cutting out the need to have long swabs stuck down throats. Current tests can take several days to produce results because they need to be sent to laboratories.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
The PM (left) has been accused by one Tory veteran of a 'lack of grip' after a series of mishaps during the coronavirus crisis have left the Government being 'laughed at'. He is expected to make 'minor' changes to his Cabinet after the summer recess before a full January 'reset' after the Brexit transition period has ended. Mr Johnson is refusing to sack his Education Secretary (right), who is desperately trying to cling onto his job after his humiliating A-levels climbdown (bottom inset, angry youth protesters in front of the Department for Education on August 16). The Government has also faced criticism for its handling of the pandemic, including its botched NHS Test and Trace app and its excessive lockdown curbs. Mr Williamson's humiliating U-turn and effort to blame Ofqual for the exams fiasco is seen by a growing number of Tory MPs as one mishap too far.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
The Times says that Mr Williamson was told directly, six week ago, about the risk that A-level and GCSE grading would produce unfair results - but pushed ahead anyway. The paper says it was told by a "senior source" at the Department for Education that concerns about the statistical formula were raised in a letter by a former director general for schools - Sir Jon Coles.
A government source said Mr Williamson had raised the issue with the regulator, Ofqual, and had been "given assurances". The Times suggests its "revelation" appears at odds with Mr Williamson's claim that the scale of the problem only became clear at the weekend.
The Guardian, in a similar vein, says a warning was made to Ofqual about flaws in its grading algorithm, at least a month before A-level results were published. But the paper says the regulator pressed ahead because of longstanding ministerial pressure to prevent grade inflation.
The Guardian also believes this raises questions about when Mr Williamson became aware of the unfairness of the process.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-53843685
A record high proportion of GCSE entries in England were today awarded the equivalent of A* or As after a Government U-turn meant results could be based on teachers' estimated grades amid cancelled exams. Hundreds of thousands of youngsters received their results at 8am this morning following major changes - but around 200,000 Btec pupils will not get their final results following a last-minute review of grades. More than one in four (25.9 per cent) GCSE entries in England scored one of the three top grades of 7 to 9 this year, up from just over a fifth (20.7 per cent) last summer, figures from exams regulator Ofqual show. The proportion receiving the top grades - at least a 7 or an A grade - is a record high based on available data following the decision to award grades based on teachers' assessments, rather than an algorithm. The subject with the highest proportion of pupils gaining a 7 to 9 grade was classics at 74.6 per cent, followed by modern languages other than French, German and Spanish, and triple science (biology, chemistry and physics) at 53 per cent. More than three in four (76 per cent) entries were awarded at least a 4 or a C grade in England this summer, which is up 8.9 percentage points on last year when 67.1 per cent achieved the grades. Pictured: Students receive their results today at Bristnall Hall Academy in Oldbury in the West Midlands (top left), Lewes Old Grammar School in East Sussex (bottom left) and Ark Academy in London (centre).
More than 1,200 deals have been done, often without tendering, as ministers scrambled to adapt to the lightning-fast spread of the virus and the economic collapse that followed.
Several students joked on Twitter about how they had passed their exams without picking up a pen. It comes after the grades were decided by teacher predictions rather than a controversial government algorithm. A record high proportion of GCSE entries in England were today awarded the equivalent of A* or As after the Government U-turn. And students were quick to celebrate their success, sharing memes and videos online bragging about their grades and how they earned them without exams.
The shock 11th-hour move affects 450,000 pupils in the UK, all due to collect results this morning along with GCSE candidates.
STEPHEN GLOVER: Why I fear Boris Johnson's silence on this exam fiasco heaps arrogance upon incompetence
STEPHEN GLOVER: Where is Boris? We are told he's camping in Scotland with fiancée Carrie Symonds and baby son Wilfred. It's hard to imagine him banging in tent pegs.
'Cloud will hang over Class of 2020'
As is common at this time of year, the papers are full of photographs of excited teenagers celebrating their GCSEs - but there's also concern about inflated grades following a record-breaking set of results.
"Prizes For All In Class Of Covid", says the Daily Mail.
According to the Guardian, headteachers are considering challenging the "unusually high" marks, with some reporting "bizarre anomalies" where pupils were unexpectedly upgraded beyond their school assessed grade by the now discredited algorithm used by the exams regulator, Ofqual.
The Daily Telegraph's leader column warns that "a cloud will always hang over the 2020 generation", but puts the blame squarely at the door of ministers. "Given everything else the country is going through", it says, "maintaining rigorous education standards is a battle the government hasn't had the heart to see through."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-53857488
'Boris carries on camping'
The front page of the Daily Mail claims to reveal where the Prime Minister has been on holiday throughout what the paper calls the "extraordinary exams fiasco". With the headline, "Boris Carries On Camping!", it says Mr Johnson has been spending time at a remote cottage on the Scottish coast - with a tepee-style tent pitched nearby.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-53857488