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Who and what is essential ?


Observer II

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As HMG pursue their cake and eat eat approach to the pandemic, avoiding a full on lock down at all costs, we hear squeals of opposition from the hospitality and sporting sectors.   A Merseyside Gym owner has been issued with fines for refusing to close, claiming concern for the mental and physical health of his customers, rather than their fee payments.  One wonders what we did before these industries became popular.   If people want to exercise and keep fit,  they can lift weights at home or run round the local park, these gyms are not "essential" to our economic well being, so if they die on the vine it's not the end of the world.   However what is of concern, is that their staff become unemployed, which then raises the question of Gov support in the form of furloughs etc;  something HMG appear to be retreating from, which probably explains their lack of decisive and draconian action.       😷 .

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All these hospitality & leisure pursuits are important to the life & well being of the population & the economy. Heavy industry & farming used to account for millions of jobs but over recent years the leisure sector has taken up a lot of the slack from the unemployment register. At least the private enterprise shown in setting up these off shoots has helped our economy over many years & kept many people off the dole.

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How Dave ?  How are they essential to the economy ?   They are superficial jobs, that have emerged as we worked less and had more money to spend,  they are not essential to keeping the country going.  So if nail bars go out business, girls will have to cut their own nails - not exactly the end of the world.   So the issue really is "unemployment" and how we deal with it and just what jobs are important, that could be filled.    😷

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3 hours ago, Observer II said:

So the issue really is "unemployment" and how we deal with it and just what jobs are important, that could be filled.    😷

well the fruit farmers were crying not long back because of the lack of workers. plenty of potholes need filling in as well...🤔

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We could pay people to collect litter, clean up grafitti or even help out in care homes (subject to being virus free !), or just stay home on furlough.   IF this thing does pass,  all those superficial jobs will return - so not to worry.   Asp, your right, Boris is now listening to Sunak,  and it's now turning into a car crash.   :rolleyes:   😷 

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3 hours ago, asperity said:

Possibly more to the point is why gyms in the Merseyside area are being forced to close while those in the Lancashire area are not. No consistency yet again.

I would expect it is because the evidence from local cases suggest that they are a bigger problem in Merseyside than the Lancashire towns.

What is not being mentioned is that there are also restrictions in Lancashire that don't apply in Merseyside:

(c)
bingo halls;
(d)
soft play areas;
(e)
car boot sales.

I suspect that there are meant to be tailored local plans for each area based on need. I seem to recall being told that the councils wanted restrictions that made sense in their area, seems like the public don't - actually I smell special pleading and civil disobedience too.

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I guess they'll be out clapping for the NHS staff again this Winter,  but perhaps the applause should go out to ALL those who have kept life (such as it is), ticking over during this pandemic.   Bins are still being empted, public transport still running, emergency services still responding etc.   But perhaps a special thanks to all those involved in the supply chain that allows us to continue eat and drink, despite dire warnings from the Remoaners about the consequences of a no deal Brexit.  Perhaps Boris can summon up a Churchillian "blood, sweat and tears" speech to reinforce the public's backbone in these testing times ?     😷

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