We got bags of sprouts parsnips etc.. From the supermarket yesterday at 20p a bag.. Standard pricing.. Absolutely crazy....
It would appear from the actual documents as opposed to government spin, that the UK and EU will now start on a transition period that is designed to continue for the next five years. The existing committee structures that the UK helped to form are to be replaced with a replication of those committees called under different names. The diagram shows what areas of this deal have to be worked on over the next five years. please log in to view this image
I find this deeply disturbing. Are the government saying that despite what is written in a passport of whatever colour the words do not apply to them? please log in to view this image
I think the catch here is that she is British-Iranian Frenchie. If a person has dual nationality then things get complicated. As you know I have dual nationality which means that I am legally 100% German when in Germany and 100% British when in Britain - if arrested in Germany I would have no access whatsoever to consular help from the UK because of this. If arrested in Iran then she is considered as Iranian full stop (if she has their passport) - the fact that she also has another nationality is of no consequence. If she had only the British nationality then it would be a different matter. The problem with Iran is that you cannot relinquish their nationality - if you are Iranian, you are one for life as far as they are concerned.
Although I agree with you on the dual nationality issue, that is not what the article says. The first paragraph states clearly that a British citizen is not entitled to assistance even if they are being used effectively as a hostage. No mention of Iran apart from this case, but a general overall blanket statement.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-summary The relevant part is paragraph 4 I think, and the headline which precedes it. At their disgression probably depends on how much you are prepared to pay - sickening really.
The British passport has the following wording in it. "Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State Requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary." While the government on behalf of the Queen is asking others to provide assistance and protection, they are not prepared to do it themselves for their own people.
So the 'others' in this case would be the local officialdom ! So the eg. German authorities would be obliged to inform the British Consulate if you get into trouble there, and the BC would shrug their shoulders (unless of course you are a politician or a millionaire). The British Consulate here in Germany have been cutting down on their services for years, and probably wouldn't know what to do in such cases - actually to get into contact with anyone above the cleaning lady is becoming difficult. In the past I used to be able to fill out a form and renew my passport from the British Consulate in Düsseldorf - no longer possible It has to be done online and is very complicated (particularly if you have dual nationality) - so I just let it run out last December without renewing it. Which means if I now go to the UK I have to use my German passport to do it !
Yes I could renew my passport via the Embassy in Paris, but no longer. Go through the online process, then pay the earth to have a courier deliver a new one. Our son-in-law has to have his passport with him all of the time so could not send it off to the UK. The only answer was to book an appointment in the UK for a same day issue. This involved a trip to the UK, an interview, and a huge fee for the passport.
This is what Johnson must have meant when he said..... “We have taken back control of every jot and tittle of our regulation in a way that is complete and unfettered. From January 1 we are outside the customs union, and outside the single market”. 24/12/2020
Back to the subject of the thread. Mrs Bodbo and myself each received a text message yesterday from the NHS app, saying we must self-isolate for 6 days , having been in 'close contact' with someone who has tested positive. This raises several uncomfortable questions , the foremost being how concerned should we be over the next 6 days - or longer ? Has anyone else had this message ? We have deduced that the only places where we might have come into contact with an infected person that day was a visit to the supermarket on 23rd for about 20 minures , including a properly observed click and collect followed by a swift march through the aisles and a few minutes at the checkout, - all precautions observed, and a visit to a deli nearby - all precautions observed. The algorithm that the app uses suggests behaviour which didn't occur. However it is weird. It seems bluetooth measures proximity (several distances) every 3.6 minutes for 4 seconds. So if we were close to someone for 4 seconds, moved away and then returned to be close to the same person 3.5 minutes later, I think they assume you were close to them the whole time. But as far as we can remember, we were certainly never near one individual for over 15 minutes - which is supposed to be the main criterion. So, unless there was a whole cohort of people who tested positive, and we came close to each of them... it is a mystery. It has been suggested to me that the app 'forgets' when you leave somewhere , so it can link you to someone who came into the same space after you left. If this is true it is pointless. I know this is true of the manual location registration system , but would be silly if the bluetooth system was the same. Next , we are told that it is illegal to ignore a request from NHS Test & trace to self-isolate. There is no problem with us ignoring the message ,but since it is optional to have the app (and have your phone with you and have it switched on..) then it is not guaranteed that we would have received such a message. So how can it be illegal to do something which is an arbitrary. Is it the case that the illegal bit only refers to being contacted by the legions working for the Mad Dido Harding ? Any answers would be welcomed !
Quite, I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised. And doubtless continued membership of the EU and taking advantage of the benefits of doing so would have eradicated that additional projected cost?
No great surprise to hear there has been a delay on getting the vaccine out - hopefully just due to the fact it's Christmas and GPs etc are probably on holiday or not got their stock of vaccines yet.
I hope there wasn't any intent in that comment to suggest GP's aren't going out of their way at the moment. Anyway, what do you make of this.... A GP surgery successfully gave 975 people their first jab (Pfizer) before Christmas and booked all of them in for their second jab 3 weeks after the first. (They were the only surgery in their town to administer all the jabs without a hitch, following a high degree of planning - which of course we never see). Now, if they have to give the next batch to new patients, following the new guidelines, then they have to make 975 'phone calls cancelling the first people. Typically 5 minutes per call, + dealing with the type of response such a call will create. That's 80+ hours of wasted time for 1 surgery.
No sorry but maybe there are reduced numbers atm in all areas of the medical profession due to illness /annual leave As you say they will have other issues to deal with too on top of dealing with the vaccine .
I have been reading comments from people who are qualified to administer the vaccinations, and did put their names forward to do it free of charge. Having registered they have heard nothing more. It appears that there is little organization above the level of a local GP.
