UK economy was the hardest hit among major economies from April to June with a 20.4% contraction (those nations on average contracted 9.8%)
Population-adjusted we have the third worst record of Covid deaths in Europe (and 10th in the world)
Granted, it's very difficult to quantify who is the 'worst' and the 'best'. But whichever way you look, we're certainly
one of the worst performing countries in the modern world. For a country with the wealth and supposed expertise that we have, we've done very poorly.
Yep they have provided massive amounts of money. Enormous amounts actually. At the start of the pandemic,
most countries were lining up to use the joint Google/Apple contact tracing system. It was open source, so people can see exactly how it works and how it uses your data, and seemingly perfect for the situation we were in. Seeing as Apple and Google make up 99% of the mobile phone operating system market, it couldn't be better.
And what did we do? Our government threw millions (possibly billions) at an app that Dominic Cummings wanted to control. Why would you do this when there is a perfectly functional option available? Knowing Cummings and how he illegally used data during the Brexit referendum - well you can imagine why they might want to make their own app which isn't open-source. A ready made excuse to follow everybody, learn their behaviours and locations, and use that to their advantage.... Let's not forget that at times, it can be argued that data is now a more valuable commodity than oil. That's how useful it is. They wanted our data. And they put the interests of themselves over the health of the nation.
They tried, and ultimately failed, and in June they gave up, and went ahead with the aforementioned Google and Apple venture, which they should have done in the first place. This 'NHS' app recently came out, and I phrase it as 'NHS' because it is not NHS at all, and is instead operated by Serco, and they've even managed to balls this up. Since coming out the app has had over 12,000,000 downloads... and it has sent out just
one Covid venue notification.
Just bear that in mind. £12bn - and it has sent out ONE venue notification. While other countries have perfectly functioning apps which can stop the spread of the disease. It's eye-watering.
Now in total that is around £12bn,
£10bn of which has been given out for services without tender. And instead of going to companies with known expertise, they're constantly being handed out to companies that have just been set up this year, with no tangible experience, and nearly always with a link to a Tory MP or donor. In Serco's case, Dido Harding (Conservative life peer) is head of Test and Trace despite a history of data flops, the CEO is Rupert Soames (brother of former Tory MP Nicholas Soames). Even the Government's Anti-Corruption Champion is Dido Harding's husband and a Tory MP. They've been doing it even throughout Brexit - anyone remember Grayling giving £50m of ferry contracts to a new company with no boats? They're shameless about it.
So in short, when we should have had the ready made Apple/Google app, and saved lives as quickly as other countries did, we've instead killed thousands, ****ed up one app, gone for a second which doesn't work, and in doing so we've just been lining the pockets of Tory mates with the money that you and I put into the tax system.
............Maybe I'm clutching at straws again!!!
