Slow news day, or end of the world?

”Aggressive” new variant has landed in Moscow. Makes people, even those that have been vaccinated, more poorly than previous types.

Time for Uncle Joe to push the button? Short term pain.

2 hours ago, Cheese said:

No. At the very least, we learn a lot about how to deal with the next pandemic, and hopefully save a lot more lives.

If only there was a Committee in place at the time to do just that but someone chose to scrap it..

11 hours ago, MancWanderer said:

I’ll say that’s the only sensible post you’ve ever put on here

 

19 hours ago, Cheese said:

No. At the very least, we learn a lot about how to deal with the next pandemic, and hopefully save a lot more lives.

I wish I shared your trusting views.

In my world they will all make guffawing noises and then it will all be filed away under "things we got away with"

Any collars felt yet after Grenfel and Postmaster inquiries?

18 minutes ago, Dimron said:

I wish I shared your trusting views.

In my world they will all make guffawing noises and then it will all be filed away under "things we got away with"

Any collars felt yet after Grenfel and Postmaster inquiries?

You make a good point.

Johnson was utterly inept and out of his depth. Hancock should be in jail along with any others who took steps to profit over the national interest. Many are now in the upper house along with Brexit shithouses.

The big one on Grenfell is the collaboration between government and private interests to the detriment of public safety.

 

43 minutes ago, Winchester White said:

You make a good point.

Johnson was utterly inept and out of his depth. Hancock should be in jail along with any others who took steps to profit over the national interest. Many are now in the upper house along with Brexit shithouses.

The big one on Grenfell is the collaboration between government and private interests to the detriment of public safety.

 

Grenfell

I know for an absolute fact that all Kingspan employees were told to say nothing to anyone the day after it happened. And told verbally by line managers in one to one sessions that doing so would end their jobs.

They knew all along about that cladding. 

2 hours ago, Dimron said:

I wish I shared your trusting views.

In my world they will all make guffawing noises and then it will all be filed away under "things we got away with"

Any collars felt yet after Grenfel and Postmaster inquiries?

The inquiry into horizon can't itself bring about criminal charges, but the findings can be used as evidence when it's all complete

Which could be a while yet

The likes of Vennells need to be prosecuted 

It's a disgrace it's taking so long

1 hour ago, Spider said:

Grenfell

I know for an absolute fact that all Kingspan employees were told to say nothing to anyone the day after it happened. And told verbally by line managers in one to one sessions that doing so would end their jobs.

They knew all along about that cladding. 

I was undergoing a BRE fire safety audit on the day the report was published... to say the two auditors were "distracted" was an understatement... their testing manager was found to have assisted Kingspan  by unofficially doctoring the test samples rather than doing his duty and simply turning the gas on in the furnace for two hours. There was an email somewhere "they are confusing me with someone who gives a shit".

I also recall a few years prior to Grenfell being asked to leave a design meeting because I told the project manager he might as well wrap the building in an oily rag... the architect took my point and removed the Kingspan.

Old hands like me could see the risks being taken and to be truthful, saw it coming... I saw the pictures at breakfast time and said to the missus... ACM and no cavity barriers. I now spend my working days putting cladding defects right, keeps me in work but what I see is shocking.

No prosecutions.

Can kicked down the road.

 

44 minutes ago, Zico said:

The inquiry into horizon can't itself bring about criminal charges, but the findings can be used as evidence when it's all complete

Which could be a while yet

The likes of Vennells need to be prosecuted 

It's a disgrace it's taking so long

Public Inquiries just seem to delay justice in my opinion... obvious law breaking gone down  but plod cannot do anything while there is a judicial inquiry proceeding....makes no sense in my book.

2 hours ago, Winchester White said:

 

The big one on Grenfell is the collaboration between government and private interests to the detriment of public safety.

 

It was all about John Prescot cutting the red tape.

There was a boom in privatised Building Regs Surveyors employed by the Builder Developer. Previously Building Regs were enforced by Local Authorities.

Total conflict of interest.

52 minutes ago, Dimron said:

It was all about John Prescot cutting the red tape.

There was a boom in privatised Building Regs Surveyors employed by the Builder Developer. Previously Building Regs were enforced by Local Authorities.

Total conflict of interest.

Complete disaster and should have been reversed in the years since.

So many stupid decisions just kicked into the long grass for so many years.

 

3 hours ago, Spider said:

Grenfell

I know for an absolute fact that all Kingspan employees were told to say nothing to anyone the day after it happened. And told verbally by line managers in one to one sessions that doing so would end their jobs.

They knew all along about that cladding. 

The victims were little people. The powers that be simply don't give a shit.

But reclaimed swampland in Somerset where a load of toffs live floods and its fucking Armageddon.

9 hours ago, mickbrown said:

The victims were little people. The powers that be simply don't give a shit.

But reclaimed swampland in Somerset where a load of toffs live floods and its fucking Armageddon.

The EA are paying £4M to upgrade the pumps at the flood defence systems on Somerset lowlands to fish friendly ones. Can think of better use for our money.

13 hours ago, Winchester White said:

Complete disaster and should have been reversed in the years since.

So many stupid decisions just kicked into the long grass for so many years.

 

There might be a chink of light... Building Safety Act came in after Grenfell, I was sceptical whether it would gain traction but enforcement has been put with the HSE who like to prosecute... they have appeared on a couple of my jobs lately so maybe.

Up to 2 years imprisonment and unlimited fines for contractors knowingly carrying out work not complying with Building Regs Fire Safety Document.

8 hours ago, Dimron said:

Up to 2 years imprisonment and unlimited fines for contractors knowingly carrying out work not complying with Building Regs Fire Safety Document.

Contractors can justifiably argue its not their job to know every nook and cranny of the Fire Safety document. Assuming a D&B setup, their consultants should be in the firing line and quite rightly. 

8 minutes ago, jayjayoghani said:

Contractors can justifiably argue its not their job to know every nook and cranny of the Fire Safety document. Assuming a D&B setup, their consultants should be in the firing line and quite rightly. 

Contractors are now required by law to refuse to carry out works they KNOW to be non compliant with ADB 2010...sobering thought 

On 20/11/2025 at 21:59, Cheese said:

No. At the very least, we learn a lot about how to deal with the next pandemic, and hopefully save a lot more lives.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/21/covid-report-leaders-pandemic-political-system

I was reading this today (I still buy newspapers) and thought it might be of interest... the report does not give us any answers with regard to future pandemics although I like the term "Dame Michelle Mohne Law"