Continental updates please

[Snaf MKII]

Ah but you have to book and pay for your test what ever your plans are. It's only if you leave before day two that you don't have to complete the test.

Edit: I see you found you're way there whilst I was posting, it is odd that you don't have to go through with the test if only here for a day/

[daveuprite]

MMmm, that's just perverse.

And in response, I think I shall complete the test I've had to pay for just to make the bastards do some work.

[Tramp]

It's to deal with truck drivers coming into and out of UK.. Less than 48 hrs you don't need a day 2 test... Just a pcr test before departure...

It all ends soon anyway, but replaced by some other shit... I'm in France and have just had our dog uk pets passports converted to French passports off a very nice rural French vet... Money always speaks.... The ferry ports are crap compared to le tunnel....

[Mosel Bikes]

Looking to do the same when next in Germany, but as I have no money, I'll have to do the puppy-dog eyes with the offer of a tummy rub to the vet! All courtesy of wonderful Brexit!!! (btw, I know it's another thread, but anyone seen tangible and hefty benefits as promised yet? as he lights the blue paper and retreats to a safe distance)

[daveuprite]

anyone seen tangible and hefty benefits as promised yet?

You can only see things if they're there, Mosel.... Absolutely nothing but disadvantages, costs, inconveniences, shortages and resentment.

Back on topic... Isn't it great that Johnson's best mates are now running Covid testing companies? Love em...

[dave h]

yawn

[daveuprite]

yawn

What does that mean? You're tired of being reminded of the biggest policy mistake made by a European country since the war? Well it ain't going away.... and events will constantly remind us of it as the extended car crash pans out. Sadly bad things don't end when you just stop talking about them - that's the philosophy of a 4 year old.

Anyway, back on topic, where exactly is the 22 billion spent on test-and-trace these days? Because it sure isn't being spent on testing and tracing....

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

Looking to do the same when next in Germany, but as I have no money, I'll have to do the puppy-dog eyes with the offer of a tummy rub to the vet! All courtesy of wonderful Brexit!!! (btw, I know it's another thread, but anyone seen tangible and hefty benefits as promised yet? as he lights the blue paper and retreats to a safe distance)

I voted against Brexit, but as far as British truck operators and drivers go, it's been good news for them so far. Wages and profits up. Only bad news has been for the big companies who were using EU labour to drive down wages. Interestingly, an estimated 5000 EU citizen truck drivers have come back to the UK since the end of lockdown.

To be honest, it's impossible to disentangle Brexit problems from Covid problems in the economy at the moment. There's no doubt that Brexit made things more difficult got UK citizens resident in the EU, though.

[simonw]

Test and trace didn't cost £22bn - that was the allocated budget (https://fullfact.org/online/test-trace-tunnel/ has some further detail, for example). That's not to say that it has represented value for money or has been well executed etc., just that the oft-quoted figure of £22bn is misleading.

I think it is especially important to get the facts straight when one is arguing a position otherwise one can be easily undermined, which can then in turn introduce doubt into the rest of one's argument.

Alluding to giving £350 million a week to the NHS rather than the EU might be another such example where a factually incorrect statement undermines the rest of the proposition.

[daveuprite]

Test and trace didn't cost £22bn - that was the allocated budget (https://fullfact.org/online/test-trace-tunnel/ has some further detail, for example). That's not to say that it has represented value for money or has been well executed etc., just that the oft-quoted figure of £22bn is misleading.

I think it is especially important to get the facts straight when one is arguing a position otherwise one can be easily undermined, which can then in turn introduce doubt into the rest of one's argument.

Oh come on, it's a very widely quoted and examined figure, including by the commons select committee that's investigating it and which has already called the costs 'unimaginable'. The departmental budget is 22 billion and 15 billion has already been allocated. It's a similar budget to the entire UK Dept of Transport budget. Average consultancy day rates are 1100 pounds with some being paid up to 6000. As an ex- government consultant myself that is eye-watering, and stinks of corruption / misuse of funds. The Select Committee found the scheme was largely ineffective and treated the UK taxpayer like an ATM machine. A similar schemes in Germany has also faced huge problems but it has cost the german taxpayer a small fraction of the UK's profligate regime. UK NHS T and T will eventually be investigated fully as part of the kicked-into-the-long-grass public enquiry but new issues will be in the public domain by then and I somehow doubt heads will roll.