Travellers have told the BBC the coronavirus pandemic has left them struggling for weeks without access to water, electricity or sanitation.Gosh, even my tiny violin's too big for this!
Josie, also not her real name, is living roadside with her family, including 18 young children, in caravans in London. She said they have had no access to electricity, running water or toilets for more than six weeks.
They had been relying on public amenities and local facilities such as leisure centres, but these have all temporarily closed.So you live a parastical lifestyle which has now bitten you because the host isn't available? Are we supposed to care?
Well, if we don't, there's always those who make a career out of it:
Janette McCormick, the deputy chief constable at the National Police Chiefs' Council, said a large number of travellers have health issues and authorities should respond "proportionately".
In a letter sent to all police Chief Officers, seen by BBC News, she has encouraged forces to stop evictions in favour of "negotiated stopping".
This involves councils making agreements with travellers to temporarily settle on unauthorised sites in return for better access to healthcare and public services.So, what does that 'agreement' give us taxpayers? It looks a lot like 'nothing', doesn't it?
No JUlia, it does not give us nothing. Did you do negative numbers at school?
ReplyDeleteI have no sympathy for the travellers. Water, electricity and sanitation are what the majority of people pay for, not to be abused by pikey scum. If some of them have health issues they should have thought long and hard about choosing the sort of lifestyle that they have. Again the authorities are pandering to the minority that complain of racism when they don't want to live by the rules the rest of us do. It's tough shit in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteIn other news, can Boris give a little more clarity on lockdown? I applaud him for putting lives before money but can he say if the only thing that's changed is people are allowed out more for exercise and to go to the park etc with your own household? I think if he just states to people to use their common sense then soon we should be able to meet with friends and family. It all seems a bit confusing. Just saying.
...authorities should respond "proportionately".
ReplyDeleteYes, proportionate to the taxes and National Insurance they pay.
Since when did they bother with "Sanitation"? Every time they leave a "site", the poor bastards clearing up report large quantities of human excrement left behind. The one downside (for the rest of us) to living that sort of lifestyle is that they must have excellent immune systems, and aren't likely to die of CV...
ReplyDelete"In other news, can Boris give a little more clarity on lockdown? I applaud him for putting lives before money but can he say if the only thing that's changed is people are allowed out more for exercise and to go to the park etc with your own household? I think if he just states to people to use their common sense then soon we should be able to meet with friends and family. It all seems a bit confusing. Just saying."
ReplyDeleteThats is precisely the beauty of it. Its creative ambiguity, its precisely designed to be ambiguous. You can take what you want out of it. Its giving those who want to work and get out and about enough leeway to do what they want, without forcing the scaredy-pants out of their funk holes. Its designed to open up legal pathways for those who want to work and restart businesses to be able do so without having the police and local councils try to stop them, but without explicitly saying so and thus getting the BBC et al on his back for trying to kill Granny. Hopefully the adults will get on with getting back to some semblance of normality, with sensible precautions, and that will entice the rest back into the world as they see things returning to normal.
Better healthcare and public services paid for by the settled community! The same community that will suffer an increase in crime, anti social behaviour and pay to clean up their mess if and when the ever move on.
ReplyDeleteCollege of Policing might have some space outside a building with free loos, water, electricity - they have a site at Harperley Hall, County Durham and also a nice big field outside their office at Ryton-on-Dunsmore.
ReplyDeleteOf course, it would help if there wasn't the unfounded perception of petty crime hotspots developing near traveller camps.
@ Sobers. Although I see your point this is no time for ambiguity. There should be good, solid leadership in these worrying times which means clear advice. It should not be a case where the public should have to pick and choose what they hear because of the lack of clarity. There needs to be structure with well thought out communication to the public. Although the BBC et al would have their opinions about killing Granny, that is just tough luck. Boris should not worry about being popular at this time. People are scared. Therefore there needs to be strong leadership rather than popularity. There are tough decisions to be made. The only way through is by using plain English.
ReplyDelete"Again the authorities are pandering to the minority that complain of racism when they don't want to live by the rules the rest of us do."
ReplyDeleteSpot on!
"...proportionate to the taxes and National Insurance they pay."
Heh! Don't forget road taxes too.
"Since when did they bother with "Sanitation"? Every time they leave a "site", the poor bastards clearing up report large quantities of human excrement left behind. "
Exactly!
" Its giving those who want to work and get out and about enough leeway to do what they want, without forcing the scaredy-pants out of their funk holes."
But people can't get out to work if those scaredy-pants are train and bus drivers...
"Of course, it would help if there wasn't the unfounded perception of petty crime hotspots developing near traveller camps."
They turned up in Southend and immediately there was a spate of garage thefts. A coincidence, I'm sure.