This is *not* a call to instinctively distust authorities. It *is* a call to think about the numbers involved:
Absolutely minute risk of a harm from vaccine vs (often) larger risk of harms from vaccine suspension.
If the sums don't add up, they don't add up.
Conversely if the sums do add up, they do add up. It depends on the details of the vaccine restriction (who's not getting the jabs, how at risk from COVID are they), the state of the vaccine rollout, and the state of the local COVID situation.
So a broad restriction, when vaccine supply and vaccination rates are low, and COVID rates are high is a totally different ball game to a narrow restriction when vaccine supply is high, most people are already vaccinated and COVID rates are low.
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Interesting piece, and in points to a growing dilemma for Labour, which we discuss in Brexitland: its two strongest constituencies are increasingly white "conviction liberals" and ethnic minorities. They agree strongly on antiracism, but disagree strongly on many other things
For example, socially conservative views on gender, LGBT rights, the role of women, even law and order, are frequently found among BAME voters, & among BAME faith organisations. Labour can either shun those voters/organisations or annoy white liberals.
Traditionally, white liberals have tended to put antiracism/BAME representation first in this regard and/or the social conservatism of BAME voters has simply not been v salient. This latest incident suggests that position may become harder to sustain.
Some of the biggest founts of UK politics fake news on social media have been hyper-partisan sites like the Canary, Another Angry Voice or Westmonster, whose creators and readers are evidently motivated by intense hatred of the out-party.
Seems very plausible to me that a lot of people sharing that kind of content do it because they provide an attractive good not so easily available from mainstream sources - attention grabbing ultra-negative stories about the outgroup
Today's report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities looks very much like an example of the "politics of racism" which @ProfSobolewska discussed at length in Brexitland.
@ProfSobolewska Antiracism is a losing issue for the Conservatives, who have for 50 plus years been less trusted on the issue than Labour (and for good reason - all significant antiracism legislation passed by Labour). Yet dismissing racism is also a losing issue for them, too - so what to do?
@ProfSobolewska The obvious answer is what we see today - acknowledging racism as an issue, while seeking (a) to play up (real) areas of progress and tell a positive story and (b) minimise attention to (real) areas of continuing discrimination and disadvantage
I would appreciate it @afneil if you would either delete or correct the tweet claiming I have "had to backtrack". I have not changed my statement but instead reiterated and explained it a number of times. Please do not misrepresent my views.
@afneil For example @afneil this explains why the context of Webbe's situation is relevant. As I'm sure a veteran political journalist such as yourself will recognise:
When I was tweeting a little while ago about how absurd health authorities' pausing of AZ was I had a lot of people in my replies saying the pause was precautionary and to "help build public confidence in the vaccine".
Who could have predicted that the public would respond to a strong signal from their health authorities that there might be an issue? Who could have predicted that subsequent reassurances wouldn't be heard? IDK, anyone who's ever followed a moral panic about vaccines maybe.
What weight did these bureaucrats put on the variable "this might collapse public confidence in the vaccine" when making their "precautionary principle" decision?