According to a reliable source, the above leaflet is being delivered this morning by local Tory Councillor Cameron Rose for Newington Southside Edinburgh.
The Great Barrington Declaration headed up by the most nutty of professors has been widely debunked. For example:
Dr Michael Head, Senior Research Fellow in Global Health, University of Southampton, said:
“The Barrington Declaration is based upon a false premise – that governments and the scientific community wish for extensive lockdowns to continue until a vaccine is available. Lockdowns are only ever used when transmission is high, and now that we have some knowledge about how best to handle new outbreaks, most national and subnational interventions are much ‘lighter’ than the full suppressions we have seen for example in the UK across the spring of 2020.
“Those behind the Barrington Declaration are advocates of herd immunity within a population. They state that “Those who are not vulnerable should immediately be allowed to resume life as normal”, with the idea being that somehow the vulnerable of society will be protected from ensuing transmission of a dangerous virus. It is a very bad idea. We saw that even with intensive lockdowns in place, there was a huge excess death toll, with the elderly bearing the brunt of that, and 20-30% of the UK population would be classed as vulnerable to a severe COVID-19 infection. Around 8% of the UK population has some level of immunity to this novel coronavirus, and that immunity will likely wane over time and be insufficient to prevent a second infection. A strategy for herd immunity would also promote further inequalities across society, for example across the Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. The declaration also ignores the emerging burdens of ‘long COVID’. We know that many people, even younger populations who suffered from an initially mild illness, are suffering from longer-term consequences of a COVID-19 infection.
“Independent SAGE are among the many scientists who have eloquently pointed out1 the many reasons why these initiatives are ultimately harmful and misleading as to the scientific evidence base. There are countries who are managing the pandemic relatively well, including South Korea and New Zealand, and their strategies do not include simply letting the virus run wild whilst hoping that the asthmatic community and the elderly can find somewhere to hide for 12 months. They have a proactive approach to ‘test and trace’ to reduce the impact of new outbreaks, and good public health messaging from the government to their populations. Ultimately, the Barrington Declaration is based on principles that are dangerous to national and global public health.
1 Independent SAGE report – https://www.independentsage.org/a-deliberate-population-immunity-strategy-before-a-vaccine-why-it-wouldnt-work-and-why-it-shouldnt-be-tried/
For a fuller account of the nuttiness, see:
I am sure that Mornings on Radio Scotland will devote a session to this, so that it gets publicity for the Tories.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Johnsons many Covid-19 mistakes are now perculating into the public domain. A clever trick by Boris, to slip this stuff out while his ratings in one-party State England are high.
But he still bears responsibility for a huge cost in lives and disruption to peoples lives. England has had three lockdowns because of this incompetent Boris regime: the highest per capita death toll: the worst economic hit—and all Starmer can say is “me too, me too”!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Mad science, graft, corruption and Tory hegemony in England (and therefore the rest of us.
“Where did you get the money, Boris”?
“Haw, hum, mumble and we’ll just get it done, hoi, hah, vaccines, best in the world”.
LikeLiked by 3 people
What a sinister leaflet, it’s akin to something you’d expect the Nazi’s to distribute.
Terrifying, let’s hope people tear it up into tiny pieces and send it back to whence it came. Brrrrr, it’s chilly…
LikeLiked by 4 people
The Barrington Declaration isn’t scientific, it’s part of the radical-right’s war against the precautionary principle. So yes, Scottish Conservatives appear to be attacking a scientific world-view. Though this will come as no surprise if you understand how the right-wing mind function.
https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/news/organisers-of-anti-lockdown-declaration-have-track-record-of-promoting-denial-of-health-and-environmental-risks/
LikeLiked by 3 people
https://skepteco.wordpress.com/2020/10/11/the-great-barrington-declaration/
This came up in ‘more on WP’. Three ‘scientists’, looks like some folks signed it with names like Bananas etc though. That a Tory Councillor is distributing this pap is extremely concerning, in fact, are they even allowed to?
LikeLiked by 1 person
All in your own mind
Substitute Barrington
To read
Goebels
Now you will be thinking correctly
LikeLike
Reminds me of those well known tory MPs
Mr Selwyn Gummer
Mrs Edwina Curry
Both went on tv to tell us british beef was safe when people were dying from CJD mad cow disease
And eggs were safe when people were getting serious illness from several types of bacteria proliferating in British eggs
British business profit is most important to these people
LikeLiked by 3 people
Indeed, and as if any Tory, paid highly from the public purse, gives one hoot about the actual people. All the Tories care about is themselves, and money.
I’d be surprised if it’s even appropriate, if these leaflets are being sent out by a Tory councillor, or legal.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The Barrington Declaration is also part of the radical-right’s war against international human rights law. Most specifically relating to environmental protection and the right to health. That’s how psychotic Torydum is.
Human Rights, Health & Environmental
Protection: Linkages in Law & Practice
http://www.who.int/hhr/Series_1%20%20Sheltonpaper_rev1.pdf?ua=1
LikeLike
What had been exposed this last year is just how easily the conservative government can persuade academics in british universities who are prepared to say publicy that black is white.
So many of them scraped off the bottom to support the conservatives idiocy by BBC , newspapers , radio .
Its the corruption that shocks at first glance but then you realise that we have all gained knowledge , we now know that many of the people in positions we previously trusted automatically, are actually thin on credibility trust and reliability they value career progression above all else including lives.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Terence
All you state is referred to as
The English Way
LikeLike
Maybe not the worst thing about this poster but I can’t believe they used Finland as a case study of no lockdowns/the Great Barrington Declaration.
Finland is much closer to a case study of ZeroCovid – they locked down hard and fast last spring and then kept cases low using border controls, good financial support for self-isolation (100% pay), good sick pay (which are all measures very limited in Scotland throughout the pandemic by being part of UK) and contact tracing (including a very successful app). As cases have started rising this month, they just locked down again last week!
LikeLike
Moreover, the Covid death rates per 100k of population in Finland and Sweden are completely different according to this chart available from the FT. Very odd leaflet.
See: https://ig.ft.com/coronavirus-chart/?areas=s92000003&areas=e92000001&areas=fin&areas=swe&areasRegional=usny&areasRegional=usnj&areasRegional=usaz&areasRegional=usca&areasRegional=usnd&areasRegional=ussd&cumulative=0&logScale=0&per100K=1&startDate=2020-01-01&values=deaths
LikeLike
It’s too complicated. It will just go in the bin. The Tory waste of time, paper and monies. It will cost the taxpayers. Bit late. Everybody likely to die has been vaccinated.
The Tories have killed enough people already. How many more do they want to die. Their average members, male and over seventy. Appalling pandemic mismanagement. Brexit looming. Austerity killing people,
DR £150,000 in expenses. Plus salary and perks. Just a total waste of space.
LikeLike
Perhaps Tory Councillor Cameron Rose might agree to explaining the finer elements of this to a few bereaved family members in a soundproof room with only an outside key…?
LikeLike
“nutty” is an absolutely extraordinary (and utterly unscientific) way to describe some very highly credentialed ppl – get a grip folks
LikeLike