David Gauke

David Gauke @DavidGauke

RT @rowlsmanthorpe: @DavidGauke Should say: not clear *to me* whether that applies to areas currently in Tier 3. The scientists are probabl… — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

@StigAbell @katyballs @Keir_Starmer I guess if you've got backing of SAGE for that approach, it might be possible. But I can imagine the pressure to extend the lockdown - "deaths are going up, ICUs full, infections still high & you're lifting restrictions?!". Need to be very clear in advance that's what you'll do. — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

RT @rowlsmanthorpe: @DavidGauke Just had a briefing with the SAGE scientists proposing this idea. They said the circuit-breaker had to be f… — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

RT @Peston: Important practical question on @Keir_Starmer's circuit-breaking "temporary" lockdown - which we will probe on tonight's #Pesto… — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

I could ask the same question of SAGE. And it is a genuine question not being snarky - I can see case for a short lockdown or even a longer lockdown. But if we're going to do the latter, it should be because that's our chosen strategy, not because we got there by accident. — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

@StigAbell @katyballs @Keir_Starmer Hard to explain to the public. You'd have to make that very clear at the point of entering the circuit breaker lockdown. — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

A short lockdown might be right thing to do but unless you prepare the ground in advance ("we will lift these restrictions come what may/when R falls below 1 etc regardless of death numbers") hard to see how a short lockdown doesn't become an accidental indefinite one. — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

RT @StigAbell: @DavidGauke @katyballs @Keir_Starmer We spoke to a modeller this morning and he said it would have to have an end point “com… — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

Logically, the tests for a circuit breaker lockdown should be about new cases and rates of transmissions not hospitalisations or deaths. But you'd have to make that clear in advance because it'll be very difficult to lift restrictions while death numbers are still growing. — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

Interested to know from @Keir_Starmer what would be the criteria for ending a circuit breaker lockdown? Would it last for 2 or 3 weeks regardless of what happens to cases? Would he be content to lift it even if deaths were still going up, given that they're a lagging indicator? — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

It was noticeable that at last week’s PMQs, both Starmer and Labour back benchers went for the (very popular) Chancellor. If rejecting a circuit break proves to be unpopular, they’ll want to tie him to that decision. — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

I wonder if Keir Starmer’s call for a ‘circuit breaker’ prepares the ground for a full-blown attack on the Minister who seemed to be most influential in the Government rejecting the idea - Rishi Sunak. — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

RT @BBCJonSopel: This is an amazing animation of politics and the pandemic in the US, and how nearly all worst affected states are now Repu… — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

RT @DavidGauke: I wrote this at the weekend, setting out why it was impossible for Boris Johnson to heed calls from Tory MPs to relax restr… — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

RT @DmitryOpines: In awe of the gall required for a party that banged on about being "prepared to crash out with No-Deal" over a year ago,… — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

@PickardJE Not entirely unprecedented. — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

RT @s8mb: More evidence that the Covid economic shock is largely driven by individual behaviour, not the law. Percentage of people who fe… — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

RT @DavidHenigUK: Well the deal is there, just requiring UK to back down on level playing field, governance, internal market bill, the EU o… — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

RT @Sime0nStylites: Ironic that by not extending transition, the government has now painted itself into the worst possible Brexit negotiati… — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

RT @AntonSpisak: Interesting piece on the EU doubling down on its ask for "tough enforcement measures" in the Brexit deal. What are these "… — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

I wrote this at the weekend, setting out why it was impossible for Boris Johnson to heed calls from Tory MPs to relax restrictions. It’s now clearer than ever that the bigger risk for the PM is that he’s restricting too little not too much. https://t.co/Ohq9vBgdYj — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

He was very pleasant about it (it may have helped that I’d recently read his excellent book ‘Capitalism with a Human Face’) and the Westbury Road resident was very amused by the situation. Was reminded of this on hearing the sad news that Samuel Brittan has died. /END — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

At which point, the very distinguished Economics Editor of the Financial Times came to the door - he’d been visiting for Sunday lunch - and made a few (not entirely unjustified) criticisms of the Tories. (To some he was thinking what I was thinking.) /3 — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

Anyway, I was canvassing one Sunday afternoon in the run up to the 2005 General Election in Westbury Road. I knocked on a door & spoke to a man who wasn’t completely convinced by the Conservatives. ‘Why not?’ I asked. ‘Oh, I don’t know. Samuel Brittan would put it well...’ /2 — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

There’s a scene in Annie Hall when Woody Allen’s character gets into a row with a pretentious & annoying guy about Marshall McLuhan. ‘I happen to have Mr McLuhan here.’ McLuhan appears & sets the man right. ‘If life were only like this’ says Allen. /1 https://t.co/jRKF9AHBFK — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

Good. This will do far more to reduce crime than all the recent headline-grabbing announcements about tougher sentences. (Keeping more minor offenders out of prison altogether would also help reduce reoffending.) — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

@Sime0nStylites @ProfTimBale This from @MatthewSyed puts it very well. https://t.co/56EDunpPQr — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

@ProfTimBale I could have added - but didn't - that many of those very worried about Parliament being side-lined over COVID were very relaxed about it being prorogued last year. — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

RT @davidallengreen: On the facts as reported, it appears that @darrengrimes_ is not being investigated as the interviewer, and so to that… — PolitiTweet.org

David Gauke @DavidGauke

RT @Dr_D_Robertson: Here is my latest heatmap showing how cases are travelling through the age groups. It is very concerning. https://t.co… — PolitiTweet.org