[Politics] Sir Keir Starmer’s route to Number 10

[Bakero]

This will cost me £200 a month+ for the next 5-9 years if they win. I can't see myself voting for the ChargeSparkie200AMonth Party tbh. Think it'll be Tories(urgh) or spoil. Lol.

If you can't afford the extra £200 quid, get on your bike and get a better job.

 

[sparkie]

If you can't afford the extra £200 quid, get on your bike and get a better job.

There is that. Evening Pizza delivery might have to be considered.

 

[nicko31]

Friends and family did. Examples:
Gross income £50k = £3,169 net, £38k = £2,489, totalling £5,658.
Two kids fees = £2,700.
Rare to no holidays, no interest in new cars.

What school fee figures did you have in mind?

Have a few public schools near me the nearest and is 18.5k p.a. and that’s before the rugby trip to South Africa and all the other extras

If you’re taking home 38k p.a have an average mortgage and want to eat and stay warm warm you’re gonna struggle.

Incidentally i would like to see the VAT exemption remain for schools that provide for children with special needs. Not social climbers

 

[Chicken Run]

£200 a month is probably what the current bunch of clowns have cost my immediate family - it is certainly a six figure sum. I once worked it out but it includes £30k x 2 in university fees and a Brexit-related cost of living increase. That's £70k right there.

I wouldn't mind if that money went somewhere like putting food on the table for working nurses or increasing housing provision for those being bounced from hotel to hotel or who are literally on the streets. Instead they've trebled the national debt (which was the reason Labour were voted out in the first place), overseen a 20 food increase in food bank usage, and jizzed millions on uncompetitive (and even undelivered) contracts for their mates.

Some of the senior Tories over the past 13 years should be in prison. They are an absolute disgrace to the country.

University fees? You and me are of similar age, two of my children went to University and I don’t have 60k debt?

 

[Weststander]

I know

Have a few public schools near me the nearest and is 18.5k p.a. and that’s before the rugby trip to South Africa and all the other extras

If you’re taking home 38k p.a have an average mortgage and want to eat and stay warm warm you’re gonna struggle.

Incidentally i would like to see the VAT exemption remain for schools that provide for children with special needs. Not social climbers

I realise it’s a spectrum of fees, but to me there’s a fairly clear dichotomy.

1. Fabulous inclusive schools, often affordable fees to the income bracket we mentioned. For now.
2. Schools including some in Brighton and Sussex who preach “you are a winner, go out there and conquer the world”. They literally ease out kids in all cohorts who are struggling some what in two or three subjects, so as not to dent results league tables. Some have always had a deliberately unusual syllabus age 15 to 18 to accommodate intense preparation for the Oxbridge Entrance Exams - the testing, selling yourself, almost forced other interests so that you can sell yourself as the truly ‘rounded person’ when facing an Oxford or Cambridge panel. Contrived.

The wealthy using (2) won’t be affected by Starmer’s VAT. If anything the small nurturing schools will go bust, reducing the pool of 18 year olds with a chance of ticking the boxes to enter Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, St Andrews and Durham.

 

[Davey Boy Smith]

Haven’t a clue but R5 today said 67% of our overseas diplomats went to private schools.

Obviously, the intake % may be lower, but ultra confident lower ranking staff who were bred on “You will run the world” (this really is still taught) rise to the top through a command of public debating etc.

Ambassadors/Heads of Mission possibly but not all overseas staff. I work for the Foreign Office and currently overseas (rather not say where here) and didn't go to private school nor did many of my UK based colleagues here with me....

 

[Weststander]

Ambassadors/Heads of Mission possibly but not all overseas staff. I work for the Foreign Office and currently overseas (rather not say where here) and didn't go to private school nor did many of my UK based colleagues here with me....

It was Adrian Chiles who said cynically “Two thirds of our overseas diplomats went to an independent school”

Sounds like he was exaggerating for effect and/or to fit his barely veiled bias.

 

[Bakero]

It was Adrian Chiles who said cynically “Two thirds of our overseas diplomats went to an independent school”

Sounds like he was exaggerating for effect and/or to fit his barely veiled bias.

According to a government report from 2019, 52% of Foreign and Commonwealth Office diplomats went to private school.

Elitism in Britain, 2019

A report which highlights that Britain's most influential people are more likely to have attended private schools.

www.gov.uk

 

[nicko31]

It was Adrian Chiles who said cynically “Two thirds of our overseas diplomats went to an independent school”

Sounds like he was exaggerating for effect and/or to fit his barely veiled bias.

But 60% of our unelected HOL went to private school, its so entrenched

 

[keaton]

Edit-never mind

 

[Weststander]

But 60% of our unelected HOL went to private school, its so entrenched

I don’t believe in the HOL or any unelected second chamber. Appointments of the “great and good” is subjective. Instead strictly elected by the public in general elections, removable mid term for a criminal conviction or breach of agreed rules.

 

[heathgate]

I know


I realise it’s a spectrum of fees, but to me there’s a fairly clear dichotomy.

1. Fabulous inclusive schools, often affordable fees to the income bracket we mentioned. For now.
2. Schools including some in Brighton and Sussex who preach “you are a winner, go out there and conquer the world”. They literally ease out kids in all cohorts who are struggling some what in two or three subjects, so as not to dent results league tables. Some have always had a deliberately unusual syllabus age 15 to 18 to accommodate intense preparation for the Oxbridge Entrance Exams - the testing, selling yourself, almost forced other interests so that you can sell yourself as the truly ‘rounded person’ when facing an Oxford or Cambridge panel. Contrived.

The wealthy using (2) won’t be affected by Starmer’s VAT. If anything the small nurturing schools will go bust, reducing the pool of 18 year olds with a chance of ticking the boxes to enter Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, St Andrews and Durham.

It's the usual dumbing down exercise.... stifle aspiration, achievement and excellence, replace instead with 'grey' mediocrity where those with no invention or imagination are lauded for simply conforming to low and easily achievable targets.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Labour with a stunning win in Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election with a larger than expected swing of 20.4%.

Smashing the SNP is going to be really helpful to Labour in the next election and the margin of victory suggests that most Scotch have now worked out the basic electoral formula FPTP gives them in Scotchland. Vote SNP - Get a Tory Government.

However, that won’t stop the Tories campaigning on one of their favourite lies - ‘Vote Labour, get a hard left Labour/SNP coalition and then Scotch independence.’ Their voters will believe the rhetoric too.

 

[nicko31]

Labour with a stunning win in Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election with a larger than expected swing of 20.4%.

Smashing the SNP is going to be really helpful to Labour in the next election and the margin of victory suggests that most Scotch have now worked out the basic electoral formula FPTP gives them in Scotchland. Vote SNP - Get a Tory Government.

However, that won’t stop the Tories campaigning on one of their favourite lies - ‘Vote Labour, get a hard left Labour/SNP coalition and then Scotch independence.’ Their voters will believe the rhetoric too.

Since Sturgeon has gone it feels like the SNP have lost their mojo, like her or loath her she was a very astute politician

If Labour can get Scotland back its all over for the Tories, it will be very hard for for them

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Labour with a stunning win in Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election with a larger than expected swing of 20.4%.

Smashing the SNP is going to be really helpful to Labour in the next election and the margin of victory suggests that most Scotch have now worked out the basic electoral formula FPTP gives them in Scotchland. Vote SNP - Get a Tory Government.

However, that won’t stop the Tories campaigning on one of their favourite lies - ‘Vote Labour, get a hard left Labour/SNP coalition and then Scotch independence.’ Their voters will believe the rhetoric too.

That's true, but the SNP getting smashed makes that even less plausible.

True, the rabbit hole die hards will believe what their told. But the floating voter? I don't think so. It's one attack line which has been effective, which has lost potency

 

[Beach Hut]

Labour faces multi-million pound bill in ex-Jeremy Corbyn staff court case

A long-running internal party feud is putting an increasing strain on Labour's election finances.

www.bbc.co.uk

Stormy weather approaching ?

 

[Guinness Boy]

Scotland is going red. Thank you Wee Jimmy Karankie and your bunch of infighting oddballs

 

[WATFORD zero]

Labour faces multi-million pound bill in ex-Jeremy Corbyn staff court case

A long-running internal party feud is putting an increasing strain on Labour's election finances.

www.bbc.co.uk

Stormy weather approaching ?

But, but, but what about Jeremy Corbyn

Certainly getting Stormier for some

Government 'lost control' of Covid pandemic when it abandoned contact tracing early on

The Government “lost control” of the pandemic when it abandoned contact tracing early on, the Covid-19 Inquiry has heard. The British Medical Association said the Tories “abandoned basic public health protection” when setting up a privatised Test and Trace system.

NHS Test and Trace was set up in May 2020 costing £37 billion and using agency call centre staff who were largely not medically trained. It was announced by then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock and led by Tory Peer Baroness Dido Harding. Prof Banfield criticised this decision not to use existing public health teams employed by local councils.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/government-lost-control-covid-pandemic-31117129

If only someone had pointed out at the time that private profit was taking priority over public health ............ oh

 

[Greg Bobkin]

For the UK, the Labour Party Conference next week could be politically-defining.

 

[KZNSeagull]

62.1% of the electorate couldn't be bothered to vote. I wouldn't get too carried away just yet.