PM accepted £20,000 so his boy could study

I'd expect well off people to have well off friends that give them expensive presents.

Surely that's the whole point, or one of them, about being well off?

There are certainly plenty of people only too happy to let others know how well off they are, where they've been, and what they spend.

maddyfour

Mamie you are correct in that the majority of children studying for their GCSEs do not have to deal with the disruption of journalists targeting their family home, but thousands of children do have to deal with inadequate accommodation that enables them to study properly for their GCSEs. They deal with sharing a bedroom with one, two, or even three siblings, they deal with the constant interruptions of noisy younger siblings, of hearing noises and interruptions from next door, or the street, or the police arriving at a nearby property and breaking the door down. They deal with traffic noise, and they deal with having no desk or table to study at. They may sleep on a mattress on the floor or have to prepare food for their siblings since mum is at work.

At times I really think some people have no idea how some people live. I know, because I have visited many such homes during the course of my work.

Well please don't include me among those who are unaware. I worked in school improvement, including pupils with learning difficulties and physical disabilities living in areas of extreme deprivation. I also saw at first hand the improvements made by the Labour government from 1997 and sadly lost by cuts to services under subsequent Conservative governments.
Tackling poverty and deprivation for children is a huge task facing the new Labour government. I wish them well.

MissAdventure

I'd expect well off people to have well off friends that give them expensive presents.

Surely that's the whole point, or one of them, about being well off?

There are certainly plenty of people only too happy to let others know how well off they are, where they've been, and what they spend.

I just bought two jumpers for winter.
I might buy some new vests too.

Spend, spend, spend, that's me 😀

makes mental note--rich one here

How have the children of previous PMs managed with their studies?

Perfectly well I imagine.

Hasn't it occured to anyone that this young man had his life disrupted in the middle of a GE campaign?
If Sunak hadn't have called the election when he did this wouldn't be a story- but let's blame the PM for wanting to make the disruptions less disruptive for his children.

JenniferEccles

How have the children of previous PMs managed with their studies?

Perfectly well I imagine.

How does anyone manage without most of the stuff the well off have?

Perfectly well, but if someone wanted to treat them, then why not?

Starmer accepted accommodation for a period of time, not yet specified but extending beyond GCSE's, valued at £2,000.
Yet another gift from Lord Alli. What a generous man.
Apparently to avoid the attentions of the press presence outside the family home which apparently prevented the boy from studying. I don't know where the family lives but I doubt if they couldn't provide a room upstairs at the back.
Unless of course it was filled with his mother's new clothes.

MissAdventure

I'd expect well off people to have well off friends that give them expensive presents.

Surely that's the whole point, or one of them, about being well off?

There are certainly plenty of people only too happy to let others know how well off they are, where they've been, and what they spend.

Hmmm, interesting, does that mean that when the first well off person has gifted the second, the second then gifts then back?
How does it work, I don’t know any well off people.🧐

Aren't the children of politicians and celebrities left alone by the paparazzi these days?

I've never seen a photo of Keir's children. I wouldn't know him if I fell over him Very few photos of any children of famous offspring unless the parents allow it, Beckhams for example.

It's absurd to take a 20k donation for this.

I'd like a generous friend.
They could treat me as much as they liked.

Allira

MissAdventure

I'd expect well off people to have well off friends that give them expensive presents.

Surely that's the whole point, or one of them, about being well off?

There are certainly plenty of people only too happy to let others know how well off they are, where they've been, and what they spend.

I just bought two jumpers for winter.
I might buy some new vests too.

Spend, spend, spend, that's me 😀

You may need those vests, def buy two then you can wear them doubled up.

MissAdventure

I'd like a generous friend.
They could treat me as much as they liked.

I’ll stand you a KitKat😃

No idea, Oreo
I think Ally got a pass which ran out after a short time.

Not much of a gift back, I'd say.

A four finger one, Allira?

The days of Labour being the party of the workers ended the day that New Labour and Blair was voted in for three terms. I am giving this government a year before I make up my mind if it is worth voting for them ever again.

That seems the sensible thing to do, Parsley.

Previous elections didn’t have the ‘Palestine /Israel demonstrations

MissAdventure

--makes mental note--rich one here--

maddyfour

It was nonetheless a free gift.
A gift that wouldn’t have been available to me or you unless we paid £20,000.
Labour are against independent schools but accept gifts valued at roughly the same value as many independent schools charge (for an entire year’s study) in order to give their child an advantage many other children don’t have.

How do you it wouldn't be available to me?

Doesn't the PM have relatives? Or a quiet room inside number 10 where the boy can go?
Bloody ridiculous!!!

All he did was accept a space where his son could stay sometimes and study in peace. son, presumably, chose "yes"

And we cannot know and is it fair to judge what his feelings were about needing to do this

Then someone came along and decided it had to have monetary value, oh, call it a cash donation, and oh here we go again. Same old same old.

They've ALL got to clean up their act on these sort of issues. They can't spend all these years complaining about how the opposition does these things, then go off and do them themselves. That's the real problem.

I am slightly puzzled - did these terrible journalists not realise that the Starmer's were living somewhere else? Did they camp outside an empty house for weeks?

dayvidg

I am slightly puzzled - did these terrible journalists not realise that the Starmer's were living somewhere else? Did they camp outside an empty house for weeks?

Perhaps they left Starmer Jnr at home alone while the rest of them moved into Number 10.