PM accepted £20,000 so his boy could study

It makes you long for the good old days when Labour leaders knew their place.

Retired65

I am sure Keir Starmer had still got the house he was living in before he was Prime minister. My children used to book a study room at the local library to study for their exams.

Yet another poster who hasn't given a second's thought before they post. Starmer wasn't PM when his son was studying for and taking his GCSEs. So was actually living in his own house and no doubt subject to a lot of press intrusion in the runup to the GE.

NotSpaghetti

libra

“I wonder if any posters would be as 'forgiving' if it had been a conservative PM or MP who had received these 'gifts'.

I would say that if the circumstances were the same, (declared appropriately etc) any adults in the room would see it was OK.
Why is this an issue?”

MPs and PMs party wide HAVE accepted freebies, some declared them properly and openly, some less so. A little bit like the MP expenses scandal.

IMO, all personal donations should be stopped across the board, I would also like to see MP expenses overhauled.

Take a break? Noooo. If you can't take it don't give it.

Exactly, Cossy!

Until the rules change "nothing to see here".

Retired65

I am sure Keir Starmer had still got the house he was living in before he was Prime minister. My children used to book a study room at the local library to study for their exams.

Just how safe do you think the lad would have felt in a public library?

Well, he'd have to catch the bus there, because lots of families don't have cars, of course...

It must be dreadful for most children to have a parent become a significant public figure. My mother became president if the village WI so l can commiserate.

It really doesn’t matter, and frankly no one actually really cares, where Starmer’s son studied and lived.

It really doesn’t matter, it’s so petty and irrelevant.

Let’s concentrate on real news and the hope that the UN can play a positive role in the current atrocities between Israel and Gaza, & Russia and Ukraine.

That those in need in our country are properly looked after and all GNs & their families stay safe and well.

I’m done with back-biting, bashing and bitching, life is far too short

OldFrill

It must be dreadful for most children to have a parent become a significant public figure. My mother became president if the village WI so l can commiserate.

Totally agree. What about housing where kids have to share bedrooms with younger siblings and/or maybe the whole family share small space. Oh how the other half live....

Well Boris would have done himself proud to be a M&S customer.

I had a privileged upbringing and education.

My own child had a privileged atmosphere in which to study - due to the ‘generosity’ of a party donor.

I will stop others from making sacrifices to ensure their children have a secure childhood and good education.

OldFrill

It must be dreadful for most children to have a parent become a significant public figure. My mother became president if the village WI so l can commiserate.

😁

Freya5

Doodledog

Labour is not against wealth. It is against some people hoarding wealth at the expense of others. Blair's government accepted that many of the working class are aspirational, and this has continued under Starmer.

My beliefs, as a LP supporter are that everyone should have the opportunity to thrive, and achieve what they can for their families and themselves. I own my home, want the best for my children and have savings from my own work. I don't see that as hypocrisy at all - I would like to live in a society where those things are available for everyone.

Well they aren't are they, and let's face it they never ever will be. Even in Communism, some snouts are always at the top of the stye.
Labour are no different in this to what the Conservatives wanted, but of course because it come from Labour it's the right thing to say.
Favouring foreign regimes over some of the countries longest tax payng poor is despicable . Don't not say PC, over a quarter of a million have been denied it.
This will not be forgotten.

I don't know where to start with this. I'll take it a step at a time.

Who aren't what and never will be? Opportunities? No they aren't, but they should be. I'm not talking about innate ability, but the chance to get a good education, not to go to school hungry, to get timely healthcare, to live in decent housing, etc. Those things should be available to everyone, not just those born to money.

The LP is not Communist, and therefore does not espouse communist policies, and neither do most of their voters (they would vote Communist if they did).

Labour and the Conservatives are very different - why did people vote Labour if they were unaware of this, and why are so many Tory supporters complaining now the LP is in power if they are no different?

Who has favoured foreign regimes, and what is the relationship between the benefits budget and the one for foreign aid?

How many claimants of WFP have paid tax for longer than most? Those who have done so will be on a full pension.

I wasn't going to mention PC, but since you have brought it up, who has been denied it if they qualify for it? Many don't qualify of course, and IMO many more people should, but equally there has to be some incentive to pay into a pension, as if we want to reduce the number of immigrants (as I believe you do?) we need more people working and paying NI, and thus getting a full pension in their own right.

growstuff

Retired65

I am sure Keir Starmer had still got the house he was living in before he was Prime minister. My children used to book a study room at the local library to study for their exams.

Just how safe do you think the lad would have felt in a public library?

Exactly. The whole family will have had to adjust to a completely new life. Anyone who cares at all about children will understand that.

(thoughts and prayers, OldFrill. thoughts and prayers.)

babzi

Totally agree. What about housing where kids have to share bedrooms with younger siblings and/or maybe the whole family share small space. Oh how the other half live....

Kids are starving in Africa, should we stop feeding ours? Why do we have to go to the lowest level to set a target.

There was a press scrum outside his house, there were protestors about the situation in Gaza. Why should the child have to cope with that if there was an alternative?

biglouis

When I was studying for my GCEs I went to the local library because there was no where at home where I could do so in peace. We lived in a two-up-two-down terrace and I shared a room with my sister. Fortunately libraries were open 5 days a week until 9 pm in those dim and distant days.

Clearly there is one rule for the toffs and one for the people. Two Tier has certainly earned his nickname.

Should he have got in a time machine to go back to a time when libraries were open till 9 pm. My local library isn't even open 5 days a week, some days it is closed at 1 pm and some at 5 pm. Not a great deal of time for kids to study after school.

I assume the boy has his own bedroom and a set of headphones to keep unwanted noise out…isn,t that how most teens study nowadays.Why should he be treated differently.Isn,t Labour the party of the people? Of course theyaren,t they are tories in red ties nowadays…the clue is the”sir” in front of starters name .NO true socialist would accept an EMPIRE honour .

I read somewhere that he moved into someone's flat but didn't pay any rent. I don't think it any money changed hands but it was still an expensive "gift" the flat was in a very high rental area apparently.

I wouldn't consider it a gift if I was either the owner of the flat, or Starmer.
It's a favour, done by a well off friend.

That's by the by, really, because I would imagine that a lot of starmer's friends are well off, considering his job roles even before being pm.

I think removing the WFA was ill-judged and ill-timed.

Other than that I'm really not going to 'slag-off' a politician for doing what he thinks is best for his children / child.

Both Sunak and Starmer as leaders were, and are, protective of their children - with good reason; considering some of the more unbalanced members of society who think nothing of accosting a child - as some, or one at least, did, to one of Rees-Mogg's children, because they disapproved of his father's politics.

Quote paddyann54 Thu 26-Sep-24 18:10:13
I assume the boy has his own bedroom and a set of headphones to keep unwanted noise out…isn,t that how most teens study nowadays.Why should he be treated differently.Isn,t Labour the party of the people? Of course theyaren,t they are tories in red ties nowadays…the clue is the”sir” in front of starters name .NO true socialist would accept an EMPIRE honour

Baron Neil Kinnock, Sir Gerald Kaufman, Baron Harold Wilson, Lord Darling, Baroness Margaret Becket ,Baroness Hardman, Sir Chris Bryant ? sorry but the thought of The Rhondda Valley voting for a Tory in red tie is so daft

They’re saying today the flat in question was used from May to July - as others have said GCE exams finish in the middle of May?
And that the amount Starmer declared for its was £20k which would be far too low for a short term lease in this area?

"They" say a lot of things.
"They reported that Rayner was being investigated about the buying of her council flat.
"They whipped people up into almost a frenzy.
Then "they let that drop when investigations found she had done nothing wrong.

I think I've seen "they" are now saying that Starmer was pretending the apartment was his home.
Why, I have no idea.
Perhaps it's true, but it's just as well to be a bit wary of what "they" say.