Starmer admits he’s frustrated by his first year in power.

MaizieD

escaped

Give him a break folks, it's his birthday today. Though I doubt he feels much like celebrating!

I’m afraid that if someone sets out determined to be a PM and turns out to be so bloody bad at it, they don’t deserve any breaks.

Oh come on, all together now:

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Keir
Happy birthday to you!

🎈🎁🥂🥧

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Today the UK economy is struggling from lack of growth, over-taxation and apparently the increasing reluctance of the bond market to lend the government the large sums it wishes to borrow.

The Autumn Budget better be good.

We're having a bit of a spending spree before then.
All necessary updates and maintenance on the house, nothing frivolous although I might buy some new winter clothes and boots!

Of course, Ms Reeves might reduce VAT after we've done that

I enjoy all contributions escaped. Hence CHAT.
Plus less “links please?” 😁

Sorry, FriedGreenTomatoes to derail your thread a bit, but you did put it in Chat this time!

Yes, definitely Mamie, and the Airborne Museum at Sainte-Mère-Église.
DGS, aged 9, was fascinated reading the diaries, and with dressing up in WW2 parachutist uniform.

A few days visiting Normandy is worth just as much, and more, than a week in the classroom. It's up to the teacher/grandparent to extract every last ounce of learning and make it fun. As someone said earlier, that's what the children will remember for life.

Everyone is frustrated and probably angry as hell after the October budget.

Today the UK economy is struggling from lack of growth, over-taxation and apparently the increasing reluctance of the bond market to lend the government the large sums it wishes to borrow.

The Autumn Budget better be good.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Whatever the reason PaynesGrey if the IMF have to bail us out surely that’s bad?

Will there be any money left after they help France. €3.3 billion and counting 😱
These facts fascinate me.
To demonstrate how big the French debt is:
1 billion seconds = 32 years
1 trillion seconds = 31,700. years.

Caleo

Allira

GrannyGravy13

I am a fan of educational trips, whether they are museums, galleries, concerts, shows or even one I took part in to the Thames Tidal Barrier.

Me too.

It's surprising what they remember even if they spend time chatting, giggling and nudging one another!

Yes, but compared with a hands-on experience sort of school trip , looking at embroidered pictures needs a particularly talented interpretation and delivery from the teacher before can mean anything about man's past.

It is not a cost effective way to deliver education.

A trip to Bayeux would almost inevitably include the D-Day landing beaches. Plenty to learn in the museums and cemeteries and most seem interested and respectful. They are frequently at William's birthplace and castle too.

Whatever the reason PaynesGrey if the IMF have to bail us out surely that’s bad?

Because it isn’t the same thing. Reeves isn’t using debt to pay for tax cuts as Truss tried to do and Trump is doing. She is using it to pay for public spending. The alternative is tax rises or cuts to public spending. If you care to look you would see that stocks have fallen all across Europe not just the UK. France’s 30-year government bond yields hit their highest levels in more than 16 years on Tuesday.

Anyone would think that was very dodgy?

There has definitely been a wall of silence around Gilts rising…

Well she would …..

In September 2022 Liz launched her mini-budget and UK Gilts hit about 4.7% for a brief period. At the time Rachel Reeves is on record making a speech about how Liz Truss had crashed the economy and that she should stand down as PM.

Now that Rachel Reeves is in charge of managing the UK Economy UK Gilts have been above 5% for six months and are currently at 5.7% - and yet Rachel remains quiet.

Hmm.

And never mind the ‘Reeves is toast’ comments - we’re ALL toast if this continues!

There’s talk of the IMF bailing us out.

What happened to pre-election ‘everything will be fully costed’ promises? 🤷‍♀️

It is not a cost effective way to deliver education.

It's the experience, foreign country, foreign language, foreign food. A bit of history thrown in as well.

Many children might never get to experience this.
For most children, a trip to France is their first or one and only school trip. Some never can because the cost is prohibitive so funding towards that would be a positive thing.

What does my son remember? The school dinners i Frane because the lamb was bloody! 😫

Education is not just about stuffing children with facts that they can regurgitate at exam time.

Allira

GrannyGravy13

I am a fan of educational trips, whether they are museums, galleries, concerts, shows or even one I took part in to the Thames Tidal Barrier.

Me too.

It's surprising what they remember even if they spend time chatting, giggling and nudging one another!

Yes, but compared with a hands-on experience sort of school trip , looking at embroidered pictures needs a particularly talented interpretation and delivery from the teacher before can mean anything about man's past.

It is not a cost effective way to deliver education.

Allira

GrannyGravy13

I am a fan of educational trips, whether they are museums, galleries, concerts, shows or even one I took part in to the Thames Tidal Barrier.

Me too.

It's surprising what they remember even if they spend time chatting, giggling and nudging one another!

Agreed.

GrannyGravy13

I am a fan of educational trips, whether they are museums, galleries, concerts, shows or even one I took part in to the Thames Tidal Barrier.

Me too.

It's surprising what they remember even if they spend time chatting, giggling and nudging one another!

DD1 was always dragged along when I took school trips to see the Bayeux tapestry. After the first scene or two she was bored stiff, 10 - 14 years old! We all went back this year with her DD and it was funny to see the mum really enjoying it, as well as the next generation. I think possibly all the "learning" done on computers meant the actual tapestry was more exciting for the youngster.

I am a fan of educational trips, whether they are museums, galleries, concerts, shows or even one I took part in to the Thames Tidal Barrier.

Allira

escaped

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I’d stop paying ££millions to France. It’s not good value for money.

They even grumbling again about the Bayeux tapestry coming over here, and we're paying
££ millions for it!

I'm not sure it should come! It's too fragile and precious.

Perhaps the £millions could be spent funding school trips so that children could go over there to see 'Harold with the Arrow in his eye'!

I too doubt that school trips of that sort are cost effective. How can a long bit of embroidery teach much to children about man's past?

They want us to have the tapestry whilst the museum it is currently housed in is closed for renovations.

I will probably go and see it in the British Museum.

President Macron’s played a blinder, we are paying to look after it and saving them the trouble. No doubt we shall also be blamed for any in transit damage 🤷‍♀️

From there he inevitably gravitated to involvement in international affairs. You can't keep putting plasters on the wounds without wondering what really caused them and attacking the root sources.

That is what many people know should be happening but it never does.
The problems are many and varied and one Prime Minister of a small country is never going to solve anything because nations disagree and little or no progress is ever made.
What is the use of the United Nations? Why are they not mediating more in countries where there is civil war? Famine?

Domestic problems have to be addressed. It's no use grandstanding on the world stage when problems pile up at home, other politicians stir up the electorate and sometimes it looks as if we could head for a civil war.