General Election to be called today?

Joseann

So this £1.5 billion from VAT on school fees isn't likely to come on board until 2026, two years down the line. It is supposed to be used to recruit new teachers, but how many more years will it all take to put into practice and show any difference? Not exactly the instant fix some are expecting, though I appreciate Rome wasn't built in a day.

A delay in implementation will assuage fears about children in the private system whose parents allegedly won’t be able to afford for them to continue anyway Joseann, as they will have two years to decide what their plans are, by which time only children who are currently in year 9 and below will be affected in terms of exams. There’s always a bright side.

I don't want 6 debates between leaders, but wouldn't mind seeing more key figures debate.

I don't think I'll learn anything more in terms of what Starmer and Sunak are like in this format.

Its one particular adversarial method which doesntmean they would be good PM's.

It excludes other parties which is all wrong.

Didn't you know that the Scottish Green Party expelled 13 members for signing a declaration which said "sex is a biological reality" *LizzieDrip? They defended their decision saying those who'd signed the Scottish Green Women's declaration were breaching the party's code of conduct.

Joseann

So this £1.5 billion from VAT on school fees isn't likely to come on board until 2026, two years down the line. It is supposed to be used to recruit new teachers, but how many more years will it all take to put into practice and show any difference? Not exactly the instant fix some are expecting, though I appreciate Rome wasn't built in a day.

To be fair, how could ANY party make any difference within even one five year term?

So this £1.5 billion from VAT on school fees isn't likely to come on board until 2026, two years down the line. It is supposed to be used to recruit new teachers, but how many more years will it all take to put into practice and show any difference? Not exactly the instant fix some are expecting, though I appreciate Rome wasn't built in a day.

Nothing would make me vote Green.

LizzieDrip
Galaxy

Well said and I agree.

Would this be the same Green Party supporting the Moslem Councillor winning his seat on the back of Gaza?

Yes the greens are way worse than labour on this. Small parties tend to be vulnerable to 'interest groups' so to speak.

I find it rather hypocritical that some people advocate voting for the Green Party, saying they couldn’t vote for Labour because of KS’s views on transgender issues, yet do these same people know the Green’s views on transgender! Personally I have no issue with the views of KS or the Greens on transgender, but I think those who criticise KS yet support the Greens need to think again!

Cossy

Katie590

growstuff
Urmstongran
“Sunak calling for 6 tv debates is a master stroke .
I think we can all agree Starmer will come off second best in every single one.
Eh? How do you work that one out?
Sunak is smart, he thinks he can out debate Starmer, when he asks Starmer to commit to any particular policy he will struggle, whether that cuts any ice with the voters is another matter.”

I’m staggered you actually believe this!

Sunak AND Starmer are both smart, well educated and articulate. Starmer has the advantage of “arguing” and “evidencing” in Court, I’m sure he’s more than capable of ensuring he is well prepared and knowledgable about his own parties policies. I think they’ll be well matched.

What’s more we actually know what Sunak has and hasn’t achieved in power, Starmer is yet to have the chance to do so.

I hope they “properly” debate though, as they are both capable, rather than just slate each other and behave like infants.

I agree. Sunak is never convincing. He resorts to how he helped people with Covid, and just slates Starmer.

Starmer will be all over him - although I’m not sure we need 6 debates.🙄

Katie590

growstuff
Urmstongran
“Sunak calling for 6 tv debates is a master stroke .
I think we can all agree Starmer will come off second best in every single one.
Eh? How do you work that one out?
Sunak is smart, he thinks he can out debate Starmer, when he asks Starmer to commit to any particular policy he will struggle, whether that cuts any ice with the voters is another matter.”

I’m staggered you actually believe this!

Sunak AND Starmer are both smart, well educated and articulate. Starmer has the advantage of “arguing” and “evidencing” in Court, I’m sure he’s more than capable of ensuring he is well prepared and knowledgable about his own parties policies. I think they’ll be well matched.

What’s more we actually know what Sunak has and hasn’t achieved in power, Starmer is yet to have the chance to do so.

I hope they “properly” debate though, as they are both capable, rather than just slate each other and behave like infants.

Sunak is smart, he thinks he can out debate Starmer, when he asks Starmer to commit to any particular policy he will struggle, whether that cuts any ice with the voters is another matter.

Sorry, Katie590, that sentence doesn't make any sense at all to me. Can you rephrase it?

IIRC in a former life Starmer was a hardworking and very successful barrister. His stock in trade was mastering his brief and presenting a convincing argument. Debate should be just up his street...

If Ug truly believes that we all agree with her prediction she is being more than usually delusional. 😳

Urmstongran

Sunak calling for 6 tv debates is a master stroke .
I think we can all agree Starmer will come off second best in every single one.

I can tell you never watch PMQs!

growstuff

Urmstongran

Sunak calling for 6 tv debates is a master stroke .
I think we can all agree Starmer will come off second best in every single one.

Eh? How do you work that one out?

Sunak is smart, he thinks he can out debate Starmer, when he asks Starmer to commit to any particular policy he will struggle, whether that cuts any ice with the voters is another matter.

growstuff

DiamondLily I'm not disputing that, but some people have a much easier time than others because they don't have the barriers. That really is a fact.

I know, because I spent years working in Children’s Services, that there can be barriers - of course.

But, I also saw some people overcome the most horrendous of times to push themselves onwards.

Some success is down to determination and the wish to succeed.

But, I think a lot of this is down to the nonsense posted online.

Many youngsters think they just want to be “celebs” or influencers, and others think that drug dealers are glamorous.

It’s sad really.

growstuff

DiamondLily I'm not disputing that, but some people have a much easier time than others because they don't have the barriers. That really is a fact.

Many 1,000’s of people break down your so called barriers and succeed in life. They build up businesses, employ others and become millionaires.

P.S. You used the term scrap heap of life upthread, what a disrespectful and nasty phrase.

growstuff

GrannyGravy13

growstuff

If anybody can succeed, given the right attitude, why do some parents spend a fortune on sending their children to a private school?

It’s called choice.

Yes, I know it's about choice. But why do they do it, if all that's needed is hard work? Posters seem to think that success depends on hard work alone and have boasted how they have succeeded in difficult circumstances. Surely it's a waste of money to spend on something which isn't needed after all.

Well, I choose to pay for a private GP and a private dentist, because I’m retired, and even if I wasn’t, hard work would, unfortunately, not get me a GP appointment or to see an NHS dentist - it’s impossible around here.🤷‍♀️

Ex and I couldn’t afford to send our kids to private school, but I would have, given the choice. It wasn’t there, so we relied on state education, and private tutors backing up it all at final exam time.

We all try to do our best by our family - whatever it is.

I’d never knock anyone for using a private school.

growstuff

GrannyGravy13

growstuff

If anybody can succeed, given the right attitude, why do some parents spend a fortune on sending their children to a private school?

It’s called choice.

Yes, I know it's about choice. But why do they do it, if all that's needed is hard work? Posters seem to think that success depends on hard work alone and have boasted how they have succeeded in difficult circumstances. Surely it's a waste of money to spend on something which isn't needed after all.

It’s their money to spend as they please.

We chose fee paying schools for several children as it was the right fit for them, likewise one that was registered at birth for a particular school as the start date loomed we knew it was not the best option but the small local primary was.

DiamondLily I'm not disputing that, but some people have a much easier time than others because they don't have the barriers. That really is a fact.

GrannyGravy13

growstuff

If anybody can succeed, given the right attitude, why do some parents spend a fortune on sending their children to a private school?

It’s called choice.

Yes, I know it's about choice. But why do they do it, if all that's needed is hard work? Posters seem to think that success depends on hard work alone and have boasted how they have succeeded in difficult circumstances. Surely it's a waste of money to spend on something which isn't needed after all.

growstuff

DiamondLily

Germanshepherdsmum

Indeed they can’t, and I accept that. But well done DiamondLily. I greatly respect people who have a work ethic and will graft in order to get on. Life is usually much easier for those born with a silver spoon in their mouth; I have met a good many of them and hard work is a stranger to most in my experience. When I got one as a trainee I refused to continue the spoon feeding and made them look up the answer rather than relying on me - we didn’t have a hugely expensive library of legal textbooks just to let it gather dust.

Well, life’s not always about the “easy road”, and although I’d love to have been born with a silver spoon, I wasn’t, so I had to jog on.

And I don’t think hard graft ever killed anyone, to be honest.

But, my parents and extended family were workers, and benefits weren’t an option.

And drugs weren’t around as they are now.

That was life.😉

Well, good for you! There are plenty of people who have worked hard and still end up on life's scrap heap.

Hmm. My ex was semi literate and came from an abusive, deprived background.

He would never have had a “career”, but he always worked.

Because he wanted to.

growstuff

DiamondLily

Germanshepherdsmum

Believe me I know about barriers. What I don’t accept from anyone is an excuse for not working hard. If I can sit and read law books on my own in order to pass exams, whilst working full time, anyone with the requisite amount of intelligence who is prepared to make the sacrifice can do the same - but I’m not asking them all to become lawyers, just to work hard to earn a living and not be reliant on benefits.

I’ve got to admit that you have got this right. My parents had a work ethic, but I came from a poor environment (the East End of London before it became gentrified). No privilege here.

I went to a bog standard grammar school, took 6 O levels, left school, and went to work.

I got married at 18, had two kids by the time I was 21, but wanted more. So I dug in, took more exams and built up a career.

Nothing as high flying as a lawyer, but a good career. And my kids have done the same. 🙄

If you have the determination, you can make life better - whatever your roots or background.

My ex was a manual worker (same sort of background). He made a good living, despite the lack of a “career”.

I’ve worked for the DWP and I’ve worked for Social Services. Some people will always find an excuse for not working.

Not everyone, of course. Some people genuinely cannot work.

Of course they will. My experience is different. Before I retired completely, I worked as a private tutor. I tutored some teenagers from extremely affluent backgrounds, who knew every excuse in the book for not working. In two cases, I had to tell their parents that the reason they weren't achieving was because they were lazy and I didn't feel that I could do anything for them, unless they changed their attitude (which they didn't).

It's not just the poor and "feckless" who don't work.

The fact is that from the moment of birth, people face very different life challenges.

Of course, it’s not only the disadvantaged that fail. Some children, with every advantage, blow it.

No excuses, whoever they are, and whatever their roots.🙂.

DiamondLily

Germanshepherdsmum

Indeed they can’t, and I accept that. But well done DiamondLily. I greatly respect people who have a work ethic and will graft in order to get on. Life is usually much easier for those born with a silver spoon in their mouth; I have met a good many of them and hard work is a stranger to most in my experience. When I got one as a trainee I refused to continue the spoon feeding and made them look up the answer rather than relying on me - we didn’t have a hugely expensive library of legal textbooks just to let it gather dust.

Well, life’s not always about the “easy road”, and although I’d love to have been born with a silver spoon, I wasn’t, so I had to jog on.

And I don’t think hard graft ever killed anyone, to be honest.

But, my parents and extended family were workers, and benefits weren’t an option.

And drugs weren’t around as they are now.

That was life.😉

Well, good for you! There are plenty of people who have worked hard and still end up on life's scrap heap.

Electioneering funding depends on the amount of votes a candidate gets. If you want to make a protest vote I’d suggest voting green so we have people out there fighting for the environment, something that affects all of us and will affect our children and grandchildren. Even if you support a certain party it’s still important to have strong opposition that will hold them to account.

growstuff

If anybody can succeed, given the right attitude, why do some parents spend a fortune on sending their children to a private school?

It’s called choice.