Starmer's stubbornness

Sorry, he was at what was then an independent school, very privileged. I don’t buy that.

Oh for God’s sake GSM, you know very well that Keir Starmer attended the selective state Reigate Grammar School, which became a private school while he was a student. When the school became independent, existing students did not have to pay fees.

I know that and I haven’t suggested that his parents paid fees. But it was a very good school. You can’t deny that.

Yes, it was a good state grammar school, not an independent school and not very privileged as you state.

Germanshepherdsmum

I know that and I haven’t suggested that his parents paid fees. But it was a very good school. You can’t deny that.

You’re flogging a dead horse here, because you’re the only one who cares about his A levels- they are irrelevant 42 years down the line, whatever the results. I doubt he was even required to list his A levels on his CV, the 1st class degree and masters were what counted.

You have no idea whether I was the only person to be shocked at such mediocre results.

Lizzie, only a very good grammar school will become independent, as Starmer’s school did whilst he was there, and with that status comes a privileged education. As you have argued.

only a very good grammar school will become independent, as Starmer’s school did

That's not how I remember it, GSM. Grammar schools were given the choice to become independent or stay in the state system. Becoming independent had nothing to do with how 'good' they were. It was just a choice they made.

Put another way - if it wasn’t a good school would parents pay to send their children there?

Casdon

Germanshepherdsmum

I know that and I haven’t suggested that his parents paid fees. But it was a very good school. You can’t deny that.

You’re flogging a dead horse here, because you’re the only one who cares about his A levels- they are irrelevant 42 years down the line, whatever the results. I doubt he was even required to list his A levels on his CV, the 1st class degree and masters were what counted.

I agree.

I don't think people "on the doorstep" will give two hoots about the less than 3 A's A level results given that he went on to get a first/then Oxford.

Especially if he was caring for his very sick mother at the time.

Germanshepherdsmum

Starmer doesn’t give a damn. He just wants to punish people like you.

I wonder how long Starmer will reign at No10?

It’s and envy and spite tax, nothing less. If it breaks even it will be a miracle, as Labour already knows and has been told by public finance bodies.

It is my observation over the years, that those who harbour negative emotions such as spite, envy, anger, resentment and bitterness are eaten up by them and never thrive. This, rather than the ‘luck’ of others is what causes them to fail. Those who strive to be happy, contented and grateful generally are ‘blessed’ by good fortune.

The boys' state Grammar School, entrance by scholarship only, where I grew up chose to become independent and partly fee-paying; its results declined. The girls' Grammar School chose to remain scholarship entrance only and continues to maintain its high standards to this day.
Possibly irrelevant but just saying.
I would dispense with fee-paying schools and increase the number of Grammar schools, and Special schools.

Not long RVK1CR, in my opinion. He doesn’t come across as a strong leader. He will face a challenge from those further left.

There will be a challenge from the ‘left’ who want `Starmer to reflect their minority views. There’s also the issue of his support for Sunak’s approach to Gaza. Many of this minority accuse Starmer of ‘being a zionist’, linking that to his wife’s Jewish heritage. All very unpleasant and, if a Starmer led LP wins the election, unnecessary and wrong.
Starmer is a strong leader and will continue to assert control over the disrupters. They don’t like it but he’s managing it. Unlike the conservatives, scrapping publicly like rats in a sack

Germanshepherdsmum

Not long RVK1CR, in my opinion. He doesn’t come across as a strong leader. He will face a challenge from those further left.

Labour aren’t like the Conservatives who change their leader on a regular basis! Ok, so they did change Blair for Brown but that was in their third term in office. Just remind me how many leaders the Conservative Party has had over the past few years…

Starmer would have undoubtedly at the very least suspended this last lot of corrupt Tories.

I have complete faith that the type of corruption and chaos we’ve been unfortunate enough to witness particularly since 2019, (but imo it started with the lies over Brexit ) will stop and all being well by this time next year our parliament will be functioning as it used to do without the constant drama and incompetence.

Just think how boring it will seem, but what a relief!

Just as the USA must have felt after Trump.

Lilyflower

It’s and envy and spite tax, nothing less. If it breaks even it will be a miracle, as Labour already knows and has been told by public finance bodies.

It is my observation over the years, that those who harbour negative emotions such as spite, envy, anger, resentment and bitterness are eaten up by them and never thrive. This, rather than the ‘luck’ of others is what causes them to fail. Those who strive to be happy, contented and grateful generally are ‘blessed’ by good fortune.

Wow! Perfect analysis!

Will there be a new Speaker? If so, who will it be? I was chatting to someone yesterday who said that he, like me, had complained to the Speakers office over the past few years as many times as he had written to our local Johnson supporting Conservative MP.

The speaker has to be elected or re-elected after a GE so yes, Hoyle may go.

Whitewavemark2

Yes I can confirm that these children will be exempt from paying VAT on the educational services they receive from private schooling.

This won't help if the school closes. The likes of Harrow and Eaton and other bigger schools, who are sponsored by rich backers will not face this but smaller private schools that offer specialist learning or simply excellent learning support will close and the children will face huge disruption and have to find a placement in the state system that is already overwhelmed. This is a disaster.

I prefer the so called politics of envy to the very real politics of exploitation.

For me private schools have rarely been about education (they can choose other examination systems which are not as rigorous as GCSEs for example) but about getting a lift up the social ladder.

Some Tory Prime ministers are a case in point... not really that clever are they?

One third of BBC top paid employees were privately educated
One thing most privately educated people share is the ability to present themselves as supremely confident in their own abilities.
As GSM mentioned earlier, some interview panels look at which school the applicant went to
The Old School Tie appears to be thriving

Privately educated people also do well in The Olympics too, Iam64. I think over a third of our competitors attended private schools. That's probably more athletes than countries like Pakistan enter for The Games in total.
And also athletes from state schools have benefited from partnerships with private schools. I think Adam Peaty, (swimmer who was also on Strictly!), went to a state school but trained at Repton, and maybe also Tom Daley who trained at Plymouth College. Millfield also offers scholarships to budding sportsmen and women. My DSiL attended for free because he was a talented rugby player who couldn't afford the fees.
Oh yes, and another swimmer Duncan Goodhew had a free place at Millfield when his father died.

Pity that people with such ability couldn’t achieve their full potential without being able to use the excellent facilities that private school pupils enjoy

I’m sure state school pupils have a similar ratio of athletes Joseann. It isn’t skill that’s lacking. A friends grandson was offered a private school place specialising in cricket after he was selected for county. He’s 10. Grandparents will pay the fees. It’s possible the younger brother stays in the state system
I hope it all works well
- I recognise his talent and accept our local high school won’t offer him the opportunity to excel but I’m uncomfortable with elitism