Well, here we are. 100 days of Labour tomorrow.

Totally agree Casdon. And, it's not just green projects in France, it's investment in living in the moment. The Labour Party seems to want to kill off things which make daily life easier and more pleasant for many of us. Macron had a terrible time leading up to June, but obviously buoyed by the success of The Olympic Games, he bounced back and gave France reasons to be proud and joyful. It didn't take him 100 days. I've never seen people in France so much on a high, whereas here it is all doom and gloom, black holes, dark tunnels etc. I hope the Labour Party will come round to explaining the reasons for their actions in a far more hopeful, positive manner. And before anyone asks for facts, figures etc I am talking here about the political mood in the country. That for me is what is lacking and dragging them down. That for me is their challenge- to stop the bleak outlook, and to bring some optimism or they will drift even further into the abyss, (not saying that some of this wasn't caused by their predecessors).

Casdon

The French are excellent when it comes to infrastructure, aren’t they. It’s clean with very little litter, the roads are good, and people take real pride in their towns looking their best, always flowers etc. It doesn’t surprise me that they invest in green projects.

What? Last time I looked France had a massive littering problem. Paris is even dirtier than London. Dogs mess in France has always been an issue.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Lighten up. Remember the names for Boris? I never moaned. 😊

I think Mr Johnson invented his own nick name?

Lisaangel10

Casdon

The French are excellent when it comes to infrastructure, aren’t they. It’s clean with very little litter, the roads are good, and people take real pride in their towns looking their best, always flowers etc. It doesn’t surprise me that they invest in green projects.

What? Last time I looked France had a massive littering problem. Paris is even dirtier than London. Dogs mess in France has always been an issue.

www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2018/11/mapped-europes-most-and-least-polluted-countries

Casdon

Lisaangel10

Casdon

The French are excellent when it comes to infrastructure, aren’t they. It’s clean with very little litter, the roads are good, and people take real pride in their towns looking their best, always flowers etc. It doesn’t surprise me that they invest in green projects.

What? Last time I looked France had a massive littering problem. Paris is even dirtier than London. Dogs mess in France has always been an issue.

www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2018/11/mapped-europes-most-and-least-polluted-countries

That’s about pollution and emissions which you didn’t mention in your post.

www.connexionfrance.com/news/france-battles-rise-in-littering-and-fly-tipping/654380

More bad news for Starmer & Reeves.

“The VAT raid on private schools threatens to force twice as many pupils into state education as claimed by official estimates, the author of a crucial report has admitted.

The Government has relied on a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) published last summer to defend its tax raid on private schools. The report estimated that between 3 and 7 per cent of private school pupils could be driven to the state sector by the policy – around 18,000 to 40,000 pupils.

Sir Keir Starmer and other ministers have repeatedly cited the report when defending their plan to charge VAT on private school fees, which is due to come into effect from Jan 1 2025.

But Luke Sibieta, its author, admitted that the proportion of private school pupils forced into the state sector could be as high as 15 per cent.”

Source: the Telegraph today.

Will this skew Rachel Reeves figures? Things don’t seem to be working out.

Why do you think that’s bad news for the government FriedGreenTomatoes2? They will get the money they anticipate regardless.

I'm not convinced that a large number of pupils will be driven out of private education this year, or even next, because existing parents will do everything possible to keep their children there. I think the big hit will take place 2 or 3 years down the line because, from now on, children just won't be starting in private education. Entire schools will then be forced to close which would result in a huge new wave of pupils arriving in the state sector September '26/'27.
Hopefully the government will be ready with its additional 6,500 teachers by then, to accommodate the increase in pupil numbers. However I'm not holding my breath.

Casdon surely the point is that the government won’t get the full amount first calculated because more pupils will be in the State system and that is a cost! In fact does the government do sums?

growstuff

GrannyGravy13

FriedGreenTomatoes2

And what about Miliband's deranged enthusiasm for ruining the country, financially and environmentally in pursuit of some pointless target that no other country is even trying to reach.

All his scheme is going to do is move the UK’s carbon footprint abroad.

Solar panels on farming land, just downright ridiculous, put them in buildings, industrial units or car parks.

For once, I partly agree with you GrannyGravy. I'm not that bothered about solar 'farms', although I really don't understand why solar panels aren't being installed on every car park, industrial unit, hospital and school, etc.

I confess I don't know that much about carbon capture, but (from what I've read) it does seem a strange way to invest so much money.

Why doesn't the government give universal grants to people and businesses to make sure their buildings are as well-insulated as possible, with boiler upgrades if necessary? (Lots of potential for you there, by the way ;-))

Every new house being built should have solar panels as a matter of course.

I really don't understand why solar panels aren't being installed on every car park, industrial unit, hospital and school, etc.
Me neither. The Goernment should be making plans to fund this and it would save money in the long-term too.

growstuff

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Power cuts, very expensive energy for homes and business; 20k oil workers losing their jobs. Racing ahead too fast before the science is ready - I'm thinking heat pumps, electric cars. The list goes on. Miliband scares me. He’s like a zealot.

Oil workers can be retrained to install wind farms and solar panels (and maintain them).

Really?
It is quite a different area of expertise.

I still think it’s the politics of envy, raising VAT on private education.

Are we in fact the only country to do this??

Actually, people seem to be assuming that parents will just pay the extra VAT; they won’t (not all). They’ll just stop spending elsewhere: meals out, holidays, local businesses etc etc. same VAT spend just in a different place and meanwhile small businesses suffer. Not sure quite how that works with the growth agenda.

Don't quote me on it, FriedGreenTomatoes, but I think education in the EU is exempt from VAT by law. Except in that usual EU way where each member state can choose how that works for them. I'm sure I remember Greece got in a right old mess with it.

ronib

Casdon surely the point is that the government won’t get the full amount first calculated because more pupils will be in the State system and that is a cost! In fact does the government do sums?

The reduction will be marginal, the schools will still print all their literature, buy books, and stationery. The gain to the government will still be very significant. The argument about more pupils in state schools doesn’t really hold water, as the number of children in education is dropping anyway, and there are over 14,000 state schools nationwide. Contrary to what ronib thinks, I’d say they have calculated quite carefully.

Is it the politics of envy to reinvest in improving education for a larger number of children at the expense of the few - I guess we all have different views on that.

Casdon wait and see.

I don’t need to wait and see ronib, I already know what I think is the right way forward. This was always on the cards when a Labour government was elected, it was policy years before Starmer was leader, so I’m not sympathetic to parents who didn’t think ahead (although I am to the children caught in the middle) - it was inevitable that a Labour government would be elected at some point.

Casdon it’s not the right way forward if right means moral. It’s bonkers.

What a bunch of hypocrites. Greedy and self serving. How come with the huge deficit, we can find the money for 1000 immigrants in one day, think of all the dependants that means funded by us. Trouble is we have a weak opposition too. Very depressing.

winterwhite

I'm not a Labour Party supporter and am disappointed in KS's leadership, but goodness I'm fed up with this relentless gleeful carping after only three months.

It was a serious reputational error to have announced two measures likely to hit the poorest hardest without parallel measures ensuring that the richest contribute fairly. We trust that these will come later.

It was a silly mistake not to realise how the freebies would look. Someone should have spotted this and stopped it before it happened. I don't think it was greed. Sorted out when realised.

I assume there is more to the Sue Gray episode than meets the eye and she doesn't come out of it well, but sorted out, we hope, when realised.

Do these early blunders shake my preference for a new Labour Government over more years of the Tories? Certainly not.

Well said, winterwhite, particularly as you’re not a Labour supporter.

I am a Labour supporter (although not a slavish one) and as someone who has spent most of my adult life with a government I didn’t want, and policies such as Brexit that I didn’t vote for, I am utterly fed up with the bitterness, hypocrisy and moaning from those who got used to things going their way for so long.

There have been mistakes and miscalculations, but these have been around public relations, rather than corruption and dishonesty, and there has not been time for the new government to get everyone on board - policies need time to bed in.

It’s good to see that at least some who didn’t vote Labour are able to stand back a bit and give them a chance. Thank you.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Actually, people seem to be assuming that parents will just pay the extra VAT; they won’t (not all). They’ll just stop spending elsewhere: meals out, holidays, local businesses etc etc. same VAT spend just in a different place and meanwhile small businesses suffer. Not sure quite how that works with the growth agenda.

The number of parents who will be affected is very small.

Allira

growstuff

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Power cuts, very expensive energy for homes and business; 20k oil workers losing their jobs. Racing ahead too fast before the science is ready - I'm thinking heat pumps, electric cars. The list goes on. Miliband scares me. He’s like a zealot.

Oil workers can be retrained to install wind farms and solar panels (and maintain them).

Really?
It is quite a different area of expertise.

I have a close relative who did exactly that.

ronib

Casdon surely the point is that the government won’t get the full amount first calculated because more pupils will be in the State system and that is a cost! In fact does the government do sums?

The birthrate fell for the pupils now in schools and there are spare places.

Allsorts

What a bunch of hypocrites. Greedy and self serving. How come with the huge deficit, we can find the money for 1000 immigrants in one day, think of all the dependants that means funded by us. Trouble is we have a weak opposition too. Very depressing.

Well said Allsorts

Oh dear. Not going very well is it.

www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1960756/angela-rayners-big-mouth-costs-UK-1bn-investment?utm_source=daily_express_