Labour Manifesto

Child SEN and mental health:

Too often our education and care systems do not meet the needs of all children, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Labour will take a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. We will make sure admissions decisions account for the needs of communities and require all schools to co-operate with their local authority on school admissions, SEND inclusion, and place planning.

Too many children’s life chances are being scarred by rising poverty. Too many arrive at school not ready to learn, and too many are absent. Breakfast clubs improve behaviour, attendance, and learning. Labour will fund free breakfast clubs in every primary school, accessible to all children. Our breakfast clubs will support parents through the cost-of-living crisis. We will also bring down the cost of school by limiting the number of branded items of uniform and PE kit that schools can require.

Poor mental health is another barrier to learning. The struggle to access support is paralysing children and young people through their formative years. Labour will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. This will complement our plan for Young Futures Hubs, which will make sure every community has an open-access hub for children and young people with drop-in mental health support.

A few other relevant bits from the section on children/education:

As an initial step, Labour will open an additional 3,000 nurseries through upgrading space in primary schools, to deliver the extension of government funded hours families are entitled to.
Supporting children in the early part of their life also means giving parents the flexibility they need to care for their children. Labour will review the parental leave system, so it best supports working families, within our first year in government.

Every child should have a loving, secure home. Labour will work with local government to support children in care, including through kinship, foster care, and adoption, as well as strengthening regulation of the children’s social care sector.

Sadly, too often we see families falling through the cracks of public services. Labour will improve data sharing across services, with a single unique identifier, to better support children and families.

Yet if they don't carefully define conversation therapy, what it is and what it is not, any approach other than you are what you say you are is likely risk litigation.

Nothing about the Spousal Exit Clause then.

That's my ballot being spoiled then.

I'd have voted Labour just to get rid of the current waste of space MP I have, but was waiting to see how stupid Starmer would be on this - given his wilful avoidance of the subject for years & ill thought out answers to any Qs asked. It's just insulting that they think this in any way touches on actually fixing any of the problems Labour created via GRA & EA2010.

My stance won't make any difference but my conscience will be clear.

This leads to situations like those Spanish soldiers who are getting extra benefits cos they've elected to be known as women now. Why encourage this lunacy?

There is only a problem if treatment for comorbid conditions, and psychological and talking therapies are included in "conversion therapy".

I can see why people are concerned due to hysterical TRA statements, but I think its an overinflated concern. Conversion therapy seeks to "erase, repress or change" someone's gender. Its not about treating comorbid conditions or offering talking therapies to explore the implications. The Labour manifesto says exploration is expressly protected.

I think its right all "conversion therapy" is banned because some of it is barbaric and if the ban was too specific then practitioners of it would be more easily able to find legal "loopholes" to carry on with it.

I agree, it’s ridiculous. Workplaces pick this up and then start talking about the gender of employees in this context.

Have they mentioned anything about increasing investment in our armed forces giving the increasing threat of another world war? That’s far more important to me than all the other stuff they have mentioned.

Ah I see they've jumped on the latest DEI (menopause) thing that doesn't actually need to made into 'a thing' - must have run out of things to virtue signal about.

The conservatives have pledged to ban the teaching of gender ideology in schools in their manifesto. No such promises from Labour I see. But they have banned conversation therapy, which to me reads that affirmation will be the only accepted approach towards kids left confused by gender ideology teaching at school and on ticktoc etc.

It's not lack of understanding, it's deliberate obfuscation. They're trying to say enough to make each side of a bitter conflict think they're on our side, and not so much as to actually pick a side.

Cowards. I don't trust them.

I think they're ignoring the whole issue so much they don't understand the contradiction.

Don't grasp it, or are wilfully ignoring it?

There are no realistic 'indignities' at present. If the LP believes, or says it believes, that there are, it has a problem. I don't trust them. I certainly don't trust them to chuck the considerable sums of money it would require at the justice system, for a start, to achieve all they are promising. I'd like to see something about sex education in schools.

Despite dozens and dozens of people flagging this with anneliese dodds every time she tweets about a conversion ban.

x.com/AnnelieseDodds/status/1800833479523066301

Well quite. But if that is what they are presenting, then I think in any consultation we need to make the case for getting an accurate diagnosis.

I wonder if the same diagnosis is made before surgery?

Do surgeons just take a single GD diagnosis from one professional as proof that a double mastectomy or removal of testicle surgeries can be performed on the NHS?

If that is the case, would that protect the NHS from misdiagnosis and treatment compensation?

If its a higher bar for surgery, i wonder what the rationale is, given the impact on women.

"We will remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and
acceptance"

Indignities such as having it pointed out that this is a women's toilet or changing room.

Accept transwomen in your spaces, women. By order.

I thought PB were out for under 18s, and if the trans-inclusive conversion therapy ban, bans talking therapies - then what appropriate healthcare is left for under 18s?

they will argue that they have not banned it, but in reality therapists will be too scared to go there - everyone knows how aggressive gender ideologists are in attempting to destroy the livelihood of anyone who disagrees with - so the only 'therapists' left will be the identity affirming ones. And Labour will absolve themselves of this outcome by arguing they never actually banned it, even though it was blatantly obvious that would be the effect.

If anything, we need laws protecting therapists exploring the causes of feeling of gender confusion, not laws that in reality will constrain them further.

Thank you. So much for 'Let me be clear' then.

They are, but I don't think they grasp that yet.

isn't there a massive conflict with the introducing a trans-inclusive conversion therapy ban and 'We will work to implement the expert recommendations of the Cass Review to ensure that young people presenting to the NHS with gender dysphoria are receiving appropriate and high-quality care.'
Surely the two a irreconcilable?

@Cityenergy That assumes the goal is to get an accurate diagnosis.

So I still have nobody to vote for then.