Thread 29 Sunak: Borders, Barges and Bacteria

[DuncinToffee]

Thanks pointythings

previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4853484-thread-28-sunak-lords-ladies-and-lame-ducks?page=1

There was a school building improvement policy cancelled almost immediately when the coalition government took office apparently. 🤷‍♀️

Could some of the £350million a week from the EU be spend on rebuilding schools, or does it all have to be spent on the NHS?

luckily, as government contracts go their mates there’s a bit of flexibility there. Phew.

Yet another example of Tories reaping what they sow by playing to populism to win votes.

Crikey I hadn't realised it was thatlong ago. It was dad's first admission there. He had a fractured pelvis.

So presumably once those 30 years were up the government had a plan to replace them?

Once again keeping us regaled with your humour

I have to say I assumed it was the kind of thing that the government paid all those expensive strategists for?

It might not have been that one when your dad was in. I imagine there have been quite a few similar incidents since then.

Thinking back it must have been 13 or 14 years. How time flies!

Oh dear again

Jeremy Hunt under fire after Treasury says no new cash to fix Raac in schools | Schools | The Guardian

We will spend what ever it takes. But it will come from the existing schools budgets.

Quelle surprise.

And the next tagline will be that if those greedy work shy teachers weren't striking for a outside after over a decade of pay freezes we'd have more to help the buildings be fixed.

They are so predictable.

Gosh, it’s almost like Hunt might have been lying when he did the media round this morning. The Tories are normally scrupulously honest.

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2023/sep/03/un-highlights-psychological-harm-to-uk-man-jailed-since-2012-for-phone-theft

From another thread. I do t know whether to be or

I expect he was just confused. After all we can’t expect the Chancellor to know how much money is in the coffers.

Just watched the first Arsenal goal on BBC and the electronic banners all said "Visit Rwanda". Is Suella an Arsenal fan?

https://twitter.com/educationgovuk/status/1698411241532715300

Standard for the DfE to put this out at 8pm on a Sunday night.

I hope they aren't suggesting Headteachers assess structural integrity! Should be completed by a surveyor surely?

Well yes, there’s that too…

DH (chem prof) was telling me it's nigh on impossible to properly assess the structural integrity of RAAC. With regular reinforced concrete there are clear visible signs before it fails. As it corrodes the steel rods rust and swell, causing the concrete to bend and crack, and you can calculate from that how corroded your reinforcements are and if/when it will fail. With RAAC that initial corrosion swelling can be absorbed by the aeriation, with no visual signs that it's failing. And if cracks do appear, they can't be used to accurately measure the internal corrosion. It's pretty much guess work.

As demonstrated by the fact the one that failed over the summer had been cleared as safe.

Sunak halved the schools repairs budget.

"Dept for Education former perm sec Jonathan Slater criticises successive education ministers for prioritising ideology - ie the creation of new “free schools” - over rebuilding unsafe schools. He also criticises Sunak as Chancellor for funding the rebuilding of only circa 50 schools per year compared with a need for 400. On @BBCr4today

x.com/peston/status/1698587869403590807?s=46&t=Uw4lJNwxFZFnX0Xs3doHYg

Link to the interview

"Pretty stark admission by the former DFE perm sec.

Says he was “absolutely amazed” the then chancellor, Rishi Sunak, resisted the department’s request in the 2021 Spending Review for boosting spending on school rebuilds"

x.com/breeallegretti/status/1698587070426480840?s=46&t=Uw4lJNwxFZFnX0Xs3doHYg

The jist is the Department wanted to repair/rebuild 300- 400 schools to keep pace with need. They settled with the Treasury on a 100. Then Sunak cut that to 50.

Keegan thinks is just a joke, look at the body language

#KayBurley I read that you spent £32m refurbishing your offices... did you?

Gillian Keegan - I don't know.... which offices...

#KayBurley - Not good optics... £32m on offices, when schools are crumbling?

#BBCBreakfast

https://twitter.com/Haggis_UK/status/1698585744837636369?s=20

If Sunak was still Chsncellir he’d probably be resigning at this point. (In normal times). What a clusterfuck.

"Every part of the public estate needs to be refurbished"
Yes Keegan, we know that!

I don't think she gives a crap does she?

No she doesn't give a fuck, it all gone 'the beach is closed' again

As demonstrated by the fact the one that failed over the summer had been cleared as safe

aha. That’s the first time I’ve read that. I was wondering what forced their hand.

not just the knowledge that this stuff is an issue but the fact that something ‘cleared as safe’ still failed and as you point out (@MrTiddlesTheCat ) it’s nigh on impossible to sign off any of these buildings as safe unless they were built in the last couple of years.

I am surprised how quiet it is on MN about this issue, the few threads on it are not that active.