Thread 2. Starmer, return of the Labour government

[L1ttledrummergirl]

Yes, lame but the last thread was nearly full.

Absolutely.

So far pleased about what they done so far but they ve a huge in tray, potential GP strike? Junior doctors strike, dentistry, roads, public buildings, prisons...

Benefit cap just shouldn't be on their radar right now & i'm glad it isn't.

Yup!

I was attempting cryptic -ness. See Cassie's post!

Thanks! Sorry to be dense!

I’ll be really pissed off if they don’t.

Well, that was a very civilised PMQ's

Sunak looks much happier in opposition.

Fair do's... we all have different priorities.

Just listened to one of the MPs suspended, she made a strong case for the cap to be lifted BUT whilst i could be persuaded to your/her pov, i still think that the money should be put into schemes that directly benefit the poorest.

I'm keen to see what Streeting intends to do about dentistry, the lack of which has profound impacts on the poorest in society who simply cannot afford private treatment and most of the country will be at best offered an extraction.

🚨 NEW: I've just announced a pause and review of the defunding of BTECs

By doing so, we will:

✅ Support BTEC students
✅ Commit to roll out T-Levels
✅ Conclude the review by the end of the year

x.com/bphillipsonmp/status/1816096832721723421?s=46&t=Uw4lJNwxFZFnX0Xs3doHYg

Pleased to see this.

Brilliant stuff!!!

That is good news Notonthestairs

DD's college were rolling out T-levels, would have been a shame seeing it go to waste.

Yes, I’d like to see dentistry addressed too, even if just for children.

Eluned Morgan appointed new Leader of Welsh Labour

Not bad for a party that had no plan 20 days ago.

I would like to see dentistry addressed too, we moved last year after not having routine check ups for years because the NHS practice never caught up after COVID. I have had to register with a private dentist as there are no NHS dentists within travelling distance. I have had to pay £75 for an initial appointment and X rays and now I need a hygienist appointment at £68 and two fillings which will cost me around £250 🙁

I would just have to lose teeth and be in pain if I couldn’t afford it, it’s not right and appalling that children are facing a lifetime of poor dental health due to the cost of treatment.

Have to say, you ve been let off lightly, a friend of mine needs 2 root canals, 4 fillings and a clean = £3.2k.

@Alexandra2001 😮 that’s terrible, we did ask round and the practice was recommended as reasonable, we are North West and I think if we were still in the South it would be more.

@Evenstar Its like going to AE with a broken arm and being told "amputation or you'll have to pay across the road at the local Bupa hospital...."

Dental pain is real and can be absolute agony, it should be treated on the NHS same as any other issue.

I'd also like to see Labour order an inquiry into (lack of) competition in the dental sector, around here (Cornwall) they all charge within 0.001% of each other.

Labour addressing this, would show many voters who are unsure of them, that they have our interests at heart & that will seal it for the next GE, which they really do need to win, the public just wont notice things like BTEC funding, no matter how important it is.

Anyway, its not all about me, so i'll shut up.....

Duffield's views on women's spaces v trans 'rights' is just about tolerated in Labour. The Greens would have expelled her for them and I suspect the LibDems would also force her to be silent or remove the whip. So she doesn't really have another party to move to.

I think voting against the King's speech h which is the Manifesto you are elected on is foolish in the extreme and deserves a suspension. Th two child cap is on universal credit, not on child benefit which has no limit. I think currently the addition of free breakfast club and breakfast and free school meals makes a real direct difference to children. I have also seen references to improvements in housing benefit/reviews on Universal Credit which nigh also improve family housing for these children. It seems reasonable progress to me if you can't afford to lift the 2 child cap. The rebellion has also made it more difficult for Starmer to lift it as he can't be seen to bow to rebellion.

We've just signed up with a local NHS dentist (and had a choice of another local one recommended to me by another friend).

Dh had 2 extractions plus 2 old roots removed he'd not been to a dentist since before Lockdown , plus caps on his front teeth replaced (they'd been broken for ages ). I had 3 fillings plus a scale & polish. Between us it came to less than £300.

I also have a GP where I can get appointments quickly

@prettybird that sounds amazing, is the area you live in quite rural/low population?

Inner city Glasgow

.Nearest NHS dentist to me, in Liskeard, suggested i ring back in 4 years time, the lady on reception said they still had patients on their "to do list" from pre Covid.

She didn't feel either the tory funding plan or Labours would make any difference as neither have the funding required.

Hope she is wrong.

Our GP service is brilliant, cannot be faulted.

My GP is great when you can get an appointment, many people have taken to lining up in the street before they open. I was on hold for an hour and twenty minutes when I was very ill with my asthma and then was only able to have a telephone appointment.

I couldn’t get through at all one day, went down and was told I would have to ring again in the morning. They offer about 4 prebookable appointments a week online.