Thread 2. Starmer, return of the Labour government

[L1ttledrummergirl]

Yes, lame but the last thread was nearly full.

Great news!! One of my kids is studying for a T Level. Was worried about the qualifications becoming obsolete.

Our GP must have been an early adopter: he has been doing telephone appointments for about 10 years (maybe more), which you can get within a day but if you want a face-to-face appointment you can get one (might be more than a week if you want to see a specific GP). If the GP wants to see you in person as a result of the telephone appointment, he or she will give you the appointment during the call.

They give you a time that they will call you for the telephone appointment - usually a range of an hour. It works well.

Since they introduced this system, I've never had a problem getting through for an appointment.

Have been with this GP for c30 years (). He must have been newly qualified when we registered with him . He's now the senior partner Unfortunately he a) now only works 4 days a week and b) is retiring in 3 years dh asked him

My dm was with an NHS dentist who was working in a private practice (all other dentists were private, but it let them say they were NHS). They sent a very condescending letter saying that the dentist was leaving and they appreciated how hard it would be for someone used to NHS prices, but she could sign up for their special plan.

Dm called the manager and read them the riot act over the tone of the letter, then told them she would take her private business elsewhere as a result. Which she did.

I don't have a dentist, no NHS here and can't afford private. I clean my teeth religiously and hope like hell they are ok.

@prettybird that's such a sensible system. My GP (of 17 years) is unfortunately an utter arse. Head of his practice we wait around a month for an appointment (any GP). 'Emergency is ring on day at 8am (but engaged /they don't answer) He phoned me last week, 1st time ever, to say Ds could not have some minor but important accommodations re his ASD (that he'd just been given in hospital). The 1st two times the phone disconnected as I answered it. The 3rd time I said, sorry, I may have been having trouble with my phone? He cheerily replied: 'no: our end, it does it all the time: filters out those who really need to speak as they keep trying, ha ha'. I was lost for words.

Cates trying to stay relevant (replies are good)

https://x.com/miriam_cates/status/1816078276038639924

Of course politicians don’t have to be parents. But having children does give you a different perspective on the future. Raising kids makes you less tolerant of liberal individualism & more keen on maintaining boundaries that protect children. Parents’ voices are important.

Well, as a teacher, I can confidently assert that being a parent does not automatically make you Theodore Roosevelt.

Yes, Miriam, I gave zero shits about safeguarding before I gave birth

Fucking boundaries and safeguarding are two terms that are really setting my teeth on edge at the moment. They seem to have been coopted by people like Cates to mean something entirely different to their original intent.

Also I feel like you are deliberately trolling me after my comment yesterday! 😂

Do we know where safeguarding was at the church Cates was a trustee of?

It did come to mind

🤫 nothing of note there at all

Is she still under investigation?

Does that mean Cates thinks Trump is a better role model?

Maybe we should stream jobs based on whether people have had kids. Or how many they've had. More kids, more skin in the game. I imagine Johnson and Mogg would sign up for that.

No I don't think so. It was about covid parties apparently.

I clicked that link and was horrified she was aiming her comments at Kamala Harris. Absolutely disgusting behaviour. Not least because you never know why people are childless and it could be extremely hurtful to them.

God. Just imagine. Musk could join the party too.

Obviously men would have a very unfair advantage in that system.

From twitter

As we learn from criticism of Keir Starmer’s family Friday nights and Kamala Harris not having kids, the correct approach for a politician is to have children but then basically just ignore them

Of course Cates real interest isn't Trump, I think it's more likely to lie with Project 25 & Heritage Foundation money.

Worked for Johnson

Da was on one of the first T level courses at our local college a meer 4 years ago.

He was on the news with Braverman and Williamson 😂

I couldn't believe it when 3 years later they are talking about scrapping them

The European leaders thing had been planned by Sunak

Maybe, but do you think it would have been so positive if he’d still been in power?

Anyone remember how Leadsom’s comments about May having no stake in the future because she was childless led to her having to pull out of the leadership contest?

I remember that @BIossomtoes. A cheap shot which says a lot about the speaker.

I'm just putting this here to check my thoughts. I've got the Trump speaking on at the moment. Aside from every other word out of his mouth being bollocks, are his supporters really so stupid that they need a screen prompt to tell them when to boo, cheer and wave their little signs.
I don't think any of the crowd behind him are listening, they are too busy watching for their prompts.

It's like an old fashioned circus freak show.
Why do I get the feeling that there are not thousands of people there, the woman behind him looked really confused when he said that.
How he's not pulled up on some of shit he's coming out with, I don't understand.

I know this isn't about Trump, but it's the first time I've actually had the misfortune to hear him speak at a rally, and it comes over as a dad, delusional old man surrounded by confused fools. I don't see the attraction at all.

How on earth is he being touted as a presidential possibility?