Thread 13 Starmer - facts are for lefties

[DuncinToffee]

Previous thread:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5214955-thread-12-starmer-from-prescott-to-rayner-working-class-grit?page=40&reply=140341929

Condolences Elodie

Very sorry to hear this, hope Christmas was as bearable as it ever could be for you all.

Farage threatens action over Badenoch ‘fake’ Reform membership data claim | Nigel Farage | The Guardian

On Friday, Farage said the allegations were “disgraceful” and he was demanding an apology. “I’m going to take some action in the next couple of days,” he told journalists. “I’ve got to decide exactly what it is, but I’m certainly not going to take it lying down.
“I think it’s an absolutely outrageous thing for her to have said. I know she’s got a very bad temper. I know she’s well known for lashing out at people, but I am not at all happy, and I’m going to take some action.”
But a Tory source told Sky News: “[Farage] is clearly rattled that his Boxing Day publicity stunt is facing serious questions … Like most normal people around the UK, Kemi is enjoying Christmas with her family and looking forward to taking on the challenges of renewing the Conservative party in the new year.”

Let them fight it out in the media!!

Stock up on the popcorn

If Farage can demonstrate the accuracy of the membership figures Badenoch has been incredibly rash and stupid. No surprise there then. The woman is a loose cannon and a liability, whatever her FWR fangirls think.

One of our local schools is studying in state of the art prefab on the school field because of RAAC. The kids they could have in were travelling by bus to another site they had been given the use of in between lessons

I'm so sorry. It's particularly hard when you're still getting used to someone not being with you any more.

Thank you for your thoughtful condolences, you are so kind.

This cheered me up this morning.

www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/27/godfather-of-ai-raises-odds-of-the-technology-wiping-out-humanity-over-next-30-years

When I grew up, schools had "mobile classrooms" everywhere. My primary school had 2 on the playing fields after losing the kitchens (lunches were delivered from another school) and having 2 classrooms added as an extension.

At high school there were 4 mobiles and some buildings (huts) had to be "uncondemned" to fit the crush in. This was after a new block and an extension to the main building had been added.

Sixth form had a line of 4 mobile classrooms on the playing fields.

No one of my age would think any of that unremarkable.

Same here @SerendipityJane and we had to catch a shuttle bus to a different site between lessons for a couple of years.
Of course that was not ideal and it had been built as a brand new state of the art school in 1974. By 1977 we were having lessons in demountables.

We also had about 8 double mobiles on site.

We just saw it as standard classrooms and standard school!

We were actually quite a posh comp in a fairly MC area.

My secondary school was one that had been built using high alumina cement. While it was fixed, we shared with another school (who also happened to be our greatest rival!*). They went to school in the morning and we went in the afternoon. This lasted for a whole term. As my parents both taught at my school, we used to go to play golf in the morning (with my brother)!

We then had a whole load of portakabin classrooms. Our school was very fortunate in that we had 12 tennis courts - a state comprehensive! - so they were used for the classrooms till it was all sorted.

*also the school Liz Truss attended. The one she claimed was in a rundown/poor area

Yeah but loads of those are still there...and they actually have a 'use by' date. I have been in my school since 1996. It was never in a good state but currently the word shithole would be an understatement . Parents generally only see the nice new hall and even that is filthy.

Most of the schools where I grew up went up in the 1930s. That was when fixing a housing crisis was achieved by the rather odd practice of building houses (I know, if only they'd known all the need do was piss around with interest rates. Idiots).

By the 60s they were all bulging and 3 brand new (c. 1,000 pupil) high schools were built in the borough as well as all the older schools being extended and expanded where possible.

My condolences @Elodie09 .
I agree @cardibach .starmer handles his personal life very well. He never exploits his family for political gain. Unlike some...

We had mobile classrooms (spacious and always too hot) too and some very old, wonky, draughty but rather charming buildings with steep and very worn staircases.

The school concerned is a secondary school in a "modern" building that was all set to be re-built before the PFI plug was built. It's a close to city centre site with a small playing field across a busy road. That's now covered with glorified tents, one of them the kitchens and dining room as that was the worst affected area though most of the existing building was declared unsafe. Thankfully they have managed to secure funding and planning permission to rebuild.

Well this is sad.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpww85w5p30o

Just saw that. I’m not sure how sad it is to die aged 100 though.

ETA I’ve just seen that he was widowed in November, it’s so common that long married couples go very close together. Very tough on the family.

I know what you mean about his age, @BIossomtoes , and I wondered about using t( word sad. I find it sad though because he seemed to be such a decent bloke and it’s like the end of something given what’s coming next for the US…

You’re right, he was one of the good guys. I expect to feel the same when Major, Heseltine and Clarke go, it’s the end of the era of decency.

Btw, hope your friend is doing as well as possible.

Yes, sad for the rest of us really. He was a good man.

I don't know how to do a share token but there is an interesting Times article today with an infographic showing how far right or left various MPS are with Suella being to the right of all the Reform MPs and Badenoch well over to the right and Starmer considerably to the right of nearly all his MPs. Most Tories cluster around the Sunak area (a 'score' of 77) and there are a handful who are further left than some Lab MPs.

Nadia Whittome is furthest to the left with a score of 4.

The Times of course presents this as a problem for Starmer but I rather think it shows the bigger problem lies with the Tory party in parliament.

I read on Bluesky yesterday that when a President or former President dies, all flags have to be flown at half-mast for 30 days. Which would mean that they would be at half-mast during the mango Mussolini's inauguration.

I so hope that's true...

Some positivity, among the doom laden posts on MN atm & up from Dec 23, when apparently, we were in an economic boom!!!

A majority of UK businesses expect a positive start to 2025, according to two economic confidence surveys which show managers planning for growth after a challenging period for the economy
About 70% of UK businesses expect their turnover to increase over the next year, up from 62% in December 2023. Meanwhile, 73% are confident of greater profitability, according to research from Lloyds bank

Hann-Ju Ho, a senior economist at Lloyds, said:* *“It is exciting to see that businesses have ambitious plans for next year and are confident of growth. Overall, businesses have responded well to the changing external environment. While the economic outlook has been challenging, the steps firms are taking to grow should put them in a strong position for success in 2025"