Thread 21 Starmer - Casting Nasturtiums

[DuncinToffee]

Previous thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5298316-thread-20-starmer-spring-statement?page=40&reply=143217222

Respectful and supportive discussion of things political and beyond

Cat, dog, flowers, haberdashery tax most welcome

Nor me, I did investigate. A naturalised great-uncle is not enough for citizenship of the country concerned.

Not a great surprise in my opinion. Will be interested to see who the others are. Cannot think of a Southampton footballer or a Hampshire cricketer he might honour (remember Theresa May gave Geoffrey Boycott a knighthood).

I could not agree more.

But then where do you draw the line ? Should housing be a business ? After all, surly having a roof over your head just as immediate infrastructure to worry about as food, water and the energy to cook them ?

Social housing shouldn't be a business, no.

Amanda Spielman was mentioned a while ago, as well as Simon Hart and Alister Jack

Maybe for Southampton, Matt le Tissier or has he gone too far down the rabbit hole?

I think whether it can realistically involve competition is part of it. Competition in terms of utilities is notional at best. Also whether it’s a social good for it to be state owned, eg the NHS.

Congratulations! I'm pretty jealous!

Congratulations 🥳 @LittleBowSheep
will think of you as I queue 😂

🥂

Agree. I don’t think they are though? I mean they must make some profit but I don’t think they have shareholders etc to pay?

Sadly despite being born out of the U.K. due to his dad and I being British citizens ds can’t get an EU passport.

Although he was born in Tenerife which afaik isn’t EU but rather EEC?

I think housing associations are run on a not for profit basis, yes. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that a future government believing in a small state could want to change that.

Tenerife is in Spain so definitely EU!

I’m deeply envious of possessors of EU passports. Despite my genes being 59% Irish I don’t qualify. Although Mr B - 97% Scottish and born in Belfast - does. It’s a sore point in this house. Having said that, the queue for non EI citizens leaving Italy a couple of weeks ago was by far the shortest.

I'd love an EU passport but all my grandparents were English. My friend has 3 passports and always uses the one that gets them through passport control the quickest.

It's all quite bizarre, isn't it? I have absolutely no Irish ancestry at all. I just happened to have been born there because my Dad was in the forces and that's where he was stationed at the time.

That’s what I thought but I remember you could take more duty free for some reason!

I think I'm eligible for an Irish passport, my maternal grandfather was born in Rep of Ireland. Both of my DH's parents were born in Ireland too. Our British passports have expired but maybe we should get Irish passports instead of renewing the British ones. Although, having said that neither of us have any plans to holiday overseas in the future.

I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but more and more I wish I'd moved to another European country (Denmark? Finland?) or Canada to live & work when I was still young enough to make a decent life there. I know there are those who say these days all countries have their problems, but ours seems to be gathering momentum on a slippery downward slide.

UK GDP growth figures UP 0.5% in February, expectation was a 0.1% rise....

Expect this good news not to be reported widely.

That great news - long may it continue.

I agree about reporting. It doesn’t fit with the killing business line 🙄

Both Sky and BBC reporting it this morning

You mean when there is no growth, it gets big negative headlines but if we have growth, there are no headlines.

*Unless it's the Conservative party of course,

Sky & BBC doing the usual "..but fears grow this wont continue as NI increases coming in" and i bet the more right wing press will not mention any of it, just as the 1500 extra GPs ignored/or rubbished.

Its a huge issue for Labour & one thats hard to counter.

Well given what Trump is doing, of course there will be fears that this won’t continue!

But it’s patently untrue to say that it’s not being reported.

Also being reported by the Torygraph