Thread 25 Starmer - Cheers for a falling out among thieves

[DuncinToffee]

Previous thread

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5338688-thread-24-starmer-casting-the-net-wider?

Vaguely on topic, considering recent spending announcements, but why I'm not quite so breathless about the "AI" fad that's sweeping the nation

1977 not-even-home-PC beats ChatGPT at chess.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/09/atari_vs_chatgpt_chess/

They need to get back to reporting things neutrally.

I'd be quite happy to see Gullis struggling to make a living.

They already give Farage and Tice too much air time.

She is too straight to out Reform Reform; she is perfect in every way, have you not heard how she put herself through college working at MacDonalds and when at uni seemingly despised all the woke left wing students - she must have been popular in Halls! She is a year younger than me and I don't remember Woke being a thing at university.

I’m your fairy godmother!

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/unemployed-ex-tory-mp-jonathan-gullis-teaching-job-profession-woke-agenda-b1185034.html

Would any headteacher want Gullis in their staffroom? 😱

Obvious not but that’s because they’re all woke activists!

The expression "world's smallest violin" is often used to mock exaggerated complaints. It is believed to have originated in a 1978 episode of MAS*H when Major Margaret Houlihan, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together, said: "It's the world's smallest violin, and it's playing just for you,"

Sky News

Threshold for winter fuel payment to pensioners raised significantly to £35kpa, meaning 9m pensioners will be included back into the scheme.

And...wait for the carping to begin. I predict:

Screeching u-turn

Government in chaos

Unfair that a single pensioner on £40k won't get it, while a couple on £20k each will

etc.

Don't forget the 'what will Nige say'

A pensioner on 35k per annum? I wonder how many are actually excluded from this new policy.

Still, one of Reeves’s total own goals. All that pain for nothing.

Agree. Should have left well alone.

Latest is that Farage will open the mines in Wales to fuel Port Talbot.

We’ve been told for 40 years British coal was uneconomic. Does this mean a very large state subsidy for coal mining and to reopen what will be nearly totally destroyed infrastructure?

Troubling findings from UNICEF about UK child poverty today. They are calling for the benefit cap to be lifted. The ES reports this very differently from the Mirror and the BBC not at all! But this will (should?) heap pressure on Starmer, and follow up form last week's FSM announcement.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/children-england-government-unicef-a-e-b1231854.html

Of course, this news will be buried by the stuff about WFA, no doubt.

Not sure when any government will focus on child poverty (this was something genuinely done by Brown and , to a lesser extent, Blair)

Absolutely. I’m horrified that I get it back because I categorically don’t need it. The initial threshold was way too low, now they’ve swung to the opposite extreme.

Well I’m really glad about FSM as something that will help children particularly- but my children didn’t exactly eat what I would describe as a good meal at their school. School budgets are very tight; so I hope there is some real improvement in quality given to children.

Food provided across state institutions is not necessarily good, could be far far better. I’d be in favour of spending more. Better outcomes for the health of the children

As far as I can see they’ve only excluded the Burgundy drinking classes.

(This was the Spectator joke that the WFA was so little that the only use was buying wine with it).

At least the foodbank will be pleased.

Who does he think will be going down the mines? I don't think many people in South Wales would be keen these days.

What do you mean? Mining is totally great and safe and in no way associated with lung disease, industrial accidents or early death.

Details don't matter.

All my Valleys friends are over the moon at the thought they might be able to send their kids down the mines, like in the good old days.

Farage does not understand Wales and can fuck right off if he thinks this is an incentive for the people of Wales to vote Reform. He could not have shown himself to be more out of touch if he tried.

What next? Will he promise to bring back slag heaps next to schools?