Thread 49 Starmer - Cóż to jest 5 milionów funtów między przyjaciółmi

[DuncinToffee]

Welcome to our long running thread for political discussion, general chit chat, a friendly hug and taxes in kind

for anyone who needs them in real life

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5523207-thread-48-starmer-der-teufel-ist-ein-eichhornchen?page=40

They want to believe him.

https://www.thepoke.com/2026/05/18/a-woman-was-ejected-from-the-unite-the-kingdom-rally-for-not-looking-right-wing-enough-and-if-anything-captures-the-tommy-robinson-supporter-mindset-it-is-surely-this/2/

Maybe MsJinks in subtle disguise.

Just spent an hour getting the pigeon poo off my car. AN HOUR. Feckers!

Woman shakes fists at pigeons. I wasn't at any rally this weekend. Caveat: I like all birds.

But why?

Someone was telling me today that some of the GCSE maths pupils she tutors don't know how to subtract, add, multiply or divide. They don't understand cash transactions, just use their phones and never have cash.

That seems very odd given the emphasis on maths through the curriculum. The cash not so much. It’s like telling analogue time. Not done very often now. But I’ve never c9me across any students except with high additional needs who can’t do the basic operations by GCSE

No, I don't believe that either. Did she mean they can't do it in their heads?

It's questions to do with cash transactions @cardibach so specific.

It's a question regarding multiples and divisions, with some addition and subtraction when purchasing. It's a written question.

It’s not really any different with cash though…
Lots of kids struggle with written scenario type maths questions whatever they are about.

We’ve discussed this in the staffroom and there’s a marked difference in mental arithmetic ability as an adult between those of us who had jobs as a teenager that involved making change in shops and bars and the younger staff who had the same sort of job but with modern tills/phone banking. It’s a skill that is more firmly embedded when you had to do it for real, with a till that didn’t tell you what change you should give, however good at maths you might have been at school.
Lessons on personal finances show an alarmingly low understanding of credit etc, even in Yr6.

I remember when we were at school,we were taught the as a specific maths skill, in the form of "problems" and this was right through the maths curriculum. It's probably more difficult for those who struggle with parsing what they read in general than those less confident in maths.

I highly doubt Reform voters care where Farage gets his money or whether he's lied about it, or avoided tax by siphoning it off to his girlfriend.
The point is that they want tax cuts and some people punished - Farage is just a means to an end. Otherwise Tice would have been for the high jump last month.

I hated problems! My mind wandered off to write a little story about why a person was filling a bath in 30 mins, or who they were buying all the sweets for. By the time it had wandered back to the numbers the lesson had moved on / the test was over I don’t recall anyone ever explaining to me how to isolate the numbers and work out what operation to use.

Yes it's an alarmingly low understanding, given that children do have their own accounts, almost all by year 11. They are vulnerable and open to scams.

Schools do address this, but parents should be on board as well - after all they are the ones paying the money.

Again not a lot of those voting for Farage will be tax savvy and economically efficient in terms of an accountant and a legal team.

That grift on the car boot sales and vinted isn't going to get you a tax return to take you to the Maldives for a month long summer break.

Haha - I have messy blonde hair and teeth too! But no, it’s not me.

Me too! I like to call it curly.

I have blue hair, so I would immediately be marked out as a lefty. But hilariously enough one of the regulars in our local pub quiz has bright purple hair - not the subtle glassic rinse!) and is a massive Restore fan.

It's interesting about the mental maths - my DC used to come with me and help with the catering at our archery club, which involved making change, rapid calculation etc. That might well have been more useful than I was expecting.

I met some Americans in Aushwitz today and discovered that their historical world education is truly shit.

Farage can get to fuck and my MP is getting a very strong email from me next week.

After today, polite thoughts on those who deny history is not possible. What the fuck are our journalists doing by not calling them out on their language?

What do you mean about journalists not calling them out on their language? Do you mean calling Farage out on his language? If so, I agree.

Absolutely, they need to correct the language- everytime Farage et al say illegals, it needs to be corrected.

I completely agree. Out of curiosity, how come you were visiting Auschwitz? Were you there to see it for yourself, or were you leading a school trip there or something?

https://www.markpack.org.uk/176783/how-many-councillors-has-reform-uk-lost-since-the-may-2026-elections/

Just leaving this here before I head to my bed.

There's no scrutiny obviously in the candidates being picked as councillors for Reform and all credit to Lib Dem peer Mark Pack for calling this out on his blog. Makes for sobering reading.

@placemats.Reform watch on blue sky is very good on this.

The Greens are also losing councillors.5 London ones have resigned since being elected.
share.google/6eQhhJx3VY2U9LaLi

Oh FFS. I expect crap from Reform. I continually keep hoping the Greens will do better. It’s just deeply unserious shit stirring. What a waste of time and money. I hope the people voting for them to ‘send a message’ or whatever are proud of themselves.