to believe Rachel Reeves was crying because

[LargeDeviation]

1. she was upset when Lindsay Hoyle told her to keep her answers short

2. she had an argument with Keir Starmer (possibly about her keeping her job, or about how to handle the inevitable questions about the new £5.5bn per annum black hole) just before PMQs

3. Keir Starmer refused to say she would keep her job in front of the whole country. If he genuinely wanted her to stay, he would just say 'of course she's going to still be Chancellor' and that would be that.

4. she is under immense pressure because she knows she will have soon to breach her fiscal rules, she knows she is responsible for many of the decisions that will lead to that, and she knows the how serious the consequences of her failure will be. We have seen recently (even just today) how vicious the bond market can be.

In short, I believe she was crying because of professional pressures (understandable ones, though largely of her own making, and about which I have little sympathy) and not nebulous 'personal' reasons.

If her parent or partner or child or grandparent or pet is ill the natural thing is to just say 'sorry, a close relative is in hospital and my emotions got the better of me'. Everybody would understand. You don't need huge reams of evidence but you need to give the bare bones of an explanation. She is trying to style it out but we can all see through it.

I will apologise if I'm wrong but long experience shows that 'personal reasons' almost always means 'I'm skiving or jobhunting' when a colleague in the workplace uses it to excuse their time off.

I believe it means even less when uttered by a politican.

I’d love to know where both the concept and figures come from. The only place I’ve ever seen it is MN.

So you are saying a poor background is not a barrier to education if you parents value education?

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/theeffectsoftaxesandbenefitsonhouseholdincome/financialyearending2023

@DwimmerActually many old grammar pupils from poor areas are a testament to background not holding you back IF parents value education. I think the same holds true now. Dc who are failed come from families who don’t read to dc when they are young, do think people with an education have got above themselves and probably don’t think there’s anything wrong in low paid work or no work because it’s what they’ve done for generations. Of course parental aspiration matters! Just because dc are not well off doesn’t mean they have rubbish parents either.

Sorry it's George. Although I think his birth name was Gideon but he doesn't like it.

Doesn’t normally crash the bond market though!

Yes, that was my point. The biggest barrier to educational success is cultural.

I imagine 50% of people being net recipients (receiving more benefit and tax breaks than they pay in) will include people of non-working age, ie children and OAPs. I'd be more interested in the figure for working age people only.

Possibly the statistics include the "benefit" of free health care - in which case if you reach old age, you will start running up a significant health care bill. But if you include that, you should also include all the VAT we pay on our goods and services every single day of our lives.

Quite agree!
Why are women especially, the labour party also, held to a way way way higher standard than the previous government?
The media are already in a frenzy attacking Labour and analysing them in a way the journalists never had the balls to do for the last decade and more of the Tories.

I have reached old age: I will be 80 in 8 months time. I have a chronic, disabling condition (Myalgic Encephalitus). I have had it for at least the last 15 years. I also have Type 2 diabetes, which I have had for at least the last 45 years. I worked from the age of 15 to the age of 74.

I am from a middle class background. My father died when I was ten years old. My mother reverted to her old career as an accountant, which kept us going, but without any luxuries.
I was fortunate enough to have an excellent education (private primary school, free grammar school, a bursary to an excellent university and a hefty grant for a professional career.
I last saw my GP in 2012 when I moved to this area, and registered with them.
I manage my disabilities and my income sufficiently well enough by eating enough to keep the diabetes at bay, and rest up enough to make sure that when I have to do something, I will have enough energy to be able to undertake it.
As noted by previous posters, I think that education is the gateway to the chance of a satisfying and productive life.

It’s interesting you see it from the point of view of why bother going into care if you’re not going to get paid the same as a Dr, rather than why bother being a Dr if you get paid the same as a carer.

If she has a personal issue she should stay at home and not start bubbling on worldwide tv.

I’m not saying they should be paid the same for fucks sake!! I’m saying carers shouldn’t be paid the pittance they are right now and then being told they shouldn’t expect any help and should change careers if they’re not happy!! If everyone changed careers then there would be NO CARERS which is the point - we can’t pay people such low wages they need benefit top ups but then tell them if they’re not happy they should change careers then turn around and complain there’s a lack of carers.

You clearly did write that and I can’t see anyone in the thread complaining about lack of carers. Can you explain your thought process a bit?

She probably hadn't slept for three days! And the Labour Government are doing exactly what the country elected them to do, that is rebuild the country after fourteen years of Conservative destruction. NHS waiting lists are the longest in history, half the children in the UK don't have access to an NHS Dentist, schools are falling down because they should have been rebuilt a decade ago, etc, etc. Scandalous neglect by the CONSERVATIVES. THOSE are the issues MUMSNET should be getting angry about.

If that’s what the country elected them to do, they’ve done exactly the opposite on every single metric.

I voted to smash the gangs.

Ha ha, I voted for Labour not to raise taxes for working people.

The Labour govt are very much not doing what they were elected to do.

aw babes can you not apply a bit of critical thinking and not see that the lack of carers would be a long term consequence, one which I felt applied to my argument. Just because no one has mentioned it on the thread doesn’t mean I can’t say it, does it? And again, I never said carers should be paid the same as a doctor. I think you need to work on your comprehension skills.

Yes I’m clearly lacking critical thinking and comprehension skills in understanding the difference between what you actually post and what you are ‘saying’ in your head. Jesus wept,

Typical Kemi Badenoch. She is just a nasty, horrible woman. Would not vote for her is she was the only person standing.

Labour are disgusting. They have been attacking the very people they are supposed to protect, the working poor, the elderly and the disabled. Easy targets.
Reeves is supposed to be running our country and shouldn't be doing this if she cant manage her emotions. She should have stayed away from the cameras until she got herself together.

She thought she could hide it I guess. She's human. I'd cut a bit of slack. Not voting for Kemi after that, although removing from the human rights law is tempting.

How the fuck is care low skilled? We have to give meds, move people around via an array of different aids from sara stedy's to hoists with slings and constantly assess the people we support for their mental and physical wellbeing. Across a range of conditions, ages and housing. That is without the report writing, note taking, assessing if someone needs referring to OT services (through talking to them and the office who will contact their social worker).
I am constantly amazed how clueless people are when it comes to the lies people repeat about it being low skilled.
I don't want a qualification in it to make stupid people think it is a skilled profession. I have all mandatory training kept updated Also happy with my zero hour contract that still gives me a pension, holiday pay, etc. Just doesn't force me to work hours I don't want.