To think Andy Burnham is smug?

[Lyra25]

To think Andy Burnham is smug and presumptuous. Just that really and I have no particular political preference, disillusioned with the lot!

And then the knives comment, she got called out on that by the Speaker.

She has refused to apologise.

What an example she is setting

Last week she compared her to a Gestapo officer

I've seen similar remarks referring to Michael Gove as Education Secretary - from teachers on Mumsnet.

Always with the whataboutery.

Do you really think a comparisson like that is acceptable? Especially made by the LOTO?

The NEU has not said BP should go due to the removal of the tax exemption for private schools. They are supportive of that. The NEU are critical of BP for the failure to increase teachers numbers, and make improvements to pay and working conditions for teachers.

The VAT policy was to pay for those 6,500 teachers. She’s failed to do the good part of the policy.

The reason she can’t do it was the policy was a load of old shite.

And they’d like her to go, great.

Let's hope Angela Rayner and her 'scum' comments don't get a senior position in Andy Burnham's cabinet then. And Louise Haigh - the MP convicted of fraud. Perhaps the Speaker should hide the stationery in case she nicks it.

It sounds like you are ok wirh the Gestapo comment then.

I am not a bit surprised.

He went to Cambridge 🙄

Liz Truss served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury - Oxbridge from a Leeds comprehensive school. So many similarities with Andy Burnham.

It was a policy to raise money. Money has to come from somewhere. Its only a load of old shite if you disagree with these particular businesses having to pay VAT. I don't, you do.
The arguments have been made on both sides many many times on here, with no side able to convince the other, so there's no point revisiting old ground.
The point was about KB calling BP a spiteful class warrior for removing the exemption. The policy had a lot of support (55% of the electorate actively supported it) so to describe it as a working class woman's spite is out of order.

Bullshit. Pre election the money on VAT from private schools was to fund 6,500 new teachers. There was a direct spending plan that hasn't happened.

The money has actually gone onto the increased bloat of welfare. As that labour minister said it was all about finding people to tax so that they could spaff it on welfare.

I'm really glad Burnham has said he will tackle welfare. I just hope the back benchers don't crash it again.

Burham's going to have to make some announcements soon you can't stage a coup based on solely being a great communicator and then say nothing. The country doesn't need to give him a chance - he is claiming to be the king he needs to demonstrate what his plan is!

You'd think he would at least have some idea who is cabinet would be.

The big exodus has not happened either

Badenoch's insults directed at Phillipson were a disgrace.

I thought the Badenoch knives and bayonet references were very ill-judged. The Tory benches didn't look comfortable themselves.

Your opinion on welfare spending is irrelevant to the point of discussion. Which was KB stating that VAT on private schools was a working class woman's spite.

The policy had a lot of support (55% of the electorate actively supported it)

The Ipsos survey question was misleading though because it implied that all of the money raised would be spent improving state schools.

Keir Starmer tweeted last year that the revenue was being spent on house building targets. In fact, I remember pointing out before the 2024 election that the policy booklet did indeed state that a big chunk of revenue raised would be spent on housing and other projects. Respondents to the survey were misled.

She lost the run of herself playing to the gallery today. I disagree with her politically but had some respect for her communication and debating skills. Today it was just cheap offensive rhetoric, and yes, poorly judged.

The VAT waa in Labour’s manifesto.

Attack the policy if you must, not the person.

I'm not sure it would have made much difference tbh. The number of people impacted by these businesses having to pay VAT isn't significant enough to garner widespread public opposition. I think the majority of people either thought they should pay VAT, or didn't care either way, but liked the idea of tax being raised from this sector rather than alternatives.

To add, after reading Lemnsqueezer12's post, at least a third of the revenue could well have gone into the welfare pot. I remember now, hidden away in the annex to the policy booklet, it stated that only around two-thirds of the revenue raised was to be spent on 'the package of policies' in the booklet (which included education and housing) - where the rest of the revenue was going wasn't specified. So, yes, probably the welfare pot.

I'm not sure it would have made much difference tbh

A bit like £350 million a week going to the NHS?

No, nothing like that. I think the NHS lie actually persuaded people to vote leave under false pretences, making a huge difference.
I don't think whether VAT on private schools goes towards housing or education would make the difference between whether people think they should pay VAT or not.
Where people stand on that is typically a matter of values and self interest.

I think the VAT was like seeing off the rest of the hereditary peers - seen as about time too.

I think the full information could well have altered the headline result for that survey by 5% or 6%. You can't run a headline claiming over half of Briton's (55%) support Labour's plans to end VAT exemptions for private schools if it's just under half.

There are around 43,000 less pupils in mainstream independent schools now than before the VAT policy was introduced. At the rate that pupils are leaving, the policy will soon be costing the taxpayer money.

BP has constantly made inflammatory remarks about private school pupils and their parents and she is obsessed with social class. She is the one that keeps stating that she is working class. She deserved everything she got from KB.