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Original poster

UsForThem - “opaque lobbyists” with links to the far right?

494 replies

LacyEdge · 25/01/2021 18:42

Prof Alice Roberts started an interesting Twitter thread discussing this, linking to Nafeez Ahmed’s article about U4T in Byline Times. Replies suggest UsForThem aren’t a concerned parents’ group at all and are linked with a far right funded group.

Well I never.

twitter.com/theAliceRoberts/status/1352993581414424576

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
Justanotherlurker · 25/01/2021 21:34

I’m not getting Far Right vibes from this list?

Online activist is obvious (this is a talking point routed through whatsapp)

It is people trying to weaponise and politise a movement into being right/left and then naively wonder why there is so much division is lost on the likes of OP.

It would help if the OP linked to many of the activists groups that are funded by the far left that have appeared on major news channels or news papers without having their credientials being open and honest to highlight how what is happening behind the scense, but this is just a hot twitter take as x opinion is bad because x might vote tory.

The level of critical thinking from the OP is astounding and I bow down to her multiple degrees

RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 25/01/2021 21:35

It's weird and cynical. Basically the government is lobbying themselves. Ha.

FrippEnos · 25/01/2021 21:38

HalfPastThree

So do you want to talk about the mental health of children?
We could link that to the reduction in the funding of CAMHS,
or the redefining of SEND so that the government could further reduce funding?
The dismantling of support units in schools?
The reduction of TAs and support staff?
The overworked, underpaid and under funded social workers?

Or we could talk about the digital divide?
Poverty and how it affects young children?
Young carers?
Support for the vulnerable, both entire families and children?

Or we could talk about how schools should go back with no preventative measures because a shady organisation wants it to happen?

noblegiraffe · 25/01/2021 21:44

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

It's weird and cynical. Basically the government is lobbying themselves. Ha.
Yeah, Sir Graham Brady, Tory member of the lockdown sceptics Covid Recovery Group coming out in support of a Tory supporting lockdown sceptics parenting group is basically mutual masturbation.
MrsHerculePoirot · 25/01/2021 21:46

@FrippEnos

HalfPastThree

So do you want to talk about the mental health of children?
We could link that to the reduction in the funding of CAMHS,
or the redefining of SEND so that the government could further reduce funding?
The dismantling of support units in schools?
The reduction of TAs and support staff?
The overworked, underpaid and under funded social workers?

Or we could talk about the digital divide?
Poverty and how it affects young children?
Young carers?
Support for the vulnerable, both entire families and children?

Or we could talk about how schools should go back with no preventative measures because a shady organisation wants it to happen?

This. Absolutely this.

Where the fuck has everyone bleating about mental health of children been as essential MH devices have been cut and cut and cut?

HalfPastThree · 25/01/2021 21:47

So do you want to talk about the mental health of children?

While I agree with everything on your list, I think banning children from going to school at short notice, banning all their activities, and making it against the law to play with their friends, with no end date, might be a biggie

FrippEnos · 25/01/2021 21:52

@HalfPastThree

So do you want to talk about the mental health of children?

While I agree with everything on your list, I think banning children from going to school at short notice, banning all their activities, and making it against the law to play with their friends, with no end date, might be a biggie

But all of this is a government issue, not a school one.

Teachers, unions and the vast majority of parents have been trying to get or wanting the government to do something about this.

It is only dopey pressure groups that have repeatedly said that they want everything back to normal because its the only way to sort out the mental health of children. (ignoring all the above in my last post and that all of them have been an issue for years)

Nellodee · 25/01/2021 21:55

Is the aim to provoke a battle with the unions? Or at least, to characterise the unions as the enemies of child welfare? Pitting parents against one of the strongest remaining unions weakens that union. The erosion of workers' rights would definitely be a win for a far right group. I can't think of many other benefits to their cause, other than as previous posters have said, sheer chaos and disaster capitalism.

Justthebeerlighttoguide · 25/01/2021 21:55

I think being in the midst of a global pandemic is even bigglier.

noblegiraffe · 25/01/2021 21:57

Is the aim to provoke a battle with the unions?

They certainly pitch their stall as being against the teaching unions. When actually they’re against parents, scientists, common sense...but especially against covid restrictions.

HalfPastThree · 25/01/2021 22:02

Is the aim to provoke a battle with the unions? Or at least, to characterise the unions as the enemies of child welfare?

If it is, the NEU has been making (from where I'm standing) extraordinary efforts to close schools, or keep schools closed, since the pandemic started. Check out their archive of press releases. If they were in charge children wouldn't have spent a normal day in school since March.

It annoys me, as I'm very pro-union, but the leadership of the NEU has been massively exaggerating the risks, doing a huge amount of damage to children, and as a parent I hate them deeply.

Downriver · 25/01/2021 22:04

I reckon this place is riddled with them because every covid thread turns really vicious and lunatic. I hadn't heard of them before now. I used to think MN was a place for good measured debate, amidst the marks, but it feels like somewhere seeded with la la rightist bots now

Downriver · 25/01/2021 22:04

*larks

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 25/01/2021 22:07

@megletthesecond

I can't take anyone seriously who writes for conservative woman and then claims to care about children. I wonder if they've been campaigning against austerity for the last decade?

They could learn some patience tbh. We'll be onto lockdown 4 if schools open too soon before teachers are vaccinated.

You'd have thought they'd at least let us get through lockdown 3 before they started creating the conditions for lockdown 4. Especially since they claim to be concerned about children's education.
TheGreatWave · 25/01/2021 22:11

There may well be some shady goings on behind the scenes, but from what I can see it is the "my child can do no wrong" / "the school hates my child" parents who are the most vocal. Some of the fuss around masks was ridiculous - my dealing with the school - Email sent regarding masks, we replied as requested to say ds wouldn't be wearing one, in the meantime a teacher also rang to check on us, and that was that. He wears a sticker on his id badge and all is good. Some of them seemed to just be wanting a fight about it.

Do I think children need to be back in school? - Absolutely. This however is not achieved by bombarding MP's with emails and storming school facebook pages when it is something that they don't agree with. Most people there are probably either completely dormant or just there to see what is going on.

It's a shame - a parent group, unions and government working together could have meant things being very different, but each are so entrenched in their stances that it would never go anywhere.

mrshoho · 25/01/2021 22:12

@HalfPastThree

Is the aim to provoke a battle with the unions? Or at least, to characterise the unions as the enemies of child welfare?

If it is, the NEU has been making (from where I'm standing) extraordinary efforts to close schools, or keep schools closed, since the pandemic started. Check out their archive of press releases. If they were in charge children wouldn't have spent a normal day in school since March.

It annoys me, as I'm very pro-union, but the leadership of the NEU has been massively exaggerating the risks, doing a huge amount of damage to children, and as a parent I hate them deeply.

So you're very pro union except when you disagree with an important issue they campaign on. If this is pro union then I'm confused.
HarveySchlumpfenburger · 25/01/2021 22:14

@noblegiraffe

Is the aim to provoke a battle with the unions?

They certainly pitch their stall as being against the teaching unions. When actually they’re against parents, scientists, common sense...but especially against covid restrictions.

They do seem to be quite pro-covid though.

U4T are a large part of the reason children aren't now in school. If they'd been willing to have a more reasonable discussion back in June/July when they were told what the consequences of their plans were we likely wouldn't be in this mess. But I'm guessing that wasn't the reason it was set up. Be interesting of someone could trace exactly where their money is coming from and where it is going. Grassroots parent campaign my arse.

meditrina · 25/01/2021 22:21

I would have hoped we could have a debate about the costs and benefits of school closure without mischaracterising concerned parents as far-right loons

Not clear ncerned parents.

The specific pressure group, which has consistently championed unsafe opening of schools.

The same voices are those who accept closures when necessary, and who advocate for safer schools.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 25/01/2021 22:22

If it is, the NEU has been making (from where I'm standing) extraordinary efforts to close schools, or keep schools closed, since the pandemic started. Check out their archive of press releases. If they were in charge children wouldn't have spent a normal day in school since March.

Lies.

neu.org.uk/press-releases/coronavirus-national-education-recovery-plan

Here's the NEU proposal about a recovery plan from last June/July. Some of it is workable and some of it isn't and there are probably some things they should add. But they haven't been aiming to keep schools closed throughout the pandemic. They want them open in a way that will be safer and will hopefully prevent further closures.

Babe3 · 25/01/2021 22:28

Yes, who would want children to get an education? Far right and murderers, that's who!

PrincessNutNuts · 25/01/2021 22:31

There's nothing "grassroots" about that group. Their aim is to manipulate parents and our government. And so far they're succeeding.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 25/01/2021 22:31

Do we need to debate the costs and benefits of school closures? I don't think anybody is unaware that there are costs to school closures. I don't think anybody is unaware of what those costs are.

But we have got ourselves into a situation where crowded schools are driving infection rates, ICUs are full and in areas where the new variant is prevalent infections were rising in the November lockdown with schools opening. There may be a way to deal with that with schools open, but it's going to involve a much tougher lockdown than the one we currently have and I suspect the people that want schools fully open don't want that either.

Downriver · 25/01/2021 22:34

What is the point of opening schools only for loads of people to get I'll, as happened to loads of people I know, including my family, last December. I just don't get it.

noblegiraffe · 25/01/2021 22:34

Everyone wants children to get an education.

Only one group suggests that people who want schools open in a safe manner when it is sensible to do so are against kids getting an education.

Schools opening with no mitigation measures as that group lobbied for was a disaster for education. Millions of kids having to isolate at home because of rampant covid and now schools having to close because they were big vectors of transmission.

Fuckwits.

PrincessNutNuts · 25/01/2021 22:39

We've tried the Us4Them way of doing things.

We've pretended for a year that there are no other options and it's a choice between schools open/schools closed.

Can we be rational adults and make schools safer for everyone now please?

If our children's education is a priority to us we should act like it.