Tonight's TV debate Sunak v Starmer - any predictions?

[CallingOccupantsOfInterplanetaryCraft]

Anyone up for a watch thread? Maybe even debate bingo. I know I know, don't threaten me with a good time. (Bingo suggestions: natural party of business, Labour has no plan, end the chaos, Rayner will take over, assorted references to Starmer's time as DPP probably blaming for Jimmy Saville again, inflation is down etc etc.)

At this point I seriously doubt anything like this will remotely change the game Nick Clegg style. I read somewhere the only way Sunak could come out of this ahead in the polls is if Starmer pulled off a mask scooby-doo style to reveal he's Jeremy Corbyn, which admittedly would be great telly.

I'm so fed up with the endless rhetoric but will definitely watch later anyway.

my da goes to private school

there is always lots of moaning about how tight money is 🙄 but it seems most are managing to put aside the money needed

it’s a different world the to vast majority of the population and people just don’t care it’s only an issue for those who feel hard done by

I agree I think he said like it or don't like it but at least you know what I'm going to do...fair play

Winchester

Plenty of public breaking the rules too I know quite a few people on my street were and from friends and family they know plenty who did aswell

That is definitely not typical.

A lot of areas have no outstanding state schools which is how the private school’s demand has arisen. In those areas many parents do struggle to pay the fees because the alternative is a poor state school. I know many who will be priced out of VAT is introduced.

"Plenty of public breaking the rules too I know quite a few people on my street were and from friends and family they know plenty who did aswell"

Did they make the law?

@LumiB they were not in public office. To be in government is to be in public office. To serve the public. To hold yourself to certain standards. If we don't hold our government to those standards then frankly we have lowered our standards to such a level I worry for the future of this country entirely.

"Errr what, I mean other than remind people how they derided their position in public office to such a degree they ignored their own rules. The harshest intervention of government in people's everyday lives since ww2, and they were so arrogant, and believe themselves so above the rest of the British public, that they organised bring your own booze parties while people were dying in their thousands per day. No I suppose that has no bearing on the future and the ability of this party to govern whatsoever 🤦‍♀️"

I ask again, what does what happened then have to do with how they would govern in the future? How does that help people today, next year, in 10 years? How does what happened 4 years ago prove to me that bumbling Starmer will be an effective PM? I don't care what's gone before. I care about the future.

Yes they are liars. They have lied over, and over, and over again.

Laughing at the public.

Plain and simple

@sandorschicken because most of those who held us to those restrictions, and then broke them, would form your next conservative government. If they doesn't bother you I think it says more about you than them I'm afraid.

I do agree the level of hysteria on the removal of charity status for private schools is high on mumsnet. Most families don't have children in private education. Of those that do many will continue with their choice.

Many families struggle to afford food and energy etc but to a small number having private schools given charity status is more Important. It's embarrassing.

Tbh it doesn't bother me either. In fact if I was younger and worked in Downing St I would have gone to the party because why not when you've spent all day with the same people already.
Just for balance I don't care about Keirs curry thing either.

Sorry for the caps but THEY’RE NOT REMOVING CHARITABLE STATUS! They dropped that policy months ago. They are adding VAT to fees which has nothing to do with charitable status.

It's going to depend on the consequences. I think there is no net gain to the treasury if 25% of students migrate from private to state. And then costs the taxpayer more from that point onwards.

YouGov are saying that their poll shows that Sunak edged it, so I’m not sure what that suggests!

If they added 5k on to the annual council tax bill for each child in every household that has access to and uses an excellent state school do you think they’d also act in a similarly “embarrassing” manner or would you have a modicum of concern for them and their children?

Smae I just don't care after seeing plenty.of.puvlic break the rules and also you break them u do so knowing the risk and consequences

They’re not removing charitable status. They scrapped that idea months ago.

It felt like that.

No idea how Sunak can possibly only now come up with ideas to solve problems that His government created.

Suddenly he has ideas and chucking everything at it, if he remains in power it won't be carried out of course, its all lies. Otherwise why didn't they just get on and do it before.

He is panicking and desperate and it is showing in the shouting.

They mentioned charging VAT on school fees in the debate tonight, is that not the same then? Said it will happen.

I'm watching the other leaders being interviewed now. Tice is a boor and a bully.

Someone just pointed out on Sky News that neither party has released its manifesto yet, so it was actually too soon to have this debate. Previously manifestos were released right at the start of the election campaign so everyone knew who stood for what.

It definitely would've made for clearer answers had the manifestos been available.

No it’s not the same. Charitable status and VAT are entirely separate. Around half of private schools are not charities anyway.

Yeah…. I’m kind of resenting staying on this channel to watch him. He’s infuriating.

it’s all the fault of ‘the establishment’…. You are the bloody establishment dickhead

No they realised the charitable status was impossible and have opted to keep going with VAT.

Mark my words, the floodgates will be open and universities will be next. It is a very dangerous precedent which will affect more than so-called privileged kids.