Kemi Badenoch knows what a woman is.

[SeaweedPop]

Adult human female.

In the next general election Kemi would get my vote for prime minister. Never before have I voted Tory, but I do believe that I am ready and willing to die on this hill.

Degree apprenticeships are available in nursing. I wouldnt want to see the degree requirement removed as that will lead to pay reductions as pp stated.

@Rummikub

Understandable that you feel that way, but that’s probably her point: the state is spending more than it reasonably needs to spend by attaching the requirement to have a degree to a job that doesn’t need one; people are getting into debt in order to get a degree to be a nurse; they then require higher pay to pay the debt.

I support public spending where we need to spend the money, but this is a perfect example of where we are choosing to spend money we don’t have on something we don’t need.

And remember the State also subsidises the cost of the degree, when it could be paying people to train on the job.

I'm not yet at the point where I am so pathetically grateful to a politician acknowledging material reality that I am unwilling to overlook all their other policies. 'Anyone who isn't a mindless, sexist gender-woo nutjob' is an incredibly low bar to setand it's terrible that so many politicians have sunk below it.

I'm glad that Badenoch can recognise reality but, otherwise, I am not a fan.

Nursing needs to be an attractive career prospect. It being available as a degree route makes it so and gives parity with other health professions such as radiography, dietitian, physiotherapy, OT, ODP etc.
There is an apprenticeship route available.

‘'Anyone who isn't a mindless, sexist gender-woo nutjob' is an incredibly low bar to setand it's terrible that so many politicians have sunk below it.’

I agree. Still not voting for the mindless, sexist gender-woo nutjob, and I am voting for people who will listen when I convey my concerns.

@Rummikub

Is there evidence we would recruit fewer nurses if we didn’t restrict the recruitment pool in this way?

There are hefty placements on a nursing degree too. Students are expected to work shifts, work Christmas. Most also work as HCA whilst training. A nursing degree isn’t the same as other degrees.

Don’t know about that. But it does need parity with other health professions. And pay would be reduced too.

Tbh I think there’s room for both as there used to be.

@Rummikub

I’m not sure there’s a case for saying all health professions need pay parity. Pay should be dependent on the challenge inherent in the job, and whether or not a degree is required should be judged on the same basis. We need more nurses. We should pay them decently. That doesn’t mean we need to artificially inflate the job requirements.

I guess it’s POV on the challenge of the role. I wouldn’t see nursing as less challenging or a lower skill set than eg a radiographer.

isnt she a right wing Christian fundamentalist ? What’s her stance on abortion rights?

she may know what a woman is but will she respect their rights?

@Rummikub

I don’t know, to be honest. And maybe KB doesn’t either, but no-one knows everything. Someone has to be PM.

Yes and a black woman as PM would be incredible but not at risk of a smaller state and people pushed further into poverty.
i was so disappointed when I read about her stance on the state.

As a retired nurse i found that HCA s did everything that nurses did except administer medication and write the main patient notes. Many of them were more experienced than the newer nurses.

@Rummikub

I believe in sensible state spending. There will be areas where the state is overspending (Stonewall?) and areas where it’s underspending. There can’t be sacred cows.

@BotCrossHuns thanks

This is so ignorant I don't even know where to start.

You think degree-qualified nurses and doctors (and other professionals too?) stop bothering to learn once they graduate? You think they don't have CPD requirements to maintain their accreditation? A doctor, in particular, will do years of obligatory post-graduation learning.

I don't know who told you that a degree = nothing more to learn, but that isn't the case for any of the professionals that I'm aware of. Your friend is very, very mistaken if she thinks that nurses without degrees are the only ones required to stay up to date.

I was talking to my husband yesterday about who she is and how great she is on trans issues. Having looked into it further I'm not sure I agree with her on anything else, so I have to reconsider. Fortunately I probably won't need to make that decision because I don't think she will reach the shortlist of 2.

Jim Gamble, (Who used to run CEOP) back in the day has said she would be his choice.
I have a fair amount of time of Jim having worked with him in the past on child protection issues.

Back to Kemi....
I'm not a tory voter but it's chilling to realise that she would not be allowed to share these views in the labour party. She would have been bullied, relentlessly harassed and likely deselected by Starmer and his co misogynists for transphobia and wrong think.
However this leadership contest pans out I'm pleased that women's rights and the safety of children are being acknowledged and spoken about.

Well I wish we could have everything but we can’t. Women being treated as full humans with the same free speech rights as everyone else, and children being adequately safeguarded is worth quite a bit.

Except Kemi Badenoch's notions on "free speech" don't extend to other women (journalists) who dare to ask her questions (Nadine White)
Consistently voted against measures to prevent climate change
Voted against financial incentives for low carbon emission electricity generation methods
Consistently voted against higher taxes on banks
Voted against laws to promote equality and human rights

, and children being adequately safeguarded is worth quite a bit.

Sadly with Kemi's views on education children will NOT be adequately safeguarded in education terms.

My children, under Tory proposals will be unsafe. The proposed Schools Bill seeks to criminalise parents of children with SEN who are unwilling to send their children to schools which cannot keep them safe.

It is mothers, mothers of children with disabilities who are disproportionately impacted by such ableist policies.

www.coventry.ac.uk/news/parents-most-at-need-are-being-penalised-over-childrens-school-attendance-report-finds/

I am glad that Kemi knows what a woman is but a claim that she will keep children safe is simply untrue.

@whoopsnomore

Who is Nadine White?