"When you look at the facts in the cold light of day; Labour's plan will raise much needed money at a time when state schools are quite literally crumbling. It will not lead to a mass exodus or overwhelm the state sector, and when even Michael Gove thought taxing private schools was a good idea, it's hard to argue against it." Emma Monk backs moves to curb the tax breaks received by private schools. Alistair Carmichael talks to Holyrood Magazine about, among other things, Dolly Parton and the Dalai Lama. Angelina Osborne on why Black British history matters. "In just ...
Last week at Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth, I attended the Association of Lib Dem Councillors and the Local Government Association joint reception. Ed Davey was the guest speaker and he spoke about the importance of local councillors to the party and the electoral successes of the past year. The video above covers the whole of his speech.
So Rishi Sunak wants to replace A and T levels with a new qualification at 18. My first reaction was one of cautious approval – I have long argued that the post 16 curriculum needs to be broadened for all students. I also welcome any move to integrate so-called "academic" and "vocational" studies. Having taught, and written text books for, a subject that crosses those boundaries (Computing) I know how artificial that binary approach is. There has been some opposition – allegedly – to broader studies from the Universities, who, it is claimed, expect students to have already reached a ...
Two rare Wednesday by-elections this week, both in the London Borough of Haringey. (South Tottenham ward has a large Jewish population, and Hoshana Rabbah starts on Thursday.) South Tottenham (Haringey) Council By-Election Result: [IMG: 🌹] LAB: 68.2% (+4.6) [IMG: 🌳] CON: 15.4% (+0.4) [IMG: 🌍] GRN: 12.6% (-3.3) [IMG: 🔶] LDM: 11.7% (-1.7) Labour HOLD. Changes w/ 2022. — Election Maps UK (@ElectionMapsUK) October 5, 2023
There has been a lot of publicity this week about Tory factionalising and Home Secretary Suella Braverman's apparent positioning for the party leadership, after the Tories' expected 2024 GE loss of power. However, there has been a lot of muddle in the media about which faction proposes what and why. What is really going on ? Clearly if Braverman's far right platform is to be opposed, what exactly are we opposing ? The start point is to remember that the jostling of Tory MPs is missing the point. The competition is between different sets of interests, which MPs attach themselves ...
Fiona was busy, so the New Statesman sent Freddie to see the Liberal Democrats meet in Bournemouth. This is what he found. It's not deep analysis, but the participants in this podcast do say some nice things about us.
This made me feel at home at Bournemouth conference last week! Goats are kept on the cliff in front of the Highcliff Hotel. I assume they are there to keep the vegetation under control. I counted 6 in total, all Boer billies. It looks as though they are doing a good job!
The announcement that some of the money to be saved by not finishing HS2 will be spent on doubling the tracks at Haughley Junction, just north of Stowmarket, where the line to Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge and Ely parts company with the East Anglian Main Line, is a welcome one, even if one has serious reservations about the axing of HS2, as I do. It's been a much-needed upgrade for a long time, as it acts as a limitation to freight and passenger traffic using this key route from the container port at Felixstowe to the distribution warehouses of the ...
It's the final day of Lib Dem conference at Bournemouth. I attend the debate on biodiversity and was in the main hall for Ed Davey's speech. Once Ed had finished speaking, it was a rush to the train station to catch my train for the start of the journey home. I go there with a minute to spare!
The Independent reports that more than 50,000 refugees in the UK could become homeless by the end of the year, new analysis suggests, with many already living on the streets in tents because of shrinking government support. The paper says that refugees who are granted asylum were previously given 28 days by the Home Office to find somewhere new to live, set up a bank account, and find a job or apply for universal credit before they are kicked out of their government-funded hotel. However, some now have as little as seven days because the government is delaying giving asylum ...
IFS Report: Schools are paying for "Government's economic incompetence" Commenting on the IFS report being published tomorrow showing that schools costs are growing faster than economy-wide inflation, particularly support staff pay, energy and food costs, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP said: Today's IFS report mirrors what I am being told by head teachers day-in and day-out. Schools are struggling to make ends meet. School trips are being axed, teaching assistants are being laid off and urgent classroom repairs are being ignored as buildings crumble. The lack of proper funding means pupils with additional needs won't get the support ...
I watched Rishi Sunak's conference speech form beginning to end yesterday. It was a masterpiece of presentation which glided effortlessly over the contradictions. What effrontery to claim to be the candidate for change when you've been in power for 13 years and connived at if not created the messes that need clearing up. Chutzpah to the power of three. The speech was billed to start of 11h15 put that became 11h40 and then "soon." It did not actually begin until after 12. Can't we get a simple thing like that right? How would we react if theatres, concerts, other TV ...
Michael's surgeries take place today and every Thursday during school term time. They are as follows : Thursdays at 5.45pm prompt - West End Campus (come to reception area of St Joseph's RC and Victoria Park Primary Schools) Thursdays at 6.30pm prompt - Harris Academy reception area All welcome - no appointment necessary!
