On the other hand, while my first instinct was ‘there must be more to this’ my partner’s (who works on the transport sector) response was that she is a brilliant, progressive female Transport Secretary with loads of brilliant policies, and the right wing press has been determined to kill her since day one.
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What does it say about Starmer’s government if they don’t stand up to the press?
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Nothing good.
That said, I have little doubt they’d have done a risk analysis and perhaps have selected this as another battle not worth fighting at this stage.
I’m sorry to hear of what you and @Mascot have experienced. Sadly it’s all too common. The SEND system is completely broken in England, and even worse here in NI. There has been an exponential rise in EHCPs (for autism in particular) combined with cuts in services. Education authorities are unable to recruit enough educational psychologists to provide assessments.
Obviously I don’t know the schools you’re referring to, and certainly there are many that could do better to support SEN, but most schools are trying their best. All the ills of society (and government failure) are laid at the door of schools to fix, with very little support/resource to help them.
A huge number of school leaders and staff are burnt out which results in ‘blocked care’ and/or attrition
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Thanks and completely agree. My son’s school has lost its headteacher through a mental breakdown, another teacher is battling cancer, is under special measures and going through a merger with 2 other schools.
The system is broken.
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Does sound like it…can’t believe she would have been prosecuted if it was a genuine mistake and she said oops I have found it. Why on earth would she be advised to say “No comment” when questioned. Makes no sense at all.
Three separate sources claimed to Sky News that she made the false report to benefit personally, with two of the sources alleging she wanted a more modern work handset that was being rolled out to her colleagues at the time.
The outgoing cabinet minister had been working as a public policy manager at Aviva, but two sources said she lost her job at the insurance firm because of the incident.
That is shit. But I still can’t help but think that it wouldn’t have even made the papers if she was a Tory.
On the no comment thing, this is a very common thing with being interviewed under caution. You make a statement responding to the allegations, and then you no comment every question the police ask. It is far better than tripping over an answer and accidentally incriminating yourself.
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Great debate, radio on all day.
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If it did, it they would have brushed it under the carpet and pretended that everyone does that, nothing to see, whining lefties, etc.
I remember hearing Alistair Campbell (Tony Blair’s Press Secretary) say that the best way to deal with a scandal is to work out where it is going and to get there as fast as possible.
I’ve noticed that the Tories are now claiming that Starmer knew about it for months and didn’t act soon enough, yada, yada, yada… I think they are butt-hurt now, because they will have planned to run a smear campaign all over the weekend media circus.
Presumably they will have been collecting dirt on every minor indiscretion that every Labour politician has ever had. I doubt that this is the last one we will hear about.
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I have no problem with wanting such standards in public life, the only problem I have is with the double-standards over this.
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Anyone else watching the vote?
No idea which way this will go, hope it gets up and the conversation continues.
Majority of 55 in favour.
The right result, in my opinion.
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Agreed.
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Out of interest, was it a free vote or were party lines drawn?
I’m pretty sure it was a free vote as it was a backbench bill. I was surprised that so many Tories voted against.
I checked my MP, who is Labour, and he voted against. I’m not sure of his logic on that. My previous SNP MP would have abstained as it was England and Wales only legislation.
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Genuinely curious, not trying to catch you out here.
Why would the right wing press be determined to kill her? (figuratively speaking of course).
It just seems such a “go to” for so many things by so many people these days, “oh those right wingers”, similar to blanket right wing accusations towards so many people who are probably nothing of the sort
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Well done Westminster, the bill now moves on to scrutiny, Ficking brilliant.
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Mate, if that’s your only response/defence to my post then you really do just back up my ‘play ground theory’, what’s next? Are you going to tell me your Dad is harder than my Dad? Or I know you are but what am I?
Your whole statement just smacks on denial.
Do you know the sad thing about your response, is that you have once again turned it around onto me being the one to reflect, why is that because you can’t accept that you maybe wrong.
Maybe, if your response was along of the lines of….
‘I disagree with your views, however, I will take them on board and consider my tone going forward’ I may show some respect, but what was your response……a statement without any evidential facts, trying to put me on the defensive, rather than you explain yourself.
I am going to make a statement, I am not the only person on this forum who has expressed frustration at you taking the morale high ground, not answering directly to counter debates, administering a mocking tone to other posters who’s views you don’t agree with and furthermore having the cheek to believe your views should be uncontested because you read a couple of books over the years.
I suppose this is a classic example of me, misrepresenting your point of view……
Good point.
@RedWhippet this is a tactic all parties adopt, jumping on any bit of dirt that comes to light.
I am only going off memory but I am pretty sure there was a Tory MP or candidate, who lost out because they had a driving offence they hadn’t declared.
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