Sunak will realise he's embarrassed himself, put all the blame on Braverman and sack her ... ... then she'll get a peerage when Sunak's kicked out
I was relieved to see Starmer finally change his commitment on tuition fees. Any thought of scrapping them is lacking in my opinion. Lets see what his policy thinkers come up with as a so called fairer system, I wait with real interest. I have a feeling whatever it may be will be less than sensible because in reality we need less universities and more technical colleges and apprenticeships, not easier access to degrees where the outcome for too many is not what they hoped for.
I have a different view. I think let’s not turn young people into graft machines too soon, let them understand the world, be idealistic, have different experiences then focus down. I think there should also be ‘technical’ kids good with their hands also going for the uni type experience, living in a different place, meeting people not like them. I think it benefits the world. The issues is the snobbery of academia. ‘The Russell Group’ and all that bollocks is just elitism for the posh aspirational but uni is a good experience for a young adult . I wasn’t sure about going cos it didn’t feel like I was posh enough but it did me the world of good to see the world. Older people with money should pay for young people to have a good life. I’m up for that (but don’t have much money !!)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66547116 Not quite a U-TURN, but it looks like the indicator might be blinking. This is exactly what I keep talking about. Consult now, not when you're elected. Labour have a luxury no incoming government has ever had before - they know they're going to win, but they're determined not to use it. How are you going to consult properly and then implement within 100 days? Have it ready to introduce on day one, fully thought through.
That is all fair enough. There needs to be a review of the sort of courses offered, and to be honest a review of whether some going to uni are cut out for it, in my opinion though. We do know favours to youngsters in accepting them into universities if they are not cut out for it, or they study a course where career prospects are poor. We have gone too far with the ambition of Blair and his targets on numbers going. Things like degree apprenticeships are a real opportunity to get young people a worthwhile degree while they get excellent work experience at the same time. There are some uni courses which are simply not worth much, either because the curriculum is out of touch, or job prospects are low. These need overhaul. Then there are some universities which appear to struggle to provide the sort of degree that justifies the fee. Around 7% of students who start at uni dont finish. That is a high number and has real consequences for them and the university they leave. A recent sector study suggested up to 7 in 10 students actively think abou quit. The stresses they are under to work and study at the same time are a problem for some. There is also a race to the bottom I think in terms of universities needing to get so many students in to be financially viable, which sees students with poorer academic grades getting in and the watering down effect is evident. If we revisit the secondary school curriculum to rebalance technical and academic we may crack some problems, but nobody seems to want to even think about that. I would like to see the abolishment of a flat rate tuition fee and stagger it based on the actual cost. For example, studying a course where you spend a lot of time in a lab is much more expensive to deliver than a classroom / library one. Those same courses often have much stronger employment outcomes. Complex area for sure, but loads of suggestiona out there from within the sector for politicians to pick from. Hope they get it right.
Aye I’m not necessarily arguing for it in its current format. It seems an educational. business, sadly like schools- literally making profit from kids heads, that said not sure universities don’t have a positive knock on benefit for cities - influx of people spending (parents) money, building regeneration projects. It’s be interesting to see. I’m more in favour of us not going too ‘industrial’ (maybe there’s a better word) with kids too soon as I think it probably costs us in the health system and pins then down to a career they don’t want and I think we should celebrate them having new mind opening joyful experiences not think they’re stealing our taxes.
Not saying I agree with what she says, I don’t really pay attention which maybe says it all, but I do have a soft spot for her ‘journey’ and wish there were more people with her history in politics. I know where she’s from in Oldham and it’s not the usual route to potentially be deputy prime minister.
Angela Rayners ‘journey’ Left school pregnant and with no qualifications. Started working in care services until she started shagging somebody out of the Union who then promoted her from within. She married him and then she was made head of the area and entered politics on the back of that. She’s split up from him now that’s she has got what she wants and has moved on to shagging another MP as she plots her next move.
Eh? What does that even mean? Apart from being a lazy clichè. I don't know how much the deputy Leader of the Opposition earns (I don't even know if such a position officially exists), but yeah, i suspect it's more than most of us on the forum are on. So you're saying that no-one left-wing should ever be Leader or Deputy Leader of the Opposition? Is that right?
No-one devoid of any actual talent other than shouting, maybe. She's exactly the kind of Labour person that puts people off. A gob on a stick. It doesn't help when the two choices are between that and petrified cat lady like all the others seem to be. Never mind, I'm sure she'll be the boss soon. Sorry, as soon as she identifies as a middle aged white man.
I've never understood that tbh. Does every Labour MP have to live in a house at Beamish Museum and race whippets
