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Made in je
Fresh-Faced New User





Jersey St Helier

What are your thoughts on the upcoming general election?

I'm from Britain, but one of those funny parts of Britain that isn't part of the UK, so I don't get to vote in general elections, but I'm directly effected by their outcome. By way of example, my country is going to be dragged out of the EU as our membership is essentially an addendum to that of the UK, however our polity had no vote in the referendum.

So, for what it's worth, I think I can claim the status of objective but interested observer when it comes to UK politics.

I'd be interested to hear how people are planning to vote. I've read that this election could be treated by voters as a referendum on anything from NHS funding to Brexit (Breversal?), how will you approach it?

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2018/08/05 14:36:40


 
   
Made in gb
Sadistic Inquisitorial Excruciator






I've never been so uncertain who to vote for before. One thing is clear to me though, we must get rid of this disastrous government. The Tories have caused utter chaos, made the country more divided than it's ever been and are wrecking public services.

I work in education. After 7 years of badly thought out changes and woeful underfunding, our education system is on its knees. I feel so sorry for all children of school age right now.

I can't decide whether to vote Labour or Libdem though.

I like Corbyn, but I don't know if I can support a party that can't support their own leader, even though he's been democratically election by their members ... twice!

I could support the Lib Dems, except I don't like Farron.

All of the opposition parties need to stop allowing May to make this election all about Brexit. It's going to happen, it's going to be awful. There are other issues now that the Tories need to be challenged on, while we still have public education and a health system left.
   
Made in us
Calculating Commissar




Frostgrave

I'm firmly SNP, they are the only real opposition party and provide the only possible route away from a Tory government.

I genuinely don't know what way I'd vote if i was in England, but it'd likely be tactical anti-tory rather than anything elsr.
   
Made in gb
Contagious Dreadnought of Nurgle





 MonkeyBallistic wrote:


I can't decide whether to vote Labour or Libdem though.

I like Corbyn, but I don't know if I can support a party that can't support their own leader, even though he's been democratically election by their members ... twice!

I could support the Lib Dems, except I don't like Farron.
.

I suggest voting on policy rather than the leader. Essential both of your worries come down to the leader in different ways, but this is not a presidential election. The leader of any party could change in 24 hours. Vote for the party, your local candidate and the parties manifesto, not for the personality at the top. If you want to vote for the leader join the party.

 insaniak wrote:
Sometimes, Exterminatus is the only option.
And sometimes, it's just a case of too much scotch combined with too many buttons...
 
   
Made in jp
[MOD]
Anti-piracy Officer






Somewhere in south-central England.

There is no way the Lib-Dems will win a complete majority and be able to form a government, so you are safe from the prospect of Farron as PM.

I think the Lib-Dems will improve their position a lot by picking up some marginal seats where there was a strong Remain vote -- Richmond-on-Thames, but they have already ruled out a formal coalition with anyone.

I'm writing a load of fiction. My latest story starts here... This is the index of all the stories...

We're not very big on official rules. Rules lead to people looking for loopholes. What's here is about it. 
   
Made in je
Fresh-Faced New User





Jersey St Helier

 MonkeyBallistic wrote:
I've never been so uncertain who to vote for before. One thing is clear to me though, we must get rid of this disastrous government. The Tories have caused utter chaos, made the country more divided than it's ever been and are wrecking public services.

I work in education. After 7 years of badly thought out changes and woeful underfunding, our education system is on its knees. I feel so sorry for all children of school age right now.


What are your thoughts on free schools?
   
Made in gb
Sadistic Inquisitorial Excruciator






 AlchemicalSolution wrote:
 MonkeyBallistic wrote:
I've never been so uncertain who to vote for before. One thing is clear to me though, we must get rid of this disastrous government. The Tories have caused utter chaos, made the country more divided than it's ever been and are wrecking public services.

I work in education. After 7 years of badly thought out changes and woeful underfunding, our education system is on its knees. I feel so sorry for all children of school age right now.


What are your thoughts on free schools?


You could regard Free Schools as a logical extension of the Academisation of our secondary schools. Essentially, privatisation of the education system by the back door. What started out under Labour as a way of trying to bring private sector investment into the worst schools, transformed under Gove to a way for a small number of people to make a huge amount of money by setting up multi-academy chains.

The biggest issue for the pupils is that nobody has oversight of education provision for an area anymore. Millions are being wasted on setting up free schools in areas where there are already plenty of school places.

From a personal point of view, free schools and academisation have also enabled the government to totally throw out all previous agreements on teachers pay and conditions. There is a real problem with recruitment and retention of teachers and everything the government is doing is making the situation worse. Successive governments have frozen our pay (My brother with a worse degree than me earns nearly 3 times what I do, working in the private sector). They constantly talk down the profession by concentrating on the tiny minority of failing schools and talking about how our education system isn't good enough, creating a climate of mistrust between teachers and parents.

Recently the government has said we should teach maths the way they do it in Shanghai. What they are reluctant to admit is that in Shanghai maths teachers are highly valued and very well paid. Shanghai maths teachers only teach two lessons per day and spend the rest of the time preparing materials and doing one to one tuition with underachieving pupils. Currently I usually teach 5 hours per day and regularly give up lunchtimes and time after schools to help pupils out. Next year I will be spending more hours per week teaching to larger classes due to the funding crisis.

So for the rant, but I'm generally despairing right now. I'm just glad that my school has managed to avoid redundancies so far.
   
Made in je
Fresh-Faced New User





Jersey St Helier

It sounds like you're going to be voting along traditional political economy lines, then, or correct me if I'm wrong?

Are you animated at all by the immigration/EU issues which seem to be dominating the press and the discourse generally at the moment? What do you think of Corbyn's socialist nationalism? May is being criticised from her right for looking too eager to get the government involved in failing industries, what's your take on that?
   
Made in gb
Ultramarine Librarian with Freaky Familiar





Would it be a criminal offence if I took a steaming big dump on my ballot paper? That's how I feel about this election...
   
Made in gb
Master Engineer with a Brace of Pistols






 Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:
Would it be a criminal offence if I took a steaming big dump on my ballot paper? That's how I feel about this election...


This is why 'none of the above' should be an option on the ballet paper. It portrays the same message without having to resort to faeces.
   
Made in je
Fresh-Faced New User





Jersey St Helier

 Future War Cultist wrote:
 Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:
Would it be a criminal offence if I took a steaming big dump on my ballot paper? That's how I feel about this election...


This is why 'none of the above' should be an option on the ballet paper. It portrays the same message without having to resort to faeces.


Spoiling the ballot achieves precisely the same result as a 'none of the above' option, with the added advantage that it exercises the anti-authoritarian instinct, which functioning liberal democracy tends to atrophy. I suppose defecating on the ballot paper would be the same, politically, but then you'd have gak everywhere.
   
Made in ca
Longtime Dakkanaut




Building a blood in water scent

If you're in England, you should vote Labour.

We were once so close to heaven, St. Peter came out and gave us medals; declaring us "The nicest of the damned".

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'” 
   
Made in gb
Master Engineer with a Brace of Pistols






Come now, the ballot counters don't deserve that gak.

But yeah, spoil your ballot paper if you feel that strongly about it. I think I will, because I can't stand my local politics. Here it's Sinn Fein or f.a.
   
Made in us
5th God of Chaos! (Ho-hum)





Curb stomping in the Eye of Terror!

 Future War Cultist wrote:
 Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:
Would it be a criminal offence if I took a steaming big dump on my ballot paper? That's how I feel about this election...


This is why 'none of the above' should be an option on the ballet paper. It portrays the same message without having to resort to faeces.

Can you vote for Boaty McBoatface?

Live Ork, Be Ork. or D'Ork!


 
   
Made in gb
Ultramarine Librarian with Freaky Familiar





 Future War Cultist wrote:
 Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:
Would it be a criminal offence if I took a steaming big dump on my ballot paper? That's how I feel about this election...


This is why 'none of the above' should be an option on the ballet paper. It portrays the same message without having to resort to faeces.


Yes but that lacks the same panache.
   
Made in ca
Longtime Dakkanaut




Building a blood in water scent

 Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:
 Future War Cultist wrote:
 Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:
Would it be a criminal offence if I took a steaming big dump on my ballot paper? That's how I feel about this election...


This is why 'none of the above' should be an option on the ballet paper. It portrays the same message without having to resort to faeces.


Yes but that lacks the same panache.


Amazon has you covered.

We were once so close to heaven, St. Peter came out and gave us medals; declaring us "The nicest of the damned".

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'” 
   
Made in gb
Lord Commander in a Plush Chair





Beijing

I find Corbyn's ideas fanciful and unaffordable. I've no confidence in Labour to form a coherent government, they can't form a stable cabinet. I'm tired of having Trident and migrants being the big issues, when we have a housing shortage and crippling cuts into education and health. I feel we could have a strong left wing in this country, but all the groups I hear the loudest are 'virtue-signalling' and the in fighting is dreadful, there's no unity, just protest.

I fear labour will be destroyed by this election, and a massive Tory majority isn't healthy. But there are no alternatives. The liberal democrats cannot win power, and are weak in coalition.

And I vote in a labour stronghold. So it's barely worth bothering either way. I'll probably give my vote to the trade unionists again, so they get their deposit back.
   
Made in gb
Nasty Nob





UK

I voted conservative in the last GE to keep UKIP out,and it worked, just. Just the other day I informed my MP, Matt Warman, exactly why he wouldn't be getting my vote this time as I cannot support the conservatives constant "party first" priority.

That was until I spotted a rumour that Paul "Eddie Hitler" Nuttal OBE, BSC, BSHTR might stand in my constituency. If that's the case, you may see me in the news hurling various kitchen waste products in his direction and swearing vigorously at him for forcing me to vote Tory, again.

"All their ferocity was turned outwards, against enemies of the State, foreigners, traitors, saboteurs, thought-criminals" - Orwell, 1984 
   
Made in ca
Longtime Dakkanaut




Building a blood in water scent

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
I find Corbyn's ideas fanciful and unaffordable. I've no confidence in Labour to form a coherent government, they can't form a stable cabinet. I'm tired of having Trident and migrants being the big issues, when we have a housing shortage and crippling cuts into education and health. I feel we could have a strong left wing in this country, but all the groups I hear the loudest are 'virtue-signalling' and the in fighting is dreadful, there's no unity, just protest.

I fear labour will be destroyed by this election, and a massive Tory majority isn't healthy. But there are no alternatives. The liberal democrats cannot win power, and are weak in coalition.

And I vote in a labour stronghold. So it's barely worth bothering either way. I'll probably give my vote to the trade unionists again, so they get their deposit back.


What's worse, inept but well meaning, or actively trying to loot and dismantle public services?

We were once so close to heaven, St. Peter came out and gave us medals; declaring us "The nicest of the damned".

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'” 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





 r_squared wrote:
I voted conservative in the last GE to keep UKIP out,and it worked, just. Just the other day I informed my MP, Matt Warman, exactly why he wouldn't be getting my vote this time as I cannot support the conservatives constant "party first" priority.

That was until I spotted a rumour that Paul "Eddie Hitler" Nuttal OBE, BSC, BSHTR might stand in my constituency. If that's the case, you may see me in the news hurling various kitchen waste products in his direction and swearing vigorously at him for forcing me to vote Tory, again.


There is another possibility however. If enough people vote against both they may divide and conquer and you might get someone else instead that quietly managed to persuade the populace that it was better than the Tories and UKIP. I don't think Nuttal has a chance though. Farage always kept carefully on the not quite bigoted/racist side of the line that didn't make some people feel uncomfortable. Nuttal is so way over that line that he's not going to get that level of support (I hope anyway).

As an aside this is May's approach to speaking to the people...force them all to go home and then fill the employers workplace with hand picked 'fans' (scroll down to the bottom part of the report).

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/bbc-question-time-corbyn_uk_5902e4a6e4b02655f83b6217?utm_hp_ref=uk




Automatically Appended Next Post:
 Howard A Treesong wrote:
I find Corbyn's ideas fanciful and unaffordable. I've no confidence in Labour to form a coherent government, they can't form a stable cabinet. I'm tired of having Trident and migrants being the big issues, when we have a housing shortage and crippling cuts into education and health. I feel we could have a strong left wing in this country, but all the groups I hear the loudest are 'virtue-signalling' and the in fighting is dreadful, there's no unity, just protest.



On what basis. The issue of trident is worth debating but the Tories (and their lapdog papers) keep on pulling it out as evidence that you can't trust him. However there is a lot of question of the value over a nuclear deterrent or whether it's just something we can say we have. Also which of Corbyn's ideas are unaffordable and fanciful. You can't just state this without some evidence or thought towards a proper debate. Maybe they are viable, have you actually checked the numbers or just listening to what the Tories and papers are saying?

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/04/28 18:44:01


"Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. " - V

I've just supported the Permanent European Union Citizenship initiative. Please do the same and spread the word!

"It's not a problem if you don't look up." - Dakka's approach to politics 
   
Made in gb
Lord Commander in a Plush Chair





Beijing

Well he's mentioned renationalising the railways on multiple occasions which I think would be great... other than I just don't see it's affordable because of the state of public finances.
   
Made in gb
Nasty Nob





UK

If Corbyn does well, or even manages to form a coalition govt, then those rebellious Blairites will fall in line, for a while.
I still think that May is trying to do this to get someone else to carry the can.

Let the left wing coalition struggle with a terrible Brexit, then ride in after 5 years to the rescue while everyone blames the Lib Dems and Labour for the horrors of the last 5 years.

"All their ferocity was turned outwards, against enemies of the State, foreigners, traitors, saboteurs, thought-criminals" - Orwell, 1984 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





 Howard A Treesong wrote:
Well he's mentioned renationalising the railways on multiple occasions which I think would be great... other than I just don't see it's affordable because of the state of public finances.


Ah I see you are confusing inefficient propaganda of the state vs efficient businesses. In fact more state control is actually becoming more normal. A lot of Councils are bringing things in house now because they are more cost effective that way. In the 70's and 80's Councils were relatively inefficient. They had high pay, good pensions and so on. Despite what the Tory papers say this is no longer the case. The vast majority of Council's pay below the going wage for almost everything except the very high tier jobs. Pensions have been trashed so they are equivalent or worth less than the private sector pensions. The only one advantage of Councils is they are a lot more flexible on flexible working so it is easier to get a good work/life balance. However in house services are now becoming more cost effective because of the above, private businesses now have a disadvantage, they have to make a profit for their owners/share holders. The state only has to break even.

Hence it is possible to make a cost effective state service. It won't be free, but as long as it is run as a business (for example like EDF) then the Country can both maintain a healthy balance between ticket prices and ensuring there is future investment. Most companies build at least 25% profit margin into prices (and for rail I suspect it is more). If it was state controlled you could easily knock 15-20% off the price of a ticket still be gaining money that you can use for investment purposes. That's before you consider the efficiencies from having one joined up network, rather than multiple companies doing different areas. The same goes for energy supply. It can be done more cost effectively than the private industry - take the profits they make. That's £billions per year. You could have easily put that aside and then reinvested into new power plants etc. Instead we pay as a populace three times. Once for the profit of shareholders, again when we have to get loans for building the new ones and again when the country has to guarantee a price to pay over the market value.

State control railways is actually one of Corbyn's, better, more well thought ideas. It's only Tories and the wealthy that think it is a bad idea which they promote and why do you think that is?

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/04/28 20:59:29


"Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. " - V

I've just supported the Permanent European Union Citizenship initiative. Please do the same and spread the word!

"It's not a problem if you don't look up." - Dakka's approach to politics 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





Most of the time the coverage makes me feel like Arnie in Kindergarten cop

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/04/28 21:20:29


 
   
Made in je
Fresh-Faced New User





Jersey St Helier

 feeder wrote:
 Howard A Treesong wrote:
I find Corbyn's ideas fanciful and unaffordable. I've no confidence in Labour to form a coherent government, they can't form a stable cabinet. I'm tired of having Trident and migrants being the big issues, when we have a housing shortage and crippling cuts into education and health. I feel we could have a strong left wing in this country, but all the groups I hear the loudest are 'virtue-signalling' and the in fighting is dreadful, there's no unity, just protest.

I fear labour will be destroyed by this election, and a massive Tory majority isn't healthy. But there are no alternatives. The liberal democrats cannot win power, and are weak in coalition.

And I vote in a labour stronghold. So it's barely worth bothering either way. I'll probably give my vote to the trade unionists again, so they get their deposit back.


What's worse, inept but well meaning, or actively trying to loot and dismantle public services?


Surely it depends on the extent of the ineptitude, and the extent of the looting.

From what I can see, even a strong Tory majority wouldn't empower May to drastically tamper with the NHS, schools, tax and spend in general, it'd just be the kind of shuffling to the right you'd expect. Labour under Corbyn doesn't look like it has a brake on how far left things would go. He's already demonstrated that he considers his grassroots hard left supporters his only constituency, I see nothing that indicates being in government would temper that. That's exactly what makes him unelectable in a GE.
   
Made in gb
Lord Commander in a Plush Chair





Beijing

I don't have a problem with the cost advantages of state running railways. Money spent on fat pay packets and share holders can go into running the service. But like everything else sold off there are big costs to getting it back, you can't just take control and not pour in investment. Like building hundreds of thousands of houses and investing in infrastructure, rebuilding public services, costs tend to be weighted at the front, is it really affordable? It's not Corbyn's fault that our finances are not great, but I don't see that it's all affordable without taxation, and the rich won't be taxed because they always wriggle out. I do approve of things like rent controls, and believe house prices need control, but I can see that being a hard fight because, again, its wealthy people taking the hit.

We've sold off our national industries and services and they've been driven into the ground or wound up. Steel, coal, railways, post office, energy, nuclear, and soon the NHS. And we've not got a huge lot to show for it given national debt. Where do we get the money from to take them back and invest in them? And it's not just a Tory thing, all these struggled under New Labour, and there's plenty of them still in seats.

Excuse me for being skeptical Corbyn can fulfill this dream of hammering the rich and buying back our railways. If only. It's not going to be as smooth as that and we'll all end up paying a lot more or it'll end in a mess of squabbling and nothing gets done.
   
Made in gb
Keeper of the Holy Orb of Antioch





avoiding the lorax on Crion

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
I don't have a problem with the cost advantages of state running railways. Money spent on fat pay packets and share holders can go into running the service. But like everything else sold off there are big costs to getting it back, you can't just take control and not pour in investment. Like building hundreds of thousands of houses and investing in infrastructure, rebuilding public services, costs tend to be weighted at the front, is it really affordable? It's not Corbyn's fault that our finances are not great, but I don't see that it's all affordable without taxation, and the rich won't be taxed because they always wriggle out. I do approve of things like rent controls, and believe house prices need control, but I can see that being a hard fight because, again, its wealthy people taking the hit.

We've sold off our national industries and services and they've been driven into the ground or wound up. Steel, coal, railways, post office, energy, nuclear, and soon the NHS. And we've not got a huge lot to show for it given national debt. Where do we get the money from to take them back and invest in them? And it's not just a Tory thing, all these struggled under New Labour, and there's plenty of them still in seats.

Excuse me for being skeptical Corbyn can fulfill this dream of hammering the rich and buying back our railways. If only. It's not going to be as smooth as that and we'll all end up paying a lot more or it'll end in a mess of squabbling and nothing gets done.


In theory you could straight up take back ownership in a very unpopular way, just say your taking them back.
Lots lose lots of money, you still have costs and now investment etc.

Other business gets nervous you could do same.

That won,t work...

The only sensible way is to take over as contracts end. It take 5 ish years but could be done if you wanted to do it.
Again your now responsibile for bills n investment...

Sgt. Vanden - OOC Hey, that was your doing. I didn't choose to fly in the "Dongerprise'.

"May the odds be ever in your favour"

Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:
I have no clue how Dakka's moderation work. I expect it involves throwing a lot of d100 and looking at many random tables.

FudgeDumper - It could be that you are just so uncomfortable with the idea of your chapters primarch having his way with a docile tyranid spore cyst, that you must deny they have any feelings at all.  
   
Made in gb
Avatar of the Bloody-Handed God






Inside your mind, corrupting the pathways

Withdraw public subsidies of the railways, watch them all fold overnight, then buy them up for pennies on the pound tomorrow.

Kind of like how the government privitised everything in the first place...

   
Made in gb
Nasty Nob





UK

 AlchemicalSolution wrote:
 feeder wrote:
 Howard A Treesong wrote:
I find Corbyn's ideas fanciful and unaffordable. I've no confidence in Labour to form a coherent government, they can't form a stable cabinet. I'm tired of having Trident and migrants being the big issues, when we have a housing shortage and crippling cuts into education and health. I feel we could have a strong left wing in this country, but all the groups I hear the loudest are 'virtue-signalling' and the in fighting is dreadful, there's no unity, just protest.

I fear labour will be destroyed by this election, and a massive Tory majority isn't healthy. But there are no alternatives. The liberal democrats cannot win power, and are weak in coalition.

And I vote in a labour stronghold. So it's barely worth bothering either way. I'll probably give my vote to the trade unionists again, so they get their deposit back.


What's worse, inept but well meaning, or actively trying to loot and dismantle public services?


Surely it depends on the extent of the ineptitude, and the extent of the looting.

From what I can see, even a strong Tory majority wouldn't empower May to drastically tamper with the NHS, schools, tax and spend in general, it'd just be the kind of shuffling to the right you'd expect. Labour under Corbyn doesn't look like it has a brake on how far left things would go. He's already demonstrated that he considers his grassroots hard left supporters his only constituency, I see nothing that indicates being in government would temper that. That's exactly what makes him unelectable in a GE.


What? How would Theresa May with a parliamentary majority be less able to carry out her agenda than Jeremy Corbyn at the head of a coalition Government?
I'm assuming that there would still be Tories and Blairites in parliament around to temper his "wild swing to the left"

Theresa May also seems to be only pandering to the hardest right Brexiteers in her party and the general public, so how is that better?

"All their ferocity was turned outwards, against enemies of the State, foreigners, traitors, saboteurs, thought-criminals" - Orwell, 1984 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





Nottingham

 MonkeyBallistic wrote:
Spoiler:
 AlchemicalSolution wrote:
 MonkeyBallistic wrote:
I've never been so uncertain who to vote for before. One thing is clear to me though, we must get rid of this disastrous government. The Tories have caused utter chaos, made the country more divided than it's ever been and are wrecking public services.

I work in education. After 7 years of badly thought out changes and woeful underfunding, our education system is on its knees. I feel so sorry for all children of school age right now.


What are your thoughts on free schools?


You could regard Free Schools as a logical extension of the Academisation of our secondary schools. Essentially, privatisation of the education system by the back door. What started out under Labour as a way of trying to bring private sector investment into the worst schools, transformed under Gove to a way for a small number of people to make a huge amount of money by setting up multi-academy chains.

The biggest issue for the pupils is that nobody has oversight of education provision for an area anymore. Millions are being wasted on setting up free schools in areas where there are already plenty of school places.

From a personal point of view, free schools and academisation have also enabled the government to totally throw out all previous agreements on teachers pay and conditions. There is a real problem with recruitment and retention of teachers and everything the government is doing is making the situation worse. Successive governments have frozen our pay (My brother with a worse degree than me earns nearly 3 times what I do, working in the private sector). They constantly talk down the profession by concentrating on the tiny minority of failing schools and talking about how our education system isn't good enough, creating a climate of mistrust between teachers and parents.

Recently the government has said we should teach maths the way they do it in Shanghai. What they are reluctant to admit is that in Shanghai maths teachers are highly valued and very well paid. Shanghai maths teachers only teach two lessons per day and spend the rest of the time preparing materials and doing one to one tuition with underachieving pupils. Currently I usually teach 5 hours per day and regularly give up lunchtimes and time after schools to help pupils out. Next year I will be spending more hours per week teaching to larger classes due to the funding crisis.

So for the rant, but I'm generally despairing right now. I'm just glad that my school has managed to avoid redundancies so far.


I could have typed that exact same post. Last year I was the main class teacher of four classes, with around 90 pupils. This year it's seven classes with 160 pupils. Next year, due to budget cuts, the class sizes will all be 10% bigger.

I won't be voting Tory, and never have. As for the other two, I'm not sure I'd trust either to run a whelk stall.

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30k Iron Warriors (11k+)
Full first company Crimson Fists
Zone Mortalis (unfinished)
Classic high elf bloodbowl team 
   
 
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