[Tubby Isaacs]

Labour to bring back maintenance grants for students on ‘priority’ courses
Education secretary says means-tested grants for ‘those who need them most’ will be funded by new international student levy

Fine, apart from making international students pay through the nose even more. Unless, there's actually a policy here where more of them are admitted than looks to be the case at the moment. I guess that might help sell the message that they fund UK students, not that anyone has tried that hard so far.

[The Weeping Angel]

Did anyone else listen to Rachel Reeves speech in full today? I found it absolutely captivating - I couldn't drag myself away. This is astonishing because, 1) I'm not her greatest fan and 2) her voice usually grates on me and I usually find her delivery a bit flat and frankly dull. I don't know what's changed, maybe she has a new writer, maybe she's had some voice coaching, but she's transformed.

No, but this is a pretty good summary of it.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Doesn't sound like a lot of money left for abolishing the 2 child cap, that's the only problem.

[The Weeping Angel]

Doesn't sound like a lot of money left for abolishing the 2 child cap, that's the only problem.

Yeah, I'm still hopeful it will be abolished though. Meanwhile, James Ball has spotted a problem.

[The Weeping Angel]

[Tubby Isaacs]

Yeah, I'm still hopeful it will be abolished though. Meanwhile, James Ball has spotted a problem.

I think it'll be fine if they get it going before the election. Then it'll be a big call for anyone else to abolish it, more likely the Lib Dems will seek to insert safe guards.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Is this for sure?

Rachel Reeves to lift two-child benefit cap in November’s budget
Exclusive: Officials exploring options to change rule that affected 1.7 million children in Great Britain last year

https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... ber-budget

[Tubby Isaacs]

Last year's growth (to June 2025) has been revised up to 1.4%. Not too bad, just under the average for the Euro area, and second in the G7.

[Youngian]

Is this for sure?

Rachel Reeves to lift two-child benefit cap in November’s budget
Exclusive: Officials exploring options to change rule that affected 1.7 million children in Great Britain last year

https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... ber-budget

Doubt that will win Labour back any Reform voters. Vicky Pollard popping out kids on the rock n roll may have given way to asylum seekers as No 1 public hate figure but the right wing media can bring her back into play at anytime. Not starving babies is still the right thing to do though.

[The Weeping Angel]

Reform , have said they want to abolish it. So maybe they'll U-turn.

[Youngian]

Only available to reprocreate the Ayran race.

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage has called for the lifting of the two child benefit cap and transferable tax allowance for married couple.

Farage, however, said the policy was aimed at British families and not people that had moved from overseas and chosen to have children in the UK.
https://www.politicshome.com/news/artic ... enefit-cap

[Boiler]

Only available to reprocreate the Ayran race.

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage has called for the lifting of the two child benefit cap and transferable tax allowance for married couple.

Farage, however, said the policy was aimed at British families and not people that had moved from overseas and chosen to have children in the UK.
https://www.politicshome.com/news/artic ... enefit-cap

I wonder who he might be thinking of...?

[davidjay]

Only available to reprocreate the Ayran race.

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage has called for the lifting of the two child benefit cap and transferable tax allowance for married couple.

Farage, however, said the policy was aimed at British families and not people that had moved from overseas and chosen to have children in the UK.
https://www.politicshome.com/news/artic ... enefit-cap

I wonder who he might be thinking of...?

Boris 'Born in the USA' Johnson?

[Bones McCoy]

Only available to reprocreate the Ayran race.

I wonder who he might be thinking of...?

Boris 'Born in the USA' Johnson?

Rather a lot of Tory leaders.

[The Weeping Angel]

Concerning.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/ ... xC4TAjLdCA

Workers could be charged a fee to take their bosses to court under plans being explored by Labour as it faces pressure from businesses lobbying to water down its landmark changes to employment rights.

In a development described by unions as a “disaster”, sources in Westminster said ministers were looking at reviving a proposal made by the last Conservative government to impose fees on employment tribunal claims.

A source close to the government said a plan was agreed in chancellor Rachel Reeves’s June spending review, as part of efforts to find savings in the Ministry of Justice budget, in a drive to recover some of the costs of running the service.

Under the leadership of the then prime minister, Rishi Sunak, the Conservatives proposed a £55 fee for workers making an employment tribunal claim in early 2024, in plans thrown up in the air by Keir Starmer’s general election victory.

[Boiler]

"No better than the Tories"

[Boiler]

Speaking of these 5-star asylum hotels with swan on the menu;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce9r5m74de8o

There is evidence of poor nutrition, poor hygiene and rationing of period products and toilet paper at Clearsprings' sites, charities have told us.

[Tubby Isaacs]

This sounds promising. Then again Warren always makes things sound positive.

I haven't checked Clive Lewis for a while. Doubtless, he's praising the government for collecting unpaid tax, seeing he was exercised by this before?

[Youngian]

What is big data?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Data.