Earl Aelfheah

We actually do pretty well in getting the brightest kids to university. Where we should be concentrating is on those who underachieve where we do very poorly, comparatively.

miga Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think these are a great idea (but I would, being a third > generation selective everything hoop-jumper) - and > yes, they do wonders for social mobility. Except all the evidence (of which there is plenty) suggests they really don't. Mind you, we are post fact now.

LondonMix Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > In every classroom, > there are children who could aspire to her job (or > mine, or yours) but will never know it. In every > grand office, there are people who got there > through the expensive cultivation of unremarkable > talent. They do not know it either." This is so, so true. Could even be applied to Cameron.

There is 70 years of good evidence on the grammar system and it nearly all shows that privveledgr and inequality are entrenched by it. The debate really should be over. Setting kids for different subjects within the same school and relentlessly targeting and raising the standards of underperforming schools, rather than segregating kids based on an exam which can be gamed at age 11 is the way to go. London schools have been tirnwd around through concerted efforts over many years. We know what works. [aplogies for typos, on my phone]

Dave and several of his cabinet, were a good example of the dangers of public school privilege. No doubt a nice enough chap, but should never have been allowed near that job and never would have been had he been born to different circumstances.

So it kind of sounds like deliveries to the front (which appears to be what's happening) is actually everyone's preference anyhow.

If Iceland were able to deliver to the back of the store though, surely M&S shouldn't have any problems?

It does seem that the planning process is a bit of a joke.

Farage was quoted by a reporter as saying "I think the doctors have got it wrong on smoking".

Thanks for the clarification re. deliveries. Clearly, if it was a condition of the planning application that they deliver tot he back of the store, then this is what they should be doing. Has anyone questioned this with M&S yet?

I'm confused. Where are the delivery lorries meant to be parking?

Was this not discussed as part of the planning application? Where are the lorries meant to be pulling up (genuine question)?

I agree with you Blah Blah, but I can't see Owen Smith being any more likely to lead Labour to victory either. It's all incredibly depressing. We're effectively in a one party state now.

They really ought to have hi viz branding.

Trump certainly scares the hell out of me.

5 reasons why a return to grammar schools is a bad idea: http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/media-centre/blogs/category/item/5-reasons-why-a-return-to-grammar-schools-is-a-bad-idea And some analysis from the FT: http://blogs.ft.com/ftdata/2013/01/28/grammar-school-myths/ And Full Fact's summary: https://fullfact.org/education/grammar-schools-and-social-mobility-whats-evidence/

I agree. He's an odious little man and his politics quite insidious.

You put it much more succinctly than I did Jeremy. This is the video http://metro.co.uk/video/black-lives-matter-uk-campaign-1326812/?ito=vjs-link

I have just seen the video asserting that 'the climate crisis is a racist crisis'. We live in an unequal world where power, money and influence is concentrated in the hands of a tiny number of people. Marginalised groups, poor nations and those who lack access to resources, and /or are subject to discrimination, may well find themselves unfairly disadvantaged in all manner of ways. This includes being disproportionately affected by pollution and globally, by the effects of climate change. At the same time, the most affluent individuals, nations and societies are able to do more to mitigate the worst effects of pollution and mediate the impacts of climate change on their lives. Never the less, climate change will be felt by the whole planet and privilege can only shields people so far and for so long. The way societies have developed, are organised and resources distributed may well be racist, but climate change is indiscriminate. We need to build the broad alliances necessary to create successful social change. In short, we need to tackle racism and inequality. We need to tackle climate change. Making climate change specifically a BAME issue?? it feels reductionist to me and not particularly helpful.

I think Farage is probably quite racist. He's the polite, socially acceptable face of racism - the banal, everyday, slightly guarded / carefully articulated type that's not at all uncommon (especially amongst people of his generation).

There is no such thing as well behaved children, just those on a short break before resuming normal service.

@burbage - great post.

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Cycling is all well and good if you are reasonably > fit, have somewhere to park your bike at > home/work, and ideally a shower at work. It's not > an automatic replacement for public transport. > > The 63 is a good option if you're happy to sit on > a bus for an hour. This. I'm really getting fed up with the terrible transport and am surprised with the lack of outrage. I would have expected our local politicians to be up in arms and making a lot of noise about it. Transport in London is heavilly subsidised - we're paying for services which aren't delivering.

How is Johnsson still in the cabinet?

I blame the EU