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XXL

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Nicola Sturgeon has said a second referendum on Scottish independence will be called between autumn 2018 and the spring of 2019. The first minister said the possible centralisation of power at Westminster, following Brexit, had implications for Scotland's economy, society and democracy. Ms Sturgeon said she would ask the Scottish Parliament next week for permission to request a Section 30 order from Westminster. The move would allow a fresh legally-binding referendum to be held, if consent is granted

 

 

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17 hours ago, XXL said:

 

 

 

See, there's old Corbyn blabbing away about austerity when all the cunts sitting behind him voted FOR those very austerity cuts!  This is why Labour are a joke. 

 

53 minutes ago, XXL said:

 

 

Granny May thought it was a bluff, but obviously not. 

 

46 minutes ago, XXL said:

Answer

 

 

Is she reading that from an auto-cue? The ball is now in her court to show she actually WILL take on board what Sturgeon's been asking for in those negotiations. Well played by Nicola, and perfect timing too. And politics is "not a game"? Yeah right...it's the biggest game there is.

 

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1 hour ago, XXL said:

Nicola Sturgeon has said a second referendum on Scottish independence will be called between autumn 2018 and the spring of 2019. The first minister said the possible centralisation of power at Westminster, following Brexit, had implications for Scotland's economy, society and democracy. Ms Sturgeon said she would ask the Scottish Parliament next week for permission to request a Section 30 order from Westminster. The move would allow a fresh legally-binding referendum to be held, if consent is granted

 

 

This woman is great and it seems the only sane politician in the UK. And really, its great timing to push for the referendum: if there is no deal, Scotland would become independent and would join EU I think in a year or even less (their law is in line with the EU).

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The Commons just voted DOWN the Lords EU amendments as everyone knew they would; so May now has free reign to trigger Article 50, which was predicted to be tomorrow but now been delayed after Sturgeon's speech...so probably last week in March. Ho hum...

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2 hours ago, elijah said:

This woman is great and it seems the only sane politician in the UK. And really, its great timing to push for the referendum: if there is no deal, Scotland would become independent and would join EU I think in a year or even less (their law is in line with the EU).

It's not even clear Scotland could become part of the EU as Spain officials  have repeatidly threatened to veto any prospect due to Catalonian risks. I respect her electoral succurss but she wants to have "her cake and eat it", the SNP have offered no vision independent Scotland that isn't built on debt or imaginary money. They complain about being run by London yet they are the 3rd largest party in the parliament. Why does she prefer to be ruled over by Brussels where Scottish meps have no influence compared to our U.K. parliament? This whole new independence debate is now centred on maintaining access to the single market but this only makes up a maximum of 16% of Scottish trade where to the rest of the UK it's 63%? How is she doing the best for Scotland when it's access to the English market that is vital for Scotland, without access to this market the Scottish economy would be left in ruins ?

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1 hour ago, kangarooz said:

It's not even clear Scotland could become part of the EU as Spain officials  have repeatidly threatened to veto any prospect due to Catalonian risks. I respect her electoral succurss but she wants to have "her cake and eat it", the SNP have offered no vision independent Scotland that isn't built on debt or imaginary money. They complain about being run by London yet they are the 3rd largest party in the parliament. Why does she prefer to be ruled over by Brussels where Scottish meps have no influence compared to our U.K. parliament? This whole new independence debate is now centred on maintaining access to the single market but this only makes up a maximum of 16% of Scottish trade where to the rest of the UK it's 63%? How is she doing the best for Scotland when it's access to the English market that is vital for Scotland, without access to this market the Scottish economy would be left in ruins ?

Actually the Spanish thinking on that has changed since the EU referendum. It's now recognised as completely different from the Catalonia situation as we're dealing with a UK that will no longer be part of the EU. Spain is not planning on leaving the EU anytime soon.

It's that weird Brexiteer rhetoric of yours that I don't understand: "ruled over by Brussels" They do not set your economic policy, fiscal policy, social and welfare and health and education policy. That's the government of the day. In this case a right wing, insular Tory govt that Scotland has not and never will vote for.

And you seriously think that rUK who are this very minute scurrying around trying to pre-negotiate trade deals with any and every shithole country that it can is NOT going to do a trade deal with it's nearest neighbours; an independent Scotland? Nonsense. A Scotland btw, which will become even more attractive for those businesses who want to remain in the single market while the rest of the UK sinks into a low wage, tax haven, shithole laughing stock.

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5 hours ago, Kim said:

See, there's old Corbyn blabbing away about austerity when all the cunts sitting behind him voted FOR those very austerity cuts!  This is why Labour are a joke. 

 

:dead:

 

Talk about ineffective and inconsistent communication

 

On a sidenote, while we're on the subject of austerity, that's exactly what I mean when I say that all over the world the Right and the Left are looking more and more samey by the minute. I said that once in the American politics thread and all hell broke loose. Question is: how on earth you have a Labour party voting for austerity cuts?!  Point in case

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5 hours ago, Kim said:

Is she reading that from an auto-cue? The ball is now in her court to show she actually WILL take on board what Sturgeon's been asking for in those negotiations. Well played by Nicola, and perfect timing too. And politics is "not a game"? Yeah right...it's the biggest game there is.

 

 

:rotfl: 

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2 hours ago, BrendanT1993 said:

Theresa May will literally tear the kitchen sink out when it comes to pissing off Scotland over the next year or two, then if they vote for independence, she won't understand why.

 

Totally

I am really frightened about the direction we are all going into. There's a lot of internal conflict in the US, the potential breakdown of the EU because (let's also be fair) those EU technocrats were too accomodating to banks, then the stupid Russian sanctions and those even more stupid austerity measures implemented in Europe since 2008 and ever more since the 2009-2010 Euro Crisis but also the potential breakdown of the United Kingdom, plus the looming menace of international terrorism, instead of being in a world where post Berlin Wall we are all united and prospering it's as if we are now going backwards

Scary times

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5 hours ago, elijah said:

This woman is great and it seems the only sane politician in the UK. And really, its great timing to push for the referendum: if there is no deal, Scotland would become independent and would join EU I think in a year or even less (their law is in line with the EU).

 

 

Absolutely! A fabulous exception, moreover she doesn't strike me as an arrogant person the way say, a Boris Johnson, Theresa May, Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt etc seem to be

You know what I find fascinating is not so much that a little over half of the British people voted in favour of Brexit, but the appalling attitude their representaative on the pro front have shown so far. I wonder if May was really a Remain supporter to begin with, she does her job of "let's respect the people's will" so well. Politics is really the biggest masquerade of all. The show is over say goodbye

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http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/pharmacists-take-jeremy-hunt-high-10007471

 

Pharmacists take Jeremy Hunt to the High Court over plan to cut £321million in funding

National Pharmacy Association says the Government cuts will disproportionately affect the elderly, disabled and ethnic communities

 

jeremy-hunt-3.jpg

 

Jeremy Hunt is accused of failing the most deprived communities in England through his plan to cut pharmacy funding. The High Court is hearing a case, brought by the National Pharmacy Association, against the £321m cuts. The NPA say that the Government properly failed to consider the impact of its plan. And they say the elderly, disabled and ethnic communities are disproportionately affected.

NPA Chairman Ian Strachan said: “We are fighting this case to protect patients and communities in deprived areas, and to smoke out the flawed thinking behind the Government cuts to pharmacy funding.

“Had the Department of Health properly considered the impact of its cuts, it would have realised that the cuts will have a disproportionate effect on people with legally protected characteristics and those who live in the most deprived areas of England, where there is already a lack of NHS healthcare provision.” The NPA case also accuses the government of failure to appreciate the role of pharmacies beyond dispensing and says they have a vital role in primary healthcare. This will be the first case to consider the duty to reduce inequalities and will therefore set a precedent for how the Government applies this duty across other areas of healthcare in future.

A full hearing takes place at the end of the month.

 

 

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Theresa May has strongly condemned Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's announcement that she will seek approval next week for a second referendum on Scottish independence.

ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston said the prime minister was "really dreading" the prospect of another Scottish independence referendum because she has "no capacity" to fight it while dealing with Brexit negotiations and a raft of public services which many believe are in crisis.

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, Kim said:

The Commons just voted DOWN the Lords EU amendments as everyone knew they would; so May now has free reign to trigger Article 50, which was predicted to be tomorrow but now been delayed after Sturgeon's speech...so probably last week in March. Ho hum...

 

Prophetic!

 

 

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-theresa-may-will-not-trigger-article-50-this-week-a3488761.html

Brexit: Theresa May 'will not trigger Article 50 this week'

 

theresamay1303a.jpg

 

 

Theresa May will not trigger Article 50 and begin taking Britain out of the EU this week, Downing Street has revealed. The Prime Minister looks set to keep Brussels waiting until at least next week despite speculation she would officially trigger the Brexit process as early as Tuesday.

But her official spokesman poured cold water over the rumours, claiming the PM had always said she would trigger Article 50 by the end of March, and adding: "I've said 'end' many times but it would seem I didn't put it in capital letters strongly enough."

It is now thought that the most likely date for the historic move will be in the last week of March, following the special summit of the remaining 27 member states in Rome on March 25 to mark the 60th anniversary of the European Union.

The Prime Minister's European counterparts had been prepared for her to make an announcement this week, with April 6 pencilled in as the date for a meeting of the 27 other EU leaders to respond to the situation - a gathering which will now be pushed back until later that month. 

The development came as Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced plans to stage a second independence referendum before the expected date for UK withdrawal from the EU in spring 2019.

But the PM's spokesman insisted that the surprise announcement had not had a bearing on the timing of Article 50.

Notification on Tuesday would also have risked clashing with the general election on Wednesday in the Netherlands, where the anti-EU PVV party of Geert Wilders is challenging for a share in power.

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9 hours ago, kangarooz said:

It's not even clear Scotland could become part of the EU as Spain officials  have repeatidly threatened to veto any prospect due to Catalonian risks. I respect her electoral succurss but she wants to have "her cake and eat it", the SNP have offered no vision independent Scotland that isn't built on debt or imaginary money. They complain about being run by London yet they are the 3rd largest party in the parliament. Why does she prefer to be ruled over by Brussels where Scottish meps have no influence compared to our U.K. parliament? This whole new independence debate is now centred on maintaining access to the single market but this only makes up a maximum of 16% of Scottish trade where to the rest of the UK it's 63%? How is she doing the best for Scotland when it's access to the English market that is vital for Scotland, without access to this market the Scottish economy would be left in ruins ?

Don't worry.  Spain will do as Brussels say. And the EU can easily make new rules for Scotland because the situation is brand new,  it's not as if Scotland had got independence with UK being in the union.  For Brussels,  this situation is positive and will work in Scotland's favour. 

As for Scotland,  being in the union will mean having an more independent agenda than depending on those lunatics in London,  at expenses of random new economic ties and a low tax neo con economic system. 

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8 hours ago, Kim said:

Actually the Spanish thinking on that has changed since the EU referendum. It's now recognised as completely different from the Catalonia situation as we're dealing with a UK that will no longer be part of the EU. Spain is not planning on leaving the EU anytime soon.

It's that weird Brexiteer rhetoric of yours that I don't understand: "ruled over by Brussels" They do not set your economic policy, fiscal policy, social and welfare and health and education policy. That's the government of the day. In this case a right wing, insular Tory govt that Scotland has not and never will vote for.

And you seriously think that rUK who are this very minute scurrying around trying to pre-negotiate trade deals with any and every shithole country that it can is NOT going to do a trade deal with it's nearest neighbours; an independent Scotland? Nonsense. A Scotland btw, which will become even more attractive for those businesses who want to remain in the single market while the rest of the UK sinks into a low wage, tax haven, shithole laughing stock.

This 100%.:clap:

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N.Ireland - between a rock and a hard place?

 

Peter Hain, the last Secretary of State under Direct Rule said again last night very firmly and clearly that we need to avoid Direct Rule, and yet Arlene Foster's body language and poor eye contact showing lack of confidence as contrasted by Michelle O'Neill's confidence in asking for a border poll as if that was a priority, demonstrates how far apart these two major parties really are. Then, the unwanted complications caused by Nichola Sturgeon asking for a fresh border poll in Scotland has further added confusion to our future in the UK.

 

Tricky, would you say? There's a lot riding on Arlene's leadership to get the Assembly and government up and running. She'd need to soften a lot, but can she keep her party together? One thing you can be sure of is that Sinn Fein will be strategising, and taking advantage of the DUP's weaknesses and divisions. That's not a criticism of Sinn Fein: after all, what party doesn't seek to gain advantage?

 

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No politician is ever perfect, in the end they all are wishy-washy deceitful individuals - I like Nicola Sturgeon which is why it pains me to say that she's not that different from the average politician:

Nicola Sturgeon signals Scotland referendum could be held after Brexit

First minister indicates she could wait until after UK leaves EU in March 2019 if more time needed to confirm Brexit terms

Nicola Sturgeon has indicated she could delay a fresh Scottish independence referendum until after Brexit, in the hope of a deal with Theresa May on its timing.

After saying on Monday the vote must be offered before the UK leaves the EU in March 2019, the first minister signalled she could stage it after that date if more time was needed to confirm the precise terms for the UK’s Brexit deal.

In a statement issued on Tuesday after the Scottish government cabinet formally endorsed her decision to stage a second referendum, Sturgeon insisted there was a “cast-iron mandate” for the poll.

She added: “And the vote must take place within a timeframe to allow an informed choice to be made – when the terms of Brexit are clear but before the UK leaves the European Union, or shortly afterwards.”

That phrase could defuse a looming constitutional battle between Sturgeon and the prime minister over the exact timing of the new referendum after May signalled on Monday the UK government objected to a vote before Brexit.

The Scottish government needs Westminster to issue a section 30 order giving Holyrood the legal authority to stage a referendum, leading then to formal talks between both governments on the timing of the vote. That process is expected to lead to a repeat of the Edinburgh agreement in 2012 setting up the first independence referendum. The Electoral Commission will then advise on the correct question to ask, with Holyrood deciding on who will be able to vote.

If the Brexit talks are completed and signed by March 2019 –within the two-year timescale set out by the Lisbon treaty – that would still meet Sturgeon’s demand for Scotland’s referendum to be held by spring 2019.

Sturgeon also faces a complex political challenge deciding whether to propose full EU membership or the “Norway option”, where Scotland joins the European free trade area to gain full single market access, without having EU control over fisheries and farming.

The first minister has refused to say which policy she would offer at the referendum, leading Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, to claim Sturgeon’s plans were unravelling.

“The SNP is trying to have it both ways,” Davidson said. “It is demanding a referendum because of our decision to leave the European Union. But, in order to keep leave voters on board, it won’t say whether Scotland would seek to get back in.”

With support for independence neck and neck with staying in the UK, successive opinion polls suggest many Scottish voters oppose full EU membership, which could involve eventually joining the euro.

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, whose members are vocal critics of EU membership, will oppose independence if that leads Scotland to joining the common fisheries policy.

Meanwhile the Spanish foreign minister, Alfonso Dastis, said Spain would oppose any attempt to give Scotland a special transitional deal or unique fast-track membership. That suggests Scotland would find it easier to rejoin the EU if it did so once Brexit and its independence from the UK were both legally agreed.

Wrong-footed by Sturgeon’s detailed referendum announcement on Monday, May is yet to set out her government’s stance on its timing but is expected to insist it cannot be held before the UK completes the article 50 process.

In her post-cabinet statement, Sturgeon confirmed she would seek the Scottish parliament’s agreement next Tuesday to ask Westminster for legal authority to stage the referendum under a section 30 order. A final vote, which the SNP expects to win with support from the Scottish Greens by a very narrow margin, will be held after two days of debate.

She warned that any final decision on timing would be made by Holyrood, and warned against any attempt by the UK government to force its hand. In reality, the Scottish government would control that vote at Holyrood, allowing Sturgeon to negotiate with May.

“It should be up to the Scottish parliament to determine the referendum’s timing, franchise and the question, which of course will be open to independent scrutiny and testing as it was last time,” she said.

“[There] should be no strings attached, no blocking mechanisms applied and no Downing Street diktat. Scotland’s referendum must be made in Scotland.”

Sturgeon added a similar but more subtle caveat on the referendum’s timing during her speech at Bute House on Monday. She said Scottish voters should have a real choice [and] that choice must be offered between the autumn of next year, 2018, and the spring of 2019.”

But that was qualified when she also said: “If the UK leaves the EU without Scotland indicating beforehand – or at least within a short time after it – that we want a different relationship, we could face a lengthy period outside not just the EU but also the single market. That could make the task of negotiating a different future much more difficult.”

Sturgeon’s spokesman confirmed she could move the date. “Clearly we want it to be before [Brexit] but as the first minister said at Bute House yesterday her formulation was before or shortly thereafter, to enable people to make the choice when there’s a clear distinction – two quite clear and specific propositions to be weighed up against each other.”

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/mar/14/nicola-sturgeon-signals-scotland-referendum-could-be-held-after-brexit

 

FFS hold that referendum once for all BEFORE this all farce is completed and get it over with detaching yourself from England, this time for real and for good! Damn!!

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If the referendum is after Brexit then Scotland will have to wait several years to enter the EU. If it's before,  they could have the right to remain. 

Well it's a bit of a mess,  because even if it w were before there should be a new contract and conditions for Scotland as a new country... 

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22 hours ago, Kim said:

Actually the Spanish thinking on that has changed since the EU referendum. It's now recognised as completely different from the Catalonia situation as we're dealing with a UK that will no longer be part of the EU. Spain is not planning on leaving the EU anytime soon.

It's that weird Brexiteer rhetoric of yours that I don't understand: "ruled over by Brussels" They do not set your economic policy, fiscal policy, social and welfare and health and education policy. That's the government of the day. In this case a right wing, insular Tory govt that Scotland has not and never will vote for.

And you seriously think that rUK who are this very minute scurrying around trying to pre-negotiate trade deals with any and every shithole country that it can is NOT going to do a trade deal with it's nearest neighbours; an independent Scotland? Nonsense. A Scotland btw, which will become even more attractive for those businesses who want to remain in the single market while the rest of the UK sinks into a low wage, tax haven, shithole laughing stock.

I voted remain for your information. Yorkshire has a similar population to Scotland shall we just have every county breakaway as it's not fully in charge/represented in the national parliament? The union is over 400 years old, there have been government's of all types yet just because they disagree with his government they think independence is the best option? We just has 13 years of Scottish Prime Ministers should I have kicked off and demanded English independence? Scotland has a strong voice in the commons if it joins with Labour is could easily affect ecominc policy etc but instead it just complains rather than using the power it could use in parliament. How would Scotland be an attraction for businesss, if the referendum campaign burns bridges, English trade with Scotland is so small there is no guarantee a deal could be made, the right wing conservatives may wish there not be a deal and while they are in government it is a possibility. Scotland have given no guidience on what currency they would use or any detailed economic plan. Scotland's yearly deficit is 9.5%, which is higher than Greece, with independent they would have to slash spending or have huge tax rises so I hardly see why they will gain from still having access to the single market when they companies can instead hop over to Ireland and only pay 14% instead of being heavily  taxed in Scotland. 

 

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28 minutes ago, kangarooz said:

I voted remain for your information. Yorkshire has a similar population to Scotland shall we just have every county breakaway as it's not fully in charge/represented in the national parliament? The union is over 400 years old, there have been government's of all types yet just because they disagree with his government they think independence is the best option? We just has 13 years of Scottish Prime Ministers should I have kicked off and demanded English independence? Scotland has a strong voice in the commons if it joins with Labour is could easily affect ecominc policy etc but instead it just complains rather than using the power it could use in parliament. How would Scotland be an attraction for businesss, if the referendum campaign burns bridges, English trade with Scotland is so small there is no guarantee a deal could be made, the right wing conservatives may wish there not be a deal and while they are in government it is a possibility. Scotland have given no guidience on what currency they would use or any detailed economic plan. Scotland's yearly deficit is 9.5%, which is higher than Greece, with independent they would have to slash spending or have huge tax rises so I hardly see why they will gain from still having access to the single market when they companies can instead hop over to Ireland and only pay 14% instead of being heavily  taxed in Scotland. 

 

I don't even know where to start with this nonsense that reads like it's from the pages of the Daily Mail or Express. Scotland is a COUNTRY that formed a (supposedly equal) union with England , not some county or principality of England like Yorkshire. It has it's own legal, education and healthcare systems. It is REPEATEDLY represented on a national level by a government it hasn't voted for and while it remains open, inclusive and left of centre, the complete opposite is happening in England where xenophobic, inward looking, right wing rhetoric flourishes. The devolved parliament in Scotland is SNP run, out of the 59 MPs at Westminster, 56 of them are SNP. The clue is in the name; Scottish NATIONAL party. Independence for Scotland is their raison d'être so as long as they keep getting voted in, then the question of independence will never go away.

And you obviously don't realise that the Tories have an overall majority at Westminater, which means they have more MPs than all the other parties combined. So no, teaming up with Labour makes no difference on anything, and seeing as the Labour party are seen as nothing but a joke in Scotland (and everywhere else in the UK) these days, it would be unwise anyway. They are no longer a party of the left. You might want to watch PMQs some time and see that the only effective opposition to May comes from the SNP benches in fact. The point has been made in the media over and over that Angus Robertson keeps asking the questions that Corbyn doesn't.

And the reason for this referendum has nothing to do with not liking who's in power in Westminster,. It was part of the SNP mandate that only if there was a material change in circumstances or in public opinion would another referendum be mooted so soon, and that has undoubtedly happened. Scotland voted overwhelminglty to stay within the EU and the threat of being taken out of the EU was one of the mainstays of the previous Scottish referendum "No" campaign. Broken promises all round.

To think that England would not trade with Scotland is ridiculous. Although maybe we should think about sending our oil, gas and water somewhere else to be honest. And there's no point in crushing non-existent numbers at this point either, especially ones based upon the economic policies of the current UK government. This latest news btw, is a notification of intent. To be asking for full economic and fiscal breakdowns right now is stupid. One could also say it's a way of getting May to take a little more notice than she was previously of the asks being made by Sturgeon for the upcoming Brexit negotiations. The alternative, as she said in her speech, would be to stand back and do nothing (like everyone else with a real voice seems to be doing)

 

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:manson:  :manson: 

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-grammar-schools-education-budget-unfunded-places-treasury-philip-hammond-labour-a7630276.html

Theresa May embroiled in fresh Budget controversy over unfunded grammar school places

 

Budget pledge will only fund 13,000 pupil places – not 70,000

 

may-school.jpg

 

 

Theresa May faces a fresh Budget storm after it emerged that £320m announced to create thousands of places at her flagship grammar schools will only cover a fraction of the cost of setting them up. Treasury officials admitted to The Independent that money set out in the Budget will not be enough to pay for the 70,000 free school places promised by the Prime Minister.

Ms May was so proud of the pledge to create the places at 140 new schools, that she chose to announce it personally the day before Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Budget statement. But an analysis of existing government data shows the £320m will only deliver a meagre 13,000 places by 2020, with additional money earmarked for the next parliament still only creating just over half of the promised 70,000.

Labour frontbenchers who uncovered the anomaly claimed it pointed to “broken promises” in the Budget, but even some nervous Conservative MPs last night urged the Government to be clear how they will make up the funding gap.

It follows an earlier row over the Budget plan to hike National Insurance contributions, breaking a Tory manifesto pledge, which left Ms May facing a backbench rebellion and urgently signalling extra measures to mitigate the impact – some Tories expect the NICs rise to be quietly ditched later on.

On the Tuesday before Budget day the Prime Minister visited a classroom to proudly announce new cash for the 70,000 free schools places. It is widely expected that many of new spots would deliver a selective education, the expansion of which the Prime Minister has made a cornerstone of her drive to boost social mobility.

But information previously given by the Department for Education to the National Audit Office indicates it costs £24,600 to create a new free school place, at which level the £320m promised would only pay for 13,008 places. Treasury officials said money set aside in the next parliament for the year 2021/22 would go further to meet the pledge, but even with that year’s extra £655m, only 42,073 places could be delivered.

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https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/mar/14/theresa-may-tour-the-uk-eu-effort-to-forge-brexit-consensus

Theresa May expected to tour UK in effort to forge Brexit consensus

PM will seek to appease concerns over inclusion of devolved administrations in EU talks and ease tensions with Scottish government

 

Theresa May

 

 

Theresa May is planning a tour of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in an attempt to build consensus before she triggers article 50 and embarks on the formal Brexit process, the Guardian understands. It has been suggested that the prime minister and the Brexit secretary, David Davis, will also meet key business figures to discuss Britain’s approach to the EU negotiations.

Government figures have claimed there was always a plan to reach out to all parts of the United Kingdom, including responding to the Scottish government’s Brexit white paper, in the final two weeks of March before embarking on talks with the EU27. In parliament May confirmed there were a “number of processes that will take place” before she invokes article 50 at the end of March.

May used a statement about the European council meeting in parliament to question the timing of Nicola Sturgeon’s demand for a second independence referendum on Monday, intensifying tensions between the UK and Scottish governments. The prime minister said she was determined to retain a strong United Kingdom as she accused the SNP leader of “constitutional gameplaying with the future of the UK”.

She told colleagues that she had been working with the devolved administrations and was listening to their proposals, triggering jeers from the SNP politicians. The prime minister responded by saying: “This is not a moment to play politics, or create uncertainty or division. It is a moment to bring our country together, to honour the will of the British people and to shape for them a brighter future and a better Britain.”

 

After Sturgeon’s warning that she planned to hold a referendum between the autumn of 2018 and spring of 2019, May stressed that retaining a united UK was a priority. “There is much that binds us and I don’t want to see anybody doing constitutional gameplaying with the future of the UK,” she said.

Sturgeon made her announcement on Monday following widespread speculation – which Downing street did not stamp out – that article 50 would be triggered on Tuesday as soon as the Brexit bill completed all parliamentary hurdles. The Scottish first minister saw that as confirmation that May was not planning to consult the Scottish government any further.

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Everyone knows she was planning to trigger it on Tuesday but Sturgeon's intervention put paid to it. She's still not going to pay any attention to what anyone wants anyway, and "touring" the UK is just a token gesture. 

I'm waiting for the upcoming Tory election fraud story to take hold soon...which may even result in a few by-elections taking place.

 

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Last night the Bill on Article 50 successfully completed its passage through both houses unchanged. It will now proceed to Royal assent in the coming days, so we remain on track with the timetable I set out six months ago. And I will return to this House before the end of this month to notify when I have formally triggered article 50 and begun the process through which the United Kingdom will leave the European Union

 

This will be a defining moment for our whole country as we begin to forge a new relationship with Europe and a new role for ourselves in thw world. We will be a strong self-governing global Britain. With control once again over our borders and over our laws and we will use this moment of opportunity to build a stronger economy and a fairer society (not starting well with that Grammar Schools issue  :lol:  )  So that we secure both a bright deal for Britain abroad and a better deal for ordinary working people at home

 

 

 

 

 

We have been working closely with the devolved administrations  ......  (massive jeers) :rotfl:

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