And they go! And I’m not just talking about the almost biblical exodus of Conservative MPs (including my ex-husband, Michael Gove, to an extent that surprised even me). I am referring to party leaders and their electoral teams, who make promises that they almost certainly cannot, or will not, keep and policies that range from the ridiculous to the reckless.
Rachel Reeves insists Labour’s taxing and spending excesses are a thing of the past? Oh, come on! Unless Sir Keir receives weekly injections of fiscal Ozempic (and there is absolutely no evidence), there is every chance that a Labor administration will deliver on that promise, especially given its plans to unleash a veritable orgy of public sector spending.
And how about a cap on private sector rentals? It’s an idea that, having recently become a tenant for a variety of disastrous personal reasons, I would selfishly welcome. But this policy has proven disastrous in Scotland, where landlords simply sold up and rental stock dwindled, making – you guessed it – an even tougher market.
Then there’s Labour’s genius idea to remove the VAT exemption on state school fees, a policy that has already scared off so many parents who are already taking their children out of the independent sector.
Even before the policy has been implemented, creating new public school places has cost around £22 million. Not to mention the damage to the quality of education and the mental health of those children.
VAT on school fees seems sensible compared to Labour’s 16-year-old vote policy. Talk about exploiting children’s gullibility and naivety for personal gain, writes Sarah Vine
In their desire to foment class warfare, Sir Keir and his team of Trots seem to have conveniently forgotten that not all private schools are breeding grounds for the rich, and that not all children are there because their parents are snobs.
Ask Diane Abbott. Oh, and Starmer himself, who attended a fee-paying school. But of course, as always with the Labor Party, there is one rule for them and another for the rest of us. (Never forget: all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.)
But VAT on school fees seems sensible compared to Labour’s policy of votes for 16-year-olds. Talk about exploiting children’s gullibility and naivety for personal gain. We talk about infantilizing democracy.
The Labor Party will no doubt frame this idea as a bold move to “empower” the next generation. But the real reason is that it would be a safe bet for them.
Young people are more likely to vote Labor than the Conservatives. That’s the way it is.
As a mother of two sons, one in his late teens and the other in his early 20s, I am familiar with the mindset and behavior of teenagers. I’ve spent a lot of time with them these last few years. And the only thing I can say categorically is that, although they are fascinating and adorable in a million ways, I wouldn’t trust them with my dry cleaning ticket, much less a ballot.
I don’t say this as criticism: it’s not their fault they are so irresponsible. It’s simply their biology: humans don’t fully develop their frontal lobe until their mid-20s.
This is the part of the brain responsible for abstract thinking, judgment, and social behavior. Without a fully functioning frontal lobe, our ability to assess risks, exercise restraint, and fully understand the consequences of certain actions is severely impaired (for example, impairment of this part of the brain often leads to antisocial or offensive behavior in patients). with Alzheimer’s).
This is why teenagers are so vulnerable to scams or online harassment; why they are so influenced by fashions and whims; but also why they are fickle and so prone to changing their minds.
Adolescence is the time of development during which children discover how to become adults: intellectually, physically, hormonally, and socially. It is a complex process and is often a case of trial and error. At age 16, we are at the beginning of that final stage of development (25 is the average age at which it is completed).
This is why teenagers are so problematic: they are full of adult hormones and therefore very excitable intellectually, sexually and physically; and yet their brains are not yet prepared for adult life.
Lacking critical thinking skills – another higher brain function that resides in the frontal cortex – they do not stop to question. They simply chase instant gratification. That’s why they do spectacularly stupid things, like buy tattoo guns on the internet and get tattoos or pierced navels in the middle of their GCSEs, or dye their hair blue, or get vomit-drunk and do drugs.
Or, as Sir Keir no doubt hopes, vote Labor because it’s a fun thing to say at parties and all your mates are doing it.
Muslim children at an Italian school have been exempt from studying Dante because his great allegorical masterpiece, the Divine Comedy, places the prophet Muhammad in hell. For context, Dante also places Pope Nicholas III in hell and announces the imminent arrival of two others. As far as I know, there are no complaints from Catholics.
What made Lana thinner?
Lana Del Rey has won a well-deserved Ivor Novello award for her songwriting. I couldn’t help but notice that she had a much smaller figure than last year when my daughter and I saw her perform in London’s Hyde Park. Another case of that you-know-what weight loss shot?
Lana Del Rey has won a well-deserved Ivor Novello award for her songwriting
I loved seeing Prince George playing football with his father; It’s a great fun thing for father and son to do together (and helpful that the Prince of Wales is president of the Football Association). But I feel a little sorry for the guy in the suit and tie. Most kids his age (ten) would wear a replica of his favorite team’s jersey. Additionally, dads should also experience the financial impact of having to flush them out every season to buy a new kit.
The princess’s portrait from the magazine is simply brilliant
Like many, I thought the red colors in Johnny Yeo’s portrait of King Charles were a little off. But the resemblance and skill of the artist cannot be denied. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the portrait of the Princess of Wales on the cover of Tatler magazine. Besides looking terrible, it’s terrible art. Maybe it was a request from Meghan?
Charlotte Church, the poster child for all things woke, has pulled out of the Hay-on-Wye literary festival in protest over a sponsor’s links to Israel. It’s true, it’s her prerogative. But she could contribute something positive to the crisis if she helped free the remaining hostages held by Hamas. As far as I can tell, she never publicly acknowledged her plight or expressed an ounce of sympathy for the victims of the October 7 atrocities.
How crazy! A lot of pictures of the queue at the top of Mount Everest, simply taken so people can post them on Instagram showing themselves on top of the world.
How will Larry the Cat, Number 10’s chief mouse, cope if (when) Labor storms into power? He has only known life under the conservatives. At 17 years old, he is already a little old to change his political orientation. Would life under a new regime be challenging? Or would he, like Sue Gray, former Queen Bee of the Cabinet Office and now Starmer’s chief of staff, seamlessly assume his new role, taking all of his secrets with him?