Will Hazell
@whazell
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Sunday Political Correspondent @Telegraph formerly @theipaper @tes @hsjnews . Story? will.hazell @telegraph .co.uk *I don't write the headline*
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Boris Johnson highlights Brampton Manor Academy sending more students to Oxbridge than Eton as an example of "levelling up".
Brampton Manor is a super selective sixth form. It is very far from being a comprehensive.
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Today I spoke to a young man, Saeed. He's an unaccompanied refugee in care. Came to UK in 2016. Got 8s and 7s at GCSE. Offer to study at Manchester and was predicted ABB. Downgraded to BCE. Missed his offer. Can't get a place elsewere. "Stuck".
@theipaper
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Breaking: 315k pupils off in England because of Covid last week- higher than end of last year.
Bear in mind that attendance usually strongest at start of term before slumping as the term progresses…
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An
@theipaper
exclusive today: A major UK exam board is drawing up plans for a new GCSE in Natural History, to reconnect teenagers with nature by teaching them about British plants and animals
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Will update my spreadsheet - so that’s at least *108* sitting MPs who have been given knighthoods/damehoods since 2010.
A reminder that between 1997 and 2010, Labour gave such honours to… *11* sitting MPs…
The government has quietly slipped out new honours just before the Easter break. An eye-catcher in there:
Tory donor Mohamed Mansour, who gave a whopping £5m to the party last year, is handed a knighthood.
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Ministers have been urged to extend free school meals to all holidays to cover a predicted rise in hunger in the October half-term and at Christmas
@theipaper
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Steve Bray wielding his megaphone outside
#ConservativePartyconference
: “The lady HAS turned.”
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Exclusive:
@BrandonLewis
endorses Liz Truss, claiming Rishi Sunak put up “huge resistance” to efforts to override the Northern Ireland Protocol
@Telegraph
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BREAKING: 39.1% of teacher A-level predictions in England downgraded by algorithm
@theipaper
#AlevelResults
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Exclusive: The ban on new grammar schools could be lifted within months,
@Telegraph
reveals.
Sir Graham Brady confirms he is planning an amendment to the Schools Bill to scrap the ban- and he thinks the Government is likely to support it
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If Boris Johnson was asking Conservative donors to fund his childcare after whipping his MPs to vote against free school meals vouchers in the holidays that’s... not a good look.
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Ofqual have said pupils from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were more likely to have seen a bigger downward adjustment, but said there was “no evidence of systematic bias” in the adjustments.
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EXCLUSIVE: the Archbishop of Southwark John Wilson backed a decision to cancel a visit by a gay author to a Catholic state school and to sack governors who wanted it to go ahead,
@theipaper
can reveal
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@theipaper
Given there were 713,000 A-level entries in England, the figures suggest that about 280,000 grades were adjusted down (awaiting confirmation from
@ofqual
about this)
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Sage paper says that the "consensus view is that the opening of primary and secondary schools is
likely to increase effective R by a factor of 1.1 to 1.5 (10% to 50%)"
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Another
@theipaper
exclusive: Headteachers are “drowning in information” about how to reopen schools because the Government is constantly changing its safety guidelines - in just one week the DfE issued 41 sets of changes to its advice
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I feel so sorry for this poor teacher. It can never be acceptable for a UK teacher to be in fear of his life and the safety of his family for showing a picture in a class about blasphemy
@theipaper
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Exclusive
@Telegraph
: Labour will tell councils to find green-belt land for development as part of a plan to solve the housing crisis within 10 years,
@lisanandy
has said
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Incidentally, many schools in Basildon have already moved to online learning with agreement of Tory-run Essex County Council.
Repeatedly asked DfE today whether they had issued similar legal threats to them.
No reply.
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If we had some good news earlier about apparently low threat of transmission in primary schools, we now have some bad news about universities. SAGE has said there's a “significant risk” that universities could “amplify” transmission of Covid
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"Having polled for the Tory Party in the mid-1990s, I believe comparisons with 1997 are well made... Nothing short of a miracle can save them."
Ominous from former chair of ComRes
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Exclusive
@Telegraph
:
@Nigel_Farage
has launched a new website - - as the next step in his campaign to take on the banking sector
🔴 Nigel Farage is unveiling a new website to help people who have lost their accounts in the “major national scandal” of debanking
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A bit of personal news this morning: after nearly three years
@theipaper
, at the end of July I'll be joining
@Telegraph
as a political correspondent, working with
@edwardmalnick
on The Sunday Telegraph.
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So after threatening to take a council to court for moving to remote learning for three days, Gavin Willamson is now going to require secondary schools to deliver remote learning in the first week of term.
I suppose it's a fitting way for the DfE to end the year.
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A bit of personal news: today is my last day
@tes
. I'm joining
@theipaper
as Education Correspondent next week. Really excited about the new role, but sad to be leaving the brilliant Tes team. It's been a real privilege working with them over the last two and a half years.
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NEW: I understand current UK government position is that England will NOT be following Scotland's decision to accept teacher estimates without moderation
@theipaper
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Speaking personally for one second, I was very moved by the conversation I had with Saeed today.
The exams debate is hugely complex, with no good options. But looking back at the thread above, I think it's very hard to conclude that a serious injustice hasn't been done here.
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And here's the Ofqual analysis of the difference between teachers' predicted grades (the 'CAGs') and their final 'calculated grade'. Pupils with lower socioeconomic status see larger decrease at grade C than wealthier peers.
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Many congrats to
@RealGeoffBarton
, who
@ASCL_UK
have just announced will serve a 2nd term as general secretary.
Think most in the education world would agree he's been an extremely articulate and effective advocate for heads and schools since he was elected back in 2017.
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The government has published this extraordinary Brexit guidance for schools. Says they should plan for "potential impacts of a no deal scenario" in relation to their food supplies- "this may include plans to adapt menus to allow for product substitution".
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35.6% of results were one grade lower than proposed by schools, 3.3% were two grades lower and 0.2% were three grades lower.
In 58.7% of cases there was no change to the grade predicted, while 2.2% were increased by one grade, 0.05% by two grades, and 0.01% by three grades.
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The campaign for Natural History GCSE was started by
@curlewcalls
and is backed by
@CarolineLucas
and
@greenparty
, who included it in their general election manifesto.
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BREAKING: Teachers
@NEUnion
have voted to go on strike at John Fisher School in protest at
@RC_Southwark
cancellation of
@simonjamesgreen
and sacking of governors - exclusive
@theipaper
story here
#NEU2022
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Green Party has called for secondary schools, colleges and universities in England to close as part of the lockdown. Co-leader Jonathan Bartley said: "This lockdown is going to negatively affect huge numbers of people, so it has to be worth it."
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Meanwhile
@simonjamesgreen
has received a wave of support, including from
@uksla
, who said it was a “central tenet of a school librarian’s role to provide a range & variety of resources to support all pupils; to present many voices, multiple stories & various points of view"
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BREAKING: The Government has said it is 'tearing up' the target for 50% of people to go to university. Gavin Williamson has said he will stand up for the "forgotten 50%" who don't go by revolutionising FE and apprenticeships. Full speech here
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Exclusive
@Telegraph
: Downing Street officials are looking at changing the Government’s fiscal rules in an attempt to set a trap for Labour over borrowing
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It was inspired by the fact that many children no longer learn the names of common plants and animals around them (because they spend less time on their own outdoors, and British wildlife has become so depleted). The idea is that if you don’t learn it at home, why not at school?
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Geoff Barton of
@ASCL_UK
said his union had received “heartbreaking feedback from school leaders about grades being pulled down in a way that they feel to be utterly unfair and unfathomable”. He called on the Government and Ofqual to “review the situation as a matter of urgency”.
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For reference, at start of last term, there were 122,500 off school because of Covid.
Staff absence also now running at 8.6%.
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NEW:
@NASUWT
suggests there is "no obligation on any schools to extend their opening arrangements".
Says if schools "are unable to open safely before September because they are unable to make arrangements to safeguard their staff and pupils, then that position must be accepted."
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@theipaper
He excelled at GCSE despite having to learn a new language, was "so happy" to get a string of offers from Russell Group unis. He went with the most generous offer “because I thought to myself I should go for the lower one and secure my place”...
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Labour’s
@YvetteCooperMP
is pledging to introduce a beefed up version of Asbos - ‘Respect Orders’ - to tackle antisocial behaviour.
The new orders would come with a power of arrest if breached
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First day on politics
@Telegraph
today. New email is will.hazell
@telegraph
.co.uk so get in touch for coffees/tips (DMs also open).
A bit of personal news this morning: after nearly three years
@theipaper
, at the end of July I'll be joining
@Telegraph
as a political correspondent, working with
@edwardmalnick
on The Sunday Telegraph.
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@theipaper
The move is supported by
@NEUnion
while
@RealGeoffBarton
@ASCL_UK
said it was "time to look seriously at extending free school meal provision into school holiday periods, not as an emergency measure at a time of crisis, but on a permanent basis".
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Heads and teachers say they need cash from the Government to buy air purifiers for classrooms ahead of September
@theipaper
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Nick Gibb on
@BBCr4today
, defends Ofqual’s algorithm: “The model was a good model... it’s the way the model was applied”.
Get your head around that one.
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An
@theipaper
EXCLUSIVE: A yet to be released Ofqual report has found that teacher assessments are prone to under-grading poor pupils & those with special needs, raising concerns that 2021 GCSEs & A-levels could be tainted by bias against most vulnerable
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Smart move by Labour to call for exams to be delayed in 2021, I think. Heads/teachers all agreed that there's a big problem with the learning time which has been lost to date. Ofqual has opened door to delay already too.
Labour getting out ahead of the issue.
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I asked him if he has a message for
@BorisJohnson
@GavinWilliamson
:
“I’m just very angry. I never had the chance to do my exams, but I have been put in a system… that has downgraded me by so much, it changed my pathway and now I’m stuck and left with nothing really.”
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It is worth saying that some of the comments posted on Catholic Truth in relation to their campaign to cancel the event are explicitly homophobic- you can see here, should you wish to
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Exclusive:
@CSkidmoreUK
becomes latest Tory MP to announce he will be standing down at the next election
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SAGE seems to raise possibility of something like a national university lockdown in November: “It may be necessary for institutions across the higher education sector to take coordinated action in November to prevent seeding and disseminated outbreaks in December.”
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Some of these quotes from
@moffat_andrew
about the words hurled in the protests are heartbreaking. Throughout this ordeal it's clear his number one priority has been the welfare of his pupils, and he's acted with great dignity. He's a true hero in my book.
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Very interested to hear what teachers, heads and other school staff make of reports that Government is pursuing a 'big bang' approach of reopening primaries AND secondaries on 8 March.
Comment 👇 or drop me a DM (they're open)
@theipaper
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EXCLUSIVE: The ERG “star chamber” has concluded that Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill does not meet its tests,
@Telegraph
can reveal with
@malnick
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ICYMI: The Government has been warned it will face legal action from
@UKSustain
&
@GoodLawProject
if it fails to provide free school meals over the summer holidays
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A London teacher who is self-isolating for the 2nd time due to school based transmission, told me: “Covid is ripping through my school and any sensible government would have closed them months ago. Going into school is now dangerous”
@theipaper
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Exclusive
@Telegraph
: a Labour Government would give people £250k cash rewards if they blow the whistle on corrupt oligarchs laundering dirty money in the UK,
@DavidLammy
is to announce
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Exclusive: Even after the 1p cut to the basic rate of income tax, a typical family will still see their tax bill rise by £290 next year as a result of frozen income tax thresholds, according to
@LibDems
analysis
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The school's leadership team had resolved to go ahead with the visit by
@simonjamesgreen
, with the decision backed by the governing body on Saturday. Following this, Simon Hughes, the director of education
@RC_Southwark
, wrote to the governors informing them of their removal.
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An
@theipaper
exclusive: The salary threshold at which graduates start repaying their student loans is set to drop from £27,295 a year to £25,000. Universities are also expecting repayment term to go from 30 to 40 years
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Williamson is getting heat about 1) no "catch-up" plan for students, particularly over summer 2) delays over laptops 3) decision not to make free school meals vouchers available over summer.
Gov will have to address all three soon, and wouldn't be surprised to see U-turn on 3.
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An
@theipaper
exclusive: Grammar schools in England have less than a quarter of the proportion of disadvantaged pupils compared to non-selective schools
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Studying languages should be made compulsory at key stage 4 to reverse the long-term decline in language learning, according to
@HEPI_news
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@theipaper
A letter obtained by
@theipaper
also shows that the diocese “dictated” a statement to the headteacher of John Fisher School last Wednesday, which he was supposed to use to cancel the event.
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An
@Cambridge_Uni
college has said it will offer free places for students from the poorest families by fully funding ALL their education and living costs
@theipaper
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Breaking: Covid absences at state schools in England increase even further. 415,000 students did not attend school last Thursday due to Covid - 100k more than two weeks earlier
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Exclusive
@Telegraph
: The UK should host an international summit in London to make sure AI does not have a “disastrous” impact on humanity, senior MPs have said
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"School grounds should be as safe as necessary, but not as safe as possible... a child getting a few bumps and bruises as part of their play experience can be a good thing" > wholeheartedly agree with this piece from
@LTL_Outdoors
@tes
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The
@LibDems
have written to the Government calling for all children eligible for free school meals to receive vouchers throughout all school holidays. New edu spokesperson
@libdemdaisy
said: “We’re potentially in an even worse situation this autumn than we were six months ago.."
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Taylor: "We initially advised against cancelling exams".
This is pretty damaging stuff for the Government.
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This bit telling schools to have "robust contingency plans" in place if they're worried about Brexit affecting medical supplies for SEND pupils is also not terribly reassuring:
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Absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted in the Specialist Journalism category
@pressgazette
British Journalism Awards, alongside many brilliant
@theipaper
colleagues.
Congratulations to
@theipaper
journalists
@janemerrick23
@whazell
@Victoria_Spratt
@RhiannonJudithW
@alicevjones
&
@samcunningham
for their nominations in the
@pressgazette
British Journalism awards:
See if you can keep up with the info in this video:
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JOURNALIST REQUEST: Are you a teacher who qualified, spent some time teaching, left for a bit (for whatever reason- family, to pursue other career etc), then returned? Do you know someone who meets this description? If so I would love to speak to you/them. Pls contact me!
@tes
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A dossier has revealed almost 40 incidents of MPs & councillors being targeted with disruptive protest by pro-Palestinian activists
@Telegraph
can reveal
Govt adviser
@LordWalney
calls it a “litany of menace” highlighting a “clear pattern of intimidation”
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Unions (AEP, GMB, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, NSEAD, Prospect, UNISON and Unite) have called on Government to “step back” from 1 June date for reopening schools in England and “work with us to create the conditions for a safe return to schools”.
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Former cabinet minister told me over the summer that what they saw as Sunak’s tendency to get “snippy” and “stroppy” would be “f*cking dangerous” in an election campaign.
Last weekend we reported Sunak is getting tetchy in No10… judge for yourself at that presser
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@amandalees
Hi Amanda, I'm the Education Correspondent at the i. I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's experience. Should you wish to talk about it email is will.hazell
@inews
.co.uk and DMs open.
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Response from DfE suggests Gov is digging its heels in (at least for now): "The national voucher scheme is no longer in operation." Basically arguing holiday provision no longer needed with schools open.
Wonder whether that would change with another
@MarcusRashford
campaign...
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"We’re trying to find that balance between the obvious poo jokes and a really potted history of the Restoration of the Monarchy.”
@greg_jenner
of
#HorribleHistories
is launching 15 minute history lessons on
@BBCr4today
for families in lockdown
@theipaper
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Absolutely chuffed to bits to have been shortlisted for specialist journalist and Scoop of the Year at the British Journalism Awards - particularly given the other journalists and stories shortlisted
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He expressed surprise at recent claims from Sunak that he was fully behind the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill: “It’s good to see him coming around to see that... because that doesn’t quite reflect the experience I’ve had of the Treasury in the last year and a half,”
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And most ominously for the PM, this group didn’t believe he’d be able to fix a broken NHS.
“Rishi Sunak is rich, he can’t possibly understand what it is to have nothing, to be desperately poorly and not to be able to see a doctor … so no, I don’t trust him to look after it.”
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His mother passed away last year, so he is currently in care.
“Literally now I’m stuck It’s just been such a difficult journey, and now this. I don’t know what to do.”
His school have been supportive, but they're equally in the dark, don't know whether he has grounds to appeal.
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An
@theipaper
exclusive:
@barbara_winton
, the daughter of Sir Nicholas Winton, who helped organise the Kindertransport, has said that the UK Government’s response to Ukrainian refugees is “completely inadequate”
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Just catching up on
@nadhimzahawi
interview on BBC Breakfast. Was asked what attendance was last week, and gave incorrect answer. Said: “We had 91% of children across both primary and secondary attending".
That was start of term- fell to 89.5% last week
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Had a journalist's bad dream last night: had the astonishing exclusive that Peter Mandelson had been appointed the new manager of Burnley (I know, no clue) but got scooped on it because I kept repeatedly screwing up my tweet breaking the story.
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"The Treasury in my experience seems to want to try and keep the EU happy, when I’ve always felt our focus should be on working to deliver for the people of the United Kingdom and do what’s right by them as their sovereign government."
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BREAKING:
@MarcusRashford
petition on extending free school meals to the holidays has smashed 100,000 in a single day - looks like it's going to get debated in Parliament
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My original story on MP knighthood inflation here
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He was "so confident". And then he went to get his results yesterday.
BCE.
Manchester was unable to accept him. He applied through Clearing but the unis he was interested in told him “with your E grade we literally can’t even give you an offer”.
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CEOs of the three most advanced AI companies in the world say the technology could lead to the extinction of the human race.
Stand back for a moment and consider how extraordinary that is.
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“Large outbreaks are possible over a time period of weeks, so could peak towards the end of the term”. This would “coincide with the Christmas and New Year period posing a significant risk to both extended families and local communities”...
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