u3a

South East London

U3A Current affairs discussion group 30 September 2024

  1. Labour party conference

1.a       Ministers Gifts.

PM will no longer accept donations to pay for clothes

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyvpv1lzq6o

1.b       Scraping the social care cap.

Labour ‘failing a generation’ by scrapping social care cap

https://www.channel4.com/news/labour-failing-a-generation-by-scrapping-social-care-cap

Ditching of social care plan is a tragedy – Dilnot.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3g9m7p199no

1.c       Labour’s employment rights from day one.

Sickness benefit claimants should look for work - PM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y8g5z67lzo

1.d       Winter fuel allowance.

Labour leadership loses conference vote on winter fuel payments

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/sep/25/labour-leadership-loses-conference-vote-on-winter-fuel-payments

1.e       Labour’s housing challenge as planning permission at record low

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn034n47528o

1.f        Too much emphasis on doom and gloom.

Starmer says he knows what's wrong - but can he fix it?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3vk93dnpwpo

Growing unease in NHS about 'broken' messaging, BBC told

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2k0449747o

2. Reform Party conference.

Reform’s conference is all blame, grumpiness – and no idea how to fix things

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/sep/20/reforms-conference-is-all-blame-grumpiness-and-no-ideas-of-to-fix-things

Party conferences 2024: What do Britons think of Reform UK?

https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/50559-party-conferences-2024-what-do-britons-think-of-reform-uk

Reform UK’s Trump-style rally fires up new members

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqjrvl7vkp5o

Nigel Farage channels Eminem, then preaches to the Reform megachurch

https://www.politico.eu/article/nigel-farage-reform-brexit-britain-conservative-far-right

Farage vows to vet Reform candidates 'rigorously' as he sets his sights on becoming PM

https://www.itv.com/news/2024-09-19/reform-to-begin-conference-with-plan-to-win-next-general-election

3. Al Fayed Rape allegations.  

Should rape accused benefit from anonymity? It has been claimed that if victims knew that there were other victims more would come forward.

How Al Fayed built a corrupt system of enablers to carry out his sexual abuse

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8ejd9l00lo

Ex-Harrods boss saw 'abhorrent' behaviour from Fayed

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy807zg8nxyo

We were lambs to the slaughter, says Fayed accuser

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxrg7281e0o

4. University Tuition fees

Raise tuition fees to ease pressure on English universities, says Peter Mandelson

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/sep/25/raise-tuition-fees-to-ease-pressure-on-english-universities-says-peter-mandelson

Unis float £12,500 fees as freshers pack for term

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clywr60d2q7o

5. How were your political views decided?

A grey matter? Nature, nurture and the study of forming political leanings

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/sep/25/a-grey-matter-nature-nurture-and-the-study-of-forming-political-leanings-brain

6. Were we right not to invite Elon Musk to our investment summit?

Musk hits back after being shunned from UK summit

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c756d56d2dro

7. Oxford street regeneration.

The Guardian view on Oxford Street: a pedestrianisation project with legs

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/22/the-guardian-view-on-oxford-street-a-pedestrianisation-project-with-legs

8. Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons.

Putin proposes new rules for using nuclear weapons

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yjej0rvw0o

9. Last of the Evening Standard

Stop press: it is the very last Evening Standard in London today. And that tells us a lot about Britain in 2024

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/19/evening-standard-london-local-paper

10. Organ donation.

    More families refusing to donate relatives' organs

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c511gq5zreyo