like a SureStart parenting programme? 🤔
March 7, 2025 at 8:42 AM
like a SureStart parenting programme? 🤔
If your response to Blair’s war crimes and 600,000 Iraqi deaths is to do “but SureStart and NHS A&E targets” you may be massively racist
May 28, 2026 at 8:01 AM
If your response to Blair’s war crimes and 600,000 Iraqi deaths is to do “but SureStart and NHS A&E targets” you may be massively racist
Quite the spectacle to see media outlets who've cheered on austerity saying 'oh god, SEND spending is out of control'. Well, if you gut councils, fail to provide local special school spaces, collapse SureStart and leave public/collective transport to rot, that's what happens. Cuts are expensive
October 16, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Quite the spectacle to see media outlets who've cheered on austerity saying 'oh god, SEND spending is out of control'. Well, if you gut councils, fail to provide local special school spaces, collapse SureStart and leave public/collective transport to rot, that's what happens. Cuts are expensive
We used to have SureStart but the Tories shut it down.
March 11, 2025 at 6:43 AM
We used to have SureStart but the Tories shut it down.
This could have been avoided with Surestart
January 22, 2026 at 8:21 AM
This could have been avoided with Surestart
He really is just Blair without even the Surestart centres
🚨 BREAKING: Keir Starmer says he is prepared to take "necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones"
March 1, 2026 at 9:06 PM
He really is just Blair without even the Surestart centres
roaming teams of ethereal briefcase wankers haunting the constituency at night, jumpscaring you on your own doorstep to bang on about SureStart
February 27, 2026 at 12:37 PM
roaming teams of ethereal briefcase wankers haunting the constituency at night, jumpscaring you on your own doorstep to bang on about SureStart
My eldest grandson was born an EU citizen in a functional NHS hospital &went to a #SureStart nursery. Under a Tory govt he lost his EU rights, had Covid 3 times, &his (non-MAT, phew) school& local hospital have RAAC. Now Sunak wants to win my vote by conscripting him? WTAF?
May 26, 2024 at 7:11 AM
My eldest grandson was born an EU citizen in a functional NHS hospital &went to a #SureStart nursery. Under a Tory govt he lost his EU rights, had Covid 3 times, &his (non-MAT, phew) school& local hospital have RAAC. Now Sunak wants to win my vote by conscripting him? WTAF?
Just as one example, the social and economic costs of the Osborne decision to effectively remove SureStart funding are being felt *now* and over the coming decades. If Labour want to reverse that, time to start is now. Similarly for HS2, two-child limit, etc, etc..
August 27, 2024 at 6:52 PM
Just as one example, the social and economic costs of the Osborne decision to effectively remove SureStart funding are being felt *now* and over the coming decades. If Labour want to reverse that, time to start is now. Similarly for HS2, two-child limit, etc, etc..
Dear Labour,
Please stop dicking around. Do a bit of constructive taxation, fund some hospitals and invest in the future. You were elected to be Labour. Resurrect SureStart. Quit using gas to set the energy price. Fund some hospitals…
Be Labour.
Yrs Everyone
Please stop dicking around. Do a bit of constructive taxation, fund some hospitals and invest in the future. You were elected to be Labour. Resurrect SureStart. Quit using gas to set the energy price. Fund some hospitals…
Be Labour.
Yrs Everyone
May 3, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Dear Labour,
Please stop dicking around. Do a bit of constructive taxation, fund some hospitals and invest in the future. You were elected to be Labour. Resurrect SureStart. Quit using gas to set the energy price. Fund some hospitals…
Be Labour.
Yrs Everyone
Please stop dicking around. Do a bit of constructive taxation, fund some hospitals and invest in the future. You were elected to be Labour. Resurrect SureStart. Quit using gas to set the energy price. Fund some hospitals…
Be Labour.
Yrs Everyone
'bring back youth clubs' always sounds a feeble answer to eg knife crime/teen mental health especially if you are of the generation where that meant a pool table + some panda pops but it's not the clubs, it's the qualified youth workers - don't get the love SureStart (RIP etc) did but just as key
NEW: The closure of youth clubs in the 2010s led to increased offending and worse GSCE results.
Teenagers entitled to free school meals were most affected.
Read @carmenvillaecon’s briefing: https://buff.ly/4fIiRK7
Read the working paper: https://buff.ly/3APnHq6
Teenagers entitled to free school meals were most affected.
Read @carmenvillaecon’s briefing: https://buff.ly/4fIiRK7
Read the working paper: https://buff.ly/3APnHq6
November 13, 2024 at 10:10 AM
'bring back youth clubs' always sounds a feeble answer to eg knife crime/teen mental health especially if you are of the generation where that meant a pool table + some panda pops but it's not the clubs, it's the qualified youth workers - don't get the love SureStart (RIP etc) did but just as key
It's completely undermined local government in the eyes of voters who used to get libraries, SureStart, weekly bin collections etc...
Exacerbated by the Conservatives' decision to allow council tax to rise while cutting grants.
Exacerbated by the Conservatives' decision to allow council tax to rise while cutting grants.
October 22, 2024 at 4:15 PM
It's completely undermined local government in the eyes of voters who used to get libraries, SureStart, weekly bin collections etc...
Exacerbated by the Conservatives' decision to allow council tax to rise while cutting grants.
Exacerbated by the Conservatives' decision to allow council tax to rise while cutting grants.
"the kind of start... they deserve"
So free school meals for all
Massive investment in public schools
Reinstate surestart (or equivalent)
Invest in youth clubs
Back into ERASMUS
What's that Nigel? Oh, none of that, you just want sound bites to make people angry. OK.
So free school meals for all
Massive investment in public schools
Reinstate surestart (or equivalent)
Invest in youth clubs
Back into ERASMUS
What's that Nigel? Oh, none of that, you just want sound bites to make people angry. OK.
September 15, 2025 at 12:53 PM
"the kind of start... they deserve"
So free school meals for all
Massive investment in public schools
Reinstate surestart (or equivalent)
Invest in youth clubs
Back into ERASMUS
What's that Nigel? Oh, none of that, you just want sound bites to make people angry. OK.
So free school meals for all
Massive investment in public schools
Reinstate surestart (or equivalent)
Invest in youth clubs
Back into ERASMUS
What's that Nigel? Oh, none of that, you just want sound bites to make people angry. OK.
Free entry to endless museums, many of them world-class - probably Labour's joint best-ever policy (Surestart being the other). You don't realise what a societal privilege that is until you're asked for 15-20€ to go into one in many places in Europe.
June 17, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Free entry to endless museums, many of them world-class - probably Labour's joint best-ever policy (Surestart being the other). You don't realise what a societal privilege that is until you're asked for 15-20€ to go into one in many places in Europe.
Family hubs are quite different to SureStart centres. They have a lot less money and cover a wider age group with a different range of support offers.
July 7, 2025 at 7:03 AM
Family hubs are quite different to SureStart centres. They have a lot less money and cover a wider age group with a different range of support offers.
NHS thriving after record investment, EMA and Surestart effective in pre school and 16-18, child tax credits, active members of EU, stable government, respected abroad, a credible serious Opposition
We don't want a return to that nonsense.
We don't want a return to that nonsense.
Kemi Badenoch says the Tories are "not trying to recreate 2006" which, to this 38 year old, is a pity
January 28, 2026 at 12:48 PM
NHS thriving after record investment, EMA and Surestart effective in pre school and 16-18, child tax credits, active members of EU, stable government, respected abroad, a credible serious Opposition
We don't want a return to that nonsense.
We don't want a return to that nonsense.
The issue is that as a nation we're completely fixated on austerity and spending cuts as a solution. They don't work.
Most of the services cut - SureStart, addiction treatment, vaccination - turns out they all actually prevented more expensive, later intervention.
Most of the services cut - SureStart, addiction treatment, vaccination - turns out they all actually prevented more expensive, later intervention.
October 30, 2025 at 8:57 AM
The issue is that as a nation we're completely fixated on austerity and spending cuts as a solution. They don't work.
Most of the services cut - SureStart, addiction treatment, vaccination - turns out they all actually prevented more expensive, later intervention.
Most of the services cut - SureStart, addiction treatment, vaccination - turns out they all actually prevented more expensive, later intervention.
👏 Naomi Smith, Best for Britain CEO:
🚨 “It’s no surprise Reform UK’s supporters recognise they’ve been let down by a failed economic consensus, but they need reminding it was politicians in Westminster, not Brussels, who chose to shut SureStart centres and drag their heels on building homes"
🚨 “It’s no surprise Reform UK’s supporters recognise they’ve been let down by a failed economic consensus, but they need reminding it was politicians in Westminster, not Brussels, who chose to shut SureStart centres and drag their heels on building homes"
Reform UK backed Brexit fails supporters
A closer relationship with the EU will create needed economic opportunities to repair Brexit damage and deliver on voter
www.bestforbritain.org
June 2, 2026 at 11:40 AM
👏 Naomi Smith, Best for Britain CEO:
🚨 “It’s no surprise Reform UK’s supporters recognise they’ve been let down by a failed economic consensus, but they need reminding it was politicians in Westminster, not Brussels, who chose to shut SureStart centres and drag their heels on building homes"
🚨 “It’s no surprise Reform UK’s supporters recognise they’ve been let down by a failed economic consensus, but they need reminding it was politicians in Westminster, not Brussels, who chose to shut SureStart centres and drag their heels on building homes"
Such a crime, South Tyneside was a leader in the provision of integrated care in the years before SureStart. Clearly the Reform vandals are too dumb to understand that the £1.1 million they are spending now would save the Council over £7 million in 15?years time.
September 24, 2026 at 7:37 PM
Such a crime, South Tyneside was a leader in the provision of integrated care in the years before SureStart. Clearly the Reform vandals are too dumb to understand that the £1.1 million they are spending now would save the Council over £7 million in 15?years time.
SureStart was such an important programme, so this is great news, can Labour get recognition for it? @bylinetimes.bsky.social
Sure Start is coming back.
The Labour government is to open 1000 Best Start Family Hubs covering every local authority. The first will be in place by April 2026 & all by 2028.
They will combine existing Family Hubs & the Start for Life programme & also cover areas without these services.
1/2
The Labour government is to open 1000 Best Start Family Hubs covering every local authority. The first will be in place by April 2026 & all by 2028.
They will combine existing Family Hubs & the Start for Life programme & also cover areas without these services.
1/2
Government revives family services, supporting 500,000 more kids
Up to 1,000 Best Start Family Hubs to be rolled out across the country to provide wide-ranging help for families, such as parenting and early development.
www.gov.uk
July 6, 2025 at 7:40 AM
SureStart was such an important programme, so this is great news, can Labour get recognition for it? @bylinetimes.bsky.social
My eldest was born just as Cameron got in, they closed the SureStart centres and the Junior ISAs. All of the progress, halted. I was naive and thought it was a strange little blip.
September 20, 2026 at 8:44 AM
My eldest was born just as Cameron got in, they closed the SureStart centres and the Junior ISAs. All of the progress, halted. I was naive and thought it was a strange little blip.
Or we could bring back SureStart, which was proven to work and save money; along with youth clubs and other opportunities for older kids to meet and socialise without needing to be wealthy.
But easier to blame the parents I guess 🤨
But easier to blame the parents I guess 🤨
Parents in England and Wales could be fined or jailed for child’s crimes, minister says
Parents in England and Wales could be fined or jailed for child’s crimes, minister says
Jake Richards says changes would be part of ‘carrot-and-stick’ approach to try to turn around young offenders
Parents whose children commit crimes could lose their benefits, face fines and even be jailed, a minister has said.
Jake Richards said the youth justice system “should hold parents to account in a proportionate way for ensuring that they play their role in keeping communities safe”. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
September 19, 2026 at 10:15 AM
Or we could bring back SureStart, which was proven to work and save money; along with youth clubs and other opportunities for older kids to meet and socialise without needing to be wealthy.
But easier to blame the parents I guess 🤨
But easier to blame the parents I guess 🤨
As a neighbourhood police officer at the outset of surestart, it was obvious to the police the benefits surestart would deliver even then at those early stages. An act of criminal negligence to abandon it and sheer incompetence not to reintroduce it sooner
May 22, 2025 at 10:02 AM
As a neighbourhood police officer at the outset of surestart, it was obvious to the police the benefits surestart would deliver even then at those early stages. An act of criminal negligence to abandon it and sheer incompetence not to reintroduce it sooner
It's not "the way they learn", it's their families.
A lot of families just don't encourage their children and don't have serious ambitions for them.
This is what the research shows. And ask any teacher.
#wato
A lot of families just don't encourage their children and don't have serious ambitions for them.
This is what the research shows. And ask any teacher.
#wato
October 20, 2025 at 12:39 PM