Day off today. The boy’s school is closed due to NEU teachers being on strike so I’m on DDC, which means blasting through some home learning they’ve given him and then finishing our second run through It Takes Two. My wife’s school (she teaches) is open for exam classes and as her union only made 49% turnout in the strike ballot it would be illegal if she didn’t go in.

This does not sit well with her Midlands mining heritage and Billy Bragg appreciation.

That said, there’s no-one at my client’s office because they’re also home looking after their offspring or they can’t get there because the trains are also on strike. (Weirdly this means they might get more work done today rather than going for a two-hour lunch like they usually do on Wednesdays.)

I fully support the right to strike. Given that most public employees have experienced effective pay cuts due to freezes over the last decade and inflation now (and most of them didn’t get paid enough to begin with) these strikes by all those we lauded as key workers during the pandemic are particularly worthy of our support. Nurses having to rely on foodbanks is a travesty and this government should be ashamed.

It’s a nice day in London. I wonder if the boy wants to hit up a picket line for a sing-a-long?

(Also, make sure you’re registered to vote. That’s going to be important soon.)