LearningToWidow

I am barely 10 weeks into this grieving lark. Unexpected, sudden, brutal loss of my husband, best friend and love of my life. I had no idea it was possible to feel such pain. I don't think I will tweet much, but am here. So deeply sad for you all as I learn from your #Grief.

@faisalislam Why is Jenrick allowed to grandstand on everything and talk two women down all the time. Dreadful performance tonight Faisal.

Newsnight coming up shortly BBC Two 2230 Featuring The Chancellor Rachel Reeves Reform Treasury Spokesman Robert Jenrick Gillian Tett and Thangam Debonnaire On what’s being called the most pro European speech by a Cabinet minister since Brexit ON energy prices & Trump intelligence official resigns…

@CoachDanGo 'Lazy' is rather judgemental dont you think.

A hill I'm willing to die on: Going for a morning walk is the single best health habit that 90% of people are too lazy to do.

@riversorare @LizWebsterSBF And they started out as loans to cover their education only - not to fund other public services. That is what taxation is for.

@riversorare @LizWebsterSBF They weren't 'stupidly' taken on. It was the only way to go - via one national scheme ' unless you are from a super wealthy family.

Sir Anthony Seldon is bang on 👏 Young people are being squeezed from every angle: fewer graduate jobs, AI disruption, rising debt. Wipe student debt. Fund it through general taxation. Give Martin Lewis space to help design a fair solution. There are no “dead-end” courses, only dead-end thinking that closes culture off from the country. “Education is the liberation of the soul and the human mind.”

@andrewcrisanto @PeterStefanovi2 And ripping off young people, who already pay income tax in the usual way once they get jobs. Student loans should never be seen as a means of raising income other public services. Totally unfair

@PeterStefanovi2 This is simply awful as it appears student loans are now being relied upon to fund and balance the state budget...

BREAKING: ‘We can't fix everything at once' On #BBCBreakfast Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson was asked whether the Government will review Plan 2 student loans taken out by nearly six million graduates between 2012 and 2023

@PeterStefanovi2 Student loans are supposed to be about paying back an agreed loan.... not about contributing extra to fund the cost of other public services. That is taxation - which graduates also pay like everyone else. Just ripping off the kids.

Jeez. This is awful. Well done Victoria Derbyshire for not letting it go #StudentLoansScandal

@PeterStefanovi2 @TrevorPTweets Kicking the can down the road. Not dealing with this is storing up terrible problems for public finances in the future - and for peoples lives and wellbeing. Address it now.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson tells @TrevorPTweets it's 'really hard' to look at how to lower Plan 2 student loan repayments, given the 'shape of the public finances

@NLeesy @PeterStefanovi2 Fees are £9535 a year. Some courses are long. The rest is a means tested govt loan for astronomical rents/food etc. So the less well-off you are the biggger the loan, the bigger the debt. And yes, students can, and many already do, work part time to help cover living costs.

@PeterStefanovi2 For clarification How much of the debt is fees ??

This absolutely shocking scandal has got to end

@TheBritLad It is all a moot point. Angeliki is the far better candidate for the area than either of them. That is where the effort should be going. Hannah's presence must not dilute that.

🚨BREAKING: Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer claims to be a "working-class" plumber who left school at 16.. but official Trafford Council documents reveal her partner is an Associate Principal Scientist at AstraZeneca (Macclesfield site)! She lists herself as "Plumber and Gas Engineer" while her spouse/partner pulls in a senior Big Pharma salary (more than £75k+ per year). Lives in Hale, Manchester's luxurious area. Is this the authentic "local grafter" the Greens are pushing for Gorton and Denton? Or just another champagne socialist?

@AndyBurnhamGM Oh dear Andy. I do wish you wouldn't.

I have today written to the Chair of Labour’s National Executive Committee seeking permission to enter the selection process for a candidate for the forthcoming Gorton and Denton by-election. Read my letter here.👇🏻

If you want to see Michelle Mone kicked out of the House of Lords and arrested until she pays the £232,000,000 she owes give this a RT. If you want Rishi Sunak's involvement in the £14,900,000,000 PPE Fraud he covered up investigated, LIKE.

@Tinn7Jacqueline I am so sorry. What a terrible loss.

@_jaylawrence @DamianLow3 Thankyou.

@to_widow @DamianLow3 You can effectively do that anyway. You can use salary sacrifice to reduce your taxable income, which is what is used to calculate student loan repayment. Pension contributions come out of your salary before student loan.

State pension age could rise to 74. Male life expectancy in areas such as Blackpool is 73 years. Something needs to change.

@_jaylawrence @DamianLow3 I worry that younger generations' outgoings are just too high to save. Can we agree to write off student loan/interest repayments early, in exchange for commitments to personal pension scheme contributions? I feel it would be a govt saving in the long term.

@DamianLow3 Yes, save for retirement. The earlier you start, the bigger the benefit of compounding. When the state pension was first introduced, the average life expectancy in retirement was just two years. People should take more personal accountability for their future

@GrievingBloke You are both amazing. Well done you.

Our girl just got a shining school report. I’m progressing at work too. Today we’re going to Italy for the summer again. Even going to drive for the first time on those crazy roads. I don’t know how we’ve got here, kind of surprised by our resilience. #grief

@GrievingBloke I am older than you but still maybe 25+ years to go yet and would like to think that I am open to that not being alone. If it helps you, I do firmly believe we have capacity to love more than one person - even when we still love our originals. Life will reveal itself. Xx

Lately, I’ve found myself frequently pondering about how strange it is to be in love with a dead person. The idea of not being alone forever is appealing. I just don’t think it’s possible for me to be with anyone else. No one is as pretty, sweet, funny. No one is you. #grief

@Thehullboy1 Am very honoured to donate - what an extraordinary achievement. Note for everyone, Marcus's gofundme link is in his bio. It takes 2 mins and, like me, you can do it sitting comfortably from your own sofa!

Well the final two weeks of the challenge is here. Thank you so much for all the love and support, been a mad adventure. £39,000 raised for mind ❤️

@DavidMcLachla19 Take care of yourself too. Its a lovely day here today. To be enjoyed.

@to_widow Good to hear from you. Hope you are keeping well, and are adjusting to widowhood as much as anyone (women and men) can. Please take care and remember to be kind to yourself 😘🙏🫶

I stopped coming here several months ago. The 'politics' (if you can call it that) was making me anxious and wound up. I am alot better for it. I still pop in to check on how my #grief pals are doing tho. I felt like saying hi today. It seems we are all adapting bit by bit. Hugs.

@mooramana Hi Karen. I am glad things are 'settling' for you. I am nearly 3 years in. I still miss him every day, always will, but the last few months have been so much better. I can look ahead now, and truly believe that I will make something of my life. Take care.

@to_widow Hello! Nice to hear from you. I’m 18 months widowed. Where I am today I couldn’t even imagine never mind contemplate in the early days. Life continues its a different rhythm but it’s generally good. Still have the odd difficult days but they’re much less. Hope you’re doing ok?