The Verdict: Electric car charging points and money saving tips for 2024
Our reporters hit the streets to talk to the public in our major cities across the UK about the news making the headlines this week. In this episode, we look at Ofsted inspections, electric car charging points and money saving tips for 2024.
Transcript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 Welcome to The Verdict on the Street, the show that
00:14 listens to its audience.
00:17 We're going to take some of the hottest topics
00:19 out onto the streets of Britain to ask you
00:22 what you think of them.
00:24 In a world that seems full of experts,
00:26 sometimes it's the opinions of the people on the street
00:29 that really matter.
00:30 So, great British public, it's over to you.
00:35 We send our reporters out into a number of cities across the UK
00:38 armed only with a camera and a microphone
00:40 to ask simply, what do you think?
00:42 Here's what's coming up on this week's agenda.
00:49 After Ofsted halts inspections to retrain staff,
00:52 we ask if teachers are under too much pressure.
00:55 Does a lack of rapid charges put you off electric cars?
00:59 And what are your tips to cut costs in 2024?
01:06 So we'll start this week with education,
01:09 because routine school inspections in the spring term
01:11 from Ofsted will begin later in January
01:14 to accommodate mental health awareness training
01:16 for inspectors in the first week of term.
01:19 This comes after a coroner ruled the inspection of headteacher
01:23 Ruth Perry's school had contributed to her death.
01:27 Inspections had been suspended, leaving only emergency
01:30 safeguarding visits going ahead as pupils returned to school
01:33 in England this week.
01:36 In the aftermath of Miss Perry's death,
01:38 there were calls from headteachers
01:39 across the country for a review of the way Ofsted operated.
01:44 Her sister, Professor Julia Waters,
01:46 previously said Miss Perry had experienced
01:48 the worst day of her life after inspectors reviewed the school.
01:52 So do you think the whole school inspection system
01:55 is due for a complete overhaul, and are our teachers
01:58 under too much pressure?
01:59 My ex-wife, she used to get inspected by Ofsted,
02:07 and they were so strict, unbelievably strict.
02:12 So I think they are under massive pressure, really do.
02:16 Yeah.
02:17 Take your chill pill a little bit, you know.
02:19 I have four children, and they go to different schools.
02:22 So I know.
02:24 So I'm talking from a standpoint of, and I know what goes on.
02:28 Some of the pressure, they model it up.
02:30 By the end of the day, they are there for a purpose.
02:33 If they are not allowed to do their job effectively,
02:35 it makes no sense.
02:36 I don't know enough about education,
02:38 and I don't know enough about inspection.
02:40 And I suspect that the inspections were
02:42 started for a good reason, but that's no reason
02:44 to continue to do the same thing.
02:47 The case with Ruth Perry was just awful,
02:49 really awful, and lessons have to be learned.
02:52 I'm not well-placed to know what those lessons are,
02:54 but the data that's given, I'm not sure anything
02:59 would be worth a life.
03:00 In 2023, head teacher Ruth Perry took her own life
03:04 after an Ofsted inspection rated her school inadequate.
03:07 A month ago, a coroner ruled the primary school's rating
03:10 downgrade was a contributory factor in her death.
03:13 Now, Ofsted's new boss, Martin Oliver,
03:15 has bowed to the pressure from teaching unions
03:17 to halt in-person inspections.
03:20 Oliver has promised an inquiry into Ruth's death
03:23 and said inspections will not resume until assessors have
03:25 been properly trained in protecting
03:27 the well-being of school staff.
03:29 Do you support the decision?
03:31 Are teachers under too much pressure?
03:33 And what could ensure school standards instead?
03:35 There's hope now for the future.
03:37 The new head of Ofsted, he's an ex-teacher,
03:40 and he's done a lot of good work in schools.
03:42 He's very appreciated.
03:43 He knows exactly what the worries and the concerns
03:48 were when an inspection was coming up.
03:51 So I think that change in leadership,
03:53 he's acknowledged the fact it was awful.
03:56 And this one word, you know, one word sums everything up.
04:01 No, it's not 100% bad or something like that.
04:04 I know we're in Wales and we don't have Ofsted.
04:06 I think it's Estyn.
04:07 And so I'm not sure whether that's affected or not.
04:10 But I'm not even sure of what the head teachers are
04:13 meant to be having to do to get through their Ofsted and Estyn
04:17 reports.
04:18 But whatever it is, it must be awful for somebody
04:20 to just take their own life.
04:22 It's horrendous.
04:23 So I think maybe all of Great Britain should stop.
04:26 What the Scottish--
04:27 I don't know what the Scots use.
04:29 But maybe everybody should think about it
04:31 and rethink the kind of criteria these schools have got
04:33 to be following.
04:34 Because it's not on, is it?
04:35 If someone is doing that, it's just something wrong with it.
04:38 So yeah, it'd probably be a good idea for everybody
04:40 to stop them and make them a little bit less severe
04:43 for the schools to have to follow.
04:45 Because that is just unacceptable.
04:48 I'm sure there are plenty of ways in which they can both
04:52 modify their approach, possibly even change their assessments.
04:58 And most of all, how they make that known to the head
05:02 and to the wider public.
05:09 Next, we'll hit the road and look at electric cars.
05:12 Because the RAC have warned that the target
05:14 for the number of high-powered electric vehicle charge points
05:17 near motorways has been missed.
05:20 With only four in 10 service stations having at least six
05:23 rapid chargers, does it put you off buying an electric car?
05:27 Do you think that there needs to be put more effort
05:33 into electric vehicles?
05:34 It's probably not best thought to be about electric vehicles.
05:36 I am dead against them.
05:38 Absolutely dead against them.
05:39 Everybody I know who's got one, I just look at them and think,
05:42 oh my goodness, I'm not having one
05:44 unless I'm going to be actually forced into it.
05:46 So I don't care one way or the other.
05:50 If they haven't got enough, I really don't care.
05:51 Yeah, I understand if you've got an electric vehicle,
05:53 it's a problem.
05:54 It's an issue.
05:55 But I just don't like them.
05:56 And I feel people are being forced into it.
05:58 And they're going to regret it a bit like we were all
06:00 forced into buying diesel vehicles about 10 years ago,
06:03 challenged by the government.
06:04 Oh, you've got to go diesel.
06:05 It's the best way.
06:06 And then being reprimanded by it by bringing in the cost
06:10 and let it down.
06:11 Still got a bit concerned about range anxiety, I think.
06:15 I'd be worried.
06:16 At least when you've got a petrol car,
06:17 you can see the fuel going down.
06:18 And you know any filling station, you can just fill up.
06:21 And that's fine.
06:22 I'd be a bit worried going down the motorway if suddenly I
06:25 lost my charge.
06:26 And then so early days, I think, for me,
06:29 is what I'm concerned about electric cars.
06:31 It's hard for that technology to keep up with the demand.
06:35 I think it's a good thing in the sense
06:37 that we're moving away from fossil fuels.
06:40 I think we also need to revolutionise the culture of how
06:43 people travel.
06:44 And if we get a hold of public transport and trains,
06:47 we could completely revolutionise that.
06:50 I don't have an electric car.
06:52 I do have a petrol-driven car, which I don't use very much
06:56 at the moment.
06:57 Like, I'm interested in using more public transport.
07:00 But no, I'm not concerned by that.
07:04 Well, I am concerned, but for other people's benefit,
07:07 that I'm not affected by it at the moment.
07:10 I'm thinking of buying a new car in the next two years.
07:13 I'd probably go for a hybrid.
07:15 I've got an old diesel.
07:16 So that really does need to go.
07:18 It's an expensive investment.
07:20 I'd probably need to do my research before making
07:22 any big decisions.
07:24 I'm not massively educated in that area.
07:28 I think electric vehicles are great.
07:30 What's not to like?
07:31 But again, I'm not an expert.
07:33 It seems like it's a good idea.
07:35 It seems like it's better for the environment.
07:37 Obviously, if they were cheaper, even better.
07:39 Maybe just change their habits.
07:40 Instead of driving their car all the time,
07:43 perhaps just drive their car when it's extremely necessary
07:46 to commute to areas that it's hard to get to.
07:50 And the areas that you can easily get to,
07:52 you could swap to trains, trams, instead of using the car.
07:58 I'm not in favour of electric vehicles.
08:00 I don't think they have the infrastructure
08:02 to cope with them yet.
08:04 Also, the after sales,
08:06 I don't think, you know, the depreciation on them.
08:11 I think it's a no-no just yet.
08:13 Ways of making improvements, right?
08:16 That's what people are looking at.
08:17 Because if you say electric is the future,
08:21 then I think all of us should be on deck
08:24 to make sure we achieve that.
08:25 And since we're kind of lagging in a way,
08:28 you know, we need to devote more effort.
08:31 (upbeat music)
08:36 - Finally, did you overspend this Christmas
08:39 or did you cut back a little?
08:41 With the cost of living crisis still looming large,
08:43 what are your tips for cutting costs in 2024?
08:47 - Cost of living crisis, I don't think it can get much worse.
08:53 Do I have any budgeting tips?
08:56 Not particularly, although I am a member
08:57 of a frugal site on Facebook,
08:59 and there are some people out there
09:01 that have got some amazing hacks.
09:03 You know, no spend months, yellow stickered items
09:06 from shops, big fan of that.
09:08 And perhaps just testing in terms of food,
09:11 which I think is something you can't really reduce.
09:14 Trying to find stuff that's nutritious,
09:17 try different recipes.
09:18 - DJ, what am I gonna do?
09:20 - Oh, I don't know.
09:21 Go visit your fans and family and catch a few meals, yeah.
09:26 (laughs)
09:30 - Do not spend money because you are looking at the payday,
09:35 well, spend money as if you are already in debt.
09:38 And with that, you will never overspend, you understand?
09:43 So that's one of the things I like doing,
09:48 whether it's payday or not payday.
09:50 I don't really look forward to my payday.
09:53 That's one of the tricks and mistakes people make.
09:57 - I've always made a point of,
09:59 I don't sort of buy expensive ready meals
10:01 and things like that.
10:02 I'll cook from scratch and things.
10:03 And that's quite easy to do things like that.
10:05 I don't have the heating on all day long.
10:07 I'm quite happy to put an extra layer of clothing on
10:10 and that can make a difference if you don't, you know.
10:12 And little simple things around the house,
10:13 like you don't boil a full kettle
10:15 when you're just making a cup of coffee.
10:16 It's just tiny things can make a difference really.
10:20 - I can't see how it will.
10:22 Maybe next year it might get a bit better,
10:25 but I can't see how it's gonna be any better this year.
10:27 I mean, everything's just doubled
10:28 and it's just ridiculous.
10:30 And I can't see how this year is gonna be any different
10:32 unless something drastic happens.
10:33 And I can't see that being the case.
10:36 - I would say the best budgeting tip I have
10:39 is to ask myself the question, do I need this?
10:42 If I don't need it, I don't get it.
10:46 And I always put a portion of my salary away,
10:49 no matter how much I was earning,
10:50 a portion of it went away, even if it was a small amount.
10:53 - Dry beans, cooking pots of stews,
10:58 bean stews, you know, do your Sunday roast,
11:03 but make it bigger to last longer.
11:05 And freeze food, yeah, you have to, yeah,
11:11 go get that survivalism book.
11:13 - I don't get affected by it.
11:16 My income is much the same all the time.
11:18 So, you know, I'm a pensioner, of course,
11:20 so it just comes and it goes in the bank
11:24 and I spend it as and when I need it.
11:26 - I would say, our thing is food in our house.
11:29 We have two children and my husband does all the cooking,
11:33 so that's really good.
11:34 But I think it's, you know, just go out
11:37 and buy your fresh food from your local people.
11:39 And, you know, you could do, for us, it's like meal planning.
11:43 That's a really good way of budgeting, I think.
11:45 You know what I mean?
11:45 Bring in lunches at lunchtime and yeah,
11:50 cook your nice fresh food and it does really help.
11:52 (upbeat music)
11:55 (upbeat music)
11:57 (upbeat music)