WOW - real MSEers

StevieJ

Generali wrote: »

You believe John Major never achieved anything? He was a grammar-school boy who had a successful career in banking and was one of (I believe) a handful of men to hold 3 of the 4 great positions of state - Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister (the missing one is Home Secretary). And most importantly he was Chairman of Surrey County Cricket Club for many years as well as writing one of the great books on the history of Cricket.

For my money, he was one of the great over achievers of our age.

Respect :T
Major left school at age 16 in 1959, with three O levels : History, English Language, and English Literature. He later gained three more levels by CC, in the British constitution, mathematics and economics. Shortly after becoming the Prime Minister, when pressed about his precise qualifications, he answered "he couldn't remember" what he had attained. (ashamed )

Then again those 3 'O' levels were the equiv of a 1st from Cambridge in todays money (according to some on this board )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Major

Graham_Devon

BACKFRMTHEEDGE wrote: »

Sorry - I didn't say that. I said that John Major, Maggie and Ted Heath were not toffs. The current shadow cabinet are toffs and so far in their lives have achieved nothing of note.

They have become politicians and gone through education etc.

They have achieved status as the most popular party at the moment.

What exactly do you expect them to have achieved?

What had Tony Blair, Gordon Brown achieved?

Pete111

BACKFRMTHEEDGE wrote: »

What have they done that is disreputable, unethical or unscrupulous and what would have the Tories have done differently?

3 smallish examples do leap to mind

Iraq
The handling of the credit crunch and our 'unique position' beforehand
Europe/The referendum that wasn't


The 1st was pursued on a totally false pretence and cost countless lives (mostly 'liberated' Iraqis but plenty of Brits too) as well as massively damaging our international image. More infuriatingly, we were in the wrong when the French were proved right. Double Ouch.

The 2nd has cost (and is still costing) this country is fiscal stability for decades to come. Apparently Brown was prudent. If that claim has not been brought into disrepute then God help us.

The Third is probably the worst. It has cost Britain its sovereignty.

Oh, and before you once again cry 'What would the Tories have done differently?' Don't bother. Labour are in power and have been for 12 long years. As such, they take 100% of the blame. That's how it works I'm afraid mate.

Roll on May 2010....oh to see your face when the results come in.

Generali

BACKFRMTHEEDGE wrote: »

Sorry - I didn't say that. I said that John Major, Maggie and Ted Heath were not toffs. The current shadow cabinet are toffs and so far in their lives have achieved nothing of note.

I see. I misunderstood your post.

Has the bloke who's worth over a billion quid in the OP achieved nothing? Ok, all he's done so far is make money but he seems to have made a lot of it.

kabayiri

BACKFRMTHEEDGE wrote: »

What have they done that is disreputable, unethical or unscrupulous and what would have the Tories have done differently?

One of my biggest problems with the current government is the erosion of civil liberty, but moreover the significant push to massive centralised databases.

When they commission these projects, they made bold statements about how data gathered wouldn't be used for other purposes. Well that's rubbish. I know of cases where the data has been mined to extrapolate other data.

Once the state loses the respect for the individual you are on a slippery slope.

Eric_Pisch

StevieJ wrote: »

I am sure she was grateful for your encouragement :eek:

As I said to her, qualifications just open the door, after a few years experience is far more important than a bit of paper.

Eric_Pisch

BACKFRMTHEEDGE wrote: »

Well there really is no pleasing some people......

Its basic maths, there's little point increasing the number of active police if they then spend more time doing paper work so that the actual active amount of policing (ie patrolling and responding to incidents) is less than before the increase.

Hats of the police thou it cant be easy for them.

Generali

StevieJ wrote: »

Respect :T
Major left school at age 16 in 1959, with three O levels : History, English Language, and English Literature. He later gained three more levels by CC, in the British constitution, mathematics and economics. Shortly after becoming the Prime Minister, when pressed about his precise qualifications, he answered "he couldn't remember" what he had attained. (ashamed )

Then again those 3 'O' levels were the equiv of a 1st from Cambridge in todays money (according to some on this board )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Major

Perhaps it's just me but in almost any other country in the world, an ordinary bloke becoming PM without the backing of a big power base (not a Old Etonian or a Trade Unionist) would be celebrated - a win for People Power or some such.

In Britain, the journalists were too busy scoffing at Mrs Major for freezing left over cheese.

It summed up to me much of what is wrong with Britain - a failure to recognise real success combined with a sort of snobbery that is as much about raising the level of the snob as it is putting down the scorned.

He was replaced with another identikit Public School-boy turned lawyer, albeit from the Labour benches rather than Tory and he was cheered to the rafters for replacing this failure that had gone before.

StevieJ

Eric_Pisch wrote: »

As I said to her, qualifications just open the door, after a few years experience is far more important than a bit of paper.

It appears that going to the right school trumps experience anyday

Eric_Pisch

StevieJ wrote: »

It appears that going to the right school trumps experience anyday

In the context of the elite upper echelons of society totally, whats the old phrase, its not what you know its who you know, or who you threw up on in the Bullingdon club