Our political class is a joke!

Kohoutek

If you look at the people that are 'governing' the country, it's truly shocking how little 'real world' or business/private sector experience there is! It certainly explains a lot of Labour's policies.

I know Cameron and Osborne are guilty too (but the rest of the shadow cabinet is a little better), but Labour's team are people that are basically all the same in terms of background. I thought 'diversity' was one of Labour's buzzwords!

Brown: Brief stint as academic, three years as TV journalist, MP from 1983

Darling: Member of Lothian Regional Council 1982-1987, MP from 1987.

Milliband: Research fellow at various thinktanks 1989-1994, Policy Advisor to Tony Blair 1994-1997, MP from 1997.

Straw: Member of Inner London Education Authority, Political Advisor to Wilson government, MP from 1977.

Mandelson: Councillor, TV producer, special advisor, MP from 1997

Alan Johnson: Postman, Union Official, MP from 1997

Hilary Benn: Research for think tank, councillor, MP from 1999

Douglas Alexander: Very brief stint as solicitor, speech writer, MP from 1997

Harriet Harman: Legal advisor for pressure group, MP from 1982

Ed Balls: Journalist, special advisor, MP from 2005

Yvette Cooper: Journalist, special advisor, MP from 1997

The rest are pretty much the same too.

CLAPTON

of course that's right

obviously no-one with any real proven ability, quality and experience would be willing to work for less than £200-300k and would want to travel 1st class and stay at decent hotels

lostinrates

If you look at those commentating, what experience do they and we have?

vaporate

CLAPTON wrote: »

of course that's right

obviously no-one with any real proven ability, quality and experience would be willing to work for less than £200-300k and would want to travel 1st class and stay at decent hotels

Who's that then? lol Certainly not the idiots in that list.

Kohoutek

lostinrates wrote: »

If you look at those commentating, what experience do they and we have?

Well, the thing that amazes me is that all those people have spend their entire careers in local or central government, or things closely connected to government - journalists, special advisors, unions, thinktanks. How can you have effective policy making if all these people have only experienced one perspective of society?

These people have chosen to be professional politicians. I don't think politics should be a profession, it should be a second career.

Business is not represented at all, there is no-one from a science/engineering/technical background, there are not even that many from a professional background - law, medicine. Darling and Alexander had brief stints as lawyers, but not proper careers.

The thing I like about the Tories, ironically apart from Cameron and Osborne themselves, is that the majority of their shadow cabinet have had careers outside politics. In New Labour, the majority have never tried to have a serious career outside government/politics from university, just stepping stones towards power.

To be honest, most probably aren't capable enough to have a career in the private sector, which is probably why they didn't try. Which is scary considering they're running the country.

lostinrates

Kohoutek wrote: »

Well, the thing that amazes me is that all those people have spend their entire careers in local or central government, or things closely connected to government - journalists, special advisors, unions, thinktanks. How can you have effective policy making if all these people have only experienced one perspective of society?

These people have chosen to be professional politicians. I don't think politics should be a profession, it should be a second career.

Business is not represented at all, there is no-one from a science/engineering/technical background, there are not even that many from a professional background - law, medicine. Darling and Alexander had brief stints as lawyers, but not proper careers.

The thing I like about the Tories, ironically apart from Cameron and Osborne themselves, is that the majority of their shadow cabinet have had careers outside politics. In New Labour, the majority have never tried to have a serious career outside government/politics from university, just stepping stones towards power.

To be honest, most probably aren't capable enough to have a career in the private sector, which is probably why they didn't try. Which is scary considering they're running the country.

Most people learn through experience: not all.

I persoanally agree that a balance or some career politicians (after all experience of a pretty huge sector of employment and organisation is pretty important too) and business is preferable. But more importantly people who can research and empathise, who are intellectually capable of drawing on experience beyond their own direct ones. After all: if that were requisite we would all be extraordinarily limited!


My particular gripe is when people tell me I am underrepresented as a woman in parliament. Frankly, boobs and a uterus are not the sum of my worth and experience and need for representation.

Kohoutek

CLAPTON wrote: »

of course that's right

obviously no-one with any real proven ability, quality and experience would be willing to work for less than £200-300k and would want to travel 1st class and stay at decent hotels

I simply meant that literally none of these people have ever been involved in a business at any meaningful level, let alone run a business, or worked in a profession field for any serious length of time.

How can you have effective policy decisions if the people at the top of government have only ever worked in government?

Also, if you mention big money and greed as a negative for the private sector, have you heard of the MP's expenses scandal?

Radiantsoul

Kohoutek wrote: »

I simply meant that literally none of these people have ever been involved in a business at any meaningful level, let alone run a business, or worked in a profession field for any serious length of time.

How can you have effective policy decisions if the people at the top of government have only ever worked in government?

There are a lot of people in business who have never worked in government too.

Kohoutek

Radiantsoul wrote: »

There are a lot of people in business who have never worked in government too.

What's your point?

The government passes laws and regulations that hugely effect businesses and self-employed professionals, like for example contributing toward making the UK tax code the longest in the world.

Businesses doesn't have any legal powers to regulate government. They can lobby if they want, but ultimately politicians and civil servants make policy decisions. That's why I think it's very important to have business represented in government to an extent, and less important, but useful, the other way round.

markharding557

The point is if the business secretary was a businessman and the education minister was a headmaster etc etc then we would have a better qualified government.

aelitaman

markharding557 wrote: »

The point is if the business secretary was a businessman and the education minister was a headmaster etc etc then we would have a better qualified government.

Almost certainly.

We have had a History PHD as Chancellor and look at the mess we are in, is that enough proof.