Being an MP - an easy job?

[Bob Arctor]

You're letting your political prejudices get the better of you.

 

Or breaching your doctor-patient duty of confidentiality, which is far worse

 

Haha, good one:) If you were playing DSM-V bingo you could probably get a full house with the two front benches alone. My professional memoirs are out later in the year, look out for the chapter on George Osborne's browsing history

[crazyhorse]

The aspect of politics I have the most problem with, is the way that politics is viewed as a career these days.

 

I dislike the way young people with minimal life experience can decide at 18 to go to university to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics, get a job as a researcher for an established MP and subsequently work their way up the ladder.

 

This seems to stifle all individual conviction and spirit, leads to unconvincing defence of the party line, moves our representatives further from the represented and results in poor decisions, not rooted in real world experience.

 

Good politicians are those on whatever side, who have had some life experience, in a job outside politics and have the maturity and courage to forget about the impact on their careers and say what they think.

 

All voters want, is simple, honest answers to their problems from someone who has the experience to understand their situation and the drive to try and do something about it.

 

In the old days people moved into politics because of wanting to make a difference.

Lots of people entered politics in response to seeing their men mowed down in the trenches, their sisters arrested for demanding a say in the country's future or their mates starving on a picket line.

All noble reasons to want to be at Westminster...

...unlike today's route (university, researcher, MP, executive level board position, knighthood).

[El Cid]

 

I dislike the way young people with minimal life experience can decide at 18 to go to university to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics, get a job as a researcher for an established MP and subsequently work their way up the ladder.

 

 

And the rich that dont know what being poor really means.

 

When all the Education Ministers attended private schools, so how would they understand our education system?

Do intelligent people just look down upon unintelligent ordinary people?

 

Sure going to uni means you know lots of stuff, Politics and Philosophy are good subjects for MPs, the one leading them is important.

[crazyhorse]

Going to private school does not automatically correlate with intelligence.

 

A good all round education, a commitment to its continual improvement, some useful life experience, a measure of humility and remaining true to your beliefs usually does result in "intelligent" decisions.

[Harrystottle]

Denis Skinner is 84 years old and he's still an MP. So physically at least, it has to be an extremely easy job. I don't think you get many 84 year old brickies.

[Owethemnowt]

Denis Skinner is 84 years old and he's still an MP. So physically at least, it has to be an extremely easy job. I don't think you get many 84 year old brickies.

 

 

That's why it's Harrystottle and not Aristotle. 'It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it' and you are entertaining.

[Ms Macbeth]

And the rich that dont know what being poor really means.

 

When all the Education Ministers attended private schools, so how would they understand our education system?

Do intelligent people just look down upon unintelligent ordinary people?

 

Sure going to uni means you know lots of stuff, Politics and Philosophy are good subjects for MPs, the one leading them is important.

 

Whatever people think of his policies, Michael Gove went to an ordinary state primary school, but then passed an entrance exam for a fee paying secondary, then eventually went to Oxford. My (much older) cousin had a similar experience many years ago - he passed the entrance exam and went to Gordonstoun. My aunt and uncle lived in a council house, and certainly weren't well off. Although the fees were paid as part of the scholarship, they had to find money for things like uniforms, sports kit etc. So my auntie went out cleaning to earn the extra needed.

 

My cousin had an opportunity that most of us don't get, but none of us grudged it or thought it was wrong. Not every clever or successful adult has come from a privileged background.

[Eater Sundae]

The aspect of politics I have the most problem with, is the way that politics is viewed as a career these days.

 

I dislike the way young people with minimal life experience can decide at 18 to go to university to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics, get a job as a researcher for an established MP and subsequently work their way up the ladder.

 

This seems to stifle all individual conviction and spirit, leads to unconvincing defence of the party line, moves our representatives further from the represented and results in poor decisions, not rooted in real world experience.

 

Good politicians are those on whatever side, who have had some life experience, in a job outside politics and have the maturity and courage to forget about the impact on their careers and say what they think.

 

All voters want, is simple, honest answers to their problems from someone who has the experience to understand their situation and the drive to try and do something about it.

 

In the old days people moved into politics because of wanting to make a difference.

Lots of people entered politics in response to seeing their men mowed down in the trenches, their sisters arrested for demanding a say in the country's future or their mates starving on a picket line.

All noble reasons to want to be at Westminster...

...unlike today's route (university, researcher, MP, executive level board position, knighthood).

 

The current crop can also want to make a difference.

 

They can only do that if they get elected.

 

They see that the most efficient and quickest way of achieving this is to rise within a political party.

 

They may miss out on some experiences by following this rout, but gain others.

[Bob Arctor]

Whatever people think of his policies, Michael Gove went to an ordinary state primary school, but then passed an entrance exam for a fee paying secondary, then eventually went to Oxford. My (much older) cousin had a similar experience many years ago - he passed the entrance exam and went to Gordonstoun. My aunt and uncle lived in a council house, and certainly weren't well off. Although the fees were paid as part of the scholarship, they had to find money for things like uniforms, sports kit etc. So my auntie went out cleaning to earn the extra needed.

 

My cousin had an opportunity that most of us don't get, but none of us grudged it or thought it was wrong. Not every clever or successful adult has come from a privileged background.

 

Michael Gove has spun quite a myth about his school years. He did go to state primaries but went straight to a fee paying secondary, the scholarship was just for sixth form. None of which would matter very much except that he hasn't been very honest about it. He needed the scholarship when his dad's business went under, which he very recently claimed was due to EU fishing quotas, which then turned out to be another untruth. It's this kind of thing that erodes trust in MPs.

[RonJeremy]

Michael Gove has spun quite a myth about his school years. He did go to state primaries but went straight to a fee paying secondary, the scholarship was just for sixth form. None of which would matter very much except that he hasn't been very honest about it. He needed the scholarship when his dad's business went under, which he very recently claimed was due to EU fishing quotas, which then turned out to be another untruth. It's this kind of thing that erodes trust in MPs.

No it didn't - it was typical Grauniad lies, twisting th truth to suit their agenda.

http://order-order.com/2016/06/16/how-remainers-stitched-up-goves-elderly-father/