Save us from Old Etonians

I have to agree with this article .

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Perhaps if Etonians were banned from ever taking public office, relevant parents might consider sending their children to places with more grounded education.

They should definitely banned .
Not one of ‘em has been any good .

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Or just enshrine in law that only people representative of the population may be in power - so no more rich gits who were born with silver spoons in their mouths and who have absolutely no idea what life is life for the majority of the population :101:

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To be fair I suspect some become MPs for self serving purposes and some, probably the majority, do so for more altruistic reasons
 at least initially.
Then once they spot that trough with all the goodies and perks on offer, they all become as bad as each other, irrespective of their political party.

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I am not entirely convinced that it is Eton that is the source of all your troubles, some might start there and it is certainly a big contributor but I tend to think Oxbridge is a much deeper problem. Perhaps only graduates of red brick universities should be allowed to go into politics.

Margaret Thatcher, Hugh Gaitskell and Harold Wilson for example didn’t go to Eton but they did go to Oxford Uni to mention just three.

Then there is the Cambridge five of Burgess, Mclean, Philby etc

I’m musing to myself: Is it really those institutions like Eton and Oxbridge or is it the office and what it entails that spoils people? In other countries where people without such a background had the chance of doing it better they often failed, some of them completely or even on a catastrophic scale.

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Indeed.

Dennis Skinner served as Member of Parliament for Bolsover from 1970 to 2019.

Every country has its own political system with success and failure stories. What we seem to have in the UK is an assumption that an Old Etonian or Oxbridge Graduate will automatically be the best candidate for specific jobs, despite the somewhat obvious fact that time and time again it is a false premise. Maybe, just maybe, the specific type of arrogance of self belief inculcated in these institutions (which is fine In many ways) is actually contributing to the political failings in the UK system.

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@Dextrous63 ,. Arrogance !!

I think you are right , it is arrogance and also entitlement .
They are entitled from the very start of life and see no reason not to continue in this way .
The rest are after all just plebs .

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I think it should be mandatory that, upon leaving such an “established” place of education, they should undergo a year of living on benefits, with no financial assistance from family or access to their bank accounts. Just a brown envelope put through their letterbox every week (or month) and this is all they have to live on.

Won’t happen of course, but one can hope. :joy:

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In think.theres a case to be made that all MP’s ought to spend time living at the lower end of the wealth ladder on a regular basis for a month or two. How else will they ever understand and act upon empathy?

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Wasn’t there someone years ago who tried it for a week, and couldn’t actually do it? Something vague is coming to mind about that
the guy got derided for it anyway.

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Was it David Cameron ?

Or maybe Michael Portillo a long time ago ?

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Not sure, it doesn’t feel as recent as that


ahh! Thats the one. Portillo! Thanks for looking that up, Muddy!

Well, good for him for trying at least!

Brilliant suggestion Pixie Knuckles. Training in a youth detention centre, work in a food bank. an experience of the real world. Diana, did well to show her sons some of the harsh facts.

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They ran rings around him, who at the time (not sure) was Minister Of Defence. :grin:

I agree Cinderella - Diana seemed more down to earth, and she had compassion and empathy not usually associated with those of a high falutin’ nature. Her sons appear to have kept that with them to some degree.

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