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AIBU?

To Worry that mmost of the Cabinet have not had a real job outside Politics?

40 replies

galletti · 13/05/2010 12:37

That's it really, following on from the Oxbridge thread.

OP posts:
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cupcakesandbunting · 13/05/2010 12:43

YANBU. It's akin to giving someone a job as a heart surgeon because they read a book about it in some dusty library aeons ago. Nope. Not good enough, but I'm sure there will be some that disagree.

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SoMuchToBits · 13/05/2010 13:16

See, this is where the Playmobil cabinet wins. All members had proper jobs before being MPs, and they have all been given cabinet posts which will make use of their previous experience......

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Nymphadora · 13/05/2010 13:23

This is the worry about them being out of touch. A big issue with all the 'high flyers' too which means they havent even done the crap at the bottom of the ladder.
I ahve a bit of a theory at work that people at the very top should get the job straight from the bottom as management loses touch on the way up.
Lot of jobs follow this rule , teaching, Social Work etc

BTW somuch I loved the Playmobil election.

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LadyBlaBlah · 13/05/2010 13:24

Too young, inexperienced and generally arrogant. YANBU.

DC would not even get a job as a CEO at a FTSE 100 company.

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SoMuchToBits · 13/05/2010 13:27

Being serious this time, I would say it's a bit like teachers who have never done anything else (i.e. they have gone to school, gone to college, then gone straight into teaching when they qualify as a teacher). The best teachers often have a bit of real life experience in other jobs IME.

And thanks, nymphadora.

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MadamDeathstare · 13/05/2010 13:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sarah293 · 13/05/2010 13:28

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LadyBlaBlah · 13/05/2010 13:29

And George Osbourne definitely would not get a CFO job in a FTSE 100 company

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AbsOfCroissant · 13/05/2010 13:35

Yeah, I think it would be better if they had actual experience of the areas they're in charge of.

For example, I truly believe that the education minister should actually have worked/had at least some experience of working in a school.

In my job we do have people writing policies and procedures who have never actually had practical experience of implementing them. It's a nightmare. They have no clue about the potential impact some of the choices they make could have

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B1984 · 13/05/2010 13:45

yanbu
I just cant see all those posh boys really giving a fuck about normal people since theyve never struggled in life.

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ArsMamatoria · 13/05/2010 13:47

Career politicians are worrying - ends up with whipped govts rather than MPs voting on their consciences because they have no career to go back to.

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GetOrfMoiLand · 13/05/2010 13:50

I don't think Geo Osborne would get a job much above the level of departmental finance controller for a provincial manufacturing company. Bless him.

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sarah293 · 13/05/2010 13:51

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AbsOfCroissant · 13/05/2010 14:24

when I was devising fantasy cabinets, should I ever take over the country/world, I always thought along the lines of "I think I'll have [blah] as education minister, as they've been a teacher, and [blah blah] for transport as they hate TfL so much and ranted so much about it I will let them deal with it". Why don't they think like that?

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Nymphadora · 13/05/2010 14:39

Ken Clarke did say he was a lawyer by trade & now in charge of Justice(I think?) he said something about needing a crash course to bring him up to date. Actually sounded like he wanted toknow what he was dealing with

riven think thats the trouble with education!

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CagedBird · 13/05/2010 14:56

YaNBU it's a bloomin travesty never done a hard days graft in their life. Unless you consider pounding the pavement looking for votes.

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Stricnine · 13/05/2010 14:58

I think you'll find that the previous cabinet wasn't over filled with 'people of experience'... it seems to be the way of modern politics !!

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AbsOfCroissant · 13/05/2010 15:13

Jan Moir in the whispers DM had a rather damning article about Egg and Ham, saying that they're career politicians, nothing more, totally fakey fakey

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LadyBlaBlah · 13/05/2010 17:13

Hilarious that the first thing they have done it take a 5% pay cut

That's alright when you've got a personal worth of millions

What a fake and pathetic gesture

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nighbynight · 13/05/2010 17:53

YANBU! I have just made a post about this on the Oxbridge thread.

And what sickens me especially, is that the people with the right integrity and experience, have been squeezed out by this bunch of priviledged rich boys and media sneaks.

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nighbynight · 13/05/2010 17:54

pmsl are Egg and Ham who I think?
did that nickname originate here?

give whoever thought of it a medal anyway.

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cupcakesandbunting · 13/05/2010 18:00

No, it should be Dave and Nick = Dick.

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chandellina · 13/05/2010 18:57

for heaven's sake, stop the sniping! the idea of politicians with experience in other types of work is nice, but the structure doesn't lend itself to people dipping in and out, serving a few years here and there, and not developing the relationships, etc. that help grease any business or professional system.

Do you frown upon professors, experts in their fields, who have never done anything but learn and then teach?

Though I do find it strange that someone can be Chancellor without a background in economics or finance. U.S. Treasury secretaries almost invariably are appointed with a wealth of experience--but then the criticism is that they are creating policy to support their cronies.

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nighbynight · 13/05/2010 19:15

I disagree. There should be loads of ex teachers, ex policemen, scientists, engineers, doctors and farmers in teh house of commons. It is not hard to have 10 years experience in another career before entering the house of commons, and its not unrealistic to expect that the majority of our MPs should have such experience.

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Nymphadora · 13/05/2010 19:39

Think Ham & Egg came from the lefties thread. Ham was v early on election night with egg added later.

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