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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you have even known a member of the government

276 replies

Alexiaridesagain · 09/01/2021 21:07

And what are they like in real life by senior I mean
-Boris
-Priti Patel
-Rishi Sunak
-Dominic Cummings
-gavin Williamson
-Micheal Gove
-etc

OP posts:
Original poster
Alexiaridesagain · 09/01/2021 21:11

Anyone?

OP posts:
deste · 09/01/2021 21:18

Michael Gove went to my DD’s and DS’s school along with Kirsty Blackman and Annalise Dodd’s. One was in DDs class and one in DSs class.

deste · 09/01/2021 21:19

No idea what they were like, sorry. Ambitious I would have thought.

AgeLikeWine · 09/01/2021 21:23

I haven’t met any of the current government, although I met Nicky Morgan a couple of times when she was my MP.

Back in the 90s, however, I was a Labour activist in a very important marginal seat in Derbyshire. I met most of the senior New Labour people, including John Prescott, David Blunkett, Margaret Beckett and on one occasion Tony & Cherie Blair. At the time, Tony knew he was about to become PM, and behaved accordingly. He was more confident and way more charismatic than anyone I have ever met, before or since. Cherie was also hugely impressive, and obviously extremely bright. She was also very attractive in person.

Cloe78 · 09/01/2021 21:26

Keir Starmer when he was a barrister

Original poster
Alexiaridesagain · 09/01/2021 21:33

Thanks for the replies

OP posts:
VestaTilley · 09/01/2021 21:37

Not current ones, but met a lot of Tony Blair’s cabinet during my student politics days.

Tony Blair remains the stand out politician of his generation; his Cabinet’s were impressive, heavyweight and had intellectual depth.

Today’s Parliamentary Labour Party is diabolical in comparison.

Buttercup2021 · 09/01/2021 21:38

Worked on a TfL project with Boris when he was Mayor of London. He was a force of nature and very sharp, but incredibly lazy, and people who worked into him were openly contemptuous. Civil servants are very diplomatic normally so it came as a surprise to me.

Worked with Nick Clegg very briefly in 2010 and would have left my husband for him. Very charismatic and utterly decent man.

Wouldlovetobeinthesun · 09/01/2021 21:51

Yes I know Gerald Howarth. He is an intolerable man but conversely, his wife is incredibly lovely and down to earth.

itsgettingweird · 09/01/2021 21:52

My ds has met Gavin Williamson!

RosesAndHellebores · 09/01/2021 21:55

Yes.
If they weren't decent sorts they wouldn't sit at my table. One or two never will but I'm not going into it on MNet.

AgeLikeWine · 09/01/2021 22:00

I have remembered another one : Keith Vaz. Utterly loathsome, horrible little man. Made my skin crawl.

CherryRoulade · 09/01/2021 22:02

I know Gove and Cummings a little - sat at same table a few times. Gove is personable and quite witty, but a self-serving egoist. Cummings is thoroughly unpleasant: his way or no way. He believes he is infallible and is a bully in the workplace.

IfTheSockFits · 09/01/2021 22:03

No MPs as such, but I did once work with Andrew Neil for a short time. That was an eye-opener.

DinoGreen · 09/01/2021 22:04

I was friends at school with the daughter of a member of David Cameron’s cabinet. I only met him a few times but he was always perfectly nice in ‘Dad’ mode.

OllyBJolly · 09/01/2021 22:04

With you on Nick Clegg, @Buttercup2021 ! A real charmer who never could really believe he was in government and didn’t take it seriously. I worked in Westminster at the time of the Coalition gov and really enjoyed working with a lot of the Lib Dem’s. And some of the Conservatives but I can’t say that out loud as a Labour Party member..

FrankButchersDickieBow · 09/01/2021 22:05

@RosesAndHellebores

Yes. If they weren't decent sorts they wouldn't sit at my table. One or two never will but I'm not going into it on MNet.
So why bother commenting 🤷‍♀️
CherryRoulade · 09/01/2021 22:05

I know Tony and Cherie better: Much better.
Both lovely, warm, compassionate. Shirley Williams was always lovely and had a very wide knowledge.

Roussette · 09/01/2021 22:05

Yes.
My MP.
He's a complete twat

baffledcoconut · 09/01/2021 22:07

Nick Clegg. Totally decent chap. Far too nice for politics. Utterly lovely person.

A few of the current MP’s. Utter ballsacks the lot of them.

Elsielouise13 · 09/01/2021 22:09

My DD was at University with Nicky Morgan. He says she was earnest and joined in lots of things.

Echobelly · 09/01/2021 22:11

Not this gov - my parents are good friends with Michael Portillo. I had the behind the scenes story from a lot of what is assumed about him.

Can confirm he is not cold, arrogant etc as he was often assumed to be at the time - though I think he has been much reformed in the public eye since his TV presenting became his primary thing!

SunshineCake · 09/01/2021 22:20

Give people more than a few minutes to reply! hmm]

My son has met Nicky Morgan.

lydia7986 · 09/01/2021 22:21

I’ve met Justine Greening. I thought she was lovely.

Cattenberg · 09/01/2021 22:23

One of my friends is from a privileged background and knew Boris when they were both children. She said he was “a prat”, but didn’t elaborate.