We need normal people to be running the country

[Marianne1234]

Not these Etonian freaks who have no idea what it’s like to live in the real world.

Where are they all? The lawyers, accountants, teachers. Clever professionals who have been to the state schools. Used the NHS. Lived amongst normal people. Been skint students who have struggled to pay their bills. Cared for elderly relatives. Been working mothers. Worked for a living.

Not ridiculous anachronisms like JRM or hooray Henry’s like David Cameron or national embarrassments like Boris (who was a national embarrassment before he was ever the PM).

It really is true that people who want to be in politics, should not be anywhere near it. Maybe we should conscript the normal people

I can clearly see a point, but are we forgetting that an ordinary person doesn't always have the learnt background in dealing with the US president and Putin and 100,000 troops sat at the door to Ukraine?
Politics isn't just about taxes and the cost of living, there are bigger worldwide issues that need to be handled

@isadoradancing123

It is not snobbish to say that Angela Raynor is loud, and mouthy, its stating a. Fact

It is snobbish (and a touch misogynistic) to have that as your primary reason why she's not up to the job though

Jacob Rees Mogg is loud and mouthy, but you'd call it something else because he's posh.

@Newnamefor2022

I would like a government of reasonable, honest, intelligent people, who saw the job as ‘service’ rather than self glorification. I don’t care where they went to school or what their parents did for a job.

Agreed. But my experience is that politicians are an odd breed. They're not "normal". I wonder if anyone has ever done any research in this area?

Loud? Why shouldn’t she be loud?
At least Angela Raynor has a voice… although she comes across as impetuous.

If not her - can one of the Miliband brothers come back? They at least seemed like adults who didn’t look to just serve themselves and cronies? Happy to stand corrected if I’m wrong.

@QuestionsorComments

Jacob Rees Mogg is loud and mouthy, but you'd call it something else because he's posh.

Indeed

If you can wait a decade or so, my politics-obsessed 15 year old (already aiming to study political science at Cambridge 😳) will be available for election, I've no doubt.

He's pretty anti capitalist mind you...

I am one of those normal people, there is no way I’d do such a long hours stressful job away from my family 4 days a week for 80k and have to open boring fetes etc on my weekend.

@isadoradancing123

It is not snobbish to say that Angela Raynor is loud, and mouthy, its stating a. Fact

I imagine if she was loud and mouthy with a Home Counties accent less people would have an issue with it

@QuizzlyBear

If you can wait a decade or so, my politics-obsessed 15 year old (already aiming to study political science at Cambridge 😳) will be available for election, I've no doubt.

He's pretty anti capitalist mind you...

No disrespect to your son, but politicians like that are the problem, not the solution, i.e. politics at school, politics at Uni, no actual real life working career outside politics or the media. That's exactly why so many people believe politicians are out of touch with normal people. Its the mismatch between idealism and practicality.

@MakeYourOwnLollies

because being cleaners, retail staff and Uber drivers doesn't fit you for reading and analysing policy, speaking on your feet, picking apart arguments and scrutinising legislation. Sure, people who have done those jobs will bring valuable lived experience to Parliament but there is education needed too.

This is why a better democracy isn't just government by plebiscite or sortiton or whatever.

But it could, if there was professional development and training on offer. Most other professions require you to undergo CPD. Should be the same for MPs. The Welsh Senedd leads the way in this

senedd.wales/work-opportunities/work-for-a-member-of-the-senedd/learning-and-development/

@Grapesavocado

They're in because they were voted for.

K Starmer is very ordinary.

Sure.

I’m not some sort of commie - never voted Labour in my life

Labour voters are not 'commies' Hopping

@SeaWitchly

I’m not some sort of commie - never voted Labour in my life

Labour voters are not 'commies' Hopping

I wasnt suggesting they are, apologies if it looked like that. I should have used a full stop instead of a - or even started a new paragraph. I was responding to another poster who called left wing people “Commies”

@oldageblah

Loud? Why shouldn’t she be loud? At least Angela Raynor has a voice… although she comes across as impetuous.

If not her - can one of the Miliband brothers come back? They at least seemed like adults who didn’t look to just serve themselves and cronies? Happy to stand corrected if I’m wrong.

I often think the Milliband election was the fork in the road for Labour and the Union vote fucked them over for the next couple of decades.

I can't believe that Silverswirl actually lived in Oxsted as he/she can't spell it correctly.

@nonono1

Well, Margaret Thatcher came from a very "normal" background, as did John Major, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair I believe? I don't think Theresa May comes from a hugely wealthy family either. So in the last 43 years, five of our seven PMs have been from "normal" backgrounds. David Cameron and Boris Johnson are obviously the two that aren't.

I think John Major still is the only PM not to be Univeraity educated.

I’m shamelessly bumping this thread as I just listened to James O’Brien interview Keri Starmer

podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/keir-starmer/id1454408831?i=1000552160665&l=en

This interview really demonstrates the great qualities Starmer has in spades, and definitely didn’t come from a privileged background. It’s really worth a listen.