Why don't people like Martin Lewis run for PM?

[SheSaidHummingbird]

Instead, we are stuck with Etonian **ers who are so far removed from reality, sitting pretty in their ivory towers. Boris, Liz, Rishi, even the Labour candidates, don't represent people like me, and I don't trust them to make the best decisions for the country. I don't trust them to sort out the problems we are facing, and are heading towards.

I do, however, trust Martin Lewis; he is one of the few voices speaking sense and truth. He would get my vote. AIBU?

Yes he's good and honest but he's also worth £120million and was independently educated so different to some of the others.

It's not a TV show. You don't ring in.

Maybe it should be...

l have alot of respect for Martin lewis, his Mum died when he was aged 12, and l heard him break down in an interview once when talking about it. l know hes not everyones cup of tea but l think he' s very good at what he does.

Because he doesn't want to.

I'm sick of the sight of him. Just another rich person telling the rest of us how to live. Wish he would take a couple of weeks off and stfu already.

He would be taking a big pay cut

This.

He also makes ot very clear he isn't tied toany political party either

Because if he was to say some of the things he says, but as a PM, you would crucify the guy. He says graduate debt is a tax and people are lying to the younger generation by calling it debt. Therefore university education is nothing like the financial burden that people make it out to be.

He’s right. But how would that go down with the villagers carrying pitchforks.

Here you go. That’s why.

FPTP is the reason.

It's an antiquated system not really fit for a modern democracy, it worked 100 years ago when constituencies were much closer but now we live in an age of internet and much less tied to constituencies.

Also you get elected dictatorships and 2-3 party systems which are extremely difficult to work your way up in and actually effect any change. New parties/movements and those that want to stand as independents, etc are too hard due to the barriers to entry in this kind of system.

Not sure what the answer is but electoral reform is the first step. The New Zealand/German systems would be a good place to look at but English exceptionalism from 35% of the electorate will likely see the country continue voting against its own self interest.

He went to private school, did Government and Law at LSE, worked in the city is a multi-millionaire. Not so very different from any of the others in your list. I'm not saying he wouldn't do a better job, but he hardly comes from a deprived background either.

I don’t think being privately educated or having a lot of money is a problem. You can be privileged without being completely out of touch with other people’s realities - but with many politicians it just doesn’t seem to be the case. They are often enveloped in this privilege bubble wrap - they can’t feel or even see what normal life is like for most people, and have no wish to.
Martin Lewis has made it his job to know and understand what finances are like for the average person - and those who struggle the most. I’m not shouting ‘Martin Lewis for PM’ but I do think it would make a difference to have a PM who has only a 10th of that understanding.

@jetadore thank you for this Plato quote, I'd never heard it before, but I will now parade around spouting it constantly

He might not come from a deprived background but he’s made an successful business out of MSE without “selling out”. He has used some of his wealth to set up a charitable foundation. He’s driven and passionate about what he does and has integrity.

i don’t think you need to have experienced deprivation yourself to “get it”, and he clearly “gets it”.

People like and trust him now but they wouldn't if he was PM, he would end up hated like they all are.

I don't care about his background, I care about what he does, and right from when he started out, he has tried to inform people on finances and help them out and give advice.

He gives a lot of money to charity and campaigns for finances to be taught in schools to help students manage their money and to get teens to understand debt etc.

He’s very good at criticising the government, but not necessarily of balancing the hard choices. I watched bbc news at lunchtime - someone was saying the energy companies should help heat swimming pools with their profits. The lady was passionate about the need for swimming pools - all good except what about those people who can’t heat their homes?

the PM ( or government) need to spend the tax in a way that covers the needs of the country. Then it can move onto the wants of the country….. if people want more, the taxes need to rise. Occasionally, we need to borrow to cover the needs which later to be paid back (often by our children/grandchildren) such as in times of war (pandemic even) and for projects that will benefit future generations.

i think BJ has got the balance of tax and spending wrong, although the furlow system was good. Pity so many crooks abused it and it had to be implemented so quickly allowing for this. I think we need to put a lot of the spending around the pandemic into the loans pot, to be paid back over 20-30 years - a bit like the cost of war. That would provide more money to help out.

but…. We can’t pay the fuel bills of everyone, as if Russia had never invaded Ukraine. It is the global market that has prices so high, not uk policy.

the problem with the current government is cronyism, dishonesty and a sense of entitlement that most would find abhorrent. It is nothing to do with how rich they are, or where they went to school. For balance, the Trade Unions/ Labour Party also have similar cronyism and entitleMent, but have fewer multi-millionaires.

Great plan OP

Isn’t that just semantics? It’s a debt when you are in a low paid job paying high rent

I'd like Mary portas, I think she's great. X

I’m glad some people appreciate his advice but I find him everywhere enough already

He’s good at stirring up panic but her need more than that as PM

Oh you said what I was thinking

Well if you like him because he doesn't act like a politician it doesn't make much sense for him to become one.

The pay is terrible for the hours and stress.

You can earn much more money in other jobs.

The level of media scrutiny, and the lack of nuance or any kind of toleration of past mistakes, probably puts off most sane, balanced people, some of whom would probably make really good leaders and politicians. Why would you expose yourself and your family to that level of criticism and hate? So just that removes the majority of sensible, decent people and leaves only the egomaniacal psychos who don’t care what people say as long as they’re talking about them.

Well that is not the political system in the UK works- although it has become a popularity based system based on 'characters' so well done the to the Tory government for that.

Those who want the position and the power/recognition which comes with it are never the people who will be good at the job. And politics in general truly attracts some of the worst people.