There should be eligibility criteria for standing as prime minster, one of which is a good CV working in the public sector

[Doormice]

I mean PM is basically head of the public sector isn’t he/she?

Anyone can be put in any role with
Out any knowledge or expertise at all.

Is the problem here that competent + highly skilled people are just not interested to go into politics?

The Third Sector would also be a great training ground for politicians. You need the ability to change things for the better with almost no money, have an enormously wide range of skills and be a strong and persuasive advocate for your cause. And be shit hot at budgeting too.

Working in the public sector. Are you joking!?

Surely all MPs do work in the public sector, though.

I tend to think they’d do better working in the private sector, with low pay, no pay rises at all, little pension provision, little sick leave entitlement, no job security, etc

Tbh, the best political minds I've ever come across have been engineers of some sort. I think it's because they understand systems and processes, and deal with real world consequences.

People with public sectors careers tend to be a bit institutionalised, and don't always identify when their processes have negative effects upon the real world. On the other hand, people who've had private sector careers don't really understand the principles and legislation behind the public sector and they can be a bit too individualistic - - they go off half-cocked and don't really understand policies and democratic processes.

But engineers seem to be in a kind of sweet spot between the two realms.