AIBU to want politicians with strong academic and business backgrounds?

[Catsandjkr]

AIBU to want politicans to be highly academically successful And have experience in running a business?

I'm so tired of these low grade politicians ruining our lives. They can lie (as Starmer exempifies), they don't need qualifications or experience to get the job. In inexplicable in other areas of life.

What a joke. But I suppose when its politicans like Lammy, Starmer, Reeves in charge, it won't ever change.

You are being reasonable. Obviously. I’m sorry this is even a question.. what on earth has happened that this is even a question. Blimey.,

I disagree that people who've run businesses = good government. What makes good government in my opinion is a good mix of experiences, including academic, business, 'real life', etc. Starmer is an academically able, successful lawyer - that you dislike him doesn't negate those facts.

He did not have a good reputation as a lawyer / barrister. More a case of Peters Principle.

And academically despite going to grammar / private school, he still didn't do brilliantly in his exams/ Hence rejected by Oxford and had to settle with a masters there.

Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister (as of July 2024), is a highly qualified former human rights barrister, Director of Public Prosecutions (2008–2013), and KC (King's Counsel). Educated at the University of Leeds (LLB) and Oxford University (BCL),

Id definitely say that KS can be stated as highly academically successful

So youre sick of low grade politicians ruining your life, but you quote a highly qualified Human rights barrister as your example

Not really, I'd rather our country wasn't run like a business. That's what leads to things like decisions about life saving treatments being made on the basis if money not what is important to people. Also highly academic types from public schools iften have no idea,what life is like for disadvantaged or deprived people so have no compassion for them.

I don’t understand why you’ve used Starmer as an example here - he has a strong academic background and successful career in law. Isn’t that exactly the kind of profile you’re advocating for?

I'm assuming you mean 'The Peter Principle'. A bold statement when describing the former Director of Public Prosecutions...

Anyone would think we have elections coming...

Anyway to clear this up: A low quality unsuccessful politician = someone from a party I do not support.

A successful academic politician = someone from the party I support.

Add class snobbery for added spice.

AIBU to want politicans to be highly academically successful And have experience in running a business?
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I'm so tired of these low grade politicians ruining our lives. ...But I suppose when its politicans like Lammy, Starmer, Reeves in charge, it won't ever change.

Rachel Reeves, the UK's first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) from Oxford University and a Master's degree in Economics from the London School of Economics. She worked as an economist at the Bank of England and British Embassy in Washington.

Again.. Reeves is highly academic and success in their career prior to Government. Your fundamental AIBU argument is flawed. So yes YABU

They should be intelligent, and educated at the very least. Not necessarily business expertise but expertise in something! We need people from all walks of life from agricultural to economics.
I also don't think you should be able to stand for parliament if you have never worked.

Totally agree.

Trump is in charge of America... he has experience of running a business... and has filed for bankruptcy six times. And he has a Bachelor of Science in Economics degree!

People with varied backgrounds can better understand the needs of a diverse population - which theoretically should lead to better policy-making.

I am far more concerned about elitism and privilege which result in significant social inequity. There's a great book by Robert Verkaik called Posh Boys: How English Public Schools Ruin Britain - have a read of it, it's genuinely horrifying.

I asked AI: What were Keir Starmer's qualifications and experience that led to his appointment as DPP?

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB): Graduated with a first-class degree from the University of Leeds in 1985.
• Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL): Completed a postgraduate degree at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, in 1986.
• GOV.UK +2

Professional Experience

• Barrister and "Silk": Called to the Bar in 1987, Starmer specialised in human rights and criminal defence. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (QC) in 2002.
• Human Rights Advisory Roles:
• Served as a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board (2003–2008), helping to implement reforms following the Good Friday Agreement.
• Advised the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on human rights.
• Member of the Foreign Office’s Death Penalty Advisory Panel (2002–2008).
• Notable Legal Work:
• Instrumental in the McLibel case, representing activists sued by McDonald's.
• Challenged the mandatory death penalty in the Caribbean and Africa, successfully overturning hundreds of death sentences in Uganda.
• Successfully argued before the House of Lords in 2005 that evidence obtained via torture should be inadmissible in court.
• Leadership: Served as Joint Head of Doughty Street Chambers, a leading human rights law firm, from 2002 until his appointment as DPP.

What if you've been a SAHM your whole life? Does that count as 'working'?

Educated, yes. Could do with people who aren't just PPE graduates though.

Exactly. I can't believe what I'm reading from the OP.

Nope

But they need more people in parliament than just those prom privileged backgrounds which would not have anything in common with constituents

Lammy - master degree in law from Harvard and a Barrister - hardly uneducated.

Farage didn't go to University can we rule him out ?

So SAHMs shouldn't be permitted to stand for election? Right...

Intelligence is needed for government and being a qualified lawyer does prove that. But, Lawyers rarely make good leaders. Academics are the same, as are Doctors. It's hard to know why and there are of course exceptions that prove the rule but if you look at the big corporations where managing scale is key (money and people) you will find there are very, very few people with that background at the head of them.

Bit like where we apparently have a Supreme Court case to decide what a woman is. Crazy times.

Comprehension issue for you. He was my example of a liar.

Here's what AI told me about David Lammy (of whom I'm not a fan, but I'm responding to the OP's suggestion that he's not academically able:

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB): Graduated with a 2:1 from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, in 1993.
• Master of Laws (LLM): Graduated from Harvard Law School in 1997, becoming the first Black Briton to attend the institution.
• Wikipedia +3

Legal Experience

• Barrister: Called to the Bar of England and Wales at Lincoln’s Inn in 1994.
• Private Practice: Worked as an attorney at the US firm Howard Rice in California (1997–1998) and at the British firm D.J. Freeman (1998–2000).
• The Lammy Review: In 2017, he authored a landmark independent review into the treatment of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals within the UK criminal justice system.
• Academic Roles: He is a Professor of Practice at both the London School of Economics (LSE) and SOAS.
• GOV.UK +2

Political & Ministerial Experience

• Member of Parliament: Has represented Tottenham since 2000.
• Government Minister (2002–2010): Held several roles under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Minister for Culture and Minister for Higher Education.

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We need high calibre people from all walks of life to be politicians.

However, the “run a business” line gets trotted out all the time, like starting and running a business confers some sort of mystical wisdom.

Some people who run businesses are fantastic. Some people who run businesses are truly dreadful at it.

I used him as an example of a liar.

😂Of course you can't.