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.

Agreed

Would you count running a charity as running a business? That might widen the pool and from experience managing funding, commissioning and large contracts as well as service delivery it’s very similar.

Any confusion is understandable. You’re pro business and both in favour of and against Oxford, in different posts.

Yet the only politician you mention by name is Bill Clinton. Zero business experience. Oxford, and before that the Foreign Service College at Georgetown and Yale Law. Difficult to devise a more strictly government/political background than that.

Possibly? Tbh I don't know enough about running a charity / how to run a charity to say. From what you've said it might be a good idea.

He was brought up by 2 very strong women - perhaps that saved him

John Major’s interview on Newsnight was brilliant. He is an excellent former PM.

He made the point that growing up in a Labour dominated area he never doubted the commitments and loyalties of his councillors and MPs to (all of) their constituents. He feels that nowadays Labour is beholden primarily to one set of interest groups and the Conservatives to another, each as bad as the other.

He wants more real people - not just business people but teachers and scientists and engineers and ex military and tradespeople - in Parliament. On the surface it sounds similar to what OP is saying, but much more inclusive.

I think Westminster could also use a few more people who have transitioned from life on benefits to doing something economically and socially productive.

Actually I saw that interview and was impressed by JM. I thought did he have that impact as PM? I was a bit too young to know much then, apart from how much my parents didn't like MT.

PS. Scientists and Engineers that I know (I know many), have zero interest in being in politics. For obvious reasons.

I was not in the UK but also thought MT a disaster, so I would not have voted for JM either.

We do have medics in Parliament. Has one ever been Health Secretary?

Stand for parliament then, @Catsandjkr .

But it's still not entreprenneurial. It's business management, just like Starmer running a legal firm or a typical GP running a practice. There's a massive difference between actually being imaginative and sniffing out new opportunities, creating new products/services, seeking out new markets, etc etc compared with administering/managing an established organisation.

Bingo

What is your academic and business background, @Catsandjkr ?

Haha I can tell you we do all of the things as a small charity desperately trying to survive - definitely more so than a big national that has teams to do all of those things

It can be highly entrepreneurial. Many charities are contracted to provide services. That means horizon scanning, tender writing, contract negotiation. New business opportunities are the lifeblood of some charities.