In 2011 a newly elected Labour councillor in Liverpool launched a vicious diatribe about the Coalition Government’s Cabinet. She claimed it could not work and understand what ordinary people thought because the majority of them had a private education. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that Tony Blair’s first Cabinet had more privately educated members than David Cameron’s!
Last week we had the experience of Ed Milliband showing how worldly wise he was by pointing out that he has worked for a think tank and as a SPAD before becoming an MP! Well he might think that this is ‘outside’ work but I think it is all closed circle stuff. A political elite ensuring that a political elite gets elected. This is nothing new. 40 years when Mr. Speaker Wetherill first got elected to the House of Commons he was making use of the cubicles in the Gents when he heard two patrician voices discussing him. “The place has gone to the dogs”, one said to the other, “they’ve let my damned tailor in!”
I am making these points not as a party political one but as a note of despair in what is going to become a tedious election fought out sea by seat by apparatchik clones. Never mind where are the tailors? – where are the firefighters, joiners, business leaders, trades union leaders, council leaders, carers? In fact where are all the ordinary people who can bring to debates in the House a touch of realism and practicality which is so obviously missing in the quest for sound bites?What we clearly have in all three main parties is a progression of people from private school to Oxbridge (or at least a red brick university) to think tank, to adviser to MP to Minister. If you think it is much different in the other Parties look at Farage. Someone who went to private school and ended up as a stock broker taking on the establishment – I don’t think so!
Look at the professions of the current Parliament. Are you depressed or impressed that the list is led by people from the legal profession? Are you impressed or depressed that there are only 6 MPs that seem to have a ‘trades-based’ life before becoming an MP? Are you impressed or depressed that the House is not reflective of the demographic balance of our nation in terms of not only profession but also race, gender and faith?
Frankly, I don’t know what can be done about this. All the political parties develop elites. They have to if they are to make policy and behave as a disciplined organization. Everyone discussing everything can only work when you are small and irrelevant. As the Green Party are now finding out the bigger they get – the more they will be scrutinized. The more they are scrutinized the more it is seen that their policies made with great democratic fervour don’t stand up to the harsh light of reality.
Perhaps we could have a primary system in which different people have the option to put themselves forward so that the electorate can make a first choice of the type of candidate that stands instead of just being able to vote for the product of the Party’s clique.
Perhaps we could change the terms of Parliament so that MPs couldn’t stand for more than 3 sessions so that being an MP would be seen less as a career than a vocation.
Perhaps we should institute a rule that all MPs should have no paid jobs other than being an MP. I really do not know how you can look after the needs of 100,000 people, take a due role in the legislative and scrutiny process and have outside business interests.
Perhaps there could be public funding to encourage people to understand the parliamentary system and get involved. We do that to encourage people to become councillors why not do it to encourage people to become MPs.
So I admit to an element of failure in this. I see the problem but I cannot readily see an answer. But it is a problem. Turn-outs are dropping the whole time for both national and local elections. When I first got elected to the Council in 1975 the average turnout in Liverpool for a local election was 60%+ now it is about 30%. I am sure that the reason many people do not vote is that they do not see anyone like them standing. They see people with at best sympathy for the concerns that they have but certainly no empathy.
I am pleased that these factors do not apply for the Lib Dems in Liverpool.
In West Derby we are putting up Paul Twigger a former Councillor who now runs a successful business.
In Walton we are putting up Pat Moloney a former councillor and former shop steward who now represents employees on a pension fund.
In Garston & Halewood we are putting up Anna Martin who runs a business in Garston.
In Riverside we are putting up Paul Childs who works as a steward for a major international airline.
The only slight difference is in Wavertree where we have got Leo Evans standing. Leo is a politics undergraduate from Northern Ireland, studying at Liverpool Uni, and is 20. He may be the youngest Lib Dem candidate in the Country.
I wonder if I am the only one worried about the creation of a political super class in the UK. Please tell me what you think. Even better tell me what solutions you have!!
Follow me on Twitter
My Tweets-
Recent Posts
Archives
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
Categories
Meta
“Never mind where are the tailors? – where are the firefighters, joiners, business leaders, trades union leaders, council leaders, carers? ”
Or the scientists – apart from Julian Huppert.
“Perhaps we could change the terms of Parliament so that MPs couldn’t stand for more than 3 sessions so that being an MP would be seen less as a career than a vocation.”
I really don’t see why someone who has demonstrated their competence as an MP over 3 terms should be denied the right to put themselves before the electorate for a 4th term or more. It is denying the electorate their free choice. That MP might, after all be the best MP in Parliament.
“Perhaps we should institute a rule that all MPs should have no paid jobs other than being an MP. I really do not know how you can look after the needs of 100,000 people, take a due role in the legislative and scrutiny process and have outside business interests. ”
I’m inclined to agree in principle – it might also help to cut out those people who don’t understand that the job of an MP involves a considerable element of public service.