Posh & Posher

[Waiting_For_Godot]

And the state educated shadow cabinet come from parents of wealth who didn't want to pay for school fees. Labour is just as bad.

What is obvious though is that the schools which hold the monopoly are the most selective schools in the country so they are already taking the brightest so it's not a huge surprise if they end up in politics. If there were more grammar schools then there would be a bigger pool of well educated, equally bright kids going to Oxbridge. The other problem, or blessing, is that very few people want to be politicians. How many kids do you know that wants to be a politician? Dull, dull, dull! I'd rather be a hard working factory worker than a politician!

[Chelmsford mum]

And the state educated shadow cabinet come from parents of wealth who didn't want to pay for school fees. Labour is just as bad.

The other problem, or blessing, is that very few people want to be politicians. How many kids do you know that wants to be a politician? Dull, dull, dull! I'd rather be a hard working factory worker than a politician!

Ahem no they are not! Don't think the Millibands are related to royalty or the shadow cabinet have 3/4 millionaires
I'd love to be a politician even at a local level.I'll come and campaign for better working conditions for you in your factory and remind you that labour got you back your minimum wage.

Am really going to bed

[Midget Man]

And the state educated shadow cabinet come from parents of wealth who didn't want to pay for school fees. Labour is just as bad.

Very much what I was thinking, except worded far better than what I could muster

Midget says he wants to be a politician because he's good at debating I am very certain he will change his mind come decision time, he has lots to learn yet, he's only yr7

[sherry_d]

The other problem, or blessing, is that very few people want to be politicians. How many kids do you know that wants to be a politician? Dull, dull, dull! I'd rather be a hard working factory worker than a politician!

I really enjoy politics and wouldnt mind being a politician.

[Snowdrops]

If I had my time over again I think I 'd give them a run for their money and join them at Westminster

[millie33]

the most selective schools in the country so they are already taking the brightest so it's not a huge surprise if they end up in politics

They might be the most selective, but only if you can afford the £30,000+ fees, which automatically excludes the majority, however bright! I'm sure there are many children in the state sector who are "brighter" than those attending the top independent schools. Intelligience is not related to class - opportunities available to the individual in life unfortunately are.

[Waiting_For_Godot]

My point was that everyone seems shocked that politics is full of Old Etonians or Elizabethans, but they are among the most selective out of the private boys' schools so it is not unusual to find that . I wasn't relating it to bright people in general but to the fact that out of all the independent schools it would be the most selective that would produce the most politicians.

[80's girl]

In the mean time we have a goverment who are totally removed from the majority of the population it serves, however bright.

[Waiting_For_Godot]

In the mean time we have a goverment who are totally removed from the majority of the population it serves, however bright.

I found the programme pointless. We have always had a government that has been totally removed from the populus and of the minute working class that do get into politics they very quickly remove themselves from the populus. John Prescott with his cars and mansion springs to mind, bought by his tax avoidance alongside a huge number of labour MP's who apparently own nothing but their wives, who are exempt from tax, own everything!

[Chelmsford mum]

I have to disagree WFG. I am no Prescott fan but it cannot be said that he had no knowledge of everyday life.He may be rich now but he came from humble beginnings.There are a few toff labourites but by and large they are from reasonably modest backgrounds even if they have "made good " later.Both Millibands went to non selective state schools and Mandleson was a grammar boy to name a few.
Andrew Neil's point , and he is anything but left wing, is that we now have one of the most elitely educated Cabinets we have ever had and 3/4 of them are millionaires. Two of them related to royalty. We are not speaking of people who have "done well" later in life but those who have never known anything but utter and complete privilege.
This must mean that they have no first hand experience of how the majority of the population live and means , IMHO, that they lack the moral authority to be making such sweeping cuts to public services.Perhaps this is why, as the programme suggested, that they could not, even after all those years in opposition form a majority Govt.
There is an alternative too to their approach to the deficit.Google Robin Hood Tax - but there again, they wouldn't want to upset their old schoolfriends.......