Paxman: Why Are Our Politicians So Crap (CH 5 9 PM)

[tiger76]

This is topical to say the least followed by a debate at 10,i don't think the debate is live sadly as that would have provided fireworks after this week's events.

[CleggHall]

Expenses scandal, jobs for life, too many of them, public school education and Oxbridge, wining and dining, London-centric, out of touch with their constituents, never answer questions, spin doctors and PR, all the same.
Just a few points to get the ball rolling!

[Bosscat]

Well most are full of sh*t so why wouldn't they be Crap

[dsr]

Deliberate manipulation of the law so that MPs are exempt from the extra tax on high pensions that is causing angst in the NHS at present.

Deliberate manipulation of the law so that all MPs chucked out or resigning in the forthcoming general election not only get an £80k handout for their failure, but they also are exempt from the tax on that payment that everyone else in the country has to pay.

Deliberate manipulation of the law so that even legal expenses claims are under ridiculously favourable tax laws that do not apply to anyone else in the country.

They are, as a group, corrupt.

[atlantalad]

Deliberate manipulation of the law so that MPs are exempt from the extra tax on high pensions that is causing angst in the NHS at present.

Deliberate manipulation of the law so that all MPs chucked out or resigning in the forthcoming general election not only get an £80k handout for their failure, but they also are exempt from the tax on that payment that everyone else in the country has to pay.

Deliberate manipulation of the law so that even legal expenses claims are under ridiculously favourable tax laws that do not apply to anyone else in the country.

They are, as a group, corrupt.

That analysis smacks of Animal Farm. Wonder how many of our humble MP's have read it? Snouts well and truly in the trough.

[martin_p]

Deliberate manipulation of the law so that MPs are exempt from the extra tax on high pensions that is causing angst in the NHS at present.

Deliberate manipulation of the law so that all MPs chucked out or resigning in the forthcoming general election not only get an £80k handout for their failure, but they also are exempt from the tax on that payment that everyone else in the country has to pay.

Deliberate manipulation of the law so that even legal expenses claims are under ridiculously favourable tax laws that do not apply to anyone else in the country.

They are, as a group, corrupt.

There’s no way I’d do it for the money they get.

[Wile E Coyote]

I quite admire some of them, but latterly it becomes glaringly obvious how much they will lie to the public, no ambiguity, no wondering if its just me that's thick as pig ****, these elected representitives genuinely lie on an almost hourly basis, and it is a disgrace to the honest voters with a social conscience.

[AndrewJB]

Expenses scandal, jobs for life, too many of them, public school education and Oxbridge, wining and dining, London-centric, out of touch with their constituents, never answer questions, spin doctors and PR, all the same.
Just a few points to get the ball rolling!

Along comes a party leader who is the antithesis of what you've described, and the establishment do their utmost to discredit him.

Does this make the picture clearer?

[Chobulous]

Along comes a party leader who is the antithesis of what you've described, and the establishment do their utmost to discredit him.

Does this make the picture clearer?

FFS he has spent his whole time in parliament up until he was made leader being a self indulgent prick with a 6th form debating soc. mentality. He is petulant when challenged on anything substantial and completely in thrall to the 4Ms. That is what is clear to me, a life long Labour supporter.

[Corky]

I thought overall the programme was quite good. I would however have liked to have seen a little bit longer spent at the end on how we should go about reforming it. That appeared a bit rushed though in general I agreed with all his points. Interesting point that the Labour lady MP said about working class MPs. I read somewhere that in 1920s that around 70% of all Labour MPs were from a working class background that has now gone down to around 7%. That certainly seems to support this idea of a Political Class drawn essentially from the middle/upper classes. He said what's wrong with that but she replied with that they are, in effect, not in touch with general society. I believe that to be true look at Corbyn who I may well vote for if there is a snap election but he has done precious little in the normal workplace it has all been Unions/Politics. Given I did 40 years in Royal Mail I'm thinking of standing for Parliament!!!!!!

[CleggHall]

FFS he has spent his whole time in parliament up until he was made leader being a self indulgent prick with a 6th form debating soc. mentality. He is petulant when challenged on anything substantial and completely in thrall to the 4Ms. That is what is clear to me, a life long Labour supporter.

Agreed Chobulous, Corbyn has been a big disappointment to me too, lacks leadership qualities and seems tired and lacking in energy. His failure to turn up and campaign in the Referendum has proved costly but, notwithstanding, he's the best we've got.

[AndrewJB]

FFS he has spent his whole time in parliament up until he was made leader being a self indulgent prick with a 6th form debating soc. mentality. He is petulant when challenged on anything substantial and completely in thrall to the 4Ms. That is what is clear to me, a life long Labour supporter.

As much as I disagree with you, "self indulgent prick" wasn't listed among Clegg Hall's list of qualities he disliked about politicians.

It's a common theme for people to describe themselves as "lifelong Labour supporters" after attacking Corbyn. When Corbyn helped realign the party with its postwar principles, there would always be a few disaffected fans of Blair. Still, far more joined than have left.

[AndrewJB]

Agreed Chobulous, Corbyn has been a big disappointment to me too, lacks leadership qualities and seems tired and lacking in energy. His failure to turn up and campaign in the Referendum has proved costly but, notwithstanding, he's the best we've got.

The media have built a lot of myths around Corbyn, but one of the most enduring is that he didn't campaign very hard during the referendum. He attended a hundred and twenty-three events, including sixty in twenty-two days, travelling twenty-seven hundred miles. That was more than the entire shadow cabinet combined, and six times more than Alan Johnson, who was the official Labour Remain Leader. Angela Eagle said he undertook a schedule that would exhaust a twenty-five year old. LIb Dems often claim he went on holiday for two weeks during the referendum, but this isn't true either. He just took a couple of days off to go to Guantanamo Bay to cuddle terrorists.

[dougcollins]

But never actually said which side he supported.

[AndrewJB]

But never actually said which side he supported.

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[Hipper]

I thought overall the programme was quite good. I would however have liked to have seen a little bit longer spent at the end on how we should go about reforming it. That appeared a bit rushed though in general I agreed with all his points. Interesting point that the Labour lady MP said about working class MPs. I read somewhere that in 1920s that around 70% of all Labour MPs were from a working class background that has now gone down to around 7%. That certainly seems to support this idea of a Political Class drawn essentially from the middle/upper classes. He said what's wrong with that but she replied with that they are, in effect, not in touch with general society. I believe that to be true look at Corbyn who I may well vote for if there is a snap election but he has done precious little in the normal workplace it has all been Unions/Politics. Given I did 40 years in Royal Mail I'm thinking of standing for Parliament!!!!!!

Yes it is a pity that the likes of Prescott and Johnson for example no longer seem to be in vogue as MPs. If you look at page 13 you can see MPs occupations:

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It seems in the period 1979-2017 manual workers have gone down from 98 to 19 whilst 'politician/political advisor' has gone up 21-107.

The difficulty of course is that being a politician has changed considerably. You have to be media savvy and unfortunately this means the need for a kind of identikit MP. There are a few 'freaks' like Boris Johnson and Kenneth Clarke that seem to retain there own personality but even the likes of Corbyn and Abbott have clearly been given media training of late. We don't for example seem to want to elect bald headed politicians anymore, so William Hague and Ian Duncan Smith had no chance.

In some ways we get the politicians we deserve.