Political Dynasties

Young Tristram is the son of a Labour peer - born and bred in the Labour party despite his posh upbringing. Jeremy is a very different kettle of fish!

I don't think they're related, kitty. Tristram's family is certainly a lot posher than Jeremy's and I can't find any link...

I don't think anyone has mentioned that Tony Benn followed his own father into the politics and something is suggesting his grandfather had also been involved but I might be wrong. Personally, I have no problem with political dynasties any more than I have about acting or writing or butchering or plumbing dynasties. As long as the person's the right candidate and does a good job if voted in, then that's OK. I think.

I stand corrected Stansgran - I thought they had no children. There are, nevertheless, rumours about it being a marriage of convenience.

Does any one know whether Tristram and Jeremy Hunt are related? I am not making a point there either, just being nosey, and I can't find out properly from Google.

The Kinnock wanting to stand for Westminster is married with two daughters. They lived in Geneva when he worked for the WEF. his wife is now PM of Denmark.
No Durhamjen the Benn grandchild wrote about choosing to go to the Sixth form ,I think moving to St. Albans to do so. It was one of those A Day in the Life articles. Her choice.

Grannytwice I was making no 'point' at all. Someone asked where the Kinnocks and their children would live. I answered! Why would there be a 'point'to that?

Emily Benn went to the school her parents sent her to, just like all of us here. At the age of 11, you assume your parents know best, even if they send you to a different school from the one their parents sent them to.
I went to a private school - got a scholarship to it. My parents were Tory voters all their lives.
Melissa Benn writes about comprehensive education and I agree with what she says.

POGS, I think I've only ever sent three PMs on here.

It's interesting that Stephen Benn is taking the title that Tony Benn gave up, but he cannot be in the Lords, partly because of how strenuously his dad fought to get rid of the Lords.

Stansgran - and of course all those Tory offspring over the decades who have followed their fathers into politics did it just through passion and commitment to their county

Kittylester- re the Kinnocks- your point is?

I think the younger Kinnocks have no children and there have been rumours of it being a marriage of convenience and rumours of him being gay.

Are Jeremy Hunt and Tristram Hunt related? Just asking.

Where does young Kin nock intend to live? Wife and presumably children in Denmark parents are they still in Brussels or did they commute?
The Benn grandchild wrote a piece in the Sunday times a couple of years ago saying she intended to go into Westminster and amused me no end going to grammar School in St Albans. (Her grandfather had made strenuous efforts to rid the country of grammar schools)
It is slightly different becoming a dentist or doctor or train driver because your parents are passionate about their career but I suspect that the Blairs and Benns and Prescotts just love their parents life style.
Just saying.

Because patronage is not new doesn't mean it's wrong either DJ. Perhaps it is neither right nor wrong but just inevitable because we are human beings and, like other social apes, make use of social advantages when we have them. I suggest you check out chimpanzee and gorilla 'politics'. You might be surprised.

Neoptism is not the same as being a member of a political "dynasty" although those within the family may practise nepotism – look at George Bush's first election to the Presidency or the entire history of the Kennedys. Nepotism, by definition, is a corrupt practice.

For the record I will repeat my comment.

'Let's face it, all parties use nepotism'.

Eloethan.

My comment 'one party' was I thought a generalisation but if your view is the points raised were the rhetoric of Labour, who am I to disagree. There would be little point would there. Perhaps you are right.

As for mentioning only the offspring of Labour families, that's because I was responding to the OP. You have chosen to ignore my comment, all parties use nepotism.

Durhamjen

As for my 'knowing what is in the mind of the OP' I can only read her post and answer as I deem fit. I don't know how you respond to OP's, do you PM them to assess you have a full understanding of the question before posting?. If I sound sarcastic, I mean it.

I will try and embrace the question in the OP.

I like Tory M.P Jacob Rees-Mogg, I like labour M.P Hilary Benn. I think nepotism is perfectly OK, providing the candidate is going to work hard for his/her constituents. It is not OK if he/she is just jumping on a gravy train and taking the constituency for fools.

In answer to BAnanas question about the narrowing of the pool still further, I would say I do not have a problem in that direction. I do find it is a perfectly legitimate question to ask.

It is often mentioned, in quite a derogatory fashion, MP's do not have any understanding of 'life outside Westminster' or 'work experience' as they have always been in the political arena. If you have that thought, is there a difference between that and nepotism? Neither points are of a concern to me but I don't think you can really differentiate between the two avenues of gaining access to a parliamentary career and yet some will find nepotism OK but the other a disgrace. I don't understand that.

Because patronage is nothing new it does not mean it's right.

Yes Iam64- absolutely agree.

Yes patronage will do as a descriptor, the point I was trying to make us that it is a very narrow debate to focus on family connections if we want to seriously debate how to improve the quality of our elected representatives- but Lynn Truss didn't want a meaningful debate did she - just the usual bit of cheap point scoring and a pat on the head from her leaders.

GrannyTwice - I'm another admirer of Sarah Wolleston the MP for Totnes, and wouldn't it be good to see other independent minded people chosen by primary.

The issue of traditions that develop within families of children going into similar work to their parents is interesting, and nothing new. I dislike this kind of cheap political shot at young people, particularly when it's aimed at those on only one side of politics.

I suspect many of us looking at our own family and friends would see children following similar work paths to their parents. Most of us are influenced by our parents beliefs, and hobbies, so it isn't surprising you see the children of actors, lawyers, landscape gardeners, teachers, doctors, carpenters etc following similar work interests.

I call what you're talking about "patronage". As lily says, it's nothing new.

Wollaston

Lilygran- I think I am taking your point a bit further - when I mentioned 'connections' I was including being well connected in ways other than family. So whilst Stephen Kinnock's name and therefore connections are obvious, there are also other candidates who are chosen to stand in safe seats because they are 'sponsored' or 'well connected' in other ways and 'good' words are put in for them. FWIW I think one of the most interesting MPs in the 2010 election is Sarah Wooleston(sp) a GP who was chosen through a ' primary'. Sadly this experiment is not to be repeated because she turned out to be too independent minded

GrannyTwice Yes, I agree. I wasn't suggesting that only one party gave rise to political dynasties. I think it is unavoidable as it is in any sector, theatre, music, art, business, academic life, film,the law, teaching..... And I don't see it as a problem in itself. I do think it becomes a problem in politics when we get MPs who have had no life outside politics and who were selected just on their names.

Lilygran - I would agree that young people with limited experience of life outside the political bubble would not be my ideal MPs but it's not just family connections but connections in general that contribute to that - across the political spectrum. My main concern was that Lynnn Truss who started the debate made partial,quite frankly stupid comments( no change there then) and the OP did herself no favours by only giving Labour examples.

It's natural for some children to follow in their family's careers and it's unavoidable that they should often have an advantage in doing that. What is a problem is when the family connection allows young people with no experience of life outside politics into the Commons or Europe. Too many of them!

Put royal in "..."

Royal families arose as political dynasties too.