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News & politics

George Osborne

(155 Posts)
daphnedill Fri 17-Mar-17 12:13:00

Apparently George Osborne has a new job as editor of the London Evening Standard, in addition to his £600,000pa job as a fund manager adviser. He says he's going to stay on as an MP.

Where's the man in a white suit? It seems that, with Neil Hamilton as ex-MP, Tatton doesn't have the best of luck with its MPs.

Isn't it a bit greedy to have three jobs when some people can't even find one? hmm

janeayressister Sat 18-Mar-17 10:18:12

All the indignation on Grannet isn't going to change a system that basically allows the very rich ( not moderately well off) to get away with serious money. What amazes me is that people worship them for doing it.
I am sure the Queen is a very nice woman, but does she deserve better Health Care than my 96 Year old Dad who worked until he was 72?

jenwren Sat 18-Mar-17 10:19:11

Obnoxious little man. If you saw were his main home is, in Cheshire, the HS2 is right on his doorstep, the countryside and villages that are going to be torn apart for the sake of taking 20minutes of your train journey to London are unbelievable.

durhamjen Sat 18-Mar-17 10:22:56

It's a free paper, Yorkshiregel.

theconversation.com/george-osborne-at-the-evening-standard-the-latest-through-a-long-revolving-door-74783

Yorkshiregel Sat 18-Mar-17 10:24:22

Osborne was the son of Sir Peter Osborne, 17th baronet of Ballintaylor, a cofounder of the upmarket fabric and wallpaper designer Osborne & Little. At age 13 he dropped his given name, Gideon, in favour of George (and added it officially to his name by deed poll), in what he subsequently described as a rare act of rebellion. Osborne was educated at St. Paul’s School, London, and Magdalen College, Oxford. In 1994 he joined the Conservative Research Department, which had served for many years as a kind of “nursery” for leading politicians. The following year he was appointed special adviser to Douglas Hogg, agriculture secretary in the then Conservative government.

durhamjen Sat 18-Mar-17 10:26:16

theconversation.com/george-osborne-the-evening-standard-and-the-conservative-media-establishment-74796

hulahoop Sat 18-Mar-17 10:27:09

He and a lot of his(pals) are just greedy he is just another one who doesn't think about others I must admit i have never liked him he always came across as very smug . I don't think he can care about his constituents he is like most rich rich people can't possibly know what life is like for people with nothing and doesn't really care .

Yorkshiregel Sat 18-Mar-17 10:27:24

durhamjen If the paper is free where are they getting the money from to pay these wages I wonder. Obviously 'Jobs for the boys' from the description.

Shame that.

rosesarered Sat 18-Mar-17 10:30:25

Advertisers Yorkshire

durhamjen Sat 18-Mar-17 10:33:40

"How will the paper, under his stewardship, report efforts to correct the impact of damaging housing policies that have seen the disappearance of genuinely affordable housing in the capital? Those are policies which he not only backed but, in some cases, initiated.

Khan was quick to tweet his congratulations, despite his treatment by the paper in the past. It doesn’t do for the Mayor of London to step out of line. He knows he is totally at the mercy of the London news ecosystem – which the Evening Standard dominates – for any reporting of his work at County Hall.

The UK already has a Conservative-dominated news media so it could be said that Osborne’s appointment will make little difference. But it goes hand in hand with two other changes.

The first is the slightly more subtle politicisation of the BBC. The post that Osborne takes up, only became free because Sands, who is widely seen as supporting the Conservatives, has been recruited to run the BBC’s flagship radio show, the Today Programme. The BBC’s head of news, James Harding, is an ex-editor of the Conservative-supporting newspaper the Times (which is part of the Murdoch empire). He is also a close personal friend of George Osborne. "

This bit about the BBC and the Today Programme is interesting.

daphnedill Sat 18-Mar-17 10:37:36

The Evening Standard has made most of its money from advertising for decades.

PS. I hope its pension fund is safe, because it pays my pocket money.wink

Riverwalk Sat 18-Mar-17 10:40:52

It's still partially-owned by the Daily Mail, and they share offices.

Interesting indeed about Sands - all revolving doors stuff.

rosesarered Sat 18-Mar-17 10:43:29

Reading these comments.....I never realised that there was so much envy around ( about everything) until social media came into existence.
There have always been some very wealthy people, due to what parents manage to leave you in their wills ( de nada/zilch in my case, before you ask) and what occupation you have, not everybody has a Father who owns a stately home or is Richard Branson, Dyson etc.There have always been some very poor people around too, for all sorts of reasons.Most people are inbetween these two extremes.
Being wealthy is no reason to have verbal mud lobbed at your head anymore than lobbing it at the poor.
Osborne had a great start in life ( if you always call boarding schools a great start) but he must have been clever to get into Eton ( they don't take anyone and have a stiff entrance exam) and ditto for Oxford.
He is not a nice but dim individual, was Chancellor, and it's not a surprise that he is being offered top jobs.
He may be a nasty sort for all I know, and I don't think he should stay on as an MP, but
All this politics of envy stuff is ridiculous.

Kim19 Sat 18-Mar-17 10:43:54

I take my hat off to you ladies who have such in depth information which saves me a lot of time in research. Thanks for sharing same. Gransnet to the rescue yet again. When we're friendly and chatty; we're terrific.

whitewave Sat 18-Mar-17 10:45:50

Where on earth did you read that rose you are in danger of spreading fake news on here. Besides the phrase "politics of envy" is sooooo last century.

Riverwalk Sat 18-Mar-17 10:48:00

Speaking for myself, it's not politics of envy to question how he can be an editor of a major paper, which it is in terms of London and readership, along with everything else he does and not have conflicts of interest.

BTW, he didn't go to Eton.

daphnedill Sat 18-Mar-17 10:51:07

Osborne didn't go to Eton. He went to St Pauls, then to Oxford, where he achieved a 2,1 in Modern History. Even my DD jokes that she's better academically qualified than Osborne - she is.

PS. You don't have to be exceptionally clever to get into Eton.

daphnedill Sat 18-Mar-17 10:51:24

x post Riverwalk

whitewave Sat 18-Mar-17 10:53:45

Wealth is certainly something I can never get exercised about, but what I do get exercised about is those with wealth appear to be able to use it to by-pass the democratic system. Anyone who believes in democracy should be concerned. That is the reason for Trump and Brexit. The voter had the right sentiments but used the wrong tool to try to tackle it. Brexit and Trump will never solve their perceived problems.

durhamjen Sat 18-Mar-17 10:55:32

We're just saying he is not capable of having six jobs, and anyone else who applied for the Evening Standard job didn't get it because they did not have his connections. He didn't get it because of his expertise in journalism.
If you look at the links I provided, but I'm not holding my breath, you will see that he wanted to be a journalist, but was rubbish at it, so he went into politics.
Does that make me envious? Not in the least; just grateful that I've never had to meet the smarmy ....
Since he became chancellor, the national debt has risen by £595 billion. You think that's clever?
He got his job as editor because of his connections, and that's it.
I feel sorry for anyone else who applied for the job who had decent credentials. Don't you, roses?

You do stick up for some of the strangest people. I am sure George will be very grateful.

JustAGodmother Sat 18-Mar-17 10:57:35

Having another job as an MP is one thing, having such influence over a daily London paper is entirely another. However Janey is right "All the indignation on Grannet isn't going to change ..."

However this campaign might smile
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/george-osborne-pick-a-job

rosesarered Sat 18-Mar-17 10:57:57

St Pauls! Blimey, that is even harder to get into than Eton.

Caro1954 Sat 18-Mar-17 10:58:43

I don't begrudge GO his wealth or background or education. But I think he should resign as an MP if he is to be editor of a newspaper.

daphnedill Sat 18-Mar-17 11:02:08

Yeah! My cousin went to St Pauls. He's done pretty well in life, but I doubt he could do six jobs!

daphnedill Sat 18-Mar-17 11:04:20

I agree with you Caro. For a start, he can't possibly do the job properly and, secondly, Osborne is a member of the Privy Council and has access to highly confidential information. Laura Kuenssberg (from the BBC) wondered on Twitter whether all journalists could now have access to the same information.

henetha Sat 18-Mar-17 11:04:33

Why don't M.P.'s realise that it is precisely this sort of thing that makes us dislike and distrust them. How can any sincere member of parliament possibly have time to be a newspaper editor as well? And how can George Osborne justify pocketing over £600,000 pounds for 48 days work per year for Black Rock?
It stinks, it really does.