Corbyn / BBC declare social class of employees?

trisher nepotism gets people jobs from the bottom of society to the top, the tradesman who gives a mates son a chance to work with him, the friend who provides a reference.

There is very little difference in how societies work from end to end, this is why all is rabbiting on about class is so ridiculous.

I had huge respect for Tony Benn and his principles, but should his children have places in politics? Well perhaps not
interesting

I think if politics is imbued in you from an early age and you would make a good politician, believing in what you want to achieve for others - and people want to vote for you - then yes.

That seems to me to imply that the numbers of ethnic minorities and females entering politics are disproportionately low because they are not "the best". Or could it be that there are systemic reasons for their lack of representation which should be addressed, as they are in other progressive countries?

And people in the media do not make laws trisha, when I spoke of miners it was an example of people following previous generations of their families.

I want the best people for MP’s not x no of ethnic minorities, x no of females, x no of males, x no of LGBT

janeainsworth could you try not to take the things I say out of context. I didn't introduce miners I was posting about how nepotism is responsible for some people having jobs in the media and politics, Annie drew a parrallel between this and families working as miners. I therefore said "Miners don't make laws" . Of course there have been miners who became politicians, and as such made laws. But it's not a common occurence and has become less common.And certainly I don't think they have political families. Politics is now filled with people who enter through the political researcher path and those who come through family influence.
And actually I'm not sure about the Benn family. I had huge respect for Tony Benn and his principles, but should his children have places in politics? Well perhaps not. Is it a good idea that people from other professions become politicians? Of course it is. And if the search for political candidates was widened perhaps we would see more ethnic minorities and more women in parliament.

Cameron was criticised for having entered politics through the political researcher route, although he did work in the media for a few years before standing as MP.

I think it is good that we have a number of MPs who have entered politics after working at what some may call 'proper jobs', eg mining, medicine, industry and even a drummer in a rock band.

@ Elegran (a bit late in the day) -
Also Aneurin Bevin, son of a coalminer., and head of his Miners Lodge at the age of 19. Tredegar Iron and Coal company.

so agree janeainsworth.

It was miners in South Wales paying their GP weekly even when the family were in good health so they could meet doctors fees when illness struck that inspired Ny Bevan to bring in the NHS He and his father were miners in South Wales.

But they were then politicians and not miners
Trisher when someone enters politics from another occupation or profession, and most people probably agree it’s a good thing if they have had experience working outside politics, they don’t suddenly cast off half their identity.
I read today that Dr Phil Hammond has been selected to run against Jacob Rees-Mogg at the next election. If he’s successful, he won’t suddenly stop being a doctor and cast all those years of medicine aside. He and everyone else will still think of him as a doctor.

So I disagree with you that miners cannot and never have made laws.

Corbyns parents were certaintly politically active, the first Mrs Corbyn was a labour councillor in the same council as Corbyn. One of their sons is John MacDonalds Chief of Staff, three generations involved in politics , it happens .

Dumfries Academy: So yes its Alumni are great and a real example of the best of the comprehensive system

I presume that was meant as a joke trisher as all but a couple of the alumni of Dumfries Academy (including Neil Oliver) attended there well before it became a comprehensive school in 1985 -and I don't think the comprehensive system had been thought of in the 18th and early 19th century.

Nice try though!
And I hope it will continue to nurture the talents of its present-day students.

Threads meander and there would not seem to be a deliberate attempt to derail or distract from the point. It has wandered away from the BBC into a general discussion about 'social class' and now nepotism - or, as some would call it, family tradition.

Perhaps JC got his passion for politics from his parents although they were not politicians as such.

Trisher, many marry into political families because it’s the circle they mix in, as I said before, farmers are the same. Do you want a law that no politician must marry another politician or into a political family ? Should the Benn family be excluded from politics ?

Of course there's a political class Annie and it is composed of all parties. Just look at the earlier link and the ties between the Callaghans the Jays and the Bottomleys.

There is not a political class trisher, some politicians have parents and grandparents who are/were politicians . Sebastian Corbyn has gone into politics which I think is quite usual It happens in most professions, some sons/daughters of doctors become doctors, some sons/daughters of actors become actors, sons/daughters of farmers become farmers, in this town there are three generations of funeral directors.

No, there is no "idea to distract or derail the thread" That would imply that posters who go slightly off the point that you want to make are trying deliberately to silence you. and for some sinister reason of their own don't wish state secrets revealed.

I can't vouch for any other poster's connection with any hush-hush organisation going round the forums stifling free thought, of course, but if I had any real motive for posting about ex-miner MPs it was to "thicken up" the background info behind the argument.

Isn't it funny how arguments are conducted on GN. The main idea being to distract or derail a thread when actually you can't disprove or really disagree with it. So political nepotism has digressed into a "miner can be an MP" which I don't think anyone has argued they can't. The point is that with miners and most other jobs in production having families working together does not mean they exert undue influence, whereas having a political class who are so deeply woven and interconnected can, and perhaps does, lead to government which is insular and uninformed.

POGS I assumed that you too meant the popes' "nephews". I don't know the Tamil writings you mention, but they sound interesting, going by what I can see on the net. They aare by a very "ordinary" man, too I am looking in the Kindle store for an English translation. Is there a good one that you can recommend?

trisher, he is a MP so not from the past, even if his politics are

One of the most interesting things is to walk around the Inns of Court and read the names on the boards. It is fascinating to see who shared chambers with others.

He is 86 Anniebach and was first elected a long time ago. He wouldn't stand a chance now and some would say he should retire.

anniebach It really is quite insulting to say that anyone who criticises a system that entrenches and perpetuates unequal access to higher education and high office has a "chip on their shoulder". It suggests that such views are not genuinely held but only reflect personal resentment and envy.

A couple or so years ago you too refuted the accusation that those (such as yourself at that time) who criticised the wealth of the royal family had a personal axe to grind. It seems that you expect your concerns to be treated as altruistic, whereas others who express similar concerns are merely envious.

I have seen at first hand how students from universities outside of Oxbridge and St Andrews are viewed in a large city law firm. A partner for whom I worked disdainfully, and without embarassment, told me he rejected all trainee solicitor applicants unless they had attended such universities. Yet he, with his supposedly superior Oxbridge education, was the person who was partially, if not wholly, responsible for a major crisis in the firm which cost hundreds of thousands of people, including all the partners and employees in our firm, a significant depreciation in their pension funds.

Dennis Skinner , a name from the past trisher?

Elegran

Thank you , always a pleasure to interact with you.

I did mention" the Catholic practice of nepotism which was related to nephews.". The Thirukural on recruitment is very interesting too.

[Peaceemoticon]

May I add Ny Bevan to your list Elegran

But they were then politicians and not miners. Of course there are miners who became politicians. You forgot Thomas Burt by the way one of the first. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Burt
These are of course names from the past and perhaps serve to illustrate that social mobility was easier then than now. Whiich is interesting to say the least. Any number of polticians particularly in the Labour party had other jobs before they entered Parliament. Most MPs don't any longer. Personally I think it is a loss.