"Economic decline has become a chronic British disease."

This is a very depressing read. So many people have suffered during the long period of austerity and they will continue to do so with this govt in place. I really do not understand why there are still people who do not recognise this. They still talk about tightening our belts, make do and mend, look for cheaper brands for cheaper shopping ad infinitum.

Now that Unison has passed a motion supporting PR perhaps we can hope for a change of govt at the next GE. It would be fantastic if the millions suffering at the moment could look forward to a better life in future.

Don't think of it as depressing Dinahmo, just realistic. From realism, we could move forward. Although I don't think it could be with those who have given us the last twelve years. They say they want the end but do not dare the means as it may lose them their base voters.

Levelling up will not go directly into peoples' pockets but into education, skills training and infrastructure - none of this has come through from the Tories. The question is, would Labour dare to make people wait? I do hope so.

I agree PR needs to be passed at the beginning of the next parliament. However, Labour would no doubt need the backing of other parties for in-depth investment while helping only those in greatest need. The country we live in is so much poorer; that is what makes individuals less well off but can we convince those with wealth that it's growth that makes a country rich, not tax cuts?

Investment should increase pay as large projects take place but whether there will be belief in any government after the effects of this one come home to those who believed in it, I couldn't guess.

The problem is I do not think any political party in the country is capable of doing what is required.

The calibre of the 'elite' in all our current political parties is at the best mediocre and frankly most are well below mediocre.

I think it is because such a large proportion of our politicians enter politics from university, seeing it as a career, in the same way as most first-jobbers see the career they are going into as one where they will make progress, earn more money, get higher up the hierarchy etc etc.

These men and women see politics as a ladder for personal ambition, not as a form of public service.

I am certainly not suggesting that in the past everything was perfect. There were always people making politics their career. Read Phineas Finn, by Anthony Trollope. But Labour MPs were generally people who had worked in as farm labourers, in factories, down mines and in heavy industry and been active unionists or similar and could bring to Parliament their understanding of ordinary peoples lives.

Similarly, Conservative MPs had managed large estates, run companies had succcessful legal or banking careers and brought that experience into politics.

I would like to see a rule that limits standing for Parliament to those who can show that they have followed a career, anything from being a bike courier to a banker for at least 10 years before entering parliament and all Mps should have to stand down for at least one session once they have served 15 years, three consecutive Parliaments as an MP.

This of course wouldn't stop some numb skulls being nominated and elected, but it would bring people into politics that do not see it as a career in itself and will be far more familiar with the ordinary life of the average voter.

If you look at the backgrounds of the current Labour front bench Monica, the majority of them meet the criteria you have suggested and have worked in other roles, for at least 7 years, some well over 10 years, before entering politics. Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting, Lisa Nandy and Anneliese Dodds all did and probably others whose backgrounds I know less about.

Look up Chi Onwurah's CV:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi_Onwurah

That is depressing. It seems that those going in to politics, even with out of Parliament experience, are pretty poor quality as well.

That remark is not personal to those named in the post above. Simply that at the moment politics in this country seems to be peopled by the below mediocre, the venal, and self-servers. As I said, of course there will always be a proportion of people like that in politics, it just appears that at the moment they are in the ascendance.

Unfortunately, nothing demonstrates the venality more than the character of our current Prime Minister, while to keep up Labour championed mediocrity, first in electing that sub-mediocrit, Jeremy Corbyn, as leader and, sadly, Keir Starmer, despite an illustrious career in the law has proved to be a damp squib.