When did UK governments lose their way?

Career politicians, out for what they can get. Most have never held many "real" jobs before entering politics. Uni, political researchers, then put up as an MP

Perhaps there should be a minimum age before sone can become a politician - ideally around 40 years old.

www.compassonline.org.uk/ This is a link to Compass - bringing together people who want to work for a good society. They are already working with people from many different parties and backgrounds. I am impressed by them and have just joined.

Callistemon21

Nannan2

When the Tories got in.First Thatcher hatcheted as much as she could then all the other Tories following have all wanted to put their own stamp on dragging Britain down and ruining the economy further!Odd thing to be infamous for but those 'poshies' do seem to love it.🤔🤨

Mrs Thatcher got in because the previous Government under Callaghan was so abysmal!

Honestly, anyone who thinks that governments of the past were any better perhaps didn't live through those era.

Quite right.

Have you heard of Compass? It is a movement to bring together ordinary people and politicians from different parties who share humanitarian values and aims and work together for the good of the country. It gets support from anyone ready to believe in what they are doing. I am working on the principle that it's better to do something positive than despair at what has been going on.

Many of us are disenchanted with many politicians - but I still believe that there are honest politicians who are motivated to do what is best for the country and for those in need. It's the others who have made us doubt politicians - so we need to be willing to see that there are some good ones in there too. Not perfect - but good enough. BUT we desperately need Fair Voting! We are scarcely a democracy with first past the post - did you know that there is only one other country in Europe who uses this method of voting for their government? It's Belarus. Lets get Fair Voting on the agenda and become more like a democracy - when we've done that, it will be harder for the politicians who are more interested in themselves than the country to get elected.

I’m absolutely and completely disenchanted with our Politicians, and all political parties. All spewing out the same inane platitudes, their narratives all coming from the same polluted source. Feeding us baby food talk-speak as if we’re incompetents. There is no vision, no ethical/moral underpinnings, no desire to make the radical reforms so evidently necessary.

Whitewavemark2

I think that they began to loose trust by the electorate when they started to lie.

I can respect anyone who is honest, trustworthy, intelligent and has the country’s interest at heart (on their terms), even if I profoundly disagree with their politics, but what we’ve had to put up with this century, particularly this last decade has been imo a disaster for British politics.

Yes.

I think that they began to loose trust by the electorate when they started to lie.

I can respect anyone who is honest, trustworthy, intelligent and has the country’s interest at heart (on their terms), even if I profoundly disagree with their politics, but what we’ve had to put up with this century, particularly this last decade has been imo a disaster for British politics.

Spabbygirl I won’t be voting Tory either, but I don’t hold out any hope that we won’t be fobbed off with the usual new government excuse of being unable to fulfil their manifest promises because of the mess left by the last government which has been used, usually with some justification e.g. by Thatcher after Labour, Blair after Conservatives.
The wealthy people statement applies whoever is in power. Just read this www.spectator.co.uk/article/fact-check-labour-on-second-jobs/.

How about shortening the length of time to say 15 years that an mp can sit ? This would make it easier for new ideas to percolate through and have a fresh less entrenched perspective?

Not too sure how to break the connection between wealth, influence and government. Although just now, it doesn’t seem to be working out too well, if it ever did.

I still think we need proportional representation rather than an adversarial two party system.

I think with so many wealthy people in the Tory party and a news media that reinforces that benefit claimants are lazy & disabled people shirkers you are going to get people with a distorted view of other people, A couple of months working in a supermarket on a limited income would do them well, we might get policies that suit the majority.
I'll be voting Labour next time, I want a properly funded NHS etc. not run by fat cat business people who only have their own interests at heart.

Callistemon21

It's easier to discuss their shortcomings on social media.

I can remember my father discussing their shortcomings many years ago!
Affairs etc were hushed up too.

Yes and social media is why we are more aware of their failings.
Things that were out in the newspapers only reached those who read them. The news occurred less frequently and was only watched if you were interested. Probably people did vote as they had always voted, rather than looking at policies.
Thatcher told us it would get worse before it got better-and for us it did and then it did improve. Our fortunes took a dive under Labour and have never really recovered.
I do think it’s to do with career politicians, especially when they have no real knowledge of what being without money really means.

It's easier to discuss their shortcomings on social media.

I can remember my father discussing their shortcomings many years ago!
Affairs etc were hushed up too.

The cavalier attitude of some MPs, especially Cabinet Members can be traced back to Johnson. A totally unremarkable and unreliable man who was never good enough to lead London let alone the country. All current MPs with this arrogance follow his narcissistic trait.

Callistemon21

Nannan2

When the Tories got in.First Thatcher hatcheted as much as she could then all the other Tories following have all wanted to put their own stamp on dragging Britain down and ruining the economy further!Odd thing to be infamous for but those 'poshies' do seem to love it.🤔🤨

Mrs Thatcher got in because the previous Government under Callaghan was so abysmal!

Honestly, anyone who thinks that governments of the past were any better perhaps didn't live through those era.

Nannan2, is, however, quite correct in her analysis of Thatcher's government. Thatcher paved the way for what we have now. Her economic 'insights' weren't any better than Callaghan's, they were just different.

Callistemon21

Has it ever been any different?

It's just not so easy for them to pull the wool over our eyes now than it was in the past.

I think it's just as easy as it ever has been.

People stick with a familiar narrative and don't give it much critical thought.

Nannan2

When the Tories got in.First Thatcher hatcheted as much as she could then all the other Tories following have all wanted to put their own stamp on dragging Britain down and ruining the economy further!Odd thing to be infamous for but those 'poshies' do seem to love it.🤔🤨

Mrs Thatcher got in because the previous Government under Callaghan was so abysmal!

Honestly, anyone who thinks that governments of the past were any better perhaps didn't live through those era.

M0nica

There are plans to build a huge piece of infra tructure in our parish, it will absorb most of the land in the area. Its only purpose is to enrich the investors in the company building it, not ordinary shareholders, or insurance companies with huge pension funds, but overseas sovereign wealth funds.

Everyone is opposed to it: county council, local council, parish councils local MPs. It has been turned down twice at public appeals and has been proposed again.

Now the planned project is in the constituency of a Conservative MP, a young men parachuted in from party HQ after the previous incumbent resigned, quite close to the election cut off date. He is not a natural rebel and we all believe that he will soon be offered some preferment on condition.........

I think that this is the root cause of the problem. Governments since Thatcher haven't been run for the benefit of the whole country's citizens, they've been run for the benefit of wealth.

This is not a lefty diatribe, it's reality. Thatcher and subsequent tory governments believed in 'small state', minimal state investment in services. All tory initiatives were based on the belief that the state should provide minimal services and that everything would be more efficient if run by the private sector. And, the belief that wealth 'created' by the private sector would 'trickle down' to everyone. Sadly this was economic nonsense, all it's done is concentrate wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer people and left us with a lot of poor 'public' services. Most economists will tell you this.
Also, the wealthy, individuals and corporations, have been in a far better position to influence government than the mass of 'ordinary' people. Naturally, they influence government to their own advantage to hang onto and increase their wealth.

The only intermission in the last 40 years was the 13 years of Labour government when public spending was higher, people were better off, and state services showed some improvement. But even the Labour government was heavily influenced by the power of the wealthy.

Has it ever been any different?

It's just not so easy for them to pull the wool over our eyes now than it was in the past.

I think that all parliamentary candidates should be required to work for a specified number of years in a job that had absolutely nothing to do with parliament/politics.

Today’s Guardian- ‘Social mobility is a fairytale’ Faza Shaneen on fighting for Labour and hating Oxford.
Very impressive Labour candidate stood against Ian Duncan Smith and lost by 1200 votes. Points out the obvious disadvantages of studying PPE at Oxford from her viewpoint.

When did they start to lose their way? Thatcher! She had all governments after her , permission to treat us like serfs!

Aveline

I agree with previous posters. Professional politicians who have never had a job outside politics don't govern well for people.
I remember when the Scottish parliament first opened that there were a lot of lawyers, teachers and others with all sorts of professional/working backgrounds. Debate was much more professional compared to the snipe fest that goes on now with no useful or serious exchange of views. It's woefully noticeable.

Agree 100% Aveline.

I agree that a lot of the problems lies with so called professional politicians who have never worked outside politics. Cameron was an example, researcher, aide, and onwards. No life experience, no skills outside politics. If your workplace is politics you will obviously do all you can to stay there; this means not being a tall poppy, always following the party line, not being a rebel. Conscience gets over ruled by necessity.

I think we need radical reform.
Abandon Lib/Lab/Con etc completely - ie NO parties!
There should be local elections where we vote for a person, and what they stand for (not a party) and the winners of those elections should then be selected to serve as our government.
Those elected, should choose a leader to be PM.
All issues to be discussed and voted on, on their own merit and the majority vote carried. Less time spent bitching and sniping, more time collaborating together and getting the job in hand done!