toys19 does the fact that someone from a council estate would get into Cambridge being worthy of comment not prove that something is wrong?

JY – that would be Prince Edward, Prince Charles only had two A levels, Edward was supposed to be the bright one. That said Gordonstoun wasn’t regarded as an academic school.

toys19 does the fact that someone from a council estate would get into Cambridge being worthy of comment not prove that something is wrong?

a) I never said something wasn’t wrong with being able to buy a better education. We both know its wrong.
b) I only commented on it to prove that the poster who said anyone can buy their way into a top uni as not true. I was not saying “oooh isnt it amazing, this council hosue guy went to cambridge.” Only a reasonably intelligent person can buy their way into a top uni, and only a very intelligent person will get in and make it into politics.

41% of the youth going into HE. Chav population growing out of control. Apologies to those who chose not to, or failed to gain a place at uni, but there may become a dividing line in society, those that went into HE and those that didn’t. Also, those that went to not-oxbrdge-not-russell-group uni might find themselves not really being middle class.

Many people ‘think’ they are middle class, but the fact is that those pouring out of HE nowadays may find that, unable to get on the housing ladder and working just a few paychecks away from oblivion they are not in fact middle class. When the government sucks everyones money away, treats the population like stray dogs, whilst flaunting their own money and their lobbyist friends money in our faces, society will change to something far worse than what Maggie’s government brought to life.

Teachers are middle class? Poorly paid for what they do, but yes, the 40% that survive past 2 years are. But I’m willing to bet that teachers, under solid anonymity, might want to rage about those they pass through the system who aren’t up to the job.

working just a few paychecks away from oblivion they are not in fact middle class

I’d suggest that’s always been most middle class people.

Haven’t read the thread entirely(thank god), but this:

Basically, whatever colour the government, we’re ruled by a remote, cossetted elite who snear at everyone outside their own immediate circle.

Is where it’s at. The selection process for the three main political parties are run in such a way so as to keep as many “ordinary folk” out. They simply want to minimise the local hero MP who will put the concerns of their constituents ahead of the party line.

We are in an induced state of political apathy, Induced by those in Westminster.

Many people ‘think’ they are middle class, but the fact is that those pouring out of HE nowadays may find that, unable to get on the housing ladder and working just a few paychecks away from oblivion they are not in fact middle class. When the government sucks everyones money away, treats the population like stray dogs, whilst flaunting their own money and their lobbyist friends money in our faces, society will change to something far worse than what Maggie’s government brought to life.

I’d be inclined to agree with this to an extent. For recent graduates, there’s not that much to look forward to – several years perhaps working in unskilled, insecure jobs, no hope of getting on the housing ladder or building any financial security.

However, I don’t think we should lose sight of the fact that society as a whole is responsible for the economic situation as it is. Rich, poor, the vast majority of society bought into consumer culture, the “have-it-now” and the fetishization of luxury celeb lifestyle. The banks lent it irresponsibly, and borrowers at all levels spent it irresponsibly. Of course, the crisis has hit people harder who had less to begin with, and all we see is the richer in society going “I’m alright Jack” and of course, it makes us angry. But I think the situation we are in is actually a symptom of us chasing a fairly skewed set of social values – property and money before people, mainly, and I don’t think that set of values is confined to a particular class of individuals – it spans society as a whole.

Well you see if cameron hadnt gone to posh school with rebekah brooks posh husband and been at the brooks for posh xmas dinner with james murdoch and had a conversation with james murdoch about the bskyb takeover which james murdoch is now bitter about and blabbing to levenson.
…..And cameron hadnt appointed posh boy jeremy hunt to replace posh boy vince cable on the bskyb oversight thingy, who then set up a series of secret, undecleared and ilegal meetings and conversations between his posh self and bsksybs posh chief lobbyist then posh boy jeremy hunt wouldnt have ok’d bskybs takeover and poshboy jeremy hunt wouldnt be being forced? to resign.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17829360

They should stop spending so much on beer and fags then!

Or electricity, gas, clothing and council tax.

John Prescott?

Got to ask at what point he stopped being working class though. A LONG time ago. I don’t know if he ever really associated with his background when he was deputy PM and honestly, being from Hull, I can say that nobody ever really associated him with being from where we were (even the admittedly middle-class suburb I lived in).

I don’t care about their backgrounds as long as they do their jobs properly. I don’t see how just starting from a working class beginning would make you more qualified to lead the country. If that was true, Stalinist Russia would have been a utopia as they’d demolished most of the other classes before long.

For Nadine Dorries read Caroline Flint and (in the next few years) Louise Mensch.

Nasty, hair-flicking, opportunists who turn around and scratch your eyes out the first time you don’t give them the job or credo they think they deserve. The ‘type’ is becoming very prevalent – both Flint and Dorries struggled to hide a smile while turning traitor. Sickening self-promotion.

Posh? No problem – so long as you’re competent. I assume all the people who say Cameron and Osborne cannot comment on issues affecting the poor will also agree that anyone who has dragged themselves up from humble beginnings cannot comment on inheritance tax – for example. Just the usual trite, point-scoring shite.

If they are arrogant, then that is more of a problem, but again, Dorries has all the hallmarks of a nasty, hair-pulling playground bully. Snide.

I wouldn’t want the lower classes in power – look at the state of them

Politicians have a lot of power in our society so they have to know about life in the real world . The problem is that Cameron , Osborne and the rest have no idea how ordinary people live. Their deficit reduction plan is not working and they don’t care whether it does or not because it won’t affect them anyway. We need growth in the economy and a new government to get it started

Epic thread resurection!

wasn’t there a ruling passed in the peoples parliament that arrogant posh boys should be routinely whacked in the knackers with a cricket bat..?