Europe needs to get real on defence; Britain needs to get real on Europe
13 February 2025
Post
27 June 2009
3 minute(s) read
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This is ridiculous.
If by young, you mean young careerists who were set on being an MP while they were still in the womb and which Party they serve and what they believe in (if anything) are secondary considerations.
Frankly, Parliament would be a lot better if it had a few more 60-year-old care assistants who had some experience of life outside professional politics and actually believed in something. Say.
Surely what matters is the character of the candidate, not their age.
Dear AC
It is a pitty that we can’t take this opportunity to ensure that there is a work life balance between being in politics and bringing up a family. I am sure it is actually bad for performance if one is working very hard but missing their family. I would like to see a much more moderate country and a slowing down
where bankers,business people and politicians have to manage their time properly,look after their families and health. It is also easy to get lead astray, morally and financially, if you away from home too long. I was ‘on the road’ for four years for a bank , living in hotels , and desperate for company. The 14 hour days for 20 years didn’t help either.So , I know it isn’t easy as you feel you have business responsibilities and home responsibilities.I couldn’t get out of it and worry that others can’t too.
Suddenly Micheal Jackson dies , or Lady Diana , both young and one feels that life is very short. Good luck to Alan Milburn but such an nice man and effective politician should really have been able to enjoy his career and home life. Sadly the culture today does not allow it.
Best wishes
gary
Right on regarding fresh blood!
Surely the problem with Georgina Gould was that she sent exactly the wrong kind of message. It looked like an attempt to impose the daughter of a New Labour insider on a local party.
Speaking of which, how ironic that the wealthy Tory turncoat, Shaun Woodward, who was parachuted into St Helens, is now one of the prime minister’s closest confidants.
For all its sense of innovation, ‘Blairism’ did not strengthen people’s faith in politics. That’s a legacy those who were intimately involved in the project will have to come to terms with.
I a more than happy with young people becoming MPs as long as they have had a life outside of politics.
Nothing wrong with some people in their 20s and 30s becoming MPs. After all, people in their 20s and 30s are affected by government the same as everyone else. But I go along with those who value experience as well.
Another aspect is the ageing population. We are all being told we are going to live longer and have to work longer. So the push to get the average age of MPs (or indeed of any profession) down is just swimming against the tide of demographics. In 50 years’ time we’ll have a society in which the majority of people will be over 50 governing by a Parliament where the majority of MPs are under 35. It won’t work (and it wouldn’t be very democratic!)
I think AC needs to explain why ‘young’ people are the only answer to the democratic crisis. Is it not true that there is a significantly aging population who are currently more likely to vote, and will be more likely to support older representatives who understand their concerns. The Commons needs to be chamber that reflects the country as a whole, not just the passing glamour of young people.
What about people in their early forties? There are many good people waiting in the wings!
Disagree in part here Ally, many of the Romper Room have never ran anything, they’ve come straight from uni into politics. You cannot beat experience, I feel that there are many out there who may have took early retirement but can still give something to the country, they will have had years in industry or the public services.
Having young people in Parliament might freshen things up and get youngsters interested in politics and in volunteering in general, but we still need experience.
Also it’s interesting to see how Dave is weeding out the old tories via the expenses scandal so he can manipulate the new breed. Many of the new tories will probably be anti EU loonies and it was interesting to read what your old sparring partner wrote in the Guardian about Dave’s tories positioning themselves away from the centre right of Merkel and Sarkozy.
The EU have tolerated a 30% devaluation of sterling. Come a raving bonkers anti EU Dave administration they might not be so forgiving and Black Wednesday could well repeat itself.
The tories having to accept, cap in hand that the UK has to join the Euro for the sake of a stable currency after the speculators cause a run on the pound? You heard it here first.