Comments on: Let’s talk about Alan Johnson’s ‘backstory’

By: Gregg

Gregg — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:03:35 +0000

@3:
thick, ignorant, lazy, anti-social and probably criminal) not compatible with being of cabinet government calibre.

Where have you been for the past thirty years?

By: Marcus

Marcus — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 20:31:56 +0000

>On your logic, the next Labour leader should be serial rebel Bob-Marshall Andrews

If only…

By: Charlieman

Charlieman — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:28:04 +0000

As ever, the comments on Dave’s own blog for this post are worth reading.

What I notice in Alan Johnson’s back story is that he was born at the right time to benefit from upward social mobility. The guy has done well for himself, and I was raised by parents who achieved equally admirable results in different ways. Society was racist, sexist, homophobic, classist in those days, and somehow people who oppose those values have got to the top.

But upward social mobility has stopped. More young people are entering higher education, and they are more diverse in race and background. They are the children of the group who benefitted from the first wave of mobility. The university statistics this week demonstrate how places at top institutions are won by middle class children. Has anyone from Eton ever attended the University of Derby?

BTW, David Davis has a similar background to Alan Johnson.

By: texas

texas — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:19:06 +0000

@ceedee

If AJ is set to be the next Labour leader then someone isn’t asking the right questions…(etc)

So AJ follows the Labour Party whip and Cabinet collective responsibility? On your logic, the next Labour leader should be serial rebel Bob-Marshall Andrews, or maybe perhaps David Cameron as he votes against most Government legislation.

BTW how can you vote “strongly”? And how do you know he voted “strongly” rather than with a heavy-heart because he wanted to continue his Cabinet career?

By: Charlie

Charlie — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:14:27 +0000

10. David B . Since when ever has alack of competence ever been a bar to high office?Prescott was deputy PM ; surelyJohnson is better? What is missing, is the experience people bring to the job. Attlee went to Hailebury, Gladstone inherited a fortune and went to Eton and Churchill was the cousin of the Duke of Marlborough and born in Blenheim Palace. What the country needs is ability.

By: Claude

Claude — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:07:05 +0000

Excellent article. It’s a really good point – showing how detached our political class has become. A cross between professional politicians from Reserach Units and Old Skool Toffs.

By: Charlieman

Charlieman — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 12:47:27 +0000

David Boycott, has your beloved never asked you whether an outfit suits them, in search of encouraging words? And didn’t a chap called David Cameron express doubts about his ability to lead the Conservatives?

By: James

James — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 12:46:05 +0000

Sunny – It can tell you about what they did and did not consider worth resigning over. In this case: nothing. Remember Bevan.

By: Sunny Hundal

Sunny Hundal — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 12:19:34 +0000

ceedee, I’m strongly with anyone that believed MPs should vote freely, however to expect cabinet ministers to not vote with their party is to expect unicorns to stage a coup at McDonalds.

Glad someone else made the obvious point before I did. There’s a limit to how useful TWFY can be on these things.

By: Crust Of The Grouch

Crust Of The Grouch — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:42:33 +0000

To be fair I haven’t seen him wear enough burberry to be a chav.

As ceedee post above and Johnson’s actions these last few days show, he’s just a whipped Labour MP, who’s voted for everything they’ve put in front of him. The difference between him and Brown is, Johnson is more personable.

Its not just about background, though it helps to have lived in the “real world”. It’s about this attitude of treating the public like children and embracing authoritarianism to get what you want, it’s about listening to people.

Politics has become unrepresentative because politicians don’t listen. Tony Benn’s background is the reverse of Johnson, yet can you think of a politician more for the working people?

By: Lee Griffin

Lee Griffin — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:02:36 +0000

ceedee, I’m strongly with anyone that believed MPs should vote freely, however to expect cabinet ministers to not vote with their party is to expect unicorns to stage a coup at McDonalds.

The key over the next month or so will be whether he shelves ID cards, and starts taking a different approach to managing the home office.

By: David Boycott

David Boycott — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:00:17 +0000

Alan Johnson isn’t of Cabinet calibre. He has told us he is not up to the job of Prime Minister – why should we believe he has what it takes to for the poisoned chalice that is the Home Office?

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 10:13:20 +0000

Because “chav” is a) not synonymous with “working class”, and b) by definition (ie, thick, ignorant, lazy, anti-social and probably criminal) not compatible with being of cabinet government calibre.

By: Kentron

Kentron — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:55:28 +0000

Apparently, as the former holder of a “proper” job, none of that matters.

By: ceedee

ceedee — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:16:46 +0000

If AJ is set to be the next Labour leader then someone isn’t asking the right questions…

# Voted strongly for introducing ID cards.
# Voted very strongly for introducing foundation hospitals.
# Voted strongly for introducing student top-up fees.
# Voted very strongly for Labour’s anti-terrorism laws.
# Voted very strongly for the Iraq war. votes, speeches
# Voted very strongly against an investigation into the Iraq war.
# Voted very strongly for replacing Trident.