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The Review Online
Election runs the risk of class war
10th January 2010
The General Election, whenever it is held, runs a serious risk of turning into a class driven affair, writes Shae Courtney.
A number of key Labour politicians, including the Prime Minister, have highlighted the Opposition as being largely made up of those educated at public schools. In December 2009, Gordon Brown commented on Conservative inheritance tax policy as being “thought up on the playing fields of Eton.” Whilst this may be true, simply because a politician or group of politicians come from a certain clique does not automatically mean that they are out of touch with the needs of everyday men, women and families.
This is not to say that, however, that I do not have sympathy for what many in the Labour Party are saying and in an ideal world, those in Parliament would be a microcosm of the nation, but this simply is not practical or feasible. Alan Johnson made a largely unfounded and flamboyant remark, also in December, which would anger many in his own party and elsewhere: “If they were to win the election, you would have a mayor of London, chancellor, and prime minister all coming from a tiny clique who went out trashing restaurants and left wodges of money to pay for the damage.” Johnson’s remark begs the question: “What did you do? Go out trashing restaurants and not leave wodges of money to pay for the damage?” It seems that to focus so closely on the school a politician went to is petty in comparison to other far more important issues, such as: climate change, the recession and public spending to name a few.
Sadly, it seems that even the Conservative Party are keen to focus on their own social backgrounds too. In July last year, Chloe Smith was elected as Conservative MP to the Norwich North seat. Many at the time focussed on her average background, being educated at a comprehensive school in Swaffham and taking a gap-year before enrolling at the University of York. Recently speaking at Woodstock, Oxfordshire, David Cameron spoke out making it clear that he wanted 2010 to be the “year for change” in politics, social issues and economics.
The General Election must be held on or before June 3rd 2010.