Why We Get the Wrong Politicians

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The answer in Balls’ case is probably the same as it is for many in politics: it’s an addiction. That’s why politicians are happy to put up with a dysfunctional parliamentary culture, the weird working hours (and weird colleagues) and people generally disliking them. His wife, Yvette Cooper, is still a Labour MP and flying high in the party, so it won’t be a surprise to Balls if life hasn’t really improved since he was last on the green benches. In many ways it has got worse, to the extent that only addicts will find the life attractive, while outsiders, who might still make very good legislators, stay well away. The Labour Party, meanwhile, is calling for a general election. They won’t get it as you have to have a two thirds majority in the Commons to have a snap election & the Conservatives will not be voting for it as turkeys would also not be voting for the upcoming Christmas should they have been enfranchised. If they did get it then the problem would be theirs, and they don’t know what to do either. The key to this section however is the problem of patronage — politicians, if they are to retain both their seat in the house and access to the levers of power, must command popularity in the form of votes and be on good terms with or in the government (the executive). This can mean they have to be ‘all things to all men’ and ‘yes men’. ‘Yes men’ may find themselves asking pointless and ingratiating questions in parliamentary debates and always voting with the party. Those who vote against their own parties can find themselves alienated from both party and electorate. MPs have to divide their time between their constituency (some more than others) and the house. Hardman points out that with this, and with serving on various parliamentary committees, there is relatively little time to scrutinise and think about legislation as it passes through parliament, and MPs confess to not understanding what they are voting on. These people are often overlooked, but they’re responsible for choosing the names on UK ballot papers. What’s more, they’re usually unrepresentative. In 2013, the Local Government Association found that 67 percent of local councilors were male and 96 percent were ethnically white. The average age of these councilors was 60. Isabel Hardman is a journalist and broadcaster. She is Assistant Editor of The Spectator and presents Week in Westminster on BBC Radio 4. In 2015, she was named "Journalist of the Year" at the Political Studies Association's annual awards. She lives in London.

Why We Get the Wrong Politicians by Isabel Hardman - Waterstones Why We Get the Wrong Politicians by Isabel Hardman - Waterstones

This book looks at what it is like to be an MP. It focuses on their experiences, and costs of the job and the downsides. The culture of Parliament is looked at.The public think you’re in it for the money, however many shelters for the homeless or donkey sanctuaries you have established Politicians: We cannot live with and without them. Our much-slandered group of legislators and decision-makers are often seen as corrupt, self-serving sycophants who possess more treachery than talent. We see them as careerists instead of ardent public servants. Also, bankers and estate agents are regularly voted in the least trusted career groups in the UK. Various chapters on the performance of recent parliaments are full of their failures, but silent with regard to any achievements. Most of us are not only ignorant about the obstacles facing new and future MPs but we are also mostly unaware of what politicians truly do. The majority of us think they are involved in two things which are vote and lie. Even though they actually do both of those things, they do way more than that. Thus, Her Majesty’s Government is in great chaos. What can be done? The politically disillusioned one will claim that attempting to reform Westminster is similar to that of redecorating a house with damaged plumbing and it is better to gut it out and start over. However, that is not completely true. As a matter of fact, there are various reforms that can lead to a positive change.

Why We Get the Wrong Politicians : Isabel Hardman Why We Get the Wrong Politicians : Isabel Hardman

That the author knows why this is (inference: some potentially fraudulent transactional relationship between politicians and the public, hence the “we” in the title). She is the daughter of Michael Hardman, the first chairman and one of the four founders of the Campaign for Real Ale. She attended St Catherine's School, Bramley, and Godalming College, before graduating from the University of Exeter with a first class degree in English Literature in 2007. While at university, Hardman worked as a freelance journalist for The Observer. She completed a National Council for the Training of Journalists course at Highbury College in 2009.

For political analysts, media commentators and switched-on citizens, attention is only focused on a politician once they enter office – as if they popped into existence the morning after a successful election campaign. But to totally understand the UK’s flawed political system and why its citizens are unsatisfied and exasperated with their leaders, it’s worth examining how politicians are selected as candidates for office in the first place. Stebbins offers a cautionary tale. Political parties shouldn’t wait for corruptible people to put themselves forward. They should seek community leaders who have proven ability to behave with integrity. Better yet, recruit those who would see power as a burden rather than a calling. If we wait to see who steps forward, as we often do in modern society, we have only ourselves to blame when we end up with a power-hungry narcissist in charge. Allen & Unwin Australia’s leading independent publisher of smart fiction and non-fiction, published in the UK through Atlantic Books. I’ve been obsessed by that question for the past decade. I’ve interviewed hundreds of powerful people: despots, corrupt kingpins, crooked chief executives, power-hungry generals, cult leaders, abusive managers, bloodthirsty rebel leaders and, yes, those in the highest echelons of British politics. It might not have been a pacy thriller, but there is sex, love, scandal, tortured souls and obsessive characters, hopes, dreams and heartbreak in this book. Yes, it is layered with discussion of fire safety regulations and policy about cones on the motorway, but nonetheless Hardman’s book is a vital and compelling read for anyone interested in the way our politics does or doesn’t work .

Why We Get the Wrong Politicians (Hardback) - Waterstones Why We Get the Wrong Politicians (Hardback) - Waterstones

Politicians are consistently voted the least trusted professional group by the UK public. They’ve recently become embroiled in scandals relating to everything from expenses to sexual harassment to illicit parties. Every year, they introduce new legislation that doesn’t do what it sets out to achieve – often with terrible financial and human costs. But, with some notable exceptions, they are decent, hard-working people, doing a hugely difficult and demanding job.Since formulating and examination of legislation is really important, it’s very easy to think that’s what MPs do with most of their time, however, that is not true. As a matter of fact, a politician’s working week is mostly dominated by the burden of their constituency. It was revealed by the Hansard Society that these activities take up 49% of an MP’s time while only 21% is spent on passing and debating new British laws.

Why We Get the Wrong Politicians: Shortlisted for the Why We Get the Wrong Politicians: Shortlisted for the

Dacher Keltner, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, has spent decades showing the effects of power on individuals. “People who enjoy elevated power are more likely to eat impulsively and have sexual affairs, to violate the rules of the road, to lie and cheat, to shoplift, to take candy from children and to communicate in rude, profane and disrespectful ways,” he says.Even with the best reforms, there’s no silver bullet. Bad, power-hungry people will end up in charge. To help guide them to better behaviour, we should use a process called sortition — random selection of citizens for leadership, a bit like jury duty for politics — to create better oversight. One of the problems is the financial obstacles that hinder many potential politicians from campaigning as MP, and Osborne cannot be held responsible. However what this Oxford-educated aristocrat failed to do was step outside his circle and meet with regular citizens, people who would have given a different and valued perception to his policymaking.