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Why We Get the Wrong Politicians By Isabel Hardman & How Britain Really Works By Stig Abell 2 Books Collection Set
Paperback
Published January 1, 2020
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About the author
Isabel Hardman
15 books53 followersIsabel Hardman is a political journalist and the assistant editor of The Spectator. In 2015, she was named Journalist of the Year at the Political Studies Association's annual awards.
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.
Hardman began her career in journalism as a senior reporter for Inside Housing magazine. She then became assistant news editor at PoliticsHome. In September 2014, GQ magazine named her as one of their 100 most connected women in Britain, and in December 2015, she was named "Journalist of the Year" at the Political Studies Association's annual awards. She is currently the assistant editor of The Spectator, and writes a weekly column for The Daily Telegraph.
She appears on television programmes such as Question Time, This Week, The Andrew Marr Show and Have I Got News for You, and is a presenter of the BBC Radio 4 programme Week in Westminster.
She hosts The Spectator Podcast.
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.
Hardman began her career in journalism as a senior reporter for Inside Housing magazine. She then became assistant news editor at PoliticsHome. In September 2014, GQ magazine named her as one of their 100 most connected women in Britain, and in December 2015, she was named "Journalist of the Year" at the Political Studies Association's annual awards. She is currently the assistant editor of The Spectator, and writes a weekly column for The Daily Telegraph.
She appears on television programmes such as Question Time, This Week, The Andrew Marr Show and Have I Got News for You, and is a presenter of the BBC Radio 4 programme Week in Westminster.
She hosts The Spectator Podcast.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 24, 2023
Excellent explanation about why we DO get the wrong politicians, and why we are likely to continue to do so in the absence of radical reform and change (which the turkeys are unlikely to vote for!)
Barriers to entry, low levels of support from the parties for potential candidates, the high risk nature of the job and a narrow pool of potential candidates are clearly the main reasons we get people like Rees Mogg, Johnson, Corbyn or other weirdos etc (not to mention all the undesirables and disgraced) Hardman explains how the unpopularity of politicians (well earned and deserved in many cases) the glare of the media spotlight and often unfair treatment at the hands of social media and the press, lead to a group with questionable psychological profiles, coming into parliament, generally poorly qualified, poorly assessed, untrained, unprepared, and often with inappropriate selfish motives, not matched to a life of 'service'. And then it gets worse as members get lost in not knowing what their 'real job is', being poorly managed and supervised, and manipulated and compromised by ambitions to climb the slippery pole to a ministerial position. This means we not only get the wrong and politicians but also poor unscrutinised legislation, that impacts the lives of millions! The whole dysfunctional situation would lead to the catastrophic failure of most private businesses, yet we as an electorate tolerate the uniformed, egotistic, ill suited individuals to amateurishly run our country. My only criticism of an enlightening book is the lack of real solutions and ideas on necessary reforms.
Personally I would;
1. Reform the executive along USA lines to bring in the necessary expertise eg defence / health / finance/ law/ education / transport etc rather than endlessly promote and reshuffle the conscious and often unconscious incompetents. eg Dorries / Patel / Davis / etc etc
2. Create professional career MP's with salaried standing MP and opposition MP for every constituency. There would still be elections, but winners and losers would fulfil a role in both constituency, local council and legislative capacities. Standing MP's would be shadowed by opposition MP's with powers to review rather like the house of Lords.
3. Advertising of jobs as an MP 'candidate', clear assessment and selection processes, followed by extensive training and supervision to enable MP's and Opposition to fulfil a clear role with accountabilities and responsibilities.
4. Hiring and firing of MP's in the same way a corporate life, based on effective performance reviews and behavioural standards.
5. Pay higher salaries to attract the right quality of successful people from different backgrounds
These high level principles would enable legislators to be professionalised and be able to act on Bills according to their beliefs and the needs of their constituents, rather than behaving as 'yes men' and whipped by the executive to follow blindly. It would also ensure the executive develop bills in a manner which will gain approval, not because to fear or ambition, but due to their quality and importance. Naturally the costs of full time salaried MP's and Opposition MP's would be greatly increased, but just consider the savings made through improving scrutiny of legislation and stopping useless new laws and reforms in NHS / Education / Transport etc etc
This of course is highly unlikely to happen, as the incumbents will always want to preserve their own existence and their comfortable life, and would be fearful of a whole new group of executives high quality MP's replacing them!!! But who on earth would ever run a business and lead their people in the way the government currently runs the country??? And who would be an MP in the current set up...not the successful, competent, well balanced and stable individuals wanting to serve their countries!!!
Barriers to entry, low levels of support from the parties for potential candidates, the high risk nature of the job and a narrow pool of potential candidates are clearly the main reasons we get people like Rees Mogg, Johnson, Corbyn or other weirdos etc (not to mention all the undesirables and disgraced) Hardman explains how the unpopularity of politicians (well earned and deserved in many cases) the glare of the media spotlight and often unfair treatment at the hands of social media and the press, lead to a group with questionable psychological profiles, coming into parliament, generally poorly qualified, poorly assessed, untrained, unprepared, and often with inappropriate selfish motives, not matched to a life of 'service'. And then it gets worse as members get lost in not knowing what their 'real job is', being poorly managed and supervised, and manipulated and compromised by ambitions to climb the slippery pole to a ministerial position. This means we not only get the wrong and politicians but also poor unscrutinised legislation, that impacts the lives of millions! The whole dysfunctional situation would lead to the catastrophic failure of most private businesses, yet we as an electorate tolerate the uniformed, egotistic, ill suited individuals to amateurishly run our country. My only criticism of an enlightening book is the lack of real solutions and ideas on necessary reforms.
Personally I would;
1. Reform the executive along USA lines to bring in the necessary expertise eg defence / health / finance/ law/ education / transport etc rather than endlessly promote and reshuffle the conscious and often unconscious incompetents. eg Dorries / Patel / Davis / etc etc
2. Create professional career MP's with salaried standing MP and opposition MP for every constituency. There would still be elections, but winners and losers would fulfil a role in both constituency, local council and legislative capacities. Standing MP's would be shadowed by opposition MP's with powers to review rather like the house of Lords.
3. Advertising of jobs as an MP 'candidate', clear assessment and selection processes, followed by extensive training and supervision to enable MP's and Opposition to fulfil a clear role with accountabilities and responsibilities.
4. Hiring and firing of MP's in the same way a corporate life, based on effective performance reviews and behavioural standards.
5. Pay higher salaries to attract the right quality of successful people from different backgrounds
These high level principles would enable legislators to be professionalised and be able to act on Bills according to their beliefs and the needs of their constituents, rather than behaving as 'yes men' and whipped by the executive to follow blindly. It would also ensure the executive develop bills in a manner which will gain approval, not because to fear or ambition, but due to their quality and importance. Naturally the costs of full time salaried MP's and Opposition MP's would be greatly increased, but just consider the savings made through improving scrutiny of legislation and stopping useless new laws and reforms in NHS / Education / Transport etc etc
This of course is highly unlikely to happen, as the incumbents will always want to preserve their own existence and their comfortable life, and would be fearful of a whole new group of executives high quality MP's replacing them!!! But who on earth would ever run a business and lead their people in the way the government currently runs the country??? And who would be an MP in the current set up...not the successful, competent, well balanced and stable individuals wanting to serve their countries!!!
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