Is The Old School Tie Strangling Any Hopes For A Meritocratic Society In The Uk?

[sandyRoe]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/poshness-test-is-the-new-glass-ceiling-lack-of-wealthy-background-denies-workingclass-people-top-jobs-says-research-10319541.html

[paddywak]

Only 27% posh but acrding to another of there tests I'm 100% pirate

[Sqad]

mikey........but you fail to acknowledge, Labour's longest serving PM......public school and Oxford graduate............Mr T Blair.

Surely that would suggest that a meritocracy exists....the best man get's the top job and in Politics that is the Public School educated.

Labour needs to learn this.........and quickly.

[mikey4444]

Thanks Sqad ! ( can't Mrs Sqad wheel your bath chair down to your Club for you ? )

But I do acknowledge Mr Blair, a Labour politician that kept the Tories out of power for 13 years. It could be argued, successfully I think, that if he hadn't of passed the baton over to Brown, Labour could have won a truly unheard-of 4th Election, in 2010.

And he achieved those 3 consecutive wins in spite of, rather than because of, his public school education. But I would be wrong if I denied that a good education isn't important when it comes to getting ahead in politics, whatever Party you look at. But there are plenty of good educations to be had out there, and Slough Grammar isn't the only place where one can get one.

If you look at the list on 9 Tory PM's, 6 of them went to the same school, Eton, and so did Mr Cameron. It seems that we have gone backwards since those heady days in the 60's, when both Wilson, and Heath were both Grammar school boys.

If we go back to the OP at this point, can we honestly say that the best people are in the best jobs, or is poshness still playing a central role ?

[Sqad]

\\\Thanks Sqad ! ( can't Mrs Sqad wheel your bath chair down to your Club for you ? ) \\

LOL.

\\\\ that if he hadn't of passed the baton over to Brown, Labour could have won a truly unheard-of 4th Election, in 2010. \\\

I agree.

\\\If we go back to the OP at this point, can we honestly say that the best people are in the best jobs, or is poshness still playing a central role ?\\\

Yes, by and large, I believe that we have.

I think that we know each well enough to agree to disagree as this may well develop into an Andy-Hughes 100+ thread.

[mikey4444]

God forbid Sqad ! ( apologies to Andy in advance ! )

[whiskeryron]

One did not bother to take the test because one knows exactly ones position in life. One also never bothers to vote Tory as they are becoming rather tiresome since that dreadful fellow David something or other took the helm

[Svejk]

///Sqad....we have had 10 Tory Prime Ministers since 1900, and 9 of them went to Public School, the vast majority to Eton. ///
Another mikey 'fact'.

[Old_Geezer]

37% posh also.

How green is your valet, Mikey ?

[mikey4444]

OG...I will ask him when he gets back from the Junior Ganymede Club.

[jourdain2]

Mikey - yet again we are twinned! :) I am also 37% posh. When your valet gets back from the Junior Ganymede (does he know Pongo's valet by the way?) would you ask him terribly nicely if he could recommend a reliable lady's maid, pretty please? Mine has gone off in an awful strop - as they do!

Seriously, I am proud that my elder daughter (very successful, made more in 10 years than I did in my life - so I'll have to keep in with her!) refuses to alter her educated-but-firmly-Yorkshire accent in any of her dealings with clients all over the country. She did have the advantage of a teacher parent and a prep. school, but learnt a lot from her athletics training (she was UK pentathlon champion at 15) which gave her confidence, determination and stickability.

[Svejk]

Surprised mikey never came back to back up his 'fact'. Wonder why? lol.