Does David Cameron Prove There Are No Good Politicians?

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Sunak's recent moves raise questions about talent within the Tory Party. Some see a shift to the center, while others question the need for external appointments in key roles. This video explores public perceptions and the factors at play.
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3. Isabel Hardman (2022) Why We Get the Wrong Politicians

[@lonerider543]

The UK political system is a perfect summary of the UK labour market in general to be honest. Those in high up positions aren't there because they're the most qualified, they are simply the ones that can put on the best show and make others believe they are the most qualified. This applies to companies as much as it does the government.

[@pluckypanda9937]

Its called the class system

[@thenoodlebuddy]

Completely agree, want to be an accountant you have to study for years and gain years of experience.. but if you want to be in charge of the countries whole finances you need no qualifications, infact if your Jeremy Hunt you can just have a history of failed businesses and you'll get the job 💀 not a good sign for UKs finances now is it

[@ashtonhawkins4639]

or more accurately its those who have their parents funding, and profit almost exclusively off of the labour their employees perform, giving them the time and money needed to become more powerful and influential than they ever ought to be

[@ab-ym3bf]

​@Person11068no

[@shamanahaboolist]

Nepotism is the scourge of this country.

[@JoshMathewsofficial]

The UK is stagnating and it’s only got itself to blame. The whole system needs overhaul.

[@MikeAG333]

Assertion without evidence can be dismissed without discussion. Therefore, you just wasted everyone's time.

[@michaelblower7363]

I agree. It's time to change things

[@kopiec6565]

​@@MikeAG333the whole video pointed out the evidence. Or do you need to have those points reiterated specially for you?

[@xcsheehan]

Overhauling the system is too extreme here. Adapting the system might be better.

[@toi_techno]

Anyone with assets worth over £1million should be barred from politics. There is just far too much opportunity for conflict of interest if a very wealthy person has political power as well.

[@vesschan]

If David Cameron is the most talented individual out there it doesn’t say anything good about education in the UK.

[@tonyb9735]

More specifically, it speaks volumes of the lack of ability available to the *Tory Party*. Boris kicked out all the Tories that couldn't be relied upon to support his no-deal brexit. The problem was that a no-deal brexit was so self-evidently stupid that it left a party containing only MPs without ability and/or integrity.

[@anonUK]

Jolly voting weather, what what! Buller, buller, buller! What chance have you got against a tie and a crest?

[@MisterFluffyBags]

Decades of cuts to schools and harmful/negligent education policies have ensured that only the wealthiest rise to the top.

[@glazierblue573]

If you think Camon is the most talented we have here... we really are screwed! All the Torys are the most clueless, heartless, lying, greedy f**k wits ever to disgrace this country since Thatcher. Now that is saying something.

[@spikemears5484]

If Cameron is the most talented individual out there then we really are in deep doo doo! Cameron the Ostrich! Very convenient award of an undeserved title , same deal as Rees Moggy. They will be knighting Johnson next to get him back ito the cabinet. Taking Cameron back, makes anything possible! They are all arrogant bags of wind!

[@Kj16V]

This is actually quite depressing to find out that people know precisely UK politics is so bad, but to also know nothing will ever be done about it.

[@sirrobinofloxley7156]

Don't worry, it's not just Britain, we'll all soon enjoy such despotism as Myanmar, Zimbabwe and Haiti, we're just finding out that's been the plan all along!

[@aceman0000099]

​@@sirrobinofloxley7156thats not literally true, maybe it's metaphorically true in the sense of 'unstoppable' indirect control via the two party system and privacy invasion or whatever

[@DrSpooglemon]

The problem is that people put too much faith in what the mass media tells them. Jeremy Corbyn is one of the most decent human beings alive but we have people going around thinking he is some kind of monster. Meanwhile we have the Tory front bench - nuff sed!

[@eris9062]

This perverse incentive system also makes it extremely difficult for those who aren’t wealthy to enter the political scene thereby greatly reducing the potential skills and experiences that can be drawn on

[@doxologist]

This is a good thing, unfortunately. If you already have money you'll be less fiscally stimulated when making decisions (ideally anyway)

[@markwelch3564]

​@@doxologistI'm not seeing this. Plenty of rich people who prioritise further stuffing of their own pockets over everything else!

[@MC-yt1uv]

@@doxologist Yes, the wealthy famously don't do things to increase their wealth at the expense of others. If there is one person you can trust to not be greedy is is someone who has accumulated a bunch of wealth. Sort of like how if someone is overweight they won't overeat at a buffet because they already have excess fat.

[@31Blaize]

@@doxologist The opposite is in fact true. Notoriously, rich people work to make themselves richer (usually at the expense of others). The Tories are a great example of this.

[@CharltonCharles]

@@doxologistThat certainly isn’t the case in the UK at the very least.

[@joshuasims5421]

Historically, self-enrichment is the default use of political power. You don’t have a King Charles III because his ancestors wanted to help people out. There also are, and always have been, politicians whose aim is to help the people, but this is an attitude that needs to be actively cultivated. I’m in the US and believe me, we have the same problem.

[@WhichDoctor1]

when tory politicians were able to give multi-million pound contracts to companies hastily created by their family members for PPE that never turned up or was unusable, while there were well established respectable British medical supply firms willing and able to do the same job for less money and actually deliver what the country needed, but who were stonewalled, what are people supposed to think? Not only was that allowed to happen, no one involved has been punished for it. And no attempt has even been made to get any of that money back that im aware of

[@Fredreegz]

Tbh, I regard the PPE contract scandals as an example of ‘desk killing’, which is basically describes bureaucratic decisions which directly cause widespread deaths.

[@MikeAG333]

That didn't happen, of course. Money was thrown at the problem, in a panic, and there were undoubtedly many mistakes. However, the assertion that companies who coiuld have provided PPE were prevented from so doing is a flat out lie.

[@Fredreegz]

@@MikeAG333 do you not remember the very public story about the CEO of a company which made medical ventilators contacting the government, demonstrating that they had the experience, patents, production capacity, but they just ignored him and gave the job to Dyson because they make vacuum cleaners, and James Dyson just so happens to me a massive donor to the Conservative Party?

[@MikeAG333]

@@Fredreegz Story. Yep, you got that bit right.

[@0w784g]

"Tory politicians". Give it a break. Corruption knows no party in particular in the UK.

[@Pink404]

The day this happened and as soon as I found out about it my first thought on social media was... "I just want to get this straight. The party of 'We don't want unelected people running our country' couldn't find a single person out of their 370-odd MPs that they felt was suitably qualified for running our foreign relations and their answer to this conundrum was to choose the person that started this whole shit-show and was on the opposite end of the debate, even though to do this they had to also reward him with an instant peerage. And somehow think this makes them look stronger?"

[@The_First_Sean]

Just blame it on black people, even though they don’t make any decisions, it’s what we do in Britain, it’s certainly not the British, because they’re too big to fail, therefore it’s black peoples fault.

[@johnsmart2616]

We really do need to have some form of redress against this convoluted way that Dodgy Dave got that job. Absolute power corrupts

[@aceman0000099]

The Tories are making the most of the short time they have left before the next election and embezzling their clout at the expense of regular people

[@biocapsule7311]

It's the same reasons why upper management in corporations are all sociopathic. Because the system by and large encourage and rewards sociopaths.

[@martinsampson1824]

I have lost all faith and trust in Politicians no matter from which ever party they represent. They lie, never answer questions when interviewed. and once in power do not do what they promised in their manifestos.

[@shzarmai]

I swear Politics is all about land tbh

[@0w784g]

@@Besthinktwice All hard lefties. I think you're projecting. "People I ideologically agree with are good politicians".

[@errorcrj110]

Cynicism is definitely on the rise. It's hard to find politicians actually serving the interests of the people over serving their own interests. But there are an amount who recognise the dire straits their country is in and really do want to make positive change, at least from their point of view. There are also many voters who, whether by intent or being mislead by other politicians or commentators, demand that their representatives work against their interests.

[@tonyb9735]

Yes, the Tories have shown just how easy it is to persuade people to vote against their own interests.

[@sirrobinofloxley7156]

The televising of the Miner's Strike certainly put an end to many people's ideas of ever being able to voice a counter opinion in Britain.

[@jsd8981]

I think it goes well beyond cynicism,I think abject discusst is more like it...

[@depreseo]

The problems start even before individuals try and become MP's in the first place. An old friend of mine was a member of the University's conservative society (we did rag her for that) and was high up in its committee. During a visit to parliament she ended up loosing her faith in the system as the conservative MPs and cabinet ministers who the society visited were more interested in interacting with the university memebrs who were openly brown-nosing rather than those who wanted to discus policy. So from the grass roots levels the brain drain happens. Individuals who want to o discuss policy are overlooked in favour of those who will walk the walk and buddy up. This then means that those who want to become prospective MPs are those who are loudest - social media trolls, individuals who post provocative posts to make lound noises Vs those who do the leg work. By the end of it you have an MP with no knowledge about what they're doing, well in over their heads not realising that they are now responsible for tens of thousands of lives at a minimum. And the break.

[@ZaKrakilla]

The only qualification you need to get one of those seats is to have a rich family. The system works exactly as it worked 1000 years ago: the rich act like they know stuff and they are competent because their families send them to the rich schools where the only thing you learn is how to steal more from the poor, so they get the leading positions. Once there, they don't have to work for 5 minutes in their entire life, while getting paid like kings and acting like they do stuff, when the only thing they are doing is filling their pockets on the backs of people that actually work. The poor, on the other hand, get to work 12 hours a day so that the rich get even richer and when, after a life of working they are still poor, the rich tell them they remained poor because they were lazy. I don't understand how society has been brainwashed to allow the worst of us to lead us, all based on their terrible inbred blood and fortunes built on the suffering of others. Both of these indicate that they are the least fit to rule, not the best to rule. Our leaders today have absolutely nothing in common with competence, morality, or any intention to serve humanity but, somehow, people still expect them to do good. I feel like I live in an alternative universe or that I am the main character in "Idiocracy"...

[@johnbridger5629]

Ian Dunt's latest book, "How Westminster Works And Why It Doesn't" is a huge eye-opener from the selection process to ministers and the Civil Service. If we are to trust the system and the politicians some major changes are needed. Whether we have any politician in any party willing to make those changes is unlikely as none of them want to do anything which might dilute their personal power.

[@sirrobinofloxley7156]

Sir Archibald Maule-Ramsay MP's book, 'The Nameless War', talked about what goes on in that House, and he was on the back of some years solitary confinement for harbouring those observations. Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator for Britain's Palaces, in 'British History's Biggest Fibs' documentary series, available on KZbin, goes into how when the East India Co. started to allocate their members into Parliament there was a deep mistrust of their kind, as they were far and away from the gentlemanly kind who had graced the Houses up until then. Needless to say the place seems long defunct of any gentlefolk whatsoever, and there points to the continuing decline of the nation. From my own research, it appears that when the law of the Oaths was changed, to cater for a foreigner, to enter into the Houses, as MP for the City of London and Westminster, in 1856, the rot was then to such a degree that it was malignant beyond repair. And, I certainly recognise a huge amount of ignorance between Britain's willing participation in the First Opium War, 1836, and the drafting of the Birth Certificate, 1837 and the advent of Lewin's 'The Law of Trusts and Trustees' in that same year.

[@aceman0000099]

Voting reform, Scottish independence, and Irish reunification should do the trick

[@jonathantatler]

If cameron is an expert politician, the remainer who failed to remain in Europe, then we're doomed 😢

[@TheGeneReyva]

"Lord Cameron" makes me sick. Call him by his proper title; Dodgy Dave. E: They are rewarded for the "not rewarded" section. It's called their salary, and if they're NOT doing their job they should be penalized.

[@michaelrobinson166]

I don't think the issue is a lack of qualified (by Tory standards) Tory MPs for cabinet roles, just a lack of qualified people who are willing to serve in the current cabinet.

[@dkoda840]

Britain’s terrible first past the post system, the British public not holding their politicians to account strictly enough, party loyalty, and a public not invested in politics enough is the reason for these shit officials.

[@MikeAG333]

Whereas PR hands Geert Wilders power. Careful what you wish for. Oh, and officials aren't politicians, and politicians aren't officials. It's bureaucrats who are officials.

[@israellai]

I actually just finished reading "why we get the wrong politicians" recently (what a coincidence). I absolutely recommend it.

[@Zonker66]

Just started an application for Universal Credit. Seems to me it's designed to cut out a lot that used to receive benefits. I've been bedridden more than five years. I pay my rent, but after trouble with my brother dying in 2019 and not leaving a will to clear the security deposit (in his name) on this property I've been in and paying rent on since 2013... at any rate, UC contacted the council the moment I started my application and told them to cut my Housing benefit. Now UC repeats policy to me like they're bots, and I may be homeless by around Christmas. If you need to start UC because of the current administration, don't do it until you're forced into it... it sucks and the people you will talk to care nothing about you, or me.

[@ashtech1184]

I spent 6 years in the army and then left to go to university. After uni I applied for job seekers allowance while it was taking time to find somewhere and was rejected because I hadn't paid enough NI in the last 2 years. How broken is a system that punishes me for serving in the armed forces and then getting an education.

[@katiehusband1505]

My big gripe is that once you claim, they make it so difficult for you to keep it up to date. I onew the date I was moving house and in with my partner. I went to UC to let them know. They told me to update afterwards. But not too much afterwards or we will fine you. I was only on Uc because I had signed up during covid and they were such a pain to deal with that it must be deliberate

[@Zonker66]

Designed to weed out the needy... but the ones who 'work' the system will play along. Bottom line... broken.@@katiehusband1505

[@MisterSplendy]

I'm an American, and the fact that I think your politicians are ALMOST as bad as ours is a bad thing for you Brits. I'm looking the Tories.

[@PMMagro]

Cameron is an fellow Etonian. A lord. Extremly rich. What more could one possibly ask for?

[@LukVik]

Some brain 🧠!!!

[@tonyb9735]

He was only made a lord so that he could be in the cabinet without having been elected. We left the EU because it was undemocratic, apparently. Thank God we have taken back control, hey?

[@davidty2006]

@@LukVik Theres a reason why the cat is the most intelligent thing in it's entire 5 mile radius.

[@MookMineola]

Anyone educated at Eton is best suited to sweeping the streets or stacking shelves in tescos . Eton’s education system is 150 years out of date . All that spoon feeding results in idiots like Boris Johnson

[@jackrichman1932]

@@davidty2006cats don’t shag pigs and lose a referendum though

[@extrude22]

Cameron is responsible for all the mess we are in now. The austerity, Brexit, collapsing public services, everything.

[@jamesbarbour8400]

Not entirely true - the War Criminal and former British PM, Tony Blair is the person most directly responsible for opening up the floodgates to allow unfettered immigration. Initially, most were from Eastern Europe, and in my experience at least, were solid, good hard working people for the most part. What we have now however, is a group of people basically invading our shores with no paperwork, ditched in the English Channel on the way across, if they even had any to begin with. No means of identifying who they actually are, do they have a criminal past etc etc. No way to tell. Also, the latest incumbents seem to want to take over our Country and apply their own rules and culture to a foriegn land. If they miss their culture etc that much, why didn't they simply stay in their own Countries to begin with. The much bandied about lie that they're all genuine asylum seekers is nonsense. If they were in fact genuine asylum seekers amongst their number, they're supposed to claim asylum in the first safe Country that they arrive in. Britain is not that first Country. They're only here to bleed the benefits system dry - period !

[@thematthew761]

Blair was terrible but guess who's been in charge for 13 years?@@jamesbarbour8400

[@jsd8981]

Can you imagine what damage he is going to do next...😮

[@arpandas2243]

Soon we will have David Cameron as PM next year🙄🙄

[@scotandiamapping4549]

I don't think so, and even if he somehow did he still wouldn't survive the general election

[@inconceivabledark]

Hmmm.... I getting a strong sense of déjà vu..:-\

[@Yeppo_]

Hopefully not.

[@steveozone4910]

Next year? It'll be a week or 2 tops! Especially after Sunak saying let people die.

[@CharltonCharles]

He could become leader of the opposition next year, not sure he would be that up for the job though.

[@AdamWebb1982]

The good ones get fired…

[@toyotaprius79]

And the better ones get smeared

[@MJ-YT-USR]

Trust in politicians and governments soars when a common enemy is established (which could be a person, another country or indeed a virus). This phenomenon explains a lot of things that happen around the world, and throughout history.

[@zaleost]

Curiously I've heard some other political talkers say the opposite in that bringing back Cameron was more a sign that the Conservative were moving further right and trying to play more to their traditional base voters. Realistically though, this move was definitely far more about internal politics within the party rather than none of the sitting MP's being suitable for the position. (Its true none of them are, but this has always been the case so its not like it suddenly matters now)

[@Bocian890]

I'd say that they are looking to their traditional voters in rural southern England which is very center right while their non traditional voters were poor with low education in the north that they got when they announced they would do the Brexit vote these are people that likely would have voted with the likes of UKIP

[@Bocian890]

TLDR actually recently made a video about the sacking of Braverman and the hiring of Cameron

[@dylanjohannson]

Politicians getting rewarded for stupid PR games instead of serious government work says more about the people than the politicians. It’s all about the incentive structures. If we want talented people to become politicians and for talented politicians to be successful, it is the public that has to change their attitude towards them instead of running after populists and demagogues.

[@notjustforhackers4252]

They do not act on the wishes and instruction of the public. They act against the public. End of conversation.

[@alexpotts6520]

Certainly there are no *popular* politicians, but there's been a broad anti-politics mood in Britain going all the way back to the one-two punch of the financial crash and the expenses scandal, and arguably the Iraq war before that. Time will tell if a change in government will lift this mood.

[@Bluebill77]

It’s absolutely crazy - one thing that also is not mentioned is that MPs often find it hard to find jobs once leaving office because of how we distrust politicians. The House of Commons should be treated as a Centre of Excellence for the best and brightest minds. It doesn’t have to match the salaries and incentives of top level employees at private businesses, but it needs to not actively discourage good people from getting involved. The job of MP seems horrible and that’s why so many of them are of such poor quality.

[@rhymesandvibes]

I see your point tbh. The problem with the current political system, is that money = power, not intelligence, or the ability to t h i n k about the people you are actually serving. That was meant to be the UK public, right? Oh no, it was just themselves. My bad.

[@nikkihamilton4374]

Vote Reform …at least they want what the people want. Join Reform today for tomorrows reform of this broken country!

[@jeffhalbo96]

No proof needed; always knew it. When was the last time ANY politician did something which benefitted ordinary people?

[@Sheaffer72]

I feel like you are talking about the American congress. For the most part, our legislators in both the House of Reps and Senate are pretty much out for themselves, the rich, and corporations. They don't really care about their constituents.

[@gentlemandemon]

Calling £11000 spent a campaign "an absolute fortune" is very funny to me as an American lol

[@MEGABUMSTENCH]

think you got the wrong idea. that is money the MP use from their own pockets

[@gentlemandemon]

@@MEGABUMSTENCH yeah, I got that. That's not at all a high figure even for personal expenses in US politics.

[@salkoharper2908]

@@gentlemandemon It shows how insane and corrupt the American political system has become as well. I saw recently that the state election campaign in Georgia, the candidates spent millions of dollars. So much corporation money shoveled into either the Republican or Democrat candidate. Whoever wins they will serve the interest of the corporations that paid millions for the victory. The USA has a government for the benefit of corporations, not people.

[@cdallas753]

simple answer, they involved in politics for personal gains, they dont care about the people. They put more effort in helping other countries that their own people

[@Masaru_kun]

I have two words for you, in case you forgot: Jeremy Corbyn

[@rabidfurify]

I heard he antisemitically sneezed once so he's A Bad One

[@darkmusky9851]

​@@rabidfurifyThats a complete lie by the rupert murdoch media

[@Masaru_kun]

@@darkmusky9851no he did sneeze its true!!

[@DavidJBradshaw]

When we look back over the last 40 years nearly all our PMs were married to extremely wealthy partners, or where themselves high net worth individuals.

[@GheyForGames]

Christ I actually didn't know this is how it worked Great to know that working class people basically CAN'T become MPs that sounds like a totally fair and unbiased system

[@TheBT]

BTW this is why I don't get upset when people complain about MPs salaries. The expense abuse is one thing, but they get less then double what I earn and I am nowhere need under the pressure they are.

[@rabidfurify]

Although I agree it probably feels painful if you're scraping by on a low wage

[@TheBT]

@rabidfurify Oh it definitely does, I think it is totally understandable for others to get upset.

[@bucyrus5000]

The UK's political system is fucked. Needs reform, a proper constitution/charter.

[@rossspenser8314]

Yes this is why he is been called back

[@Anzallos]

This is all very important, but even more important is TABLE

[@vincentdegennaro3375]

No personality, no passion, no respect for the people of Britain.

[@TheDAT9]

We British have the politicians we deserve. We are lazy and complacent, and vote for any old rubbish

[@ryan-tc3rk]

The UK has always been imperial in economics either domestically or abroad. Their cant be any good Politian's in this country because the system dosnt allow it. You cannot become a MP or PM from a working class background without 3rd party support and influence

[@gabbar51ngh]

UK needs presidential system.

[@ryan-tc3rk]

that's worse ide rather dilute that orange juice as much as possible

[@TRDPaul]

Those who want to be MPs are not the best people to be MPs

[@9Bushnell]

A major reason is that Boris purged the Tories of most of their talent.

[@loowyatt6463]

You completely ignore the biggest reason David Cameron was likely given the role, his experience. The reason our MPs lack so much experience comes from completely different reasons. So, nothing about this situation tells us anything about the structural problems you mentioned. Whether or not there were better MPs under a different structure, the PM would have still hired Cameron for his experience. I think what's truly sad about this is me having to explain this is that you guys have mentioned in other videos that's likely the main reason Cameron got the role. If the main reason Cameron got the role was experience, why would anything you say in the video matter, especially when the date is from 2015 onwards.

[@Victoriomantic]

"It's been a strange few weeks in British politics". My dudes it feels like that's been every week in the past few years 😂

[@nemnef9416]

I'm surprised cronyism wasn't brought up here knowing how prevalent it is in UK politics especially among the Tories

[@toyotaprius79]

Don't leave out the DUP

[@jim-es8qk]

....he wasn't a bad leader. He managed to hold together a coalition for 5 years when everyone predicted it would collapse in months. And he obviously impressed the voters enough to win a majority in 2015, which wasn't an easy task they were 15 points behind in the polls before the election.

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

Ah yes, the fine old English tradition of unelected leaders.

[@Phil_AKA_ThundyUK]

I was ok to give Sunak a go, but now he needs to get out. He's trash tier - obsessing over a smoking ban when there are wars on and immigration is crushing the nation's public services? So far gone from reality he's dangerous.

[@huwgrossmith9555]

Name a good politician anywhere on the planet!

[@cdeford2]

You're talking about two different things. There are a few decent politicians (as in having integrity) but none of them ever rise to the top. Effective politicians are also thin on the ground. Cameron was a smooth operator and pretty effective as a PR man, but was also a war criminal. 90% of MPs would, if they didn't get elected, probably end up as jailbirds.

[@LiamBar2010]

You're assuming that Cameron was chosen for talent; there may have been Tory MPs suited for the Foreign Office, but none that would grab headlines from Braverman's sacking

[@TFSned]

Corbyn is like Sergeant Angel from Hot Fuzz. The only one taking his job seriously instead of taking advantage of it.

[@ioannisimansola7115]

Bad politicians were never critised in the past by the public as if there was a different classe of officials unrelated to people.

[@bassistcz]

I don’t think MPs should be ministers leading the various areas of government (energy, education, foreign, etc.) They are essentially randomers who are not qualified for the positions, we should be appointing experienced personally from within the sector or government department who actually know how things work and can properly advise and lead the department. Minister for Health who has been an NHS doctor or nurse and know first hand what needs doing, or Minister for Education who was a teacher or school head. If you want to run government like a business hired the most qualified people for the job, it shouldn't be a pick out of the few hundred unqualified people who happen to be your mates.

[@ronanmcw]

I'm not sure if this is deliberate or not, but the "there's no good politicians, they're all as bad as each other" is the last dying gasp of any outgoing government to try reduce the vote share for the opposition. By giving platform to this narrative you both position yourself as a pawn to the government, and also reduce the will of people to actually scrutinise politicians and their voting record/behaviours on individual merit. I'm presuming this is just a naive move on your parts and not deliberate

[@dansands8140]

They're certainly naive, but so are you. Never once in history have politicians received a tenth of the scrutiny they deserve. Besides Ceaușescu perhaps.

[@ronanmcw]

@dansands8140 - what exactly leads you to the incorrect belief that I'm naive? I'm presuming you have incorrectly concluded that I'm saying that normally politicians are scrutinised to the required level? Try reading again

[@dansands8140]

@@ronanmcw Sounds to me like you're a labour voter who's low-key worried that this rhetoric might threaten a labour comeback. If so I will point to Tony Blair and recommend minarchism instead. If I'm off target, then my bad.

[@0w784g]

Sounds like you're not old enough yet to realise it's true.

[@ConnbineHarvester]

If you think David Cameron is a centerist, you've not been paying attention. I'm not sure why DC proves there are no good politicians, I mean he's an awful piece of human waste but there are plenty of good politicians in other political parties that aren't the Conservatives.

[@legomovieman2]

This is what happens when politicians are picked from the top down, rather than the bottom up.

[@Wfalen]

Sidenote: As a Battletech fan, I always laugh hearing "Lord Cameron"

[@prophetsnake]

Every country has the government it deserves. - Joseph de Maistre

[@lazybones69]

very true for the UK now.

[@prophetsnake]

@@lazybones69 Always was. One heaping POS after another.

[@lazybones69]

@Person11068 the public literally voted for Boris Johnson in a massive majority.... the man was clearly a corrupt, incompetent bufoon who held contempt for the public, yet a few good soundbites were enough to trick em. The UK is on the slide. And it'll only turn around once we hit the bottom.

[@PatternsofLife]

@Person11068 An awful lot of us are apathetic about politics so that's one good reason. I worked for a housing association for 10 years, it didn't give me a good feeling about the average Brit 😏

[@rsdigiomoney]

yea im sure the people of north korea agree with and love that quote!

[@toi_techno]

Anyone with assets worth over £1million should be barred from politics. There is just far too much opportunity for corruption and conflicts of interest if a very wealthy person has political power as well.

[@1pauljs]

Cameron was one of the worst MP’s 🤷‍♂️🤨

[@berisfordcodd2859]

The Americans have this thing figured out. Get professionals to run the executive and avoid these problems

[@307am]

That house of lords shit is actually insane.

[@hugodrax71]

There's a lot in the UK that's insane, if you think about it long enough. The monarchy is top of the list.

[@LordDim1]

@@hugodrax71 On the contrary, the monarchy is perfectly sane. A head of state is supposed to be two things: a unifying figure, and a constitutional failsafe. To fulfil both roles adequately you need to be politically neutral and totally party independent. That is exactly what the king is. He is not a member of any party, and does not owe his position to any politicians or political process. He has no party loyalties. He’s been raised from the very moment of his birth, over 70 years, to fulfil the role as unifier and guardian of the constitution. What exactly would one replace the king with if you got rid of the monarchy? An elected president? Well then you end up with a politician with inherent political ties and loyalties who will absolutely not be neutral and independent, and certainly not unifying. This president would owe their position to the party who put them in office.

[@hugodrax71]

@@LordDim1 Respect your point of view but I'm with the late Mark Twain when it comes to monarchies. And I would rather have someone we elected. But I respect your view.

[@LordDim1]

@@hugodrax71 Why. Why do you want someone elected, when the result will inherently by its very nature be worse. Not everything is elected, and not everything should be. We do not elect judges or policemen, we do not elect teachers, because we know those positions are enhanced by the fact they are unelected. Election has no place for them, because election would make these positions less efficient and worse at their jobs. The exact same thing goes for the head of state. With the duties the head of state is supposed to perform, both ceremonial and constitutional, an elected official would inherently and invariably be less suited to fulfil them. They would make the job less efficient and less able to fulfil the essential role a head of state has. Not everything in this world needs to be elected. The process of election, going and putting a cross in a box on a piece of paper, is not some magical virtue which has value in and of itself. Election and democracy has value because it broadly produces the best results (compared to autocratic forms of government). In situations where democracy and election do not produce the best results, we do not use it, and rightly so. Some positions should be and rightly are unelected, because they perform their function best when they are unelected

[@hugodrax71]

@@LordDim1 Why would it be worse? You're also arguing on the basis the monarchy is vital to the functioning of the UK. It isn't. It really is just pomp and ceremony and something for the Daily Mail to obsess with.

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

Quilter-Pinner must be great at making sweaters.

[@Clone683]

A big problem is the salary. A lot of the actual talent goes into the private sector because it just pays more.

[@rickertom8122]

It is unfair to say that! You think US and Canada's politicians not suck!?🤣🤣🤣

[@alex_zetsu]

Don't worry, Cameron was a great PM and he only made one mistake, putting the whole country's economy in the hands of a referendum and letting the Brexit dumpster fire get started. What's one mistake?

[@PIASOC]

Voters don’t like medicine, they like candy.

[@xcsheehan]

Many of these incentive problems are not limited to the United Kingdom.

[@dariusalexandru9536]

I wonder why .

[@ruzzsverion2728]

Charismatic politicians who get things done are rare globally, even more so in a democracy.

[@bettyswallocks6411]

No proof that there are no good politicians, but certainly proof that there are very, very few competent right-wing politicians, not just in the UK.

[@karthik448]

You should see how MPs and MLAs make it to power in India. Makes this system look positively fantastic. It is a talking point here if there is a candidate who doesn't have a criminal record!

[@alexgregory5583]

Money spent moving to the constituency they want to represent? I don't think the money is main problem with that statement!

[@alishermukhametkali9230]

Corbyn was the best one of Britain's politics

[@Kris_96]

There's no reward to do their job? You mean like money that they get paid or sponsors?

[@Chris44sun]

Basically, the job is mostly for rich people. You need £20k to even have a shot. So most of the people who get through are posh snobs who do this for the LOLs.

[@faux_hobo]

Nice touch on the QR code

[@gintautassickus6390]

Over the 7 years of me being in politics I've learnt that no politician is THE correct choice for you. There might be ones that are better than other ones, but no politician is perfect.

[@ShahNawazKhan-ud4sv]

There is only 2 options left in British politics for voters :- 1/ independent 2/ green The tories & Labour are well past their best before dates

[@anthonyscarborough3813]

Get luck keeping Nazis out of power with that mentality 🤦‍♂️

[@The_New_IKB]

Democracy is the question, Monarchy is the answer!!

[@GOODYGOODGOOD789]

How does that need probing anywhere?

[@georgekinuthia1616]

I dont really get the idea for a newspaper

[@matpk]

What about Singapore politicians?

[@Snugggg]

Tory voters - this is your fault. elect a competent candidate, not an incompetent ideologue.

[@tiffanyknight-hughes258]

I think it shows classism and nepotism within our system. They have 300 candidates and they pick the same Etonian they had before? Rather than someone new?

[@Sofus.]

It's not just in the UK, there were a number of countries that were in a hurry to replace the defense ministers when the Ukraine war broke out.

[@terencepowell-c4o]

Why should they be able to have a second job they can't do the one they have I was a bus driver on low pay I couldn't have a second job which I needed I have to sign when i started not to work for anyone else I think it's a disgrace they get away with it

[@amb163]

So, basically, most MPs have to be independently wealthy to even get into that position... which means only a certain strata of the population are being represented. The rich leading the country for the rich, which is unfortunately the situation in most countries. There should be laws in place to limit the amount a person/party can spend on campaigning, etc.

[@bobbylasers]

Until being a politician isn't some sort of semi celebrity well paid kind of job which is has become in the last 15 years. Nothing will change. Democracy is broken, needs complete rebuild.

[@CrapKerouac]

Alexander Hamilton said, "People get the government they deserve." If we want to know what's wrong with our nation, we need to look in the mirror.

[@zackgravity7284]

And what about countries like north korea?

[@salkoharper2908]

@@zackgravity7284 North Korean's never fought back, so they remain slaves. Their children will be slaves and their grandchildren will be slaves. If you never get together with other citizens and fight back, then the government and corrupt elite rule you like medieval serfs for eternity.

[@CrapKerouac]

@@zackgravity7284 Those aren't governments, they're regimes. They have more in common with a criminal syndicate than a government, since they print counterfeit US dollars, illegal arms smuggling and drugs, etc…

[@DenDave_]

On a different note; im amazed that you havent really covered the Dutch elections. Its the most interesting one in decades, not only because it finally sees the end of Mark Rutte at the helm, but also because theres 4 horses in the race to become the biggest party, including both the far left and the far right. Moreover, the shifts in the polls in the weeks leading up to election day have been rather incredible.

[@arpandas2243]

@@Besthinktwice The left is completely dropping the ball there. Omzigt have lots of Left wing supporters and the Left could easily win them back by exposing his stance on Immigration and Europe

[@TheSegert]

Yeah dutch elections are weird right now. Today is the election. Im going to vote soon. and im not going to vote on a goverment party. because they can frick off.

[@TheSegert]

@Person11068 Isnt it? One of the oppostion members. Is attacked twice in a short time and even got wounded. But the media is keeping that out of the news. weirdly enough.

[@arpandas2243]

@@TheSegert I know it's none of my business but are you voting far right

[@mygetawayart]

this is TLDR UK not EU

[@razabadass]

Thanks