While being a life long Labour supporter saying what he thinks. You seem to be tackling the man rather than the ball.

Yeah but are they really the greatest minds? 40% of Oxbridge graduates went to public school, so unsurprisingly it's really the richest minds that are dominating our society. And then there's the point that, especially in politics, a detailed knowledge of Classics and an ability to do well in some exams aren't necessarily going to make you a good public servant.

Democratic capitalism is built upon the idea that anyone from any background can establish themselves at the top of society through hard work. Yet when you look at our society, and see just how dominated it is by publicly educated Oxbridge graduates, you realise that it's nonsense in the main. That's why what Amis says sticks in the teeth: when you see someone like Corbyn, who has worked quietly but incredibly hard throughout his political life get close to the top, they are sneered at for not being 'one of us'. You see it in the media too, which is also made up of 50% Oxbridge graduates: the idea they can't ring up their old uni pals and ask them for the latest political scoops is terrifying.

If punk ever happened I'd be preaching the law, instead of listenin to Lydon lecture BBC4

Only if you assume a meritocracy exists. It doesn't, essentially they aren't 'the best minds' they're the people generally who's parents bought them the best education and had the best access to 'cultural capital'. Excepting maybe a very small percentage of people, what matters more than 'your mind' is the socio-economic background, access to common culture, being able to read well and educational access children have.

There is a reason why people pay very big fees to get their kids a 'private education', and the best schools in the country, generally aren't comprehensives.

We tend to assume that everyone is well educated, but its not really true, children with parents of a high educational standard tend to achieve much higher levels of education themselves, as they are exposed to 'cultural influences' and of course their own parents capacity to provide educational input to their child. Its not a genetic thing, its the fact that bright, educated parents tend to expose their children to far more intellectual stimulation and culture than those who's own education was limited.

In a democracy it should not matter what your educational standard is, anyone should 'be considerable' for a role as an MP or even PM. Their job is to represent the people, not to rule them. A prime minister who was a plumber with only his city and guilds should be as valid as one who went to Eton and Oxford.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

"It's not the bullet that's got my name on it that concerns me; it's all them other ones flyin' around marked 'To Whom It May Concern.'"

And what you're saying is that he shouldn't be allowed to express that opinion?

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.

Branson tends to leave out the fact his parents were actually quite well off, and that the success of Virgin records was based on a 'tax fraud' that would have bankrupted his company, had his mother not remortgaged her house to pay the unpaid tax bills. By that point the Virgin Brand for mail order records was established, but his success was essentially based on a failed tax fraud.

Income helps a lot, because contrary to popular opinion, you can buy your kids a better education. It won't turn an dim witted kid into a genius, but as a generalization people who attend private school, even on scholarships or sponsor programs, achieve higher academic achievement, on the whole, compared to people who don't.

Of course not, but it will generally also give you much better contacts in terms of networking and access generally to better teachers, smaller classes and more focused instruction and so on. It won't make you more 'intelligent' but it will make much more of what you have (and if you happen to be behind, have dyslexia or learning disorders, then specialist private education is even more valuable).

Where as the traditional comprehensive tends towards factors such as large classes, a broader range of teacher quality, lower standards of individual tutoring and so on.

Its a generalization, but in my experience, they tend to work harder than other pupils, or pursue education because they see it as a way out. Also its worth noting that a dysfunctional family can serve to 'accelerate the maturity' of children, as they become more functional in fulfilling traditional adult roles, such as helping siblings with homework etc.

Yes, if he's the MP, as the role of the MP is representation of the people. The actual work of the trade delegation is largely done by civil servants and those the MP oversees.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]