Welcome to the Great British Underclass

[fallen-archie]

I was chatting to a young lady who recently completed her teacher training and this week was inducted into the new Primary School where she will commence her chosen career. The school is multi cultural and located in West Yorkshire, it is a deprived area but by no means as bad as some inner city areas. Despite this around 90% of the childrens parents are welfare dependent. Most of the children have been labelled as having some kind of lerning difficulty reading standards among eight year olds is expremely poor.

The young Teacher who comes from a middle class background with a strong work ethic is the only member of the family not to be following a medical career, she has always wanted to Teach and help young children.

So what was her verdict following the three days?

The majority of pupils appear to have no respect for authority in any form, Gentle persuasion is the order of the day and the children respond with a tirade of abuse and colourful language.Attempts to impose discipline inevitably result in a family visitation where the source of the colourful language is confirmed. The Head Teacher in conjunction with police and the education authority has introduced a code of conduct and special measures to protect staff from irate and often hostile guardians. What is clear is the children are being raised in a manner likely to confine them to state dependence in one form or another and deprive them of the opportunity to escape poverty. 

We have a young, committed new teacher, keen to get on, with talent and the drive to succeed faced with the uncertainty of a career dealing with feral kids and their often broken families who challenge her ability not by interlect but by threat of physical abuse. The Only beneficiary of this sad situation is Jeremy Kyle. 

Why is it that despite having a welfare state designed to ease poverty and an education system which is free to all we end up with an Underclass seemingly incapable or unwilling to grasp the nettle break away and get on? 

Will this new teacher tough it out or simply follow many others and seek an alternative career? 

[Anonymous]

Well, it might make some space for a few more coucil houses.

[fallen-archie]

I think it would be beneficial for society as a whole to be reflected in our parliament however I dont know how it could work. Not withstanding crooks those from Oxbridge form an overwhelming influence throughout key positions in commerce and politics. Yes privilege comes into it but so too does ability If these people are the cream of talent then surely we should welcome the fact they are prepared to become public servants. What it also means is that many of the talented individuals have lived a sheltered and often upper class life with not the first idea how the rest of the country live. But remember the same applies to those from poor backgrounds who have limited worldly experience. So perhaps all budding MPs should have to undergo life studies whereby they have to live in the shoes of the many to get a feel for society as a whole. Would it influence their thinking going forward? Perhaps, but if nothing else it would at least give each of them a more grounded and informed view of society.

[Anonymous]

I agree.

[malacandran]

I agree too 

[fallen-archie]

I doubt it will last

[malacandran]

It seems to me, that only Left-Wing posters are welcome on here

[fallen-archie]

Not at all. Left, right or Centre it matters not everyone is entitled to an opinion. It helps if you are open minded or at least willing to consider the opinions of others. Any decent parent will want the best for their children however those who don't get support should not be disadvantaged, the skill we need to aquire is how to identify child talent across the full spectrum of skills and how to provide an educational system capable of promoting skills that will offer greater opportunity to all.

[malacandran]

Thanks archie, you have a good grasp of "management speak". I don't know what your post means.

[upthecreekyetagain]

The British public don't want normal people as their politicians!

As soon as a politician is discovered having an extra-marital affair, experimenting with drugs, breaking the speed limit, swearing, fiddling their expenses, getting drunk on occasion or one of many other activities that are part of the everyday life of many people, hands are thrown up in the air and the Great British public demand their resignation.

[fallen-archie]

Perhaps you will find this easier 🙂

[fallen-archie]

Quite right, all normal people are clean living law abiding citizens, or so they claim.

[malacandran]

Thanks Archie, I actually watched your video, but switched it off two/thirds through, as it was too depressing.

[Anonymous]

Is that what "normal" people do?

[upthecreekyetagain]

Depends on how you define 'normal' I guess.

'Normal' people don't do ALL the things I mentioned but I would bet my mortgage that the majority of people have done at least one of them.

[joamur_gosof]

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@upthecreekyetagain wrote:

The British public don't want normal people as their politicians!

As soon as a politician is discovered having an extra-marital affair, experimenting with drugs, breaking the speed limit, swearing, fiddling their expenses, getting drunk on occasion or one of many other activities that are part of the everyday life of many people, hands are thrown up in the air and the Great British public demand their resignation.

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I think you will find the media throws its hands in the air on the publics behalf....the public only care about the thieves.

[electric*mayhem*band]

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@malacandran wrote:

I agree too 

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"So do we".

"And us lot". "Erm..what was the

question again old boy" ?

[**caution**opinion_ahead]

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@upthecreekyetagain wrote:

The British public don't want normal people as their politicians!

As soon as a politician is discovered having an extra-marital affair, experimenting with drugs, breaking the speed limit, swearing, fiddling their expenses, getting drunk on occasion or one of many other activities that are part of the everyday life of many people, hands are thrown up in the air and the Great British public demand their resignation.

---

It may be that "normal" people don't want to be politicians.  

Fiddling expenses is not acceptable at any level for someone using public money and anyone found doing it should be removed from parliament immediately, IMV.   Some of your other examples come under the heading "private life" and, as such, shouldn't make a difference to the ability to govern well.   

[electric*mayhem*band]

'Fiddling expenses is not acceptable at any level for someone using public money'

Or their Lordships off their heads on Coke, employing the services of prostitutes, while wearing fetching red bras. Although I think this one in particular should be applauded, not least for giving an honest description and opinion of Cameron and Johnson.

[upthecreekyetagain]

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@**caution**opinion_ahead wrote:

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@upthecreekyetagain wrote:

The British public don't want normal people as their politicians!

As soon as a politician is discovered having an extra-marital affair, experimenting with drugs, breaking the speed limit, swearing, fiddling their expenses, getting drunk on occasion or one of many other activities that are part of the everyday life of many people, hands are thrown up in the air and the Great British public demand their resignation.

---

It may be that "normal" people don't want to be politicians.  

Fiddling expenses is not acceptable at any level for someone using public money and anyone found doing it should be removed from parliament immediately, IMV.   Some of your other examples come under the heading "private life" and, as such, shouldn't make a difference to the ability to govern well.   

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Caution - I'm not sure if you are implying it is OK to fiddle expenses if it is 'private' money - of course it's not acceptable and anyone found doing so, (public or private), should and will most likely be dismissed.

I was not insinuating that any of the things I mentioned were 'acceptable' only that they do happen.  What annoys me is the public hysteria that takes place when an MP is caught out and resignations are immediately called for.

There would be an awful lot of people out of work if all those who 'borrowed' a pen from work or were posting on the web during work hours or slipped a letter in the work mail etc. were dismissed.   

[joamur_gosof]

media outcry ,most people only care about thef't from the public purse...private purse is only different as the theft is taken from an individual or group not the tax pot..

Other things that get outrage from ploiticians is drugs are illegal so using and paying out of tax funded wages gets a backlash

Affairs or adultery with married people is immoral but done and it is a backlash about politicians preaching morals to the public whilst breaking moral codes themselves.

No they did not get sacked when caught fiddling either only a few were imprisoned  most got off and others were allowed to pay back from the wage public purse and carry on today making a decent living .

Media takes a lot on itself as well and seeing as they are in political camps these days ..outcries from the public rarely get the time of day...ie release the death statstics is a public campaign for instance ,so is don't frack .