What is so special about a rich MP?

Must be a popular article, it is refusing to load for me but I'll give me opinion anyway!

Isn't it just a matter of scale and being in the public eye? We have given money to our children to help them buy their homes and we have a few shares. Does that make us bad people? Should we make our tax affairs public? Oh no, no one is interested in lambasting us in public. Should DH know how much money he has or where it is? Well he doesn't, he just trusts me to take care of it all.

Nope, no inherited wealth, no privileged education, no financial help from anyone, just sheer hard work and living frugally when we had to.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3530436/Being-born-broke-doesn-t-make-better-person-hate-wealthy-Without-d-poorer.html

This might work better.

Read it now, she has a point. Not sure where that leaves DH and me though. Are we OK because we did it all ourselves or are we pariahs because we are now comfortably off? We can claim a bus driver and council estate (not sure about sink one though, didn't call them that then) but no mixed race.

Being very wealthy makes you no better, but no worse either than someone who is poor.Wealth has nothing to do with goodness, moral character or true grit!

But does it take something in your character. I think it does. [I may disagree with myself later].
To do what Nonnie and her DH has done, does take something. Time, effort, determination and grit?
Doesnt mean they have better moral character though[sorry Nonnie, I dont mean to be personal, you may have great moral character].

What an odd article. I am aware of Hopkins, but she isn't someone whose opinion I take note of as she is such an unpleasant character.

In answer to my comment about rich MPs, I was replying to Rudds comment on the fact that if tax returns were published than it might put off rich MPs. My thought was would it matter as presumably ordinary folk would be more than capable of doing the job.

We are born into a family, rich or poor, and try to get on as best we may.Some people from rich families get on and succeed in life and some other rich people fail dismally.Some from poor backgrounds do amazingly well through determination and hard work, others live poor failed lives, it's all to do with a mix of intelligence ( which all backgrounds have/ don't have) determination/ drive
And other qualities, some genetic, others aquired,personality, charm, luck and sheer hard work.

Don't forget to add that those born into a wealthy family are halfway up the ladder from birth with help on every rung.

But....... It doesn't always help.There are many boys and girl from wealthy backgrounds that do badly as adults, for all sorts of reasons.

A wealthy background doesn't always mean a loving family.

Are ordinary people capable of being an MP? I dont think they are. Just as in other jobs, I think it takes certain criteria to be an MP.

Above average intelligence- how can you try and read new laws and whatever else papers they have to read, with below average intelligence?

An interest in politics - the average Joe often doesnt have much interest

Attending meetings frequently - not a must do for many

Working away from home - lots of people would give that one a miss

More public scrutiny - ditto

Able to take criticisism frequently
etc

I dont think you need to be wealthy to do the job though.

My thoughts are though, do the wealthy have more of the attributes necessary? Perhaps?

It depends what you class as ordinary. Ordinary people arnt below average intelligence!

When I spoke of ordinary people I was talking in terms of their wealth. My argument is that being wealthy does not give you special qualities, in fact it could be argued the opposite,as those from a poorer background have achieved through merit not handouts and handups

No, can't agree totally, and don't believe that rich people can do the job better.
Men and women from all sorts of backgrounds are now MP's.It does require a certain amount of intelligence ( does not have to be of an intellectual nature though) and a great interest in politics and a desire to change things perhaps.
The only thing that will help you as an MP ( from a well off background) is in the area of debating, though you need confidence in yourself as well.
Alan Johnson is from an average/poor background and is an excellent speaker,
John Prescott ditto background, and not a great speaker.So many things come into play really, it's hard to say.I don't think many realise about the public scrutiny until it happens.Not all take criticism well, in any case.

My post was to obione

True whitewave, ordinry people have ordinary intelligence.

I agree about debating rosesarered. I think that more of that needs to be done in all schools.

I do think wealthier people are used to themselves and others around them working away from home maybe a lot. And dont mind meetings as much.

Actually I stick by my post.
Take say someone who works in a shop or a driver. I really cant see most of them happy to do what is in the post[I will now leave out the critisism one, you are right].

Alan Johnson was brought up in a council flat by his sister, worked stacking shelves in Tesco then as a postman . Became an MP, and Secretary of State for several depts.

John Prescott was a ship steward, became an MP and deputy PM

Gordon Brown was the son of a church minister, became PM

Mo Molam daughter of a post office worker became an MP and Secretary of State for N.I .

John Smith son of a teacher became an MP and would have been PM but sadly died young

David Blunkett son of a gas worker became an MP and Secretary of State

Dr John Reid son of a postman became an MP and Secretary of State

And many more the same , ordinary people

So by my definition of ordinary - remember I based it on wealth then what you are saying is that wealthy people are the only ones with any brains! No, you can't mean that surely?

No I definitely dont mean that whitewave.

I am beginning to lose myself as I thought I would. That is why I started the thread, to unravel my own thoughts, as much as anyone else's.

I mean an ordinary person has an IQ of average, which is 100?
And lives in an ordinary household[so not with a minister or even teacher in it]. though I am beginning to lose why that matter.

I suspect that in Annie's list, all of the MPs are above the IQ of 100. I would hope so.

I suspect I am tying myself up in knots but never mind.

A home where the father is a minister is ordinary,

I definitely dont agree.

My family I would class as ordinary, two of them are PhDs, the rest of us have masters or ordinary degrees, some with first class some who should have got first class but buggered about too much. But we are all definitely ordinary.

obieone, it seems you are speaking of class, blue collar and white collar workers

definitions of ordinary according to dictionary -

with no special or distinctive features
what is commonplace or standard

that is what I mean

PhDs and masters, and ministers are not ordinary

Annie -
Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Business; father was a bus driver.
Conservative MP for Bromsgrove.

Imran Hussain, state schools, first in family to go to university, became a barrister.
Labour MP, for Bradford East.

Naz Shah, brought up in both poverty and violence.
Labour MP for Bradford East.

No wealthy backgrounds there!