mcguffin

😀

You may have a point. But the message might be diluted a bit given that the Labour Party is currently lead by an actual knight: Sir Keir Starmer?

Started reading that article. VERY interesting (though I'll admit, I don't have the mental stamina to get to the end in one sitting--I guess I'm not '16-essays-per-term' PPE material 😉). Shame Thatcher didn't stick to chemistry in my opinion. (I'm impressed by her education though).

Thanks! That makes sense. I found this article which lays bare the sheer number of Oxford and Cambridge graduates in the Tory and Labour parties at Westminster. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/oxbridge-university-bias-among-mps-8006661 It's a shame they don't break it down by subject studied. (I'd hypothesise that most of the Oxbrige MPs have humanities degrees, which in turn might explain why so many Oxford graduates end up in politics? ) The bit that jumped out at me: "...10 MPs graduated from a single college, Balliol in Oxford. [7 CONs 3 LABs]...". It's got a bit of a "To the Manor Born" architectural vibe? .

You could well be right. I didn't know that about Jim Callaghan. Thanks. His autobiography could be an interesting read.

😀😀😀That was a lovely touch!!!

You should ask her. Her perspective would be really interesting.

Didn't know that either. Imagine the snobbery he would have had to put up with back in those times? (Though maybe things aren't much different now come to think of it).

Thanks for the clarification. Still a suprising fact.

When you lay out the evidence like that, it's a bit stark: Only Brown and Major since the war not gone to Oxford?!!!😲 ...and Stanley Baldwin the only Cambridge PM!!! I think I see your point.

Fair enough. Incidentally, I think Lesley Riddoch went to Oxford. It's possible to come out the other end of that place and still be grounded in reality?

Wow! I didn't know that.

I'd agree with all that. I'd maybe add that she might have an appeal to voters from the Highlands and Islands too?

As someone stated earlier in this thread, she went to Dingwall Academy:

I found the recording of the LBC Hustings I mentioned. It's actually not bad if anyone's interested:

I'm not sure what that tells us? A couple of days ago all three leadership candidates appeared on the LBC hustings hosted by Iain Dale, who also writes for The Spectator. Does tell us that that Ash, Humza and Kate are secretly Tory plants?

This interview of Ash Regan by Katy Balls covers the 'Salmond Sock Puppet' insinuations. https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-gyhxm-173f0271 Spoiler: she finds it insulting and wonders if 'journalists' would make the same insults if she was a male candidate. Balls seems to agree with her.

Thanks!

When is the winner due to be announced?

Thanks, I hope so. Read somewhere that Steve Clarke was looking forward to a week to work with the team so was hoping it would be a full week.

Good points! Slightly off-topic: when is the squad scheduled to meet up? (Have they already started training today?)

Seems reasonable. Stepping back, if this leadership election was a football match, I wouldn't object to it being abandoned and replayed the following Saturday with different officials.

good point.

👍Sensible words.

Yes, that was the point I was trying to make. Apologies for giving you the heebie jeebies. I feel the same about 'Reagonomics' 🥶. But in terms of rebuilding a scandal-ridden party and getting a message across, there are maybe lessons for our politicians to learn?