The Triumph of the Political Class

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  I' not sure there is anything new in the human tendencies that Oborne describes in this well crafted and readable piece of polemic. It rings true, is well reasoned and well worth reading. It should probably be compulsary reading for all MP's and would-be MP's. Oborne doesn't balance the score with examples of positive behaviour or sacrifice; he doesn't offer a better alternative; he doesn't analyse the weaknesses of our constitutional settlement; he doesn't observe that the whole parliamentar... (show more)

  I' not sure there is anything new in the human tendencies that Oborne describes in this well crafted and readable piece of polemic. It rings true, is well reasoned and well worth reading. It should probably be compulsary reading for all MP's and would-be MP's. Oborne doesn't balance the score with examples of positive behaviour or sacrifice; he doesn't offer a better alternative; he doesn't analyse the weaknesses of our constitutional settlement; he doesn't observe that the whole parliamentary system is based derived from our being subjects of the crown rather than citizens. He doesn't have to, of course and his trade of journalism is rarley about balance and always informed by personal perspective. Beyond hints of a yearning for the politics of the middle part of the twentieth century, there is no evidence that what we have is better or worse than what we had before the era of professional politics; rose tinted spectacles?

  Our current constitutional mini-crisis may well have arisen because of the circumstances and behaviours observed in this book. On the other hand the client press he describes does seem to have turned on those they are supposed to be in league with now that the Telegraph has gone on selective attack over MP's allowances. What timing on the authors part!

  However, where he identifies the faustian pact that brought the New Labour success in the 1997, 2001 and 2005 elections he fails to point out that this was in response to a powerful populist press that helped keep Old Labour out of office for 18 years and despite giving examples of where the tabloids exerted more influence over the political class than is healthy. Oborne shrewdly identifies the rebellion that is beginning to take place against triangulated centre-ground politics. However, this is partly happening because the media have tired of the hegenomy they became a part of and have turned on the political class that briefly beat them at their own game.

  Obama has shown that there is reason for continuing to hope that progressive politics has a chance of success. His election was partly about seizing a moment but the techniques used took political campaigning that by-passed traditional print and broadcast media and went directly to voters via the web. He reinvented a mass movement politics in a way that makes using Voter Vault irrelevant. (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook User on Jun 15, 2009 at 07:47PM

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  I read this book prior to the expenses scandal breaking and Oborne provides an interesting platform from which to view the fall-out.

  A fascinating historical review of the rise of professional politicians (not just New Labour) and their inextricable relationship with the media.
  Oborne illustrates his analysis with interesting and at times shocking examples of the political class at work:

  "The Political Class values only success. It rarely finds time for those who fail to measure... (show more)

  I read this book prior to the expenses scandal breaking and Oborne provides an interesting platform from which to view the fall-out.

  A fascinating historical review of the rise of professional politicians (not just New Labour) and their inextricable relationship with the media.
  Oborne illustrates his analysis with interesting and at times shocking examples of the political class at work:

  "The Political Class values only success. It rarely finds time for those who fail to measure up to these standards..... There were no MPs at Fiona Jones' funeral, not a single one. Some I spoke to said that they hadn't been told and couldn't find out when it was. Others said that they had wanted to go but had prior commitments they couldn't break...."

  Fiona Jones was a Labour MP from 1997 - 2001 who died in 2007 of alcoholic liver disease.

  Oborne delivers a thoughtful analysis of the Political Class problem but fails to suggest any solutions. Perhaps the expenses scandal will go someway in helping to provide one I would be interested to know if Oborne plans a revised edition. (show less)

   

  by Marianne Quick on Jun 14, 2009 at 11:04PM

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