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Politicians
There are 650 MPs in the UK. And many of them do good things. But many seem to be in it for themselves. Here we’ll look at who makes up the UK Parliament, the networks they’re in and their backgrounds.
Education
Private Schools
Only 7% of the general population are privately educated. A far larger percentage of politicians went to fee-paying schools
In the most recent Conservative Prime Minister’s cabinets, the vast majority were privately educated.
Eton College, a private English boys’ school which costs £50,000 per year to attend. 20 out of 59, i.e., more than a third, of Prime Ministers attended Eton College.
Oxford and Cambridge Universities
Only 1% of the general population have attended Oxford or Cambridge University.
46 Prime Ministers have attended Oxford or Cambridge University. That’s around 80%.
Cabinet positions are also dominated by “Oxbridge” educated people. Around half of the most recent Cabinet positions were filled by those who attended these institutions.
Economic Status
Being a politician is a very well paid job. At over £80k a year, they are among the highest 5% of earners. However many are also independently wealthy.
Less than 2% of UK adults are millionaires. This is far more in politics. At one point two thirds of David Cameron's cabinet were millionaires. Currently, a Rishi Sunak’s cabinet have hundreds of millions in independent wealth. Rishi Sunak is estimated to have a family fortune of around £700 million. Should a Prime Minister overseeing a cost of living crisis for millions of citizens also be on the Sunday Times Rich List?
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If politicians use private healthcare, what incentive is there to fund the NHS? If their kids go to elite fee-paying schools, why would they care about state education? If they fly by helicopter and private plane, they don't suffer the consequence of potholes in roads or unreliable public transport.
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There is, therefore, a potential conflict of interest with the super-wealthy making political decisions. Particularly when they have investments or are employed by big business.
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What motivates the super wealthy to get into politics?
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It is hard to understand why people worth hundreds of millions would want the pressure of becoming a senior politicians. The £120k-ish role for a Cabinet Minister means a significant pay cut. But it happens often. Why?
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Is it because decisions they make will allow them to protect their own interests and those of their friends?
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Will it allow them to expand their network and leverage lobbying power to secure cushy jobs once they leave politics?
The wealthy have no incentive to make life better for the majority when laws such as raising taxes or implementing regulations would reduce their profits for companies their friends own, or they themselves, have shares. There is a conflict of interest for many politicians which is not adequately investigated or highlighted in traditional media.
