22 Responses to “Osborne on fairness”

1. tories are the party of fairness are they, thats why unemployment quadrupled under their 18 years in power, so did child poverty, But Cameron is going to be as radical as thatcher is he?

   John P Reid said this on August 20th, 2008 at 1:43 pm

2. Oh come on, what are you saying? Someone who has been a teacher in the private sector shouldn’t be able to get a job with a political party.

   I thought the class war died at Crewe!

   Marcus said this on August 20th, 2008 at 1:57 pm

3. Keep it going lads - we saw how successful this line of attack is…

   Tim J said this on August 20th, 2008 at 2:35 pm

4. Does he really write all that ‘ex-Winchester College’ crap on every email? What a twat.

   Poncy Double-Barrel
   BSC SSC TPESR (3rd Place Egg and Spoon Race)
   Ex-Rainbow Day Nursery

   some2199 said this on August 20th, 2008 at 2:40 pm

5. Why did he list his schools?

   Eskimo Nell said this on August 20th, 2008 at 2:49 pm

6. Because that’s what these kinds of Tories do. I remember in debates at uni they would preface their comments with their school and how much it costs to go there.

   If Cameron surrounds himself with people like this, who’s going to tell him what it’s really like for people struggling with bills?

   Mind you, if he goes through advisors as quickly as Boris Johnson, this guy will probably be out on his ears in three weeks.

   tim f said this on August 20th, 2008 at 3:35 pm

7. That seems like a lot of schools, I can only assume he was some sort if n’er do well.

   dutch said this on August 20th, 2008 at 10:23 pm

8. […] old chap This post by Recess Monkey had me in […]

   Dave, old chap « Dogstarscribe’s Weblog said this on August 21st, 2008 at 9:42 am

9. I’d have thought actually that at least some of those are schools he has taught at - making him a Wykehamist and not an Etonian after all…

   Tim J said this on August 21st, 2008 at 4:07 pm

10. Er, nice try but as a recipient of this email I can attest to the fact that Recess Monkey has very heavily edited the content! When will you learn that people vote on issues and policy nowadays, not outmoded class prejudices?? Stop beating the wrong drum and take them on where is counts!

    Not-a-Cameroon said this on August 21st, 2008 at 11:56 pm

11. Fucking Tory cunts with their floppy hair, flaunting their education over the rest of us, they should ban eductaion in the private sector like they have in state sector, then the Tories can get themselves some proper working class heroes like Tony Benn and that Harriet Harman.

    Class Warrior said this on August 22nd, 2008 at 1:19 pm

12. I knew him at college, bit of a pecker.

    Anonymous said this on August 27th, 2008 at 6:47 pm

13. i received that email too adn can reveal that the only eidt was the addition of the ex-colleges and schools. the rest came just word for word…read it and weep…

    anonymous 2 said this on August 29th, 2008 at 12:55 am

14. The list of the ex colleges and schools was the bit that made it wierd, though. Leave them off and it is just someone’s leaving e-mail.

    dutch said this on August 29th, 2008 at 11:56 am

15. To all those individuals who (with so ironically) appear to live in the 19th century and seem to believe that a person’s background says more about them than their achievments as an individual, I can only say this: Grow up. If you want a meritocracy then that means disregarding ALL peoples’ backgrounds, not just those who you perceive to be disadvantaged.

    As someone who has recently met Jonty, and seen his work ethic and extraordinary intelligence first hand, I can only say how glad I am that he has been appointed as an advisor for the Conservative party, because you can rest-assured they’ll be getting good and considered advice from Mr Olliff-Cooper.

    Appeal to reason said this on September 2nd, 2008 at 3:42 pm

16. Appeal. I’m sure Jonty will fit right in.

    But you’re wrong. We can only have a meritocracy when we have tackled the causes of unnecessary disadvantage. People with disabilities, women, gays, anyone discriminated against - they are people whose talents are being underutilised.

    And people who never have the opportunity to discover their talents; by allowing that to continue, we are denying ourselves access to a population who could build a new civilisation.

    So don’t tell me that privilege doesn’t hurt anyone - it even hurts the privileged

    Recess Monkey said this on September 2nd, 2008 at 4:20 pm

17. Recess Monkey,

    Whilst I agree with you entirely that inequality is definitely still a problem in Britain, and that more does need to be done to address the problem, I take issue with the argument that positive discrimination is the way forward. There’s nothing positive about discrimination, however it’s dressed up. If Jonty Olliff-Cooper had been appointed because he taught at Eton (he wasn’t educated there note), then that would be a problem. If, however, his fortunate background - over which he has no control, and for which he should neither have to suffer nor give justification - led to him being better qualified for the role than others, then he should nonetheless be given the job, no further questions.
    Where questions SHOULD be asked is why it is that a small minority of people enjoy such opportunities where others still do not.

    But it is the highest form of absurdity to believe that by attacking those who have been fortunate in their upbringing (something over which, I say again, they have absolutely no control whatsoever), we are somehow going to solve the problem.

    Is it a problem that more and more people are opting for private education over state education? Certainly. Are we therefore to deduce that the problem lies with the private education, and that the problem will be reduced if not solved by denying jobs to those it produces? Certainly not.

    There is far too much vitriolic emotion in this kind of debate, and not enough rational assessment.

    Appeal to reason said this on September 2nd, 2008 at 9:54 pm

18. I agree that just because someone has had a privileged background, they should not be discriminated against. However I fail to see how Mr Oliff-Cooper is actually qualified for this position. His entire life has been spent in the bubble of the public school sector and he has absolutely no understanding of how the average person in britain lives and the problems they face. This is not his fault but it is a fact and if the conservative party continue to employ such sheltered individuals to create party policy then they will continue to fail to meet the needs of ordinary people in Britain today. I have no doubt he is an intelligent man, however having spent two years at college with him i can testify to the fact he is totally naive and deluded as to the success with which he interacts with people. Most people think he is a typical public school idiot. In the past he has boasted to me about how much his education cost - he truly is the last man I would want to see in any position of power.

    Anonymous said this on September 7th, 2008 at 10:23 pm

19. I also received this e-mail. The ex-Eton bit was all there, verbatim. This piece is entirely fair and balanced (and not in a Fox News way either).

    The only thing missed off was ex-’Edwardian Country House’. Google it.

    Irfan Mughal said this on September 11th, 2008 at 6:44 am

20. Firstly I am shocked and appalled at what I have read here truly so.

    As someone who falls into more than one ‘often discriminated against’ catergory being both female and from an ethnic minority I find it incredible that intelligent individuals would have this kind of reaction.

    The suggestion that only a woman can undestand a woman’s problems, or black man a black man’s problems or working class man a working class man’s problems is an insult to intellect and denial of historical fact.
    In order for any of these typically excluded groups to become included to any degree, required people from exactly opposite backgrounds to make policy to include them.

    Just because this guy hasn’t walked a mile in the entire population’s shoes doesn’t mean he won’t have the sense to recognise their struggles and make measured decisions!

    As for listing his acheivements in a personal email BIG DEAL!So he’s proud of what he’s done, could it have been a little tongue in cheek wouldn’t his friends have already known about his background anyway and how different is it from having a corporate signature on your work email account?
    I for one have worked damn hard at school, college and uni and I would be livid if I thought that going to a good uni or school would actually reduce my chances of getting a job because of skewed politics.

    Who ever betrayed this young man’s trust is pretty low in my opinion especially as all it served to do was to make a moot point.

    come off it said this on September 18th, 2008 at 3:17 pm

21. […] Now where have we heard that name before? […]

    RecessMonkey » Blog Archive » Cameron sends wonk into enemy camp in search of policies said this on September 18th, 2008 at 4:08 pm

22. Knew Jonty at uni? In which way exactly is that sufficient to testify to someone’s character several years and life experiences later?

    As another recipient of the aforementioned email (and a working-class one at that - so that must be why I’ve never achieved in life!) I cannot believe the whining I’m seeing on here! I couldn’t agree more with ‘come off it’, Jonty (and indeed anyone from a privileged backgound) has no more control over his upbringing than those of us brought up in Slough.

    He is incredibly bright, the hardest worker I have ever known, and hugely passionate about people. Surely these are qualities one would hope to attribute to anybody in a position of political power, irrespective of their background. His history is irrelevant, and I’m sure his work will speak for itself, because that, after all, is the point.

    ASJ said this on October 24th, 2008 at 10:01 pm