OAP does not spell Cable... apparently...

At the ripe old age (or ripe young age... depending on who you are...) of 69 (hehehe- #megalolz) Vince Cable doesn't seem to be giving up yet... damn.

Public figures getting too old seems to be a bit of a running theme recently with old Benedict retiring and the like. And now this wave of "ageism" appears to have hit, or rather not hit, parliament. Apparently old Vincey is planning on standing to be an MP next general election... in 2015... when he will be 71? AND he hasn't ruled out standing for election as leader of the lib dems in a few years... AND he seems pretty confident that he will have the energy and stamina to carry it through... like churchill and Gladstone did...

And well done to him... i guess.

I mean ageism is as bad as any other type of prejudice... and i can't argue that he shouldn't be allowed to continue with his career for as long as he can... and i can't suggest that because he is getting older, he is getting less able... BUT i do feel that he might want to move over and let some fresh blood have a shot at shaking up parliament because i just don't feel like that is happening often enough at the moment.

Fair deuce, we have currently got the youngest british Prime Minister we've had for a LONG time... and when i say long, i mean long- like longer than Vince Cable's been alive! And that is like well old, innit.

But, no offence Cameron, our current PM isn't exactly revolutionising politics or particularly supporting young people... and that, i suppose, is the major issue here: OUR POLITICIANS DO NOT CARE ENOUGH ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE. It's all very all well complaining about older people being pushed out but they aren't exactly making room for young people to squish in. And not trusting or supporting young people in the same way that you support and trust older people is another form of ageism.

This sort of ageism is probably most obvious in the fact that 16 year olds can't vote and the fact that are only around 28 MPs under the age of 30 in our current government. awks.

The idea that the government is also not exactly nurturing a new generation of politicians with their terrible education policy, raising of tuition fees and the acceptance of the bad press that young people get is not helping either!! Less young people are going to be willing or able to get the qualifications they need to get into politics and that means that we are set to have a rapidly ageing parliament for the foreseeable future. Dear god- we are doomed.

So Vince, It's not that i want you to leave (although...), it's just that i want you to leave space for someone a little bit younger... and that's not because i prefer younger people (although...) or because i think they make better politicians, it's just that we need some new ideas, new minds, new revolutionaries and, as far as i can tell, we can best get that from young people. Plus we need a better range of people in parliament- it needs to be diverse to represent our diverse society- and that range includes women, men, the old and the young.

And yes, Cable, Churchill and Gladstone did serve as PM in their 70s and 80s BUT that doesn't mean that we couldn't have a PM in the future who was closer to 18 than 80- maybe, say, 30-something??

(tip) So can we please stop complaining about back ache and ageism when you are crushing the education system, raising tuition fees and perpetuating stereotypes of young people? Ok? Ok. That's a deal then? Stop mucking your young people, and our future government, up. NOW.

Cleggucation

"ooohhh" i think as i listen to the news. "oooohhh" i think as i hear that nick clegg is sending his eldest (Antonio.. dahhhlinngg..) to a state school. "oh" i think as i hear it is london oratory.

i have nothing against oratory per se, but one does think that if Clegg wanted to highlight the fairness of the state system and his confidence in it he could have done a little better. What i mean is that oratory is part of a minority of state schools. it is one of the best schools around- about 92% of it's students get 5 A*-C grades at GCSE. It also happens to have a catchment area that contains houses that sell for around £2 million and over. This year oratory is organising a black tie event to celebrate 150 years since it started and guess how much the tickets cost? not £5 like most state schools... not even £50.... no, no- oratory has got its parents and students sussed- £125 sound about right?

And it's nothing new on the political scene- both Tony Blair and Harriet Harman have had their children attend it. So originality points? 0. 

it's also a faith school- all well and good (go to one myself actually...)- except... faith schools can base part of their intake on- any guesses- faith. Faith school+£2million catchment area+good grades= what sounds to me like a pretty elite "comprehensive". 

i think it's brill that Clegg wants to send his son (Antonio... dahhhhlinnng...) to a state school. I think it's brill that his son (Antonio... dahhhli- sorry. i'll stop.) has got into such a great school. I think it's brill that such great schools exist in the state system. BUT- and it's a big "but"- London Oratory is hardly a massive, hard-core, take-what-you're-given-and-like-it comprehensive. It's not as if Antonio is one of the kids that hasn't really got a choice about what school they go to- the kids that aren't deputy pm's sons, aren't living in million pound houses, aren't catholic, aren't in a feeder school, can't afford to go private if necessary, only have one school in their area, have parents who haven't been told enough about the tricks and tips of the system..... the kids that aren't so lucky. 

Clegg has rather highlighted the injustice and inequality in our education system. Some children have a wealth of great schools available to them and some have nothing. He has managed to get his child into a great school so won't have to worry about special measures and lack of opportunities. He has done pretty well as a dad, as a man trying to set up his son's future (Etc.) but, politically, i think he's rather shot himself in the foot (even if he does insist on limping across the finish line with a determined "it's still state" and a faint) because Oratory, in comparison to the majority of ordinary state schools, is pretty... well... private-ish, i guess. It belongs to an elite group of state schools with a private school mindset and private school image- the only thing that's really different is that Clegg doesn't have to pay for his son's education.

TIP: maybe our politicians should start trying to support and raise the profile of the ordinary school? rather than giving continued prestige and coverage to elite, already over subscribed and well funded schools? just an idea, Nick, just a little tip.