Politics, what's stopping you from running for office?

[woohoo]

MF is obviously on the sex pest list. But what's stopping the rest of you?

[HugeWhale]

Prior experience.
Politicians only think they're running the country. They're not. They have zero clout unless a they're a Cabinet Minister and even then hardly any.
Civil servants are running the country. That is where the power is.

[bobspud]

I have a lot of time for Francis Maude he tried his hardest to solve the spectacular waste in our (un)-Civil Service...

have a read of this speech that he gave last year...

https://www.conservativehome.com/par...full-text.html

We are fed the utter bulltulip that the civil service remains impartial but I am afraid when you have a majority of them belonging to a union that in turn funds the Labour Party there is a clear conflict of interest that is not in the best interests of the tax payer.

[WTFH]

I was elected onto a couple of local council groups that I am involved in, but having dealt with some of the more senior parts of the local district council and the county council, they are basically full of unelected bureaucrats who come up with policies which they show no flexibility in, nor do they want to step out of their offices to see the impact of their decisions, or understand what could be done better. I have no desire to go beyond my current level of involvement.

[BR14]

I have a lot of time for Francis Maude he tried his hardest to solve the spectacular waste in our (un)-Civil Service...

have a read of this speech that he gave last year...

https://www.conservativehome.com/par...full-text.html

We are fed the utter bulltulip that the civil service remains impartial but I am afraid when you have a majority of them belonging to a union that in turn funds the Labour Party there is a clear conflict of interest that is not in the best interests of the tax payer.

you may say that, - i couldn't POSSIBLY comment

[shaunbhoy]

but having dealt with some of the more senior parts of the local district council and the county council, they are basically full of unelected bureaucrats who come up with policies which they show no flexibility in, nor do they want to step out of their offices to see the impact of their decisions, or understand what could be done better.

Are you sure you are not an MEP?

[NotAllThere]

Ah, I would. But I'm not resident in the UK.

[BrilloPad]

I was elected onto a couple of local council groups that I am involved in, but having dealt with some of the more senior parts of the local district council and the county council, they are basically full of unelected bureaucrats who come up with policies which they show no flexibility in, nor do they want to step out of their offices to see the impact of their decisions, or understand what could be done better. I have no desire to go beyond my current level of involvement.

Remind me how you were elected to CUK office?

Personally I can't run for office. I want to help people....

[WTFH]

Remind me how you were elected to CUK office?

Personally I can't run for office. I want to help people....

Not CUK office. That wasn't election, that was nomination followed by investiture.

[woohoo]

Prior experience.
Politicians only think they're running the country. They're not. They have zero clout unless a they're a Cabinet Minister and even then hardly any.
Civil servants are running the country. That is where the power is.

Perhaps at the country wide level but at the local level perhaps they can still change things for the local community.