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  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,936

    RobD said:

    x

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    I guess that is the point.

    The MPs are grossly unrepresentative. Of course, this is often discussed in terms of gender or ethnicity, but there are also many other & equally important ways that the MPs are grossly unrepresentative.

    Lawyers & barristers in general are over-represented in Parliament, so I am not hugely sympathetic to Cyclefree's grumble.

    A Minister for Science could be in the House of Lords, rather than Commons, and so parties could appoint trained scientists by ennobling them.

    In my opinion, the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change should also be a trained scientist.
    Should they? I thought the duty of the minister was to run the department, rather than conduct the analyses themselves.
    They have to understand the analysis, for which scientific training is needed.
    Isn't that what civil servants are for, to explain what the reports show?
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,237
    nielh said:

    The rule of law is deteriorating, and all the signs are that it will continue to do. This is part of a broader problem, which is the decline of civilisation. I have been observing this for the past 20 years, but only became conscious of it in the last 2.
    The current government are the latest variants of a liberal elite who are trying to arrest the decline of civilisation by pandering to the mob. This is a story that rarely ends well, as history attests.

    Perhaps being dense - it's not unknown - but this sounds slightly odd.

    If you started to observe something in 1999 but only became conscious of it in 2017, what were you looking at in, say, 2006?

    It implies that you were kind of staring into space.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,426
    dixiedean said:

    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    RobD said:

    Scott_P said:
    All-female cabinet? So much for equality.
    Seems to be triggering a few snowflakes. :smile:

    Sad truth is, though, that we’ve plenty of women MPs every bit as useless as the men.

    A cabinet led by Caroline Lucas, including Priti Patel, Esther McVey, Laura Pidcock, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Diane Abbott and Liz Truss would be enough to send all sane persons on a very fast trip to the nearest border.
    The triumphant return of one T May as Home Secretary would top it off.
    You know, I hadn't even thought of her!
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,414

    dixiedean said:
    93% of social care staff are not from the EU and any that are will have the right to remain. What's the big deal?
    But 7% are. And it is a sector which already has problems with retention and recruitment.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,617
    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    RobD said:

    Scott_P said:
    All-female cabinet? So much for equality.
    Seems to be triggering a few snowflakes. :smile:

    Sad truth is, though, that we’ve plenty of women MPs every bit as useless as the men.

    A cabinet led by Caroline Lucas, including Priti Patel, Esther McVey, Laura Pidcock, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Diane Abbott and Liz Truss would be enough to send all sane persons on a very fast trip to the nearest border.
    Wot, no Nadine?
  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172
    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    Julian Huppert was an academic physicist. He got chucked out in 2015. There must be others ...
    Huppert replaced Anne Campbell, who was a statistician.

    And of course, our own dear Nick Palmer was a pure mathematician.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,414

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    Although Steve Baker, David Davis and Andrew Bridgen are on that list. Maybe we need fewer?
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,318
    edited August 2019

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    I guess that is the point.

    The MPs are grossly unrepresentative. Of course, this is often discussed in terms of gender or ethnicity, but there are also many other & equally important ways that the MPs are grossly unrepresentative.

    Lawyers & barristers in general are over-represented in Parliament, so I am not hugely sympathetic to Cyclefree's grumble.

    A Minister for Science could be in the House of Lords, rather than Commons, and so parties could appoint trained scientists by ennobling them.

    In my opinion, the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change should also be a trained scientist.
    My grumble is not about lawyers’ representation in Parliament.

    Agree with you about Ministers for Science.
  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172
    RobD said:

    RobD said:

    x

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    I guess that is the point.

    The MPs are grossly unrepresentative. Of course, this is often discussed in terms of gender or ethnicity, but there are also many other & equally important ways that the MPs are grossly unrepresentative.

    Lawyers & barristers in general are over-represented in Parliament, so I am not hugely sympathetic to Cyclefree's grumble.

    A Minister for Science could be in the House of Lords, rather than Commons, and so parties could appoint trained scientists by ennobling them.

    In my opinion, the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change should also be a trained scientist.
    Should they? I thought the duty of the minister was to run the department, rather than conduct the analyses themselves.
    They have to understand the analysis, for which scientific training is needed.
    Isn't that what civil servants are for, to explain what the reports show?
    Civil servants are like the appendix in the human anatomy.

    They have no discernible function.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,426

    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    RobD said:

    Scott_P said:
    All-female cabinet? So much for equality.
    Seems to be triggering a few snowflakes. :smile:

    Sad truth is, though, that we’ve plenty of women MPs every bit as useless as the men.

    A cabinet led by Caroline Lucas, including Priti Patel, Esther McVey, Laura Pidcock, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Diane Abbott and Liz Truss would be enough to send all sane persons on a very fast trip to the nearest border.
    Wot, no Nadine?
    No.

    No.

    Just...no!
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,426
    edited August 2019
    It is worth remembering that only one teacher has ever been Secretary of State for education and she didn't last long.

    Admittedly not all have been so disastrously incompetent as Gove and Cummings, but none have been teachers.
  • ChrisChris Posts: 11,751

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    Julian Huppert was an academic physicist. He got chucked out in 2015. There must be others ...
    Huppert replaced Anne Campbell, who was a statistician.

    And of course, our own dear Nick Palmer was a pure mathematician.
    Well I never knew that. Obviously too intelligent for politics.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156
    edited August 2019
    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service or lower paid lab based scientists like Merkel
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,237
    blueblue said:

    "What we need is a powerhouse intellect with a passion for reform and an eye for detail in the position of Home Secretary"

    How fortunate that Labour has just such a person raring to go!

    Cambridge beats Keele, TBF, so at least a step up from here.
  • Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    Julian Huppert was an academic physicist. He got chucked out in 2015. There must be others ...
    Huppert replaced Anne Campbell, who was a statistician.

    And of course, our own dear Nick Palmer was a pure mathematician.
    Julian Huppert didn't replace Anne Campbell. He replaced me.
    Interesting to be written out of history in front of my face!

  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172
    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service
    I very much doubt the accuracy of that statement -- citation needed.
  • ChrisChris Posts: 11,751
    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service or lower paid lab based scientists like Merkel
    I rather doubt, given the numbers of science graduates, that most of them are working as scientists.

    But thank you yet again for your contribution.
  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    Julian Huppert was an academic physicist. He got chucked out in 2015. There must be others ...
    Huppert replaced Anne Campbell, who was a statistician.

    And of course, our own dear Nick Palmer was a pure mathematician.
    Julian Huppert didn't replace Anne Campbell. He replaced me.
    Interesting to be written out of history in front of my face!

    Apologies.

    And I even voted for you in my time.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,426
    Chris said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service or lower paid lab based scientists like Merkel
    I rather doubt, given the numbers of science graduates, that most of them are working as scientists.

    But thank you yet again for your contribution.
    In fairness to HYUFD - for the first time in a very long time - he didn't say they were.
  • ChrisChris Posts: 11,751

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    Julian Huppert was an academic physicist. He got chucked out in 2015. There must be others ...
    Huppert replaced Anne Campbell, who was a statistician.

    And of course, our own dear Nick Palmer was a pure mathematician.
    Julian Huppert didn't replace Anne Campbell. He replaced me.
    Interesting to be written out of history in front of my face!

    Remarkable! Do you follow the discussion here, or do you have some kind of alert linked to who was MP for Cambridge?
  • Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    Julian Huppert was an academic physicist. He got chucked out in 2015. There must be others ...
    Huppert replaced Anne Campbell, who was a statistician.

    And of course, our own dear Nick Palmer was a pure mathematician.
    Julian Huppert didn't replace Anne Campbell. He replaced me.
    Interesting to be written out of history in front of my face!

    Apologies.

    And I even voted for you in my time.
    Apologies fully accepted!
  • logical_songlogical_song Posts: 9,914
    RobD said:

    RobD said:

    x

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    I guess that is the point.

    The MPs are grossly unrepresentative. Of course, this is often discussed in terms of gender or ethnicity, but there are also many other & equally important ways that the MPs are grossly unrepresentative.

    Lawyers & barristers in general are over-represented in Parliament, so I am not hugely sympathetic to Cyclefree's grumble.

    A Minister for Science could be in the House of Lords, rather than Commons, and so parties could appoint trained scientists by ennobling them.

    In my opinion, the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change should also be a trained scientist.
    Should they? I thought the duty of the minister was to run the department, rather than conduct the analyses themselves.
    They have to understand the analysis, for which scientific training is needed.
    Isn't that what civil servants are for, to explain what the reports show?
    ... and be ignored, because of political expediency. No much better to have someone in power who understands the problems and is willing to do something about them.
  • ChrisChris Posts: 11,751
    ydoethur said:

    Chris said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service or lower paid lab based scientists like Merkel
    I rather doubt, given the numbers of science graduates, that most of them are working as scientists.

    But thank you yet again for your contribution.
    In fairness to HYUFD - for the first time in a very long time - he didn't say they were.
    No, true. He mentioned medicine and the City. But I still very much doubt it.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156
    edited August 2019

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service
    I very much doubt the accuracy of that statement -- citation needed.
    The average GP earns £90 000 a year, the average male city salary is over £100 000 a year (and the city is full of STEM graduates) MPs earn £79 000 a year for example.

    https://inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-britain-highest-paid-gp-doctor/

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1532521/Average-City-salary-for-a-man-breaks-100000.html
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service or lower paid lab based scientists like Merkel
    This shows huge ignorance of STEM. It is not a high paid sector (outside of software in London) in the UK and I would argue the 70 odd K would be higher paid than most STEM graduates would ever earn outside of the most senior management positions.
  • ChrisChris Posts: 11,751
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service
    I very much doubt the accuracy of that statement -- citation needed.
    The average GP earns £90 000 a year, MPs earn £79 000 a year for example

    https://inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-britain-highest-paid-gp-doctor/
    Can one work as a GP without a degree in medicine, I wonder?
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,038
    In the photo accompanying the header, Bozo looks like he has been cuffed by the rozzers.

    And don't those cops look young!
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,038
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service
    I very much doubt the accuracy of that statement -- citation needed.
    The average GP earns £90 000 a year, MPs earn £79 000 a year for example

    https://inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-britain-highest-paid-gp-doctor/
    And not many folk with a BSc in plant biology get to be a GP.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,426

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service or lower paid lab based scientists like Merkel
    This shows huge ignorance of STEM. It is not a high paid sector (outside of software in London) in the UK and I would argue the 70 odd K would be higher paid than most STEM graduates would ever earn outside of the most senior management positions.
    Here are some figures, for those who are interested:

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education-and-careers/0/uk-highest-paying-degrees-graduate-salary/
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service
    I very much doubt the accuracy of that statement -- citation needed.
    The average GP earns £90 000 a year, the average male city salary is over £100 000 a year (and the city is full of STEM graduates) MPs earn £79 000 a year for example.

    https://inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-britain-highest-paid-gp-doctor/

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1532521/Average-City-salary-for-a-man-breaks-100000.html
    Medicine is not STEM under normal parlance.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service or lower paid lab based scientists like Merkel
    This shows huge ignorance of STEM. It is not a high paid sector (outside of software in London) in the UK and I would argue the 70 odd K would be higher paid than most STEM graduates would ever earn outside of the most senior management positions.
    Given MPs are supposed to represent about the top 10% of the population given their pay, we are talking about the top 10% of science graduates not the average science graduate at an ex poly
  • Chris said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    Julian Huppert was an academic physicist. He got chucked out in 2015. There must be others ...
    Huppert replaced Anne Campbell, who was a statistician.

    And of course, our own dear Nick Palmer was a pure mathematician.
    Julian Huppert didn't replace Anne Campbell. He replaced me.
    Interesting to be written out of history in front of my face!

    Remarkable! Do you follow the discussion here, or do you have some kind of alert linked to who was MP for Cambridge?
    As I said a while ago I lurked for a very long time before saying anything.
    I think I'll go back to lurking now...

  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,038
    And all those science graduates who become science teachers - they earn more than MPs too?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,426
    Chris said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service
    I very much doubt the accuracy of that statement -- citation needed.
    The average GP earns £90 000 a year, MPs earn £79 000 a year for example

    https://inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-britain-highest-paid-gp-doctor/
    Can one work as a GP without a degree in medicine, I wonder?
    I think (although Dr Foxy will of course correct me if I'm wrong) that in theory the only requirement is to be a member of the Royal College of Physicians, or Surgeons.

    But as in practice they require medical qualifications...
  • Stark_DawningStark_Dawning Posts: 9,683
    Scientist MPs? I can only think of Sir Philip Dawson (Lewisham West) who was a celebrated electrical engineer. But he died in 1938 and had fascist sympathies.
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    @HYUFD what percentage of STEM graduates (or STEM apprenticeships etc.) end up working in the City?
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156
    ydoethur said:

    It is worth remembering that only one teacher has ever been Secretary of State for education and she didn't last long.

    Admittedly not all have been so disastrously incompetent as Gove and Cummings, but none have been teachers.

    Estelle Morris was and Gillian Shepherd was too
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service or lower paid lab based scientists like Merkel
    This shows huge ignorance of STEM. It is not a high paid sector (outside of software in London) in the UK and I would argue the 70 odd K would be higher paid than most STEM graduates would ever earn outside of the most senior management positions.
    Given MPs are supposed to represent about the top 10% of the population given their pay, we are talking about the top 10% of science graduates not the average science graduate at an ex poly
    So you are saying MPs should be the metropolitan liberal elite??
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156

    @HYUFD what percentage of STEM graduates (or STEM apprenticeships etc.) end up working in the City?

    At Russell Group universities a large percentage
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,426

    Scientist MPs? I can only think of Sir Philip Dawson (Lewisham West) who was a celebrated electrical engineer. But he died in 1938 and had fascist sympathies.

    C P Snow was a physicist.
  • ChrisChris Posts: 11,751
    Chris said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service
    I very much doubt the accuracy of that statement -- citation needed.
    The average GP earns £90 000 a year, MPs earn £79 000 a year for example

    https://inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-britain-highest-paid-gp-doctor/
    Can one work as a GP without a degree in medicine, I wonder?
    Incidentally, interesting to compare what HYUFD posted to start with (quoted above) with the re-edited version he came up with. Though unclear whether the re-edited version is any less ridiculous.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,426

    And all those science graduates who become science teachers - they earn more than MPs too?

    Unfortunately not.

    'Unfortunately' because if they did I might too!
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service or lower paid lab based scientists like Merkel
    This shows huge ignorance of STEM. It is not a high paid sector (outside of software in London) in the UK and I would argue the 70 odd K would be higher paid than most STEM graduates would ever earn outside of the most senior management positions.
    Given MPs are supposed to represent about the top 10% of the population given their pay, we are talking about the top 10% of science graduates not the average science graduate at an ex poly
    In fact this is the most London centric, snobbish and sneering comment I’ve seen in a while.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156

    And all those science graduates who become science teachers - they earn more than MPs too?

    Even they tend to earn more than the average teacher and if they become a Headteacher they would earn more than MPs
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,038
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service or lower paid lab based scientists like Merkel
    This shows huge ignorance of STEM. It is not a high paid sector (outside of software in London) in the UK and I would argue the 70 odd K would be higher paid than most STEM graduates would ever earn outside of the most senior management positions.
    Given MPs are supposed to represent about the top 10% of the population given their pay, we are talking about the top 10% of science graduates not the average science graduate at an ex poly
    That is nonsense and you know it.
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    HYUFD said:

    @HYUFD what percentage of STEM graduates (or STEM apprenticeships etc.) end up working in the City?

    At Russell Group universities a large percentage
    Total bollocks. I did Mechanical Engineering at a Russel Group university and no one in my year went to work in the City as far as I’m aware.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,806
    Mr. Flashman (deceased), whoa there!

    Were you just expressing an opinion?

    This is just the sort of toxic masculinity that the Lucas Fallopian Alliance is there to stop.

    Honestly. Our role in the new world order is to nod in agreement, or politely applaud. Stop violating the LFA's dignity with your sarcasm.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,426
    HYUFD said:

    And all those science graduates who become science teachers - they earn more than MPs too?

    Even they tend to earn more than the average teacher and if they become a Headteacher they would earn more than MPs
    The first comment is true.

    But in all the years I've been in teaching I can think of only 2 heads I've worked for who were scientists - both were physicists. That compares with two historians, two geographers, and two English teachers.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn ientists like Merkel
    This shows huge ignorance of STEM. It is not a high paid sector (outside of software in London) in the UK and I would argue the 70 odd K would be higher paid than most STEM graduates would ever earn outside of the most senior management positions.
    Given MPs are supposed to represent about the top 10% of the population given their pay, we are talking about the top 10% of science graduates not the average science graduate at an ex poly
    So you are saying MPs should be the metropolitan liberal elite??
    They should mainly be elite yes, whether metropolitan, rural or otherwise, though of course by definition the final decision lies with the voters
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,038
    HYUFD said:

    And all those science graduates who become science teachers - they earn more than MPs too?

    Even they tend to earn more than the average teacher and if they become a Headteacher they would earn more than MPs
    So you agree that the vast majority of science teachers get paid less than a backbench MP.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service
    I very much doubt the accuracy of that statement -- citation needed.
    The average GP earns £90 000 a year, the average male city salary is over £100 000 a year (and the city is full of STEM graduates) MPs earn £79 000 a year for example.

    https://inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-britain-highest-paid-gp-doctor/

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1532521/Average-City-salary-for-a-man-breaks-100000.html
    Medicine is not STEM under normal parlance.
    Yes it is as by definition without studying science subjects you cannot practice medicine
  • ChrisChris Posts: 11,751

    Chris said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    Julian Huppert was an academic physicist. He got chucked out in 2015. There must be others ...
    Huppert replaced Anne Campbell, who was a statistician.

    And of course, our own dear Nick Palmer was a pure mathematician.
    Julian Huppert didn't replace Anne Campbell. He replaced me.
    Interesting to be written out of history in front of my face!

    Remarkable! Do you follow the discussion here, or do you have some kind of alert linked to who was MP for Cambridge?
    As I said a while ago I lurked for a very long time before saying anything.
    I think I'll go back to lurking now...

    Please don't. You could probably raise the average quality of contributions considerably, even if you posted only once a week.
  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172
    There are few scientist politicians, but they have generally been rather successful.

    Such as the author of "On the influence of spatial correlations on the rate of chemical reactions in dense gases. I. Quantum statistical theory"

    https://tinyurl.com/y5uwdma9
  • justin124justin124 Posts: 11,527
    Chris said:

    Scott_P said:
    Proof that Remainers can be just as witless as Leavers?
    Indeed so!
  • TomsToms Posts: 2,478
    Excellent thread Cyclefree.
    Please don't take offense when I say that I'm beginning to see you as a fellow Puritan.
  • NorthofStokeNorthofStoke Posts: 1,758

    Scientist MPs? I can only think of Sir Philip Dawson (Lewisham West) who was a celebrated electrical engineer. But he died in 1938 and had fascist sympathies.

    Graham Stringer, Maggie spring to mind. Not enough of them though.
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,722

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    I guess that is the point.

    The MPs are grossly unrepresentative. Of course, this is often discussed in terms of gender or ethnicity, but there are also many other & equally important ways that the MPs are grossly unrepresentative.

    Lawyers & barristers in general are over-represented in Parliament, so I am not hugely sympathetic to Cyclefree's grumble.

    A Minister for Science could be in the House of Lords, rather than Commons, and so parties could appoint trained scientists by ennobling them.

    In my opinion, the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change should also be a trained scientist.
    Baron (Peter) Lilley has a degree in physics.
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,318
    I love how a header about the crisis in the criminal justice system very quickly turns into a discussion about how much science graduates are paid. It rather proves my point! The glories of PB.

    The damage done to forensic science in this country by yet another botched privatisation is something for which the government should not be forgiven. When a person’s liberty is at stake such deliberate destruction is disgraceful.
  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,900
    Afternoon all :)

    Fascinating piece by Cyclefree for which, as always, many thanks. I also have the notion the fundamentals of the criminal justice system are in dire need of reform but I don't pretend to have any answers.

    I think there are general perceptions at large which re-enforce the debate and entrenched positions. I start from the simple view there is too much petty criminality for the Police to ever get control whether that be fare evasion, anti social behaviour or theft. There are just too many crimes - get a number and call the insurance is the classic response nowadays to petty crime.

    The argument for the legalisation of some drugs, from that perspective, is very strong though there's also evidence of the long term mental health damage caused by cannabis usage.

    The widespread publicising (and rightly so) of knife crime disguises the fact it is very often a crime committed by the young on the young. There is a huge cultural problem around gangs and the carrying of blades (note the big increase in girls and women with knives as well) for which there are many causes and the debate around the causes masks the paucity of an effective response (does Glasgow have the right idea on this?).

    We all have a view on what law and order means whether it's PC McGarry number 452 or The Sweeney. Keeping more people in prison costs as does building more prisons (though the design of modern London flats has prison-like aspects). We could have an armed policeman on every street corner if that's we wanted or were willing to pay for.

    We also have the enormous cost of the security state from GCHQ to Boris Johnson's police protection detail but the provision and application of law and order must be more analogous to the fundamental principles of the NHS and must never be simply about having as much law and order as you personally can afford but that's how it seems once the gate is locked and the cameras are on.

    Of course we can treat security as a commodity but the aim must be for law and order to mean something not just to the Conservative voter or the criminal but to everyone and that means a model of policing which works and we struggle with the balance between visibility and cost - as with so much else, we know the cost of it but not the value of it.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,362
    Chris said:

    Chris said:

    malcolmg said:

    kinabalu said:

    I fear civil unrest if we pay migrants that much.

    It's well above what most Brits earn.
    I just wonder how people as dumb as this get into these positions.
    I wonder whether Priti Patel's parents would have been able to come to the UK under the rules she is proposing now. It's such an obvious question, but maybe the press are now too stupid or compliant to ask it.
    Unless I'm reading it wrong, it's not Priti's proposal; it's what she'd been told she 'ought to enforce'. She's been suggesting 30k, which is course still well above the starting salary of most graduates.

    And I'm certain that many of those who came across from Uganda and elsewhere in East Africa didn't have jobs that fetched home that sort of money.

    Interesting tie in of course, with the excellent header; get your facts right before taking someone into Court!
    OK. It's a fair cop. Apologies to Priti Patel.
    30K is little better
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156

    HYUFD said:

    @HYUFD what percentage of STEM graduates (or STEM apprenticeships etc.) end up working in the City?

    At Russell Group universities a large percentage
    Total bollocks. I did Mechanical Engineering at a Russel Group university and no one in my year went to work in the City as far as I’m aware.
    Well I went to a Russell Group university and half the science and engineering graduates I know now work in the city or a senior level in industry or IT, some also earn a lot in IP law
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,237
    Chris said:

    Please don't. You could probably raise the average quality of contributions considerably, even if you posted only once a week.

    Stop creeping, Chris.
    :smile:
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,318
    Toms said:

    Excellent thread Cyclefree.
    Please don't take offense when I say that I'm beginning to see you as a fellow Puritan.

    Thank you.

    I won’t.

    I’m intrigued though. What do you mean by Puritan?
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn ientists like Merkel
    This shows huge ignorance of STEM. It is not a high paid sector (outside of software in London) in the UK and I would argue the 70 odd K would be higher paid than most STEM graduates would ever earn outside of the most senior management positions.
    Given MPs are supposed to represent about the top 10% of the population given their pay, we are talking about the top 10% of science graduates not the average science graduate at an ex poly
    So you are saying MPs should be the metropolitan liberal elite??
    They should mainly be elite yes, whether metropolitan, rural or otherwise, though of course by definition the final decision lies with the voters
    Considering the only qualification necessary is the ability to suck-up to a party political cult, cease to think independently, and to convince enough mugs to vote for you instead of the other knacker, I think you’re being ridiculous.

    I note BJ only got a 2:1 so he’s clearly not justifying his salary.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156
    ydoethur said:

    HYUFD said:

    And all those science graduates who become science teachers - they earn more than MPs too?

    Even they tend to earn more than the average teacher and if they become a Headteacher they would earn more than MPs
    The first comment is true.

    But in all the years I've been in teaching I can think of only 2 heads I've worked for who were scientists - both were physicists. That compares with two historians, two geographers, and two English teachers.
    So you know scientists who were Heads then
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,038
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service
    I very much doubt the accuracy of that statement -- citation needed.
    The average GP earns £90 000 a year, the average male city salary is over £100 000 a year (and the city is full of STEM graduates) MPs earn £79 000 a year for example.

    https://inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-britain-highest-paid-gp-doctor/

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1532521/Average-City-salary-for-a-man-breaks-100000.html
    Medicine is not STEM under normal parlance.
    Yes it is as by definition without studying science subjects you cannot practice medicine
    You don't need 3 science A Levels to study medicine.
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    @HYUFD what percentage of STEM graduates (or STEM apprenticeships etc.) end up working in the City?

    At Russell Group universities a large percentage
    Total bollocks. I did Mechanical Engineering at a Russel Group university and no one in my year went to work in the City as far as I’m aware.
    Well I went to a Russell Group university and half the science and engineering graduates I know now work in the city or a senior level in industry or IT, some also earn a lot in IP law
    In a different era?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,426
    HYUFD said:

    ydoethur said:

    HYUFD said:

    And all those science graduates who become science teachers - they earn more than MPs too?

    Even they tend to earn more than the average teacher and if they become a Headteacher they would earn more than MPs
    The first comment is true.

    But in all the years I've been in teaching I can think of only 2 heads I've worked for who were scientists - both were physicists. That compares with two historians, two geographers, and two English teachers.
    So you know scientists who were Heads then
    Yes, but not many.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,426

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service
    I very much doubt the accuracy of that statement -- citation needed.
    The average GP earns £90 000 a year, the average male city salary is over £100 000 a year (and the city is full of STEM graduates) MPs earn £79 000 a year for example.

    https://inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-britain-highest-paid-gp-doctor/

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1532521/Average-City-salary-for-a-man-breaks-100000.html
    Medicine is not STEM under normal parlance.
    Yes it is as by definition without studying science subjects you cannot practice medicine
    You don't need 3 science A Levels to study medicine.
    In fact I believe you only need Chemistry.
  • TomsToms Posts: 2,478
    geoffw said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    I guess that is the point.

    The MPs are grossly unrepresentative. Of course, this is often discussed in terms of gender or ethnicity, but there are also many other & equally important ways that the MPs are grossly unrepresentative.

    Lawyers & barristers in general are over-represented in Parliament, so I am not hugely sympathetic to Cyclefree's grumble.

    A Minister for Science could be in the House of Lords, rather than Commons, and so parties could appoint trained scientists by ennobling them.

    In my opinion, the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change should also be a trained scientist.
    Baron (Peter) Lilley has a degree in physics.
    So did Beeching (!).
  • NorthofStokeNorthofStoke Posts: 1,758
    geoffw said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    I guess that is the point.

    The MPs are grossly unrepresentative. Of course, this is often discussed in terms of gender or ethnicity, but there are also many other & equally important ways that the MPs are grossly unrepresentative.

    Lawyers & barristers in general are over-represented in Parliament, so I am not hugely sympathetic to Cyclefree's grumble.

    A Minister for Science could be in the House of Lords, rather than Commons, and so parties could appoint trained scientists by ennobling them.

    In my opinion, the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change should also be a trained scientist.
    Baron (Peter) Lilley has a degree in physics.
    So two of the few politicians on record as being sceptical of the the "official line" on climate change and energy policy are scientists... (Stringer & Lilley) Small sample admittedly!
  • ChrisChris Posts: 11,751

    There are few scientist politicians, but they have generally been rather successful.

    Such as the author of "On the influence of spatial correlations on the rate of chemical reactions in dense gases. I. Quantum statistical theory"

    https://tinyurl.com/y5uwdma9

    Interestingly, Lord Mackie of Clashfern, Lord Chancellor 1987-1997, was originally a mathematician and got as far as teaching at a university, before he rashly threw it all away and retrained as a lawyer.

    I wonder if he was the most successful mathematician in politics?
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,038
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    @HYUFD what percentage of STEM graduates (or STEM apprenticeships etc.) end up working in the City?

    At Russell Group universities a large percentage
    Total bollocks. I did Mechanical Engineering at a Russel Group university and no one in my year went to work in the City as far as I’m aware.
    Well I went to a Russell Group university and half the science and engineering graduates I know now work in the city or a senior level in industry or IT, some also earn a lot in IP law
    Industry or IT is not The City.

    Of course engineering graduates work in industry. But most don't earn an MP's salary.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,362

    malcolmg said:

    kinabalu said:

    I fear civil unrest if we pay migrants that much.

    It's well above what most Brits earn.
    I just wonder how people as dumb as this get into these positions.
    Says the person too thick to realise Patel never said any of that.
    You really are a cretinous halfwitted moron. Whether 36K or 30K it is a policy thought up by thick millionaires who have no idea what actually happens in the country in real life. They are supported by xenophobic morons like yourself. At that level it would preclude nearly every skill required by the UK.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    @HYUFD what percentage of STEM graduates (or STEM apprenticeships etc.) end up working in the City?

    At Russell Group universities a large percentage
    Total bollocks. I did Mechanical Engineering at a Russel Group university and no one in my year went to work in the City as far as I’m aware.
    Well I went to a Russell Group university and half the science and engineering graduates I know now work in the city or a senior level in industry or IT, some also earn a lot in IP law
    In a different era?
    No, about 15 years ago
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    Very talented people work in industry in the Midlands and the North for years and years, in very senior positions, and never earn more than MPs.

    @HYUFD is clearly out of touch.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service
    I very much doubt the accuracy of that statement -- citation needed.
    The average GP earns £90 000 a year, the average male city salary is over £100 000 a year (and the city is full of STEM graduates) MPs earn £79 000 a year for example.

    https://inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-britain-highest-paid-gp-doctor/

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1532521/Average-City-salary-for-a-man-breaks-100000.html
    Medicine is not STEM under normal parlance.
    Yes it is as by definition without studying science subjects you cannot practice medicine
    You don't need 3 science A Levels to study medicine.
    You need chemistry A Level and Biology, Physics or Maths A Level as a minimum normally and most have at least 3 science/maths A Levels
  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172
    geoffw said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    I guess that is the point.

    The MPs are grossly unrepresentative. Of course, this is often discussed in terms of gender or ethnicity, but there are also many other & equally important ways that the MPs are grossly unrepresentative.

    Lawyers & barristers in general are over-represented in Parliament, so I am not hugely sympathetic to Cyclefree's grumble.

    A Minister for Science could be in the House of Lords, rather than Commons, and so parties could appoint trained scientists by ennobling them.

    In my opinion, the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change should also be a trained scientist.
    Baron (Peter) Lilley has a degree in physics.
    I am not an expert on Lilley, but wiki says "He was educated at Dulwich College and Clare College, Cambridge, where he studied natural sciences before switching to economics."

    I think that normally translates to he found natural sciences too difficult and switched to economics.
  • ChrisChris Posts: 11,751
    kinabalu said:

    Chris said:

    Please don't. You could probably raise the average quality of contributions considerably, even if you posted only once a week.

    Stop creeping, Chris.
    :smile:
    Really. I try to insult everyone here, and I'm immediately accused of creeping!
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,362
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    dixiedean said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    John Denham has a BSc. in Chemistry from Southampton.
    Although he stood down in 2015. There must be others...
    I've too much time, or diversionary activity; found a list from 2017 (pre-election) which found 27 such.
    27 MPs with a bachelor's degree in science? Considering nearly half the population goes to university these days that's not really a large number.
    Most science and STEM subject graduates earn more in industry, medicine or the City than they would do in politics so they don't bother unless they have a particularly strong sense of public service
    I very much doubt the accuracy of that statement -- citation needed.
    The average GP earns £90 000 a year, the average male city salary is over £100 000 a year (and the city is full of STEM graduates) MPs earn £79 000 a year for example.

    https://inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-britain-highest-paid-gp-doctor/

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1532521/Average-City-salary-for-a-man-breaks-100000.html
    you can double that with their more than generous expenses which mean they never have to dip into their own pockets and have a nice second house to sell as well as a platinum plated pension
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,722
    Toms said:

    geoffw said:

    "For 6 years from 2012 to 2018, no lawyer was deemed worthy to be Minister of Justice, the choice instead falling on Chris Grayling and Liz Truss"

    Well, gosh!

    Have you ever looked at the Ministers for Science?

    Rummaging through the appointments of the Labour & Tory & Coalition even SNP Govts, I do not think there has EVER been a Minister for Science who has any training in science.

    Training in Modern History or PPE or Politics or Sociology, yes.

    Training in Science, no.

    In Wales, we have Dim Kirsty as Minister for Science. She has a degree in American Studies. In Scotland, Richard Lochhead has a degree in politics. In England, Jo Johnson has a degree in Modern History.

    Have we many MP's with science degrees? I recall one Margaret Thatcher, but she gave up science to become a barrister.
    I guess that is the point.

    The MPs are grossly unrepresentative. Of course, this is often discussed in terms of gender or ethnicity, but there are also many other & equally important ways that the MPs are grossly unrepresentative.

    Lawyers & barristers in general are over-represented in Parliament, so I am not hugely sympathetic to Cyclefree's grumble.

    A Minister for Science could be in the House of Lords, rather than Commons, and so parties could appoint trained scientists by ennobling them.

    In my opinion, the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change should also be a trained scientist.
    Baron (Peter) Lilley has a degree in physics.
    So did Beeching (!).
    Yes, even further back in time. But he was not a politician and the topic is people with scientific backgrounds who could participate in government now.
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    The Tory party is trying to court the votes of the Northern Working Class yet @HYUFD is telling them their degree level apprenticeship in association with Newcastle College is worthless and that they should halt any ambition to become an MP as they are clearly not elite enough and never will be.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156

    Very talented people work in industry in the Midlands and the North for years and years, in very senior positions, and never earn more than MPs.

    @HYUFD is clearly out of touch.

    The average salary for a managing director in the UK is £82,453 ie more than MPs

    https://www.indeed.co.uk/salaries/Managing-Director-Salaries
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,318
    stodge said:

    Afternoon all :)

    Fascinating piece by Cyclefree for which, as always, many thanks. I also have the notion the fundamentals of the criminal justice system are in dire need of reform but I don't pretend to have any answers.

    I think there are general perceptions at large which re-enforce the debate and entrenched positions. I start from the simple view there is too much petty criminality for the Police to ever get control whether that be fare evasion, anti social behaviour or theft. There are just too many crimes - get a number and call the insurance is the classic response nowadays to petty crime.

    The argument for the legalisation of some drugs, from that perspective, is very strong though there's also evidence of the long term mental health damage caused by cannabis usage.

    The widespread publicising (and rightly so) of knife crime disguises the fact it is very often a crime committed by the young on the young. There is a huge cultural problem around gangs and the carrying of blades (note the big increase in girls and women with knives as well) for which there are many causes and the debate around the causes masks the paucity of an effective response (does Glasgow have the right idea on this?).

    We all have a view on what law and order means whether it's PC McGarry number 452 or The Sweeney. Keeping more people in prison costs as does building more prisons (though the design of modern London flats has prison-like aspects). We could have an armed policeman on every street corner if that's we wanted or were willing to pay for.

    We also have the enormous cost of the security state from GCHQ to Boris Johnson's police protection detail but the provision and application of law and order must be more analogous to the fundamental principles of the NHS and must never be simply about having as much law and order as you personally can afford but that's how it seems once the gate is locked and the cameras are on.

    Of course we can treat security as a commodity but the aim must be for law and order to mean something not just to the Conservative voter or the criminal but to everyone and that means a model of policing which works and we struggle with the balance between visibility and cost - as with so much else, we know the cost of it but not the value of it.

    All interesting points. None of these will work if (a) the police lack basic competence; (b) the court system, the CPS and criminal lawyers are woefully underfunded, as they are; and (c) our prisons are, as Hurd said, “an expensive way of making bad people worse”.
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    HYUFD said:

    Very talented people work in industry in the Midlands and the North for years and years, in very senior positions, and never earn more than MPs.

    @HYUFD is clearly out of touch.

    The average salary for a managing director in the UK is £82,453 ie more than MPs

    https://www.indeed.co.uk/salaries/Managing-Director-Salaries
    What has that got to do with anything?
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,038
    HYUFD said:

    Very talented people work in industry in the Midlands and the North for years and years, in very senior positions, and never earn more than MPs.

    @HYUFD is clearly out of touch.

    The average salary for a managing director in the UK is £82,453 ie more than MPs

    https://www.indeed.co.uk/salaries/Managing-Director-Salaries
    So what proportion of STEM graduates get to become an MD?
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    @HYUFD what percentage of STEM graduates (or STEM apprenticeships etc.) end up working in the City?

    At Russell Group universities a large percentage
    Total bollocks. I did Mechanical Engineering at a Russel Group university and no one in my year went to work in the City as far as I’m aware.
    Well I went to a Russell Group university and half the science and engineering graduates I know now work in the city or a senior level in industry or IT, some also earn a lot in IP law
    Industry or IT is not The City.

    Of course engineering graduates work in industry. But most don't earn an MP's salary.
    The average Google worker earns £160 000 ie over double what MPs earn

    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/28/google-uk-staff-salary-earned-2015
  • TomsToms Posts: 2,478
    edited August 2019
    Cyclefree said:

    Toms said:

    Excellent thread Cyclefree.
    Please don't take offense when I say that I'm beginning to see you as a fellow Puritan.

    Thank you.

    I won’t.

    I’m intrigued though. What do you mean by Puritan?
    A certain morality; work ethic; simple honesty; up front.
    Maybe it might help if I defined Trump as anti-Puritan.
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468

    HYUFD said:

    Very talented people work in industry in the Midlands and the North for years and years, in very senior positions, and never earn more than MPs.

    @HYUFD is clearly out of touch.

    The average salary for a managing director in the UK is £82,453 ie more than MPs

    https://www.indeed.co.uk/salaries/Managing-Director-Salaries
    So what proportion of STEM graduates get to become an MD?
    It will also be skewed by London and the SE.

    @HYUFD so out of touch from Epping Forest 👋
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156
    edited August 2019

    The Tory party is trying to court the votes of the Northern Working Class yet @HYUFD is telling them their degree level apprenticeship in association with Newcastle College is worthless and that they should halt any ambition to become an MP as they are clearly not elite enough and never will be.

    No and it will help improve their earning power but the average working class northener is more interested in delivering Brexit and policies that work for them than becoming an MP and if their kids went to a Russell Group university to study science most would sensibly prefer them to be medics or work in industry than become MPs
  • ChrisChris Posts: 11,751
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    @HYUFD what percentage of STEM graduates (or STEM apprenticeships etc.) end up working in the City?

    At Russell Group universities a large percentage
    Total bollocks. I did Mechanical Engineering at a Russel Group university and no one in my year went to work in the City as far as I’m aware.
    Well I went to a Russell Group university and half the science and engineering graduates I know now work in the city or a senior level in industry or IT, some also earn a lot in IP law
    Would it be rude to ask what you studied?
  • malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    kinabalu said:

    I fear civil unrest if we pay migrants that much.

    It's well above what most Brits earn.
    I just wonder how people as dumb as this get into these positions.
    Says the person too thick to realise Patel never said any of that.
    You really are a cretinous halfwitted moron. Whether 36K or 30K it is a policy thought up by thick millionaires who have no idea what actually happens in the country in real life. They are supported by xenophobic morons like yourself. At that level it would preclude nearly every skill required by the UK.
    I'm not xenophobic, I want liberalised migration.

    I was cheering here the other day when they liberalised the science migration and removed the job offer requirement - which means no salary other requirement either.

    But why let facts get in the way of a good rant? Whether it be facts about Patel, or facts about me . . . that's two mistakes in a row. Go chew on a turnip then come back with a less sour disposition.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,156
    Chris said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    @HYUFD what percentage of STEM graduates (or STEM apprenticeships etc.) end up working in the City?

    At Russell Group universities a large percentage
    Total bollocks. I did Mechanical Engineering at a Russel Group university and no one in my year went to work in the City as far as I’m aware.
    Well I went to a Russell Group university and half the science and engineering graduates I know now work in the city or a senior level in industry or IT, some also earn a lot in IP law
    Would it be rude to ask what you studied?
    History
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,038
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    @HYUFD what percentage of STEM graduates (or STEM apprenticeships etc.) end up working in the City?

    At Russell Group universities a large percentage
    Total bollocks. I did Mechanical Engineering at a Russel Group university and no one in my year went to work in the City as far as I’m aware.
    Well I went to a Russell Group university and half the science and engineering graduates I know now work in the city or a senior level in industry or IT, some also earn a lot in IP law
    Industry or IT is not The City.

    Of course engineering graduates work in industry. But most don't earn an MP's salary.
    The average Google worker earns £160 000 ie over double what MPs earn

    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/28/google-uk-staff-salary-earned-2015
    Oh yes, just a typical, representative employer.
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    HYUFD said:

    The Tory party is trying to court the votes of the Northern Working Class yet @HYUFD is telling them their degree level apprenticeship in association with Newcastle College is worthless and that they should halt any ambition to become an MP as they are clearly not elite enough and never will be.

    No and it will help improve their earning power but the average working class northener is more interested in delivering Brexit and policies that work for them than becoming an MP and if their kids went to a Russell Group university to study science most would sensibly prefer them to be medics or work in industry than become MPs
    So northern brexit voters shouldn’t become MPs, they should leave it up to people from the Home Counties, who clearly know more then them. Got it.
  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,900
    Cyclefree said:



    All interesting points. None of these will work if (a) the police lack basic competence; (b) the court system, the CPS and criminal lawyers are woefully underfunded, as they are; and (c) our prisons are, as Hurd said, “an expensive way of making bad people worse”.

    Thank you for the kind words.

    The problem is Patel and Johnson see this as an opportunity for political points scoring and cheap electioneering. They play on perceptions around law and order to come up with these half-baked ideas and commit vast sums of public money often in the wrong way at the wrong targets.

    The trouble is they are saying the simplistic things some people want to hear.
  • ChrisChris Posts: 11,751
    HYUFD said:

    Chris said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    @HYUFD what percentage of STEM graduates (or STEM apprenticeships etc.) end up working in the City?

    At Russell Group universities a large percentage
    Total bollocks. I did Mechanical Engineering at a Russel Group university and no one in my year went to work in the City as far as I’m aware.
    Well I went to a Russell Group university and half the science and engineering graduates I know now work in the city or a senior level in industry or IT, some also earn a lot in IP law
    Would it be rude to ask what you studied?
    History
    OK. Thank you.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,362

    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    kinabalu said:

    I fear civil unrest if we pay migrants that much.

    It's well above what most Brits earn.
    I just wonder how people as dumb as this get into these positions.
    Says the person too thick to realise Patel never said any of that.
    You really are a cretinous halfwitted moron. Whether 36K or 30K it is a policy thought up by thick millionaires who have no idea what actually happens in the country in real life. They are supported by xenophobic morons like yourself. At that level it would preclude nearly every skill required by the UK.
    I'm not xenophobic, I want liberalised migration.

    I was cheering here the other day when they liberalised the science migration and removed the job offer requirement - which means no salary other requirement either.

    But why let facts get in the way of a good rant? Whether it be facts about Patel, or facts about me . . . that's two mistakes in a row. Go chew on a turnip then come back with a less sour disposition.
    liberalised my butt, like discussing with a log.
This discussion has been closed.