Have you ever been left weak at the knees by a politician? Do you have a shrine to a cabinet minister next to your mirror? No? Well, I think it would be safe to say you are in the same boat as most of the country. Last week a mixed bag of Manchester students got an invite to a Q&A session with Gordon Brown in the picturesque Manchester Art Gallery thanks to Rosie Baker of Fuse FM news fame. The point that he walked into the room I couldn’t quite work out what I felt. Surely this was it, the pinnacle of my career as a political editor, in the same room as the man who is, effectively, the head of our government. There was a lift in the atmosphere and the reactions down my row ranged from respectful to star struck to serious evil eyes.
Yet 15 minutes into a 40-minute session it was difficult to stop my focus sliding towards the picture of the Tate and Lyle dead lion and the Victorian nudes hanging around the room (a very political setting).
You might have heard about this event indirectly as he mentioned that he wasn’t partial to Jedward from the X Factor. According to the Daily Mail, this was better news than the PM being quizzed on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq by a woman whose brother had been killed, knife crime by Mothers for Justice and by a community worker on the positive steps to get young people off the street and out of prison.
These and other issues which came up are important and the focus of the lives of those who asked the questions, but it wasn’t about dialogue and enhancing a debate, it was a Q&A with answers had been set in stone for a week. I suppose these are the same questions that Brown gets asked where ever he goes. No wonder it was hard for him to look excited. This trend has given some politicians a tendency to start shaking their head and tutting mid-question if they think they have heard what you are saying before and it’s a bit silly. I understand that it must be frustrating to repeat yourself, but firstly, clarifying policy issues helps us know that our representatives know what they are talking about. Secondly, it might just be that you are asking something new, but need to get to the second half of your sentence to convey that.
It must be admitted that I joined Twitter so I could stalk Ed Milliband and there are MPs from all parties who I respect. Many politicians work ridiculously hard, particularly for the pay they get and there are many students involved in political parties who have far more interaction with politicians than I have had and they give up their time to campaign for them. Yet, MP for Withington John Leech, hosted by the Politics Society, managed to get an audience of about 40 on the same day 300 people turned up to UMSU to listen to Noam Chomsky speak via video link.
So how can politicians engage us and gain our respect? Would we prefer politicians who are not as charismatic, but who did a solid job? No, they’re boring. So what about those who talk and dress the part? Well they are clearly slimy and insincere. Are they in a Catch 22 situation?
We need someone to run the country unless we all want to take consensus decisions on all policy; even then we would need to appoint people to set agendas and run the show. Elected representatives are here to stay, what do you want from them? Answers on a postcard please.
Got a political query? Email Sarah at politics@student-direct.co.uk.
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