"I'm quite amused at some of the old tosh being written here, come on people just how many life skills do you really think a PM should have experienced before being qualified for the job? Should he/she have spent some time as a refuse collector, postman, shop worker, factory worker etc to have empathy with folk in those roles?"
Not necessarily those roles directly, but a damn sight more than just having taken the route of Private School/Uni/Party Intern/SpAd/PPC parachuted into safe seat/Minister/PM. The age of the professional politician, I would venture is not doing us any favours. If you're meant to be not just the leader of your political party, but also to lead the nation, to unite them, to get them on side for some difficult decisions that have to be taken in the national interest, damn right you ought to have some relevant life skills, you need to be able to engage with the electorate and relate to them, not turn them off and remain remote from them except for when you go begging for their votes every five years.
"Using some of the barking logic from in here surely he/she would have to spend time as a nurse, doctor, porter, specialist, surgeon etc to have a proper grasp of how the NHS works?"
Not necessarily for the office of PM, but I would venture that much less political interfering harm and much more clear direction and vision would be had by having ministers in place who had a solid understanding of their breifing. Thats not to say that it cant be got wrong and that the vision that say an ex-military SecDef is automatically the right one because they served in uniform (Bunter Soames or Andrew Lansley, anyone?), but I would much rather have a case like that, than the crazy notion of promoting Alan Johnson to Shadow Chancellor, when he readily admitted he didnt have the first idea as to what the hell the office was about - and this was arguably the second most important (shadow) position in government.
"With regard to DC,s lack of military background just what do any of you think is the bare minimum spec on that score? Should he have spent some time as a soldier/airman/sailor then gone on for some tri service time at both SNCO and officer level?"
This isnt about DC's lack of military background, its about putting gob into action without thinking first, in pursuit of a snappy soundbite. If he DID take a personal active interest in the outcome of SDSR, then it is plainly obvious that he has no ex military background. For a SecDef, ideally, I would say having served for a minimum of four or five years, either commissioned or non commissioned, it doesnt matter. You have to have an understanding of what you're personally responsible for, the people, the systems, of what you're going to be charged with asking them to do. Why would this be so bad? Do I take it you prefer the deference of the first world war where everyone just tugged their forelocks, thought their elders and betters and higher ups knew better and went willingly to their deaths in the face of withering machine gun fire because Haig thought that horse Cavalry would always prevail?? Sorry, those days are rightly consigned to the dark days of history.
"Cameron got where is by being good at what he does, as do so many of us. I have never been a postman, bin man, doctor etc etc but if I have a reasonable understanding of what they do why would I assume DC does not."
Fair enough.
"Some of you really do need to stop bleating about politicians and grasp the fact that the country is well and truly in the dwang."
And, with respect, you may wish to ruminate on quite how it got there and who was at the helm and what kind of life experiences they had got outside of the above mentioned professional politician path. How to get out of the dwang might be a good idea. The main thing the public need to do is cure themselves of political apathy, get off the sofas, put down the bag of Doritos and tins of Stella and get their fat arses out and vote when they are given the opportunity. Hardly surprising when a large section of the public dont give a toss about politics, that most politicians end up not giving a s**t about them.
"The Tories inherited a huge cup of cold sick and there is nothing but pain on the horizon for us all. "
Arguably so. Whoever got into power was going to inherit the mess, but its what you do to set a path out of said cup that is important. In such times, the ability to carry the nation with you, particularly the armed forces, if you are engaged in conflicts around the world where you are expecting them to pay the ultimate price, is important. Rightly or wrongly, Britain and most other nations for that matter dont take too well to being told to "do as I say or else" as a style of leadership.
"the pay freeze hits me in the pocket to a tidy tune in lost pension and gratuity next year. Mrs SFFP recently got made redundant but stuff happens, we are simply sucking it up, cutting our cloth accordingly and getting on with it. "
As are a lot of us. It does not cost anything not to be flippant when you occupy the highest position in government.
"DC was correct to tell us to STFU and get on with, it's what he's having to tell the whole country so why should we be any different. "
You could argue that, but the rest of the country, with the exception of the emergency services dont face being asked to pay the ultimate price on a reasonably regular basis. It does make a difference. We ARE different.
I have no problem with DC's thinking such a thing, even out loud, but IMVVHO this is not quite the way to win friends and influence people. He already has a notable
PR problem as it is through accident of birth that he can do nothing about, which those with chips on their shoulders and their own political agendas will, and often do, exploit. Making a rod for your own back when you've already got a difficult enough job as it is is daft.