Meet the REAL Brittish ruling class

Meet the REAL ruling class: How 1 in 12 MPs is related to another politician in dynasties dating back 140 years

When it comes to being an MP it seems today's parliamentarians really are all in it together.
New research by Parliament reveals how 57 of the 650 people with a seat in the Commons are related to other serving or former MPs.

There are more MPs related to another politician than sit in the whole of the Liberal Democrat party.
It includes six married couples who sit alongside each other on the famous green leather benches, 21 MPs whose parents served in the Commons and three pairs of siblings.

Among them are David Cameron's great-grandfather Sir William Mount, a Tory MP from 1900-06 and again from 1910-22, Ed Miliband's broth David who quit the Commons after losing out on the Labour leadership and married couples Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper, Duncan Hames and Jo Swinson, and Harriet Harman and Jack Dromey.
Here we take a look at some of the MPs and their connections which means they keep politics in the family.

This is as we all suspect... but the article I am pointing to goes much further by naming the connections...

Here are the note worthy ones...

Prime Minister David Cameron is the great-grandson of former Tory MP Sir William Mount

Nicholas Soames, Tory MP for Mid Sussex, is one of the best connected parliamentarians as the grandson of wartimer Prime Minister Winston Churchill

Nicholas Soames' connections to other former MPs include (left to right): FATHER: Christopher Soames was an MP for Bedford from 1950-66, and served as Secretary of State for War under Macmillan before becoming British ambassador to France; UNCLE: Randolph Spencer-Churchill was a Conservative Member of Parliament for Preston from 1940 to 1945; COUSIN: Winston Churchill, grandson of the wartime leader, was a Tory MP from 1970-97; GREAT-GRANDFATHER: Lord Randolph Churchill, a Tory MP 1874-94

Laura Sandys, current Tory MP for South Thanet, is the daughter of Duncan Sandys (right) (MP for Norwood 1935-45 and Streatham 1950-74), grand-daughter of George John Sandys (MP for Wells 1910-18) and granddaughter of Winston Churchill

Hilary Benn's political relatives include (left to right): FATHER: Tony Benn was an MP for 50 years, serving in the Wilson and Callaghan Cabinets; GRANDFATHER: William Wedgwood Benn was elected as a Liberal and Labour MP several times between 1906 and 1942; GREAT-GRANDFATHER: Sir John Benn was a Liberal MP from 1892-95 and 1904-10

Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman has been in the Commons since 1982 representing Camberwell and Peckham, but has two great-uncles who were MPs in the late 19th century

Harriet Harman's connections included: HUSBAND: Jack Dromey (left) joined her in the Commons in 2010 as MP for Birmingham Erdington: GREAT-GREAT-UNCLE: Joseph Chamberlain (right) an MP and statesman from 1876-1914; GREAT-GREAT-UNCLE: Richard Chamberlain, MP for Islington West 1885-92

Elected in 2010, Labour MP Luciana Berger is the great-niece of Emanuel Shinwell who was a Labour MP from 1922-24, 1928-31, 1935-70. He served as Secretary of State for War and Minister of Defence in the Attlee government

Zac Goldsmith, elected Tory MP for Richmond Park ion 2010, has connections to three former MPs

Zac Goldsmith's family connections include: GRANDFATHER: Frank Goldsmith (left) was a Tory MP for Stowmarket in Suffolk from 1910-18; GRANDFATHER Robin Vane-Tempest-Stewart, a Unionist MP for County Down from 1931-45 (not pictured) GREAT-GRANDFATHER: Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart (right) was a Conservative MP in Maidstone from 1906-15

Labour's Wigan MP Lisa Nandy was elected in 2010, 60 years after her Liberal MP grand-father Frank Byers lost his seat in North Dorset

Then there is the inbred nepotism to take into account...

Sisters Maria Eagle (left) and Angela Eagle became the first twins to enter Parliament following the 1997 general election when Angela retained her Wallasey seat, while Maria won Liverpool Garston

Brothers in arms: London Mayor Boris Johnson was MP for Henley 2001-08, and his brother JO has been MP for Orpington since 2010

Ed Miliband saw brother David quit the Commons after beating him for the Labour leadership

Keith Vaz has been Labour MP for Leicester East since 1987 and in 2010 was joined by sister Valerie, Labour MP for Walsall South

Duncan Hames, an aide to Nick Clegg, is MP for Chippenham, is married to Business Minister Jo Swinson

Former Labour minister Nick Raynsford, an MP since 1986, is married to Alison Seabeck, Labour MP for Plymouth Devonport and the daughter of Michael Ward, a Labour MP in Peterborough in the 1970s

Labour couple Ed Balls (MP since 2005) and Yvette Cooper (MP since 1997) both serve in Ed Miliband;s shadow cabinet

Caroline Dinenage, elected Tory MP for Gosport in 2010, has tied the knot with Mark Lancaster, MP for Milton Keynes North

The full list and article can be obtained here: - Meet the REAL ruling class: How 1 in 12 MPs is related to another politician in dynasties dating back 140 years

Peace,

Korg.

reply to post by Korg Trinity


We see the same pattern in all professions. Many athletes have children who become athletes. Many musicians have children that are musically inclined. Many military members have children who join the military. Children are a product of their environment and often emulate their parents, relatives and other people they look up to.

I don’t see a conspiracy here…sorry.

reply to post by seabag

We see the same pattern in all professions. Many athletes have children who become athletes. Many musicians have children that are musically inclined. Many military members have children who join the military. Children are a product of their environment and often emulate their parents, relatives and other people they look up to.

I don’t see a conspiracy here…sorry.

True.....BUT, musicians and athletes do not create laws that can be seen as ruling over a certain class of citizen either.

Look at how our founding fathers set up the US! Being a politician was NOT meant to be a career! I think we can all see how that has worked out for us?

seeker1963
Look at how our founding fathers set up the US! Being a politician was NOT meant to be a career! I think we can all see how that has worked out for us?

I think we may have dropped the ball on that one. It's up to US the tax paying, voting public to keep a check on our elected officials. I admit, I don't know how to fix it either, but without term limits on all elected positions, we will continue to have these legacy politicians who bring their children up being groomed for the same golden nest.

Think about how congress works. They vote themselves a pay raise. really?

I can see the point you are trying to make and yes it does make you think about things, maybe the conspiracy lies a bit further up the chain but not every single politician. If you are born in a very political family and life revolves around politics then you are more inclined to have an interest in it therefore possibly going on to study it and work in politics.

I appreciate your research so I'm going to give you a star for your time and outside thinking. But as seabag mentioned if you traced back athletes musicians etc you could do the same for the military. Growing up in certain areas especially in the UK where you have welsh and Scottish regiments, being in the military is a family past, that is passed down the family and because you have close communities in the welsh valleys and Scottish highlands everybody knows each other. Therefore marriages and families were all close and everyone knew who was who

Nice thinking though and I wouldn't be surprised if certain families do rule or have an influence into what goes on in life

reply to post by Korg Trinity

Dating back 140-years? Holy cow! Call the press! [/sarc]

seabag points out that the generational continuation of professions.

network dude
Think about how congress works. They vote themselves a pay raise. really?

That always boggled my mind.

Yep. Jobs for the boys. Exists everywhere.

It's the reason your not all congressmen living in million dollar mansions in some crime-free, Middle American idyll.

seabag
reply to post by Korg Trinity

 

We see the same pattern in all professions. Many athletes have children who become athletes. Many musicians have children that are musically inclined. Many military members have children who join the military. Children are a product of their environment and often emulate their parents, relatives and other people they look up to.

I don’t see a conspiracy here…sorry.

Excepting for our own dynasty's that make me uncomfortable.

Wonder how many more Bush's will end up in office? Or maybe itll soon be time for the re-emergence of Kennedy?

don't forget clinton

bigfatfurrytexan


Excepting for our own dynasty's that make me uncomfortable.

Wonder how many more Bush's will end up in office?

Yes, and very much so.

We had Bush, Bush, son of Bush Mr. Clinton, and now
(some) people think we should have Hillary Clinton.

Dynasty should be a T.V. show, not the
office of POTUS.

When when, will we ever learn?