I was just thinking, what are example of politicians that are good at serving the people who put them where they are, instead of serving themselves? I thought of it when I saw the name of an internet site here in the UK, something like "theyworkforyou.com" (don't know for sure).
Here in the UK, Tony Benn springs to mind. He is no longer a member of the British parliament (or MP for short), having retired to "spend more time on politics" due to being disllusioned with things. I have to admit I am a huge admirer of him and have read his many diaries. Always good to read his thoughts on the ordinary working man and woman.
Examples of politicians there to serve the people who put them where they are.
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medicinehat1
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medicinehat1
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Examples of politicians there to serve the people who put them where they are.
I should have added not just individual politicians but governments as well, like the post-1945 Attlee govt in the UK which introduced the National Health Service or Roosevelt in 1930s USA and what he did for the less fortunate in society
Examples of politicians there to serve the people who put them where they are.
medicinehat1;1325495 wrote: I was just thinking, what are example of politicians that are good at serving the people who put them where they are, instead of serving themselves?
David Lloyd George. He was an opponent of the Poor Law in Britain. He was determined to take action that in his words would "lift the shadow of the workhouse from the homes of the poor". He believed the best way of doing this was to guarantee an income to people who were to old to work. In 1908 Lloyd George introduced the Old Age Pensions Act that provided between 1s. and 5s. a week to people over seventy.
To pay for these pensions David Lloyd George had to raise government revenues by an additional £16 million a year. In 1909 Lloyd George announced what became known as the People's Budget. This included increases in taxation. Whereas people on lower incomes were to pay 9d in the pound, those on annual incomes of over £3,000 had to pay 1s. 2d. in the pound. Lloyd George also introduced a new supertax of 6d. in the pound for those earning £5000 a year. Other measures included an increase in death duties on the estates of the rich and heavy taxes on profits gained from the ownership and sale of property.
Lloyd George's next reform was the 1911 National Insurance Act. This gave the British working classes the first contributory system of insurance against illness and unemployment. All wage-earners between sixteen and seventy had to join the health scheme. Each worker paid 4d a week and the employer added 3d. and the state 2d. In return for these payments, free medical attention, including medicine was given. Those workers who contributed were also guaranteed 7s. a week for fifteen weeks in any one year, when they were unemployed.
David Lloyd George, Budget speech (1909)
This is a war Budget. It is for raising money to wage implacable warfare against poverty and squalidness. I cannot help hoping and believing that before this generation has passed away, we shall have advanced a great step towards that good time, when poverty, and the wretchedness and human degradation which always follows in its camp, will be as remote to the people of this country as the wolves which once infested its forests.
David Lloyd George : Biography
David Lloyd George. He was an opponent of the Poor Law in Britain. He was determined to take action that in his words would "lift the shadow of the workhouse from the homes of the poor". He believed the best way of doing this was to guarantee an income to people who were to old to work. In 1908 Lloyd George introduced the Old Age Pensions Act that provided between 1s. and 5s. a week to people over seventy.
To pay for these pensions David Lloyd George had to raise government revenues by an additional £16 million a year. In 1909 Lloyd George announced what became known as the People's Budget. This included increases in taxation. Whereas people on lower incomes were to pay 9d in the pound, those on annual incomes of over £3,000 had to pay 1s. 2d. in the pound. Lloyd George also introduced a new supertax of 6d. in the pound for those earning £5000 a year. Other measures included an increase in death duties on the estates of the rich and heavy taxes on profits gained from the ownership and sale of property.
Lloyd George's next reform was the 1911 National Insurance Act. This gave the British working classes the first contributory system of insurance against illness and unemployment. All wage-earners between sixteen and seventy had to join the health scheme. Each worker paid 4d a week and the employer added 3d. and the state 2d. In return for these payments, free medical attention, including medicine was given. Those workers who contributed were also guaranteed 7s. a week for fifteen weeks in any one year, when they were unemployed.
David Lloyd George, Budget speech (1909)
This is a war Budget. It is for raising money to wage implacable warfare against poverty and squalidness. I cannot help hoping and believing that before this generation has passed away, we shall have advanced a great step towards that good time, when poverty, and the wretchedness and human degradation which always follows in its camp, will be as remote to the people of this country as the wolves which once infested its forests.
David Lloyd George : Biography
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Clodhopper
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Examples of politicians there to serve the people who put them where they are.
Hear hear. I've not been a fan of Lloyd George because I bumped into him through reading military history. Which was biased. But without him could Aneurin Bevan even have happened? Grand man in British history. Thank you for the education.
The crowd: "Yes! We are all individuals!"
Lone voice: "I'm not."
Lone voice: "I'm not."
Examples of politicians there to serve the people who put them where they are.
Clodhopper;1325511 wrote: Hear hear. I've not been a fan of Lloyd George because I bumped into him through reading military history. Which was biased. But without him could Aneurin Bevan even have happened? Grand man in British history. Thank you for the education.
You're welcome. David Lloyd George wasn't perfect by any means. He didn't give the suffragettes the support he promised them. But he was still a damn good man.
Btw, history is always biased. At uni we were told that history is usually written by the winning side, as the losing side are usually too busy trying to pull their country out of the mire and trying to slowly rebuild it. You only have to look at Germany after the end of WWII. Who would have wanted to hear their point of view at that time? All the films, books and news stories of that time are based on an Allied victory. History is always distorted, always biased, by the authors of the time.
You're welcome. David Lloyd George wasn't perfect by any means. He didn't give the suffragettes the support he promised them. But he was still a damn good man.
Btw, history is always biased. At uni we were told that history is usually written by the winning side, as the losing side are usually too busy trying to pull their country out of the mire and trying to slowly rebuild it. You only have to look at Germany after the end of WWII. Who would have wanted to hear their point of view at that time? All the films, books and news stories of that time are based on an Allied victory. History is always distorted, always biased, by the authors of the time.
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Clodhopper
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- Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:11 pm
Examples of politicians there to serve the people who put them where they are.
Btw, history is always biased. At uni we were told that history is usually written by the winning side, as the losing side are usually too busy trying to pull their country out of the mire and trying to slowly rebuild it. You only have to look at Germany after the end of WWII. Who would have wanted to hear their point of view at that time? All the films, books and news stories of that time are based on an Allied victory. History is always distorted, always biased, by the authors of the time.
Yep, fair point. The bias I am referring to in this case came from the fact I was reading a biography of Douglas Haig, and Lloyd George was doing his best to undermine him in 1917/18. LG came across as underhanded, devious and scheming and was held largely responsible for the German successes of Spring 1918 by the author. With some justification. But he really didn't like Lloyd George and it showed.
chuckle. Recently finished a biography of Queen Elizabeth I. The author in that case was biased the other way - she'd rather fallen under the spell of her subject. Easily done. Elizabeth I was an amazing woman.
Yep, fair point. The bias I am referring to in this case came from the fact I was reading a biography of Douglas Haig, and Lloyd George was doing his best to undermine him in 1917/18. LG came across as underhanded, devious and scheming and was held largely responsible for the German successes of Spring 1918 by the author. With some justification. But he really didn't like Lloyd George and it showed.
chuckle. Recently finished a biography of Queen Elizabeth I. The author in that case was biased the other way - she'd rather fallen under the spell of her subject. Easily done. Elizabeth I was an amazing woman.
The crowd: "Yes! We are all individuals!"
Lone voice: "I'm not."
Lone voice: "I'm not."
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Oscar Namechange
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Examples of politicians there to serve the people who put them where they are.
Written by Martyn McLaughlin
His death was announced to the House of Commons by Justice Secretary Jack Straw, who told MPs the news would be received "with great sadness not only in my own party but across the country as a whole".
A member of a prominent Liberal family, Mr Foot joined Labour in the 1930s and worked as a journalist for left-wing publications New Statesman and Tribune, before being appointed editor of the London Evening Standard by Lord Beaverbrook in 1942.
He entered parliament in 1945 and went on to become a hero of the left, championing nuclear disarmament and campaigning against British membership of the European Economic Community in the 1975 referendum.
He became Labour leader in 1980, defeating the candidate of the right, Denis Healey, but led the party to its worst election defeat in 60 years in 1983.
Yesterday, he was remembered for his sparkling oratory and political idealism.
Mr Brown said: "Michael Foot was a man of deep principle and passionate idealism and one of the most eloquent speakers Britain has ever heard.
"He was an indomitable figure who always stood up for his beliefs and, whether people agreed with him or not, they admired his character and his steadfastness.
"The respect he earned over a long life of service means that, across our country today, people, no matter their political views, will mourn the passing of a great and compassionate man."
Tony Benn described Mr Foot as a "great credit to the Labour movement" and someone who "electrified" audiences. He said: "I know he did not win the election, but the fact that he became leader and fought the election puts him in the top list of figures in the history of the party."
Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray said: "He was a man of principle, loyalty and towering intellect. He dedicated his life to the Labour movement, as he saw it as the best hope for working men and women of this country."
First Minister Alex Salmond said Mr Foot had been a man of "enormous principle".
"He was a remarkable and dedicated man, held in the highest regard across the political spectrum over a period of many decades," he said.
Conservative leader David Cameron described Mr Foot as a "very intelligent, witty, amusing and thoughtful man".
He went on: "He was a brilliant speaker. I'm obviously not old enough to have been in the House of Commons at the same time, but reading some of his speeches, (they] were incredibly powerful."
Labour Party general secretary Ray Collins hailed Mr Foot as a "tireless campaigner for social justice, whose intelligence, charm and courage will be remembered for years to come".
Perhaps the greatest tribute to him appeared some years ago in the Daily Mirror. It simply said: "He was a good man, fallen among politicians."
Mr Foot became MP for Plymouth Devonport in 1945, before being elected to represent Ebbw Vale and Blaenau Gwent.
He was employment secretary in 1974-76 under Harold Wilson and then became Leader of the Commons under James Callaghan between 1976 and 1979.
His election as leader in 1980 followed Labour's defeat the previous year at the hands of Margaret Thatcher, and his tenure marked one of the most difficult periods in the party's history. Labour was almost torn apart by infighting and the defection of several senior figures to form the Social Democratic Party.
Labour's manifesto for the 1983 election – advocating unilateral nuclear disarmament, abolition of the House of Lords and quitting the EEC – was famously dubbed the "longest suicide note in history".
The party went down to ignominious defeat, with only 27 per cent of the vote.
Mr Foot was also famously derided for wearing what was characterised as a donkey jacket at a Cenotaph remembrance ceremony, although he always insisted it was a smart car coat.
He was succeeded as leader by his protégé and fellow Welshman Neil Kinnock, who took on the hard left and sowed the seeds of New Labour.
Related articles:
Martyn McLaughlin: Sharp mind rose reluctantly to top – almost
Chris McLaughlin: An intellectual giant who was the Labour Party's guiding light
His death was announced to the House of Commons by Justice Secretary Jack Straw, who told MPs the news would be received "with great sadness not only in my own party but across the country as a whole".
A member of a prominent Liberal family, Mr Foot joined Labour in the 1930s and worked as a journalist for left-wing publications New Statesman and Tribune, before being appointed editor of the London Evening Standard by Lord Beaverbrook in 1942.
He entered parliament in 1945 and went on to become a hero of the left, championing nuclear disarmament and campaigning against British membership of the European Economic Community in the 1975 referendum.
He became Labour leader in 1980, defeating the candidate of the right, Denis Healey, but led the party to its worst election defeat in 60 years in 1983.
Yesterday, he was remembered for his sparkling oratory and political idealism.
Mr Brown said: "Michael Foot was a man of deep principle and passionate idealism and one of the most eloquent speakers Britain has ever heard.
"He was an indomitable figure who always stood up for his beliefs and, whether people agreed with him or not, they admired his character and his steadfastness.
"The respect he earned over a long life of service means that, across our country today, people, no matter their political views, will mourn the passing of a great and compassionate man."
Tony Benn described Mr Foot as a "great credit to the Labour movement" and someone who "electrified" audiences. He said: "I know he did not win the election, but the fact that he became leader and fought the election puts him in the top list of figures in the history of the party."
Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray said: "He was a man of principle, loyalty and towering intellect. He dedicated his life to the Labour movement, as he saw it as the best hope for working men and women of this country."
First Minister Alex Salmond said Mr Foot had been a man of "enormous principle".
"He was a remarkable and dedicated man, held in the highest regard across the political spectrum over a period of many decades," he said.
Conservative leader David Cameron described Mr Foot as a "very intelligent, witty, amusing and thoughtful man".
He went on: "He was a brilliant speaker. I'm obviously not old enough to have been in the House of Commons at the same time, but reading some of his speeches, (they] were incredibly powerful."
Labour Party general secretary Ray Collins hailed Mr Foot as a "tireless campaigner for social justice, whose intelligence, charm and courage will be remembered for years to come".
Perhaps the greatest tribute to him appeared some years ago in the Daily Mirror. It simply said: "He was a good man, fallen among politicians."
Mr Foot became MP for Plymouth Devonport in 1945, before being elected to represent Ebbw Vale and Blaenau Gwent.
He was employment secretary in 1974-76 under Harold Wilson and then became Leader of the Commons under James Callaghan between 1976 and 1979.
His election as leader in 1980 followed Labour's defeat the previous year at the hands of Margaret Thatcher, and his tenure marked one of the most difficult periods in the party's history. Labour was almost torn apart by infighting and the defection of several senior figures to form the Social Democratic Party.
Labour's manifesto for the 1983 election – advocating unilateral nuclear disarmament, abolition of the House of Lords and quitting the EEC – was famously dubbed the "longest suicide note in history".
The party went down to ignominious defeat, with only 27 per cent of the vote.
Mr Foot was also famously derided for wearing what was characterised as a donkey jacket at a Cenotaph remembrance ceremony, although he always insisted it was a smart car coat.
He was succeeded as leader by his protégé and fellow Welshman Neil Kinnock, who took on the hard left and sowed the seeds of New Labour.
Related articles:
Martyn McLaughlin: Sharp mind rose reluctantly to top – almost
Chris McLaughlin: An intellectual giant who was the Labour Party's guiding light
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon