Political Dynasties


I had a look through the Shadow Cabinet appointees. 
I notice Rachel Reeves, she who thought Ian Duncan Smith was a softie when it came to dealing with the unemployed, has got a job.  So has her sister, Ellie Reeves gets Solicitor General.
It must be a diisappointment for John Cryer that a niche hasn’t been found for him.  John Cryer, the son of Bob and Ann Cryer (once MPs) is the husband of Ellie Reeves.


It got me thinking of political dynasties.  I read the Chips Channon Diaries not long back.
Chips was an ultra wealthy american youngster who got sent to England for his education at the beginning of the 20^th Century.  He never went back.
He married into the Guinness family, his father in law was an MP.  When the old boy died, mother in law became the MP.  When she tired of it, Chips became the MP.  Decades later, Chips packs it in and his son, Paul Channon, becomes the MP.

It was a not uncommon arrangement in those days.

Chips’ Diary is the social scene around the politicking and the power brokers in the 1930’s. 


It makes me reflect how we still have dynasties and tolerate their continuation.

I see Valerie Vaz, sister of Keith, is Shadow Leader of the House.  And Ed Miliband, who followed his brother into the House has a job.
I don’t know about the rest of them, couldn’t be bothered to look. 

There are plenty of siblings, spouses, and scions for Starmer to choose from.

List here    http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN04809/SN04809.pdf




As the birds are said to be descendants of the dinosaurs,  in that list you’ll see Hilary Benn, a polititcian most noted for his enthusiasm for attacking countries of no threat to us, comes from a line almost unbroken from the 19^th Century.
.  
I recall hearing the end of his speech, as Shadow Foreign Secretary, in favour of bombing Syria (against the Party line),  I thought it was a risible impersonation of Churchill.  The BBC found it stentorian enough to repeat is several times over the following days.

Clearly, it was a pitch for the leadership.

When the latest leadership election came up, I was struck by the lack of senior Party figures who wished to put themselves forward.  I took it to be indicative of how toxic the membership is to the Parliamentary Party.