Tory politicians, it seems, come from humble beginnings, make their own way in the world without help and end up as millionaires who enter politics as an act of charity. They plan to get nothing from their roles in Westminster: they just want to pay back a little of their success. Aye, right. On the other hand...
I attended a state primary school and a state comprehensive, and went on to study at Glasgow University (established in 1451 - I repeat 1451) and then Strathclyde University. My father also attended Strathclyde to study naval architecture when it was still an FE institute (established in 1796). He attended his courses in the evenings. After work. He paid for the courses himself.
I was taught by some of the finest teachers it was possible to meet. A lot of them were men who had served in World War 2. They had been turfed out of school in the 1930s at the age of 14 or 15 because their families couldn't afford to let them stay on. The postwar expansion of education allowed them to go to university and become teachers.
They were inspirational. They took it for granted that the young people they were teaching wanted to learn. Had ambitions. Were capable of great stuff. And we responded by doing rather well.
I envy no one.
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