Labour Leadership Contest

[beorhthelm]

Back when I was doing my A levels our year were told not to even bother applying for Oxbridge unless you were predicted at least 2 A's

ah........

 

[NMH]

I was accosted by a fellow the other day who was wittering about his £100,000 bet on David Milliband getting the nod. I thought he was talking about some obscure musician's group 'The David Miller Band' as it was at a record shop.

I think he may be feeling a bit hurt today, as he said "he's got to win, I put all that money on it". Happy bookies though, and one has to assume he'll now try to win back what he's lost on some other losing throw of the dodgy dice.

 

[clapham_gull]

3 B's and a D at A level will get mere mortals laughed out of the building when applying to Oxbridge. Fortunately mummy and daddy knew people. It's how the Kinnock's get their sprogs there. And the Blairs and all the other elite.

Wonderful quote from the Times:

Inside the brotherhood: meet David and Ed Miliband - Times Online

'At Oxford there was a certain aura about David, because people knew who his parents were. '

I'm under no illusions what patronage can get you and how far you can go with it and what sorts of certificates it will buy you.

3 B's and a D - that's almost on a par with Prince Edward.

Your party has been populated with hundreds of chinless wonders over the years who are only there because of inherited wealth. It something that affects all parties.

It's quite obvious from his later education that he's very academic. Perhaps the University saw that.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

What you have to remember is that to win, Labour have to win in places like Basildon, the East Midlands, Plymouth and so on, just as the Tories do (they managed to take a number of these places, but failed to take enough, and crucially in London, meaning no overall majority). These were areas that Blair won over until he lost it with the Gulf War. If they don't they will be out for a long time. What areas like Easington want I'm afraid is no more relevant than the likes of Tunbridge Wells - elections are not won there. If Ed can show that he is his own man and not in thrall to the unions, given the depth of the cuts to come, he may well do it, but if he does listen too much to the unions, the right-wing press will catch on to it for all they are worth (and I say that as a Tory).

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Very disappointed with that result. Dave Miliband would have made labour immediately competitive. Ed just isn't prime minister material.

 

[HseagullsH]

Bit off-topic now but you really don't know what you're talking about.

The ex-Mrs Gwylan - the lawyer - went to Oxford after scoring 2 Bs and a D in her A levels. She wasn't aristocratic nor had academics as parents, it's just Oxbridge admissions are a law unto themselves and try to pick winners. As she went on to get a first, a masters and came 2nd out of several hundred in that year's Bar exams, it seems that, like with David Miliband, Oxford got it right.

Only just seen this but there's absolute no way that could happen these days. I know there's massive grade inflation now but you can't even really consider going to Oxford/Cambridge without a minimum of AAA.

For maths atleast, you can't even get into places such as Warwick without A*A*A or imperial.

Anyway seeing as he got a First at Oxford, in PPE, he's quite clearly got a good education behind him and certainly has a brain!