Why Oxford's Bullingdon Club - and not just those meetings on a yacht - raise questions about the Tories

I'm assuming that it's not just me who's disheartened by the whole George Osborne saga. And I don't even mean the politics of it all, the meetings on yacht or in restaurant, or the issues over whether wrong-doing was only mooted but not actually committed (oh, well, that's alright then). No, I'm put off by the whole Bullingdon club issue, and the sense that this is a political party which looked as if it had changed, but at core hasn't. Grassroots Tories seem to have similar feelings.

We all know that the rich are different from the rest of us. But in the last few years, David Cameron and his closest cohorts have tried very hard to show that they're not. At the very least they've claimed to understand the issues which beset the majority of us. They know how to push the right buttons - to talk about their children, social justice and responsiblity and about turning education into something much fairer. They pretend to understand what bothers the parents who hang around the school gate, those of us worrying about where and how their children can get the best education, but who can't afford, or don't want, to go private. Many people have taken notice of this new caring party and responded positively. Even though some of the top Tory politicians (like Labour politicians before them) happily play the system - George Osborne educates his children privately, while David Cameron, who seems unconvinced whether he has faith or not, sends his to a nice, not terribly local, Church of England school.

But rich people can't help being rich. David Cameron has pointed out numerous times that it's not his "fault" that he went to Eton. It's also not his, or George Osborne's "fault" that they both subsequently went to Oxford: talent and intelligence obviously had a lot to do with that. But what they do need to take responsibility for is their decision to go to university and then choose to separate themselves out from others by dint of their wealth. Joining the infamous Bullingdon Club was their decision alone.

Both Cameron and Osborne are not much older than me. But in those awful Bullingdon Club pictures, they look as if they went to university in a completely different era (I can't remember bumping into anyone wearing black tie and tails while I was at LSE) They chose to be part of an exclusive club, one for rich, public school educated men. What a coincidence that both these men, plus Boris Johnson (the other powerful Tory in this country) were all members. None thought to turn their invitation down.

There's a fascinating post on Rose Wild's Times archive blog today about this club, which was already making waves back in the 19th century. Even though Oxford was pretty much only a university for toffs back then, the richest/poshest/most caught up with declaring their unassailable status in the world, still chose to band together to form their own club. A century later, has this really changed?

JY comments on the archive blog: "The most striking thing about that post seems to be the fact that Oxford has reinvented its image from age to age by oscillating i.e. between snobby shennigans and more egalitarian (ahem, think economically sensible?) drunken pursuits."

This seems eminently true. Oxbridge is desperate to show that it is open to all, and that it has moved on. David Cameron's Tory party is likewise keen to show that it is no longer the "nasty" party. However, it's hard to get away from the thought that it is the party of the rich. What they need to prove - emphatically - is that they're not just for the rich too.

Read School Gate on:

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Comments

[K]

The majority of people are members of a club during their time at university where a large part of the socialising revolves around going and drinking with like minded people- be it a sports club, a political society, or yes a club for people who share the same background and social circle. We all tend to hang around with people similar to us by and large, its just that no one complains if its a group of middle class students because we're like them and its not as much fun as toff-bashing.

Also, I don't doubt that you rarely saw people dressed this way in LSE, but I went to state school, and just graduated from Oxford, and there was a rarely a week that went by when I didn't have to wear black tie, once, if not multiple times. It's an Oxford thing, not a class thing.

[Whimsey]

Mary York - but if the alternative is Peter Mandelson???

Of course, that's the whole problem isn't it - no one to vote FOR, only AGAINST.

[Mary York]

Clearly Osborne is still playing public school-boy games as conveyed by his recent behaviour. Only this time he chose to play a game on the big boys and has come somewhat unstuck. Same old Tories.. .. arrogant and patronising. Do we really want people who behave like this dictating how we should live ? I think not ! And what influence do those people who bankroll them really have ? What do they want for their huge donations ? I wonder...
Mary York

[G]

I think there have been lots of valid points made. Can i just add a point or two to the matter? Let's face the facts, the real world is nothing like the idealistic world most of us want to live in. Joining the Bullingdon Club or having meetings with billionaires doesn't put me off any politician. It just so happens that the media have blown this affair up. But i'm sure about 99% of politicians have either done the same, or would have wanted to do the same had the opportunity arisen. In fact, i don't know many people in general who would have turned down any of the opportunities that the Tory politicians have taken. In politics to get to the top you have to know people at the top, and elitist clubs are one of the ways of making it. I have to make it clear that i do not agree with the current state of things, however, i do understand how the system works and if Cameron and his buddies hadn't gone that route someone else would have. That's life.

[Whimsey]

J and Charlotte - excellent points.

[charlotte]

I was at Oxford at roughly the same time as Cameron and Osborne. Only the truly privileged and stupid joined the Bullingdon Club. Even then the rest of us knew the people who joined up were from another era. Spoilt, vacuous, with a huge sense of entitlement. Cameron's tried hard to leave his spoilt teenager mistakes behind but Osborne has not. We don't want our politicians cavorting on yachts with Russian billionnaires. Why is that so hard for politicians to understand?

[j]

I do agree about elected reps sucking up to the rich'n'famous, but you know its partly our own fault as a public. Everyone laughs at wossname who goes caravanning cos its not stylish enough. Though actually the main difference between a caravan and most yachts that I am ever likely to see is that at least you can park your caravan when you feel sick.

[Whimsey]

J, most politicians certainly do reinforce the old joke 'Don't vote, it only encourages them'.

Personally, I quite like the 'Bigmouth Women' - on either side, actually - whether it's Clare Short or Anne Widdecombe. I even didn't mind dear old Edwina too much, or, when it came right down to it, Maggie (deplored the politics though!)

I think I like their attidude of 'I speak my mind and I don't have any time for the arty-farty bullxxx that the male politicos spout, and that's that. I have my values, and I say them out loud, and if you don't like them, argue back to my face.'

And I do, I have to say, quite like Cameron, because he seems like a well-meaning chap, who takes a noblesse oblige attitude to his own privelged background and the obligations and responsibilities it brings with it.

But perhaps I'm just being sentimental (and hopeful of finally getting out the betrayors of socialism!!!!)(on the grounds I'd rather have a 'decent Tory' than a 'sell out socialist'.....)

[Arthur]

I encountered them whilst at Oxford; a typical bunch of the very worst kind of public school chinless wonder. Fortunately one or two of them played a bit of rugby and I was able to administer a bit of the old Josh Lewsey treatment to a few of them. Very rewarding for a comprehensive school kid member of the minority who continually had to put up with the sneers and patronising attitude of those buffoons who thought they were superior to those like me simply because of the school they went to.

ps - most of us ordinary lads thought that the club was a bit a of hand shandy affair for twerps who missed being b*ggered in the showers by their old school masters.

[Whimsey]

I think it's OK to give people a break when they are students - ie, a lot of people do incredibly stupid and embarrassing things when they are students, that they regret afterwards when they mature as human beings.

Yes, this silly Bullingdon Club is repellent, but then are so, so many student activities and 'clubs' when looked at with mature, 'grown up' (middle aged!) eyes.

Most students, across the board both socially and politically, do behave in ways that are deeply, deeply embarrassing to recall in later life.

I think it's how people behave when they're NOT students any more that is really important. However, in this case, sucking up to the superrich, whether from the left (slimeball extraordinaire PM) or right (I'm not as rich as you are Nat, but I wish I were GO), is utterly repellent and unforgiveable. What is excusable as a callow youth is not excuseable in a responsible adult - let alone one that has or may well have a significant degree of power over millions of people (us).

And, worst of all, sucking up to some ghastly nouveau-riche East European plutogangster on his unutterably vulgar yacht is beyond repellent! One just doesn't do that sort of thing.

[j]

Henry, I find almost all politicians depressing. I cant think of anyone I would actually like who does that job. Can you?

[Henry]

Most people who were at Oxford knew the Bullingdon as a bunch of of out-of-touch, arrogant, drunken toffs. To think that these folk might shortly be our rulers is a bit scary

[j]

Peter Mandelssohn was at the same flash party in Corfu, though, wasn't he? I am not sure that labour is the party of the poor any more...

So far as the Bullingdon club goes, even in my day (25 years ago and more) it was seen as almost as sad as the Dungeons and Dragons club (they played the game) though not as revolting as the Piers Gaveston (they dressed as tarts and got very very drunk, if anything they were much posher than the Bullingdon, but as you say, not as middle aged)..normal people never went near any of it.

[Penniless Academic]

How dare anyone be different from you, an Experienced Journalist.