Boris and Louise dominate second Summer School question time – oh, and the Olympics

The second of Marlborough College Summer School’s ground-breaking political question times saw many more contributions from the audience. But the audience was a bit depleted by rival summer school attractions – and by that man Usain Bolt. 

Unsurprisingly, the first question was about gold medals versus grass roots participation in sport. “We have been inspired”, came the cry. “Why aren’t political leaders responding?”

In about the same time as it takes a Jamaican to cover 200 metres, Crispin Blunt MP, minister for prisons, probation and youth justice, destroyed the notion of instant policy making: “It’s the worst kind of politics to make policy on the hoof because of two weeks of success…that’s a rotten way to make policy.”

From the audience, it was gently pointed out to Mr Blunt that they had had seven years to consider policies in the light of London staging the Games.  Also from the audience, Summer School organiser Jon Copp said the Games had shown there was a “wonderful array of sports open to young people.” His game was hockey and his team was playing while they were debating.

Andrew Pierce, political columnist from the Daily Mail, explained that the sports minister was the “Cinderella of government”: “I’m thrilled to see Team GB doing so well – but let’s give those kids in the comprehensives more of a chance to do well.”

Blunt and Pierce were joined on the panel by Louise Bazalgette (from think tank Demos), Giselle Cory (from think tank The Resolution Foundation) and Claire Fox (director of the Institute of Ideas).  In the chair was Michael Kallenbach from Mildenhall and from a career as a political journalist.

Next in the frame was Mayor of London, Boris Johnson – would he be the next leader of the Conservative Party? Mr Blunt would not consider the question – there was “No vacancy”. The others were quick to comment.

Louise Bazalgette thought Mr Johnson’s Olympic zip-wire stunt might not be what it seemed: “I actually think the role of Mayor is very different to that of leader of the party or country.” Andrew Pierce warned the audience: “Don’t rule him out.  Quick as a flash he’ll be back as an MP. Project Dave are getting increasingly nervous about Boris – so they should.”

Claire Fox hated politics being reduced to personalities. But Boris seemed to know how to appeal to people – a taxi driver had recently assured her that he was “not like all these posh gits”.

We were going to be left with the picture of a Boris who probably spends half-an-hour every morning making sure his hair is “shambolic” and that it might be time for the Conservatives to choose another “blonde bombshell.”

However, we got into a heated debate as to whether our politicians represent the real world. Andrew Pierce said “George Osborne has never had a real job – and is not doing a good job now.”  Adding that all three party leaders had “never lived in the real world.”

“That is trite”, Crispin Blunt shot back, “We all live in the real world.”  And how were Team GB’s men’s hockey team doing in the real world?

Next was a question about Louise Mensch’s resignation as an MP so she could spend more time with the husband – who lives in New York.  Or was it, as one panellist suggested, more that as a mother of three she “couldn’t hack it in Parliament”. Andrew Pierce said Ms Mensch had let down her party and abandoned people in her constituency who had worked for her.

Was this about a political personality or about an important issue? Giselle Cory said it highlighted the wider problem: “Women cannot afford to get into work.” And Claire Fox supported her: “My solution is about child care. We’ve gone too far down the family friendly work place route” – it should not about flexible working conditions.

But in the end this question turned on David Cameron’s “absurd” policy for an A-list of candidates in an effort to get a wider intake of MPs. Claire Fox: “The A-list was really, really irresponsible.”  

Andrew Pierce stuck his neck out with a very relevant forecast: “The next leader of the Labour Party will be a working woman – Yvette Cooper.” And, Andrew, a working mother.

There followed some ritual criticism of Nick Clegg while the panel considered whether the coalition would survive the dropping of House of Lords reform. And some ritual slagging off of state education by people who do not appear to have been in many real state schools – certainly not in this town.

Altogether two stimulating question time sessions. And a worthy experiment for the Summer School. Talking to people afterwards it was clear they wanted the sessions to become a fixture on the Summer School programme.

And the result of Jon Copp’s favourite hockey team?  While all that hot air was being generated in the College Memorial Hall, they lost to the Netherlands 2-9. There’s always Rio and mostly Team GB’s inspiring not drowning.