Jeremy Corbyn's intellectual credentials... or lack of.

I disagree. You have to be among the cleverest people in the country to be admitted to Oxford, let alone to graduate there with a first.

On the other hand, only people with very low academic qualifications, which essentially are indicative of your intellectual ability, are going to apply for the lowest ranked university in the country.

Why does a degree mean nothing?

And I'm afraid I can't follow the logic behind you accusation that I don't believe voters without a degree should be prohibited from voting, which I certainly didn't imply in even the vaguest terms. Perhaps you could elaborate?

If you look at the current cabinet most of their education has nothing to do with the position they currently hold. Osborne has a degree in modern history (surely the chancellor should have a degree in Economics), Jeremy Hunt studied PPE (this made him fit to be Health Secretary because?).

Corbyn was off doing activism and union work, I don't agree with a lot of what he says but I'll admit his experience is more relevant to what he does now.

I recently discovered some rather interesting, something which I'm surprised isn't more widely publicised by anti-Corbyn activists (which, for the record, I would not include myself among).

Jeremy Corbyn pursued a degree in Trade Union Studies at London Metropolitan University (then called North London Polytechnic), but he dropped out after his first year.

London Metropolitan University is currently placed at 126th in the university league tables. That makes it the lowest ranked university in the whole of the UK.

So... Jeremy Corbyn didn't graduate from the worst university in the UK.

As I said, I'm very surprised that this fact isn't more widely publicised, as it does seem a rather effective anti-Corbyn weapon, insofar as it inevitably prompts doubts about his intellectual suitability to be leader of a major political party, let alone Prime Minister.

Now, I realise that what university you go to isn't the sole determinant of how intellectually clever you are, but it's certainly symptomatic. Especially when you compare Jeremy Corbyn with David Cameron, who graduated with a first from Oxford. That contrast between the two really does suggest a wide gulf in terms of their intellectual abilities.

So, for anyone whose is a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, did you know about all this? Do you care? Does it really mean anything?

For those who don't support him, do you care? Does this lower your opinion of Jeremy Corbyn? Do you think it could damage his reputation?

I look forward to a lively discussion.

Oh, who the **** cares? Corbyn is the realest politician in that place (House of Commons), and that is what counts the most in my mind.

Makes absolutely no difference as far as I'm concerned. The fact that so many useless members of parliament graduated from Oxbridge shows how irrelevant it is.

Stop with the ad hominem ********. Academia is utter nonsense anyway and really not that related to politics. All of which tends to be far better when self-taught. Judge people on the content of their words not arbitrarily defined "credentials".

I am no fan of Corbin but he went to a Poly to do a degree, then decided to drop out.
Good on him for deciding that a degree wasn't for him after all .
Rather that than some idiot who decided that "you'll never get anywhere without a degree" so carries on regardless.

loads of people start courses and change their mind. IMHO it's brave.

Also. NLP was actually quite a good poly 30 odd years ago but changed to a Uni and went down hill.
You can't judge anybody's academic qualifications based on an institution's ranking a generation ago.

I don't like the guy or his politics ( although i am left of centre) but claims like the OIP are just daft.

John Major left school at 16 with three o levels.

/thread

To be clear, I was merely pointing out that Jeremy Corbyn's university education is indicative that he is not terribly clever, and asking to what extent you consider this to be a factor in his appeal as a candidate for Prime Minister. In my own opinion, I think it is a factor, but certainly not a decisive one.

However, you three seem to be suggesting that it is not a factor at all. Now, if you would allow me the liberty of an ad absurdum argument, let's suppose hypothetically (and I do stress that this purely hypothetical) that we knew that Jeremy Corbyn had taken an IQ test and got a score of 40 (as I said, ad absurdum). Would even that extreme not influence your opinion of him as a political figure?
If your answer is yes then you are admitting that intellectual abilities are a factor in a politician's appeal; we just disagree over the extent of that factor. If you answer is no... then I'm afraid I can't take you seriously.

You're confusing intelligence with practical knowledge. I was pointing out that David Cameron's university education indicates that he is more intellectual than Jeremy Corbyn, and simply suggesting that this might be a factor in the appeal of a candidate for Prime Minister.

Yes... and if he was the current leader of the Conservative Party, while the Labour leader had a first from Oxford or Cambridge, then I'd be talking about that contrast instead, because I think it's an interesting discussion.

I have a physics degree. Clearly I should be leader of the labour party.

A degree doesn't mean anything when it comes to politics what matters is how well you can back up your view. Oxbridge is known for its STEM graduates being smart, the social sciences are a joke no matter what university they are studied at as most first class graduates whether that be in philosophy or politics have little to no understanding of economics and the ones that do are only taught the left-wing big government views as opposed to free-market laissez-faire economics

But Corbyn dropping out of uni doesn't demonstrate lack of intelligence plus, Cameron went to a a private school that charges over £11,000 per term, if I was his parent and he didn't get into Oxbridge after paying that amount of money every school term I'd demand my bloody money back.

To be clear, I was merely pointing out that Jeremy Corbyn's university education is indicative that he is not terribly clever, and asking to what extent you consider this to be a factor in his appeal as a candidate for Prime Minister. In my own opinion, I think it is a factor, but certainly not a decisive one.

However, you three seem to be suggesting that it is not a factor at all. Now, if you would allow me the liberty of an ad absurdum argument, let's suppose hypothetically (and I do stress that this purely hypothetical) that we knew that Jeremy Corbyn had taken an IQ test and got a score of 40 (as I said, ad absurdum). Would even that extreme not influence your opinion of him as a political figure?
If your answer is yes then you are admitting that intellectual abilities are a factor in a politician's appeal; we just disagree over the extent of that factor. If you answer is no... then I'm afraid I can't take you seriously.

Really?

When do we ever get an in depth rational debate ion PMQs?

Me thinks otherwise.

PMQs is a joke, you've just made my point


Posted from TSR Mobile

No, I agree the dropping out bit doesn't mean much, but I do think that going to one of the lowest ranked universities in the UK (I don't know where exactly it was ranked when Jeremy Corbyn was there, but if it's dead last now I suspect it wasn't very high then) does indicate a relatively poor intellect.

Concerning Cameron's education at Eton, I'm afraid I'm not sure if I understand you. Are you claiming that his admission to Oxford was primarily based on the "prestige" of Eton? If so, I disagree.

He doesn't have an IQ of 40 though. If we're comparing the IQs of leaders then we're probably discussing a fairly narrow band of IQs in the range of ~100-120 and within that range, I definitely do not think that IQ is by any means the most important factor. . . You can't decide who's the best leader on the basis of test results.

Why would I suddenly stop supporting someone who stands up for what I believe in just because somebody else scored higher in a few tests? That's absurd.