Chancellor, who read history at Oxford, uses tale of King John and Magna Carta signing to mock Labour leader
Nice one, chancellor. In offering budget support for celebrations to mark the 800th anniversary of the signing by King John of the Magna Carta former Oxford history student, George Osborne, could not resist a passing prod at Ed Miliband who only read philosophy, politics and economics.
"King John's humbling centuries ago seems unimaginably distant. A weak leader (pause) who had risen to the top (pause) after betraying his brother (pause) compelled by a gang of unruly barons to sign on the dotted line," he said before concluding that today's generation should learn the lessons of 1215.
After a joke-drought budget, coalition MPs laughed gratefully. But is the quip true? Not about Ed Miliband's relationship with the much-humbled barons of the modern TUC, but about King John who has usually had a bad press since his death from dysentry the following year. In 1066 and All That, the forerunner of Horrid Histories, he was definitely a Bad Thing.
John was the fifth and youngest son of the great Plantagenet monarch Henry IIand Eleanor of Aquitaine - Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn in the 1968 Hollywood movie -, all of whose older brothers either died young of rebelled against dad. John became his favourite and was appointed Lord of Ireland in 1177 at the age of 10.
In the days before the laws of primogeniture gave the whole swag to the eldest son Henry's plan had been to share out his vast domain – England, Ireland and western France from the Channel to to Pyrenees. Had his big brothers not died there would have been none for "John Lackland" as the tabloids called him then.
Richard was fighting dad (again) over John's share and winning (John switched sides) when Henry II died in 1189. Richard spent most of his 10-year reign being lion-hearted on crusade and (a new craze) held for ransom on the way home. This was when John did his Ed bit by being treacherous towards big brother, bigging himself up as ruler-in-waiting. Richard forgave him (a child with evil counsellors") though he was 27 – and remained shifty.
As King (1199-1216) John was probably a good and able administrator of justice but was too keen on taxes – another Labour tendancy, Tories would say. He gradually lost most of his French domains to Phillip II, so that the Channel Islands are all that the Queen retains of her Duchy of Normandy. John spent a fortune trying to get them back, upset his barons and the Pope.
The barons forced him to sign on the dotted line at Runnymede. Like the average Osborne budget, Magna Carta was mainly a charter for the rich, the 1% not the 99%. But habeas corpus and other details evolved into key English liberties, just as a baronial council evolved into parliament. Civil War lawyers in the 1640s and Whig historians of the 19th century built it up – the story of how the people prevailed over the King and the Old Etonians.
The story isn't over yet, it never is. Even in 1215 neither side stuck to their Magna bargain and were soon fighting again. That might ring a bell for Miliband too, though Osborne has his problems with barons Clegg and Cable. Reported by guardian.co.uk 14 hours ago.
Nice one, chancellor. In offering budget support for celebrations to mark the 800th anniversary of the signing by King John of the Magna Carta former Oxford history student, George Osborne, could not resist a passing prod at Ed Miliband who only read philosophy, politics and economics.
"King John's humbling centuries ago seems unimaginably distant. A weak leader (pause) who had risen to the top (pause) after betraying his brother (pause) compelled by a gang of unruly barons to sign on the dotted line," he said before concluding that today's generation should learn the lessons of 1215.
After a joke-drought budget, coalition MPs laughed gratefully. But is the quip true? Not about Ed Miliband's relationship with the much-humbled barons of the modern TUC, but about King John who has usually had a bad press since his death from dysentry the following year. In 1066 and All That, the forerunner of Horrid Histories, he was definitely a Bad Thing.
John was the fifth and youngest son of the great Plantagenet monarch Henry IIand Eleanor of Aquitaine - Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn in the 1968 Hollywood movie -, all of whose older brothers either died young of rebelled against dad. John became his favourite and was appointed Lord of Ireland in 1177 at the age of 10.
In the days before the laws of primogeniture gave the whole swag to the eldest son Henry's plan had been to share out his vast domain – England, Ireland and western France from the Channel to to Pyrenees. Had his big brothers not died there would have been none for "John Lackland" as the tabloids called him then.
Richard was fighting dad (again) over John's share and winning (John switched sides) when Henry II died in 1189. Richard spent most of his 10-year reign being lion-hearted on crusade and (a new craze) held for ransom on the way home. This was when John did his Ed bit by being treacherous towards big brother, bigging himself up as ruler-in-waiting. Richard forgave him (a child with evil counsellors") though he was 27 – and remained shifty.
As King (1199-1216) John was probably a good and able administrator of justice but was too keen on taxes – another Labour tendancy, Tories would say. He gradually lost most of his French domains to Phillip II, so that the Channel Islands are all that the Queen retains of her Duchy of Normandy. John spent a fortune trying to get them back, upset his barons and the Pope.
The barons forced him to sign on the dotted line at Runnymede. Like the average Osborne budget, Magna Carta was mainly a charter for the rich, the 1% not the 99%. But habeas corpus and other details evolved into key English liberties, just as a baronial council evolved into parliament. Civil War lawyers in the 1640s and Whig historians of the 19th century built it up – the story of how the people prevailed over the King and the Old Etonians.
The story isn't over yet, it never is. Even in 1215 neither side stuck to their Magna bargain and were soon fighting again. That might ring a bell for Miliband too, though Osborne has his problems with barons Clegg and Cable. Reported by guardian.co.uk 14 hours ago.