IF you went into hospital and somebody came up to you and said: “Hello, I am going to operate on you today. I am actually a qualified lawyer, never done any operations before, but I am a fairly clever person and will soon pick it up.” Preposterous? Maybe, but the equivalent of this is what is happening in politics.

You might expect that people in Government responsible for multi billion pound budgets would have some management experience. This is not the case. David Cameron has a degree in politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) from Oxford. The chancellor George Osborne has a degree in history. The health minister Jeremy Hunt has a degree in PPE. Social services is run by Iain Duncan Smith, an ex soldier. Education is the job of Nicky Morgan, a lawyer. So what about the Labour Party? Surely they will be brimming with people wearing cloth caps and with lots of industrial experience?

Well, no! Ed Miliband has a degree in PPE from Oxford. The shadow health secretary Andy Burnham has a degree in English and social services will be run by Rachel Reeves (PPE Oxford). Education will be the job of Tristram Hunt, with a degree in history.

The 21 members of the cabinet and 20 members of the shadow cabinet are dominated by people educated at Oxford or Cambridge, with similar degrees mainly in PPE, history and law. Only a couple of people in each party has had any industrial experience.

By contrast, 87% of Ukip candidates have worked in the private sector, mostly in small businesses.

Is it any wonder that they speak in language which the people understand, whereas the professional politicians talk over our heads.

Samuel Davidson, Cairo Avenue, Peacehaven