Compare and Contrast CVs

The Iron Lady

Background before becoming MP

Margaret Thatcher was born Margaret Roberts in Grantham, Lincolnshire, on 13 October 1925.

She spent her childhood in Grantham, where her father owned two grocery shops.[4] She and her older sister Muriel were raised in the flat above the larger of the two, located near the railway line. Margaret was middle class and came from humble roots

Her father was active in local politics and the Christian church, serving as an alderman and a Methodist local preacher, and brought up his daughter as a strict Methodist. Unlike Cameron who is not particularly religious. Margaret had religious convictions.

He came from a Liberal family but stood—as was then customary in local government—as an Independent. He was Mayor of Grantham in 1945–46 and lost his position as alderman in 1952 after the Labour Party won its first majority on Grantham Council in 1950. Family was not traditionally Conservative.

Roberts attended Huntingtower Road Primary School and won a scholarship to Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School. State school educated.

She arrived at Oxford in 1943 and graduated in 1947 with Second Class Honours in the four-year Chemistry Bachelor of Science degree; in her final year she specialised in X-ray crystallography under the supervision of Dorothy Hodgkin. Degree was not PPE; she was not a careerist by choice from the age of 16.

After graduating, Roberts moved to Colchester in Essex to work as a research chemist for BX Plastics. Had a professional career before politics.

Stood in a non-winnable seat of Dartford; Officials of the association were so impressed by her that they asked her to apply, even though she was not on the Conservative party's approved list: she was selected in January 1951 and added to the approved list post ante. Not given a safe seat because of connections in CCHQ

Her selection was not assured and she had to work hard against the establishment to win a seat in Finchley. She was not part of the 'old-boys' network and instituted major change.

Etonian Cameron

Background before becoming MP

David Cameron is the younger son of stockbroker Ian Donald Cameron and his wife Mary Fleur daughter of Sir William Mount, 2nd Baronet. His father was born at Blairmore House, a country house near Huntly, Aberdeenshire. His paternal grandmother, Enid Agnes Maud Levita, Cameron is a direct descendant of King William IV by his mistress Dorothea Jordan. This illegitimate line consists of five generations of women starting with Elizabeth Hay, Countess of Erroll née FitzClarence, William and Jordan's sixth child, through to Cameron's grandmother (thereby making Cameron a 5th cousin of Queen Elizabeth II). Aristocratic 'high society Tory upbringing' and related to Queen

Cameron's paternal forebears also have a long history in finance. His father Ian was senior partner of the stockbrokers Panmure Gordon, in which firm partnerships had long been held by Cameron's ancestors, including David's grandfather and great-grandfather. Family wealth made through banking dynastic 'connection' with historic banks

Cameron was educated at two independent schools: at Heatherdown Preparatory School at Winkfield, in Berkshire, which counts Prince Andrew and Prince Edward among its alumni. At the age of thirteen, he went to Eton College in Berkshire, following his father and elder brother. Eton is often described as the most famous independent school in the world and "the chief nurse of England's statesmen". Educated at top Private Primary and Secondary Schools

He obtained three 'A' grades and a '1' grade in the Scholarship Level exam in Economics and Politics. Went to study politics from early age

After leaving Eton in 1984, he worked as a researcher for Tim Rathbone, Conservative MP for Lewes and his godfather. In his three months he attended debates in the House of Commons. Benefited from Nepotism and family connection to get experience

Cameron was a member of the elite student dining society the Bullingdon Club, which has a reputation for an outlandish drinking culture associated with boisterous behaviour and damaging property. Member of elitist drinking society (and anyone who has been to University will know this sort)

He bagan his career with a call from the Palace which got him a job at CCHQ. He progressed to work on campaigns and was part of the 'brat-pack' which successfully worked to elect John Major in 1992. He then became SPAD to Home Office and Treasury Ministers. Gained first job through nepotism and call from Palace and progressed up greasy pole internally. Considered a 'careerist' root into politics

He used his political connections to get a top PR job at Carlton.

Having been approved for the Candidates' list, Cameron began looking for a seat. He was reported to have missed out on selection for Ashford in December 1994 after failing to get to the selection meeting as a result of train delays. Early in 1996, he was selected for Stafford, a new constituency created by boundary changes, which was projected to have a Conservative majority. Was given a winnable Tory seat which he only lost because of the huge swing against the Tories in 1997.