Reflections of a Former MP

Tomorrow marks the 5th anniversary of the 2019 General Election, so as an ex-MP I have been thinking a lot about the whirlwind campaign that within just over a month took me from candidate to Parliament, in a constituency never won before by the Conservatives. And I was not the only one.

The 2019 intake of new Conservative MPs was a major success for the Party, with a spread of geography, professions, ages and experience, we all had something unique to bring to the job. But it was no secret that we also faced challenges, having only been MPs for a matter of months before the pandemic hit. Not everyone had their offices up and running and your constituents needed you more than ever. We had a weird introduction to Parliament, but then again – has any intake had a ‘normal’ experience?

As of 4th July 2024, half of Parliament is now made up of new MPs. And that will have a lasting impact on our politics. There are three areas this could impact.

Firstly, Parliament is weird. It is made up of archaic rules and obligations that make no sense in a modern day workplace. In many ways, it is what makes it such a special place to work, however frustrating it is when you’re on your 9th vote of the night, your feet ache from walking around in circles and the breaks in between votes are barely enough to send an email, respond to a letter or finally find time to eat without your food going cold.

But it’s in these very voting lobbies that business is done. You can lobby the Minister that is taking too long to respond to your letter, you can get some advice from a senior colleague on a constituency matter and you feel the sense of comradery (at least that is when you are on the winning side). But the hours are long and not family friendly. The new Modernisation Committee could seek to amend sitting hours or even the way MPs vote. Any change that might sound like common sense risks Parliament losing its soul and could hamper MPs accessing Ministers.

There are already suggestions that MPs are wanting to do away with ‘bobbing’ – the act where an MP, not already on the call list, stands up and down before and after another Member has risen to their feet, to catch the eye of the speaker for the opportunity to speak. Yes, it is annoying when you can’t tell if the speaker did his little nod to you or the person behind you, signalling you have succeeded. And yes, it is like a mini workout, even for the young ones, in a tightly packed chamber and especially if you’re wearing heels. But it gives backbenchers who wouldn’t have otherwise been prioritised a chance to represent their constituents.

Secondly, politicians aren’t popular. That isn’t news. With so many constituencies changing MPs in this election, through an election defeat, retirement or boundary changes, it makes you wonder how many members of the public know who their MP is. Does the huge change of MPs in 2019 and again this year lead to more, or less trust and engagement in politics? Only time will tell.

Thirdly, lets end with some optimism. For the first time ever, more than 40% of MPs are women and 14% are from ethnic-minority backgrounds. According to the Sutton Trust, 63% of MPs were state educated. While this doesn’t reflect the UK average of 93%, it is an increase compared to the last Parliament.

All this means that Parliament now better reflects the population than ever before, and that can only be a good thing for our democracy and for those who wish to work in it.