It's the age of the young MP
I have now bought the new edition of the Times Guide to the House of Commons - to add to all my other editions dating back 100 years.
And so I've been able to check just how many MPs are still in their 20s. The answer is now an astonishing 14, a higher figure than for any election in the last 20 years (and probably since the war). To the list of 12 names which I published here a few weeks ago I must add Alison McGovern (Labour, Wirral South, 29) and Andrew Stephenson (Cons, Pendle, 29).
So the final tally is ten Labour MPs elected under 30, and four Conservative.
What's even more remarkable is the type of seats these youthful MPs are representing. In the past very young MPs were usually elected in marginal seats, and places they weren't really expected to win. But most of the young Labour MPs, at least, are in safe seats. This suggests a whole new attitude by local Labour parties to picking candidates who are extremely young.
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 14th Jul 2010, cping500 wrote:Actually it's something a lot of us are trying to do to bring a new generation into the Party at grass roots level and beyond It has its failures but it what has got to be done.
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Comment number 2.
At 15th Jul 2010, JunkkMale wrote:Of course there need not be any mutual exclusivity inferred, but looking back the past few years I do wonder when the age of the competent, honourable MP passed.
Especially one that might in the least be deemed the proxy who truly represents my views, and not those whipped into them by their party bosses.
What's trotting out of the mouths or form the digits of the telegenic tweeting set is not... encouraging.
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Comment number 3.
At 17th Jul 2010, Isatou wrote:There should be a minimum age for MPs of , at least, 30 and a requirement to have worked outside politics for at least 5 years.
One of the reasons the quality of legislation is so poor is the cult of youth leading, to wet-behind-the ears childen who have never worked outside politics and know nothing about the real world, becoming MPs.
A disater.
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