Do you really deserve to be an MP?

Some months ago I wrote with a certain level of schadenfreude on Facebook about those who had become Conservative Party Association Chairman anticipating a comfortable easy life sipping regular cosy sherry with their MP and discussing affairs of state. All with the possibility of getting an MBE at some stage in the future.

Many Association Chairs have recently become the punch bag between a eurosceptic membership and a pro-EU MP and this hasn’t been fun for them. I was a bit mean to have laughed at them …. but I’m a big fan of those who take on jobs, come what may. I dislike title collectors.

Over the past few weeks I have had robust discussions with 2 wannabe MPs – both from different sides of the debate but for the identical reason. Both have annoyed me hugely and my regard for both of them has sunk irretrievably.

My standard opening question to all wannabe MPs is: “Why do you want to be an MP?” This usually triggers a “wide-ranging conversation”.

Back to these two wannabes.

One is a strong Eurosceptic who said that he hadn’t fancied becoming an MP under Theresa May as he didn’t agree with her position on Europe and the direction she was taking the party. But now that Boris was likely to become PM, he was “willing to become an MP”.

The other is a strong TRG supporter who had been in the process of securing a training day in my diary but said that he was now reconsidering giving up his lucrative career to become an MP because he didn’t agree with “the direction Boris (as PM) was taking the party.”

For me, one of the very worst wrong answer la to my question is a camouflage version of: “I want to ride the wave that the party is already going on.”

If you want to be an MP, to become a legislator, to influence and mould and introduce and modify – or bin – policy and legislation…… then you should know the rough direction and some details of WHY and WHERE you want this country to go.

This should be because you want to achieve change …. whether you are one of 500 in the House of Commons who believe what you believe …. or … whether you are a lonely single voice!!!

Become an MP to change something

You should not want to become an MP because the majority agree with you and because the wave is going in your direction. In my book, you should want to become an MP because you want to achieve change irrelevant to how the wind is blowing and whether there is a wave to catch or not! Make the damn wave if there isn’t one!

When I first started what is now called Policy Exchange, being socially liberal and economically liberal was a bit of a lonely position in the Conservative Party. Huge progress has been made… but back then, the ridiculous inconsistency of the government caring more about what you did in your bedroom than what you did in your Boardroom was widespread.

If you want to become an MP and you only want to do this because you want to join in and ride the wave of public opinion you should not become an MP.

If you really want to achieve change you will stand up and fight for change whether you are one of 500 or whether you are the only one in the whole of the House of Commons. The age, strength or even existence of the wave is irrelevant.

I am extraordinarily proud that I was part of the team working for Anthony Steen in fighting human trafficking in the UK.

After he left Parliament, Anthony set up the Human Trafficking Foundation and we implemented my idea of the Human Trafficking Media Awards. But far more importantly, while he was still in Parliament and despite some opposition from his own ranks on the Conservative side of the House of Commons, Anthony kept on standing up in the House of Commons and telling, often unwilling ears, horrific tales of human slavery happening in all areas of the UK. At one stage an MP, who shall remain nameless and is now thankfully no longer with us, told him to shut up and sit down. But Anthony Steen kept on standing up and he kept on speaking out until his lonely voice attracted other voices on all sides of the House of Commons. Lots of them. 

I am delighted to be attending the 2019 Human Trafficking Foundation’s Media Awards and even more delighted that Anthony’s Private Members Bill made it onto the statutes in less than 6 weeks (possibly a legislative record) – making Anti-Slavery Day the 18 October every year. That was endorsed by leaders of all three of the main parties (I know – I drafted the letters to them and framed their replies) and a huge majority of the House of Commons. Today, every large company has a Human Trafficking statement in their website and policies within their governance.  Schools talk about it. Every police force has at least one dedicated officer. The publicity for this legislation and these changes started with one lonely-voiced man who kept on stubbornly standing up and speaking out. At any opportunity. Raising awareness. Recruiting allies. Securing media attention. 

If you can’t be bothered to stand up and speak up – even if you are the only one doing it – you shouldn’t become an MP. You don’t deserve to be an MP.