At the 2005 general election, 39.3 per cent of MPs came from the professions, 19.2 per cent came from business and 35.3 per cent from miscellaneous professional groups. As many as 12.7 per cent of MPs were already professional politicians – having been political organisers or special advisors, for instance. Seven per cent of MPs were from publishing or journalism and 1.3 per cent were farmers. Only 10 per cent of Labour MPs and 6.2 per cent of all MPs were from manual working-class backgrounds.
Following the 2010 election, there are more bankers and consultants in the House of Commons, with fewer doctors and teachers. The numbers of professional politicians, lawyers, business people and representatives of the middle and upper classes in Parliament have increased, while the number of MP s from traditional working-class occupations is lower than for many years.
The parliamentary class of 2010 is uniformly middle-class. Further, the focus on correcting imbalances of gender and ethnic background may have diverted attention from the fact that, in class terms, the Commons is now even less diverse than it appears.
This imbalance of representation, along with the gap between the nature, experience and background of MPs and the millions of those they are supposed to represent has created a deep sense of alienation from politicians of all parties. This situation has been exacerbated by the MPs’ expenses scandal. The result is an increasing lack of faith in our system of government and growing doubts about the quality of our democracy.
It is a fundamental principle of representative democracy that all people should have the right to take part in the selection and election of those who act on their behalf to carry out approved policies in the interests of the nation, and for the welfare and security of its people.
Some might argue that this is precisely what is provided under Britain’s existing parliamentary and electoral system and so there is no need for reform – except, perhaps, to switch from first past the post to some form of proportional representation or transferable voting method of electing our MPs.
In fact, there is a need for fundamental change. Currently, only a tiny minority of people can ever take part in the selection of candidates in any election.
Of course, we need people of high achievement in the fields of commerce, law, education and so on, who have a genuine dedication to public service. However, their contribution must be leavened by the experience, understanding, intelligence and social qualities of those who work in factories, shops, offices, the caring services, transport and all such supposedly menial but actually vital jobs without which no civilised society can survive.
The gulf between the governing and the governed is wide and getting wider. Unless positive measures are taken to close it, we can expect growing urban and rural discontent, a resurgence of class divisions, greater social inequality, increasing political extremism and mounting intolerance of the weakest in our society.
Leaders of all parties will not easily surrender the power to select candidates, because it provides the means whereby they can ensure support for their own political tendencies – in the manner of New Labour. The current Conservative-Liberal Democratic coalition consists largely of like-minded, white, middle-class and middle-aged professional men.
In order to win popular support, any alternative to the present system must show clear advantage in terms of clarity, democratic construction and practical application. It must show itself to be capable of drawing people closer to the heart of government through direct participation in the selection as well as the election of their political representatives.
This will be no easy task. However, if we are to meet the challenges and uncertainties which confront us, it is vital that those we elect to govern us are drawn from all sections of society – in terms of class, as well gender, race, sexual orientation and educational background. Our elected representatives, whether in national or local government, must have a genuine affinity with those who elect them.
While a university degree, wealth (accumulated or inherited) and success in business may be useful qualifications for many things, success in government also requires knowledge and understanding of the people of this country. That can only be gained by living and working among them.
Many politicians appear to think the working class has somehow disappeared with the demise of socialism. Certainly, there appears to be significant working-class passivity and low participation in recent elections. However, when the Government’s widespread cuts begin to bite in the economy and across society, the rising sense of resentment against as an elitist Parliament could mean an abrupt end to the current apathy. If we are not careful, the consequences could be consequences.
