Forum Topic

Hereditary MPs

Thank god they are getting rid of hereditary peers,the privilege the entitlements just stank too too much.Meanwhile back in the lower house there is Hamish Falconer son on Labour peer Charlie. But as Tory web site Guido Fawkes points out "these little connections are everywhere. Morgan McSweeney, the new Downing Street chief of staff, is married to Imogen Walker, the newly-elected Labour MP for Hamilton and Clyde Valley. Liam Conlon, who won the Beckenham and Penge seat for Labour in the election, is the son of Sue Gray. Richard Burgon is the nephew of Colin Burgon, a Labour MP from 1997-2010. Markus Campbell-Savours MP is the son of former Labour MP Dale Campbell-Savours. Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker and a former Labour MP, is the son of former Labour MP, Douglas Hoyle. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is the sister of Lewisham West MP, Ellie Reeves. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, is married to Ed Balls, the former MP and minister. Then there’s Hilary Benn (son of Tony) and Stephen Kinnock (son of Neil). There’s Valerie Vaz, who is the sister of former MP, Keith. It is all part of being in the ever-expanding Labour family.To be fair, this kind of thing is not confined to Labour. Plenty of Tories have relatives as former MPs, such as Bernard Jenkin (son of Patrick, who served as a minister under Margaret Thatcher) and Tom Tugendhat (whose uncle Christopher was an MP during the 1970s) – it is just that there are infinitely more on the Labour side of the house"

Hugh Thompson ● 22d12 Comments

🎼🎶 - to the tune of 'The Red Flag'."The working class can kiss my arse, my mother/father/brother/sister/friend of the family has got me a job in the family business at last".And a few have also got an instant pay rise by being given a Ministerial position.'Three first-time London MPs immediately made ministers Georgia Gould, Sarah Sackman and Miatta Fahnbulleh have been promoted to junior minister roles'.Ms Gould is the daughter of ex Labour PM Tony Blair's strategist Philip Gould.Most have them have had little experience if any of business or commerce.Most have a background in the 'third sector' of the economy where they can show themselves as better than MPs of other Parties by giving away other peoples hard earned income.Or they have worked in leftist 'thinktanks'.Nepotism cannot be an accusation made regarding them of course as they are from the good and caring Party, not like those awful Tories.Though I wonder if Lord Alli has got them bookings at a Savile Row tailor !

John Hawkes ● 21d

"Well, pretty obvious that socialism is not passed on in the DNA."Which MP's are you applying that to?

Ed Robinson ● 22d

Quite right Hugh.It's a two horse race where people vote for parties not candidates.You just need to reject the local candidate and put in their place a centrally approved candidate that just so happen to be connected.It's worth looking at Michael Crick's tweets on exactly this subject.Of course there is a ways to partially fix this and that is for the candidate to have reside in the constituency for a number of years. Not to mention the obvious fix - which is do not vote for the main parties :) Far from being a wasted vote it deprives the parties of the popular vote and dillutes their mandate.

Ed Robinson ● 22d

Well, pretty obvious that socialism is not passed on in the DNA.

David Ainsworth ● 22d

Steven,I am very well aware that all departing PMs have a right to nominate individuals for peerages.  I am delighted that Nadine Dorries' nomination was turned down! I am also delighted that Liz Truss was not allowed to nominate anyone. By the way, I am very capable of differenciating between dislike and suitability. I had not read Michael's post prior to including mine.  funnily, I mentioned something about children following on parents' footsteps being a sought after quality (words to that effect anyway).I never knew there were "hereditary" MPs but most certainly hereditary peers.I find it difficult to reconcile Labour central office approving a person to become Labour PM and nepotism, unless, of course, the parent or relative is in the Labour Central Office committee at the time.  We have had a fair share of cronyism with the conservatives which is not good for democracy either.What I can say with conviction is that the quality of politicians in the UK for the last decade or so is absolutely dire.

Ivonne Holliday ● 22d

And have we forgotten the American dynasties which exist very visibly in US politics

Hugh Thompson ● 22d

Have we forgotten the time Boris made the son of a Russian spy a lord?

Michael Brigo ● 22d

I am not sure why Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list is disgraceful. All departing prime ministers  have the right to nominate individuals for peerages, though these have to be approved by the independent Appointments Commission. Of course, Ivonne, you may not like some of the individuals nominated by Johnson, e.g. Priti Patel, but that’s another matter.It is perfectly true, as Michael says, that many people follow family members into a career and it’s also true, as you point out, that in the case of MPs the individuals have to be elected. But before prospective Labour candidates can stand for election they have to be approved by Labour Central Office. The sheer number of ‘hereditary’ Labour MPs raises the suspicion is that family ties may facilitate approval by Central Office. It looks like nepotism, which is not good for democracy.

Steven Rose ● 22d

"Perhaps the brief affairs and one night stands might be more interesting than the long standing relationships that are public knowledge?"Check with MI5. They may have video.

David Ainsworth ● 22d

Good morning Hugh,I am slightly confused with your message.  You imply some type off favourtism yet the majority of the people you mention are elected MPs apart from Morgan McSweeney.Following in parents' footsteps is the aim of many and I cannot see there is anything untoward here.You mention Yvette Cooper.  She has been an MP since 1997 and married Ed Balls in 1998. He was an elected MP from 2005 to 2015....Hereditary peers do not bother me that much unless they are totally incompetent.  What I do mind, enormously, is the elevation of cronies to the House of Lords.  I have Boris Johnson's resignation honours list in mind.... Priti Patel, Shaun Bailey, Dan Rosenfield, Charlotte Owen, Ross Kempsel.  That is what I call disgraceful.  Not elected MPs.

Ivonne Holliday ● 22d

I don't think it's that surprising. I suppose it's a bit like continuing in the family business. One picks up the knowledge and skills from one's parents and continues with it if so inclined. (I picked up basic motor maintenance skills from my motor mechanic father but found IT more interesting, something that is just as relevant now to servicing modern cars! Wished I'd picked up touch typing from my mum, more useful in the computer age, althoughperhaps not on my phone ...)It's also likely that these now married couples hooked up at party or other activists meetings in their younger days. Perhaps the brief affairs and one night stands might be more interesting that the long standing relationships that are public knowledge? :-)Yes, it's not confined to one party. I remember a friend standing against Winston Churchill in Godalming in the 1980s and thinking "didn't he die a couple of decades ago"? Then I realised it was the grandson of the WWII prime minister. And both Bottomleys, Peter and Virginia, were in parliament at the same time, weren't they?

Michael Ixer ● 22d

An astonishing list,to which Anna and Maria Eagle can be added.

Steven Rose ● 22d