So you want to be a minister…

Thursday, 20th November 2008

Gerald Kaufman, MP for Manchester Gorton and a former shadow foreign secretary, advises ambitious young MPs how to wriggle their way into power

Congratulations: you have been elected to the House of Commons. Either you have arranged to become your party’s successor candidate in a safe seat — for advice on how to achieve this desirable objective, consult Eric Joyce, MP for Falkirk and a master of the art — or else you have gained a seat for your party at a general election or in a by-election (in which case you will start worrying about losing next time the moment the returning officer declares you the victor).

How are you to spend your time in Parliament fruitfully? There are many options.

Do you wish to become a character, a Skinner or a Tapsell or a Cash, greeted with a roar of approval mingled with derision when you rise in the chamber, beloved of the sketch-writers and of some, at any rate, of your colleagues? It could be an attractive role, but requires your having been in the place for a considerable number of years. My guess is that you would wish to see results more swiftly than that.

How about becoming a rent-a-quote, installed on the lists of lobby correspondents who, seeking an MP’s forthright opinion, ring their regulars hoping for, even suggesting, the words that will fit the space available, a pithy statement to flesh out a flimsy story — any story. If your ego is rewarded by seeing your name in print, frequently, this is the role for you.

You may, however, seek something more substantial: membership of a select committee, say. There are lots of these around, and vacancies are always coming up. Does such membership sound too much like hard work? Don’t worry. You do not have to turn up all the time and, on some committees, the questions are distributed in advance by the chairman on a rota basis. And it will be an unusual committee that does not qualify for at least the occasional overseas trip. Even the Welsh select committee has been known to journey to exotic climes in search of recondite information.

Maybe you simply wish to become a good constituency MP, seeking to solve the problems of those who elect you. Excellent; but make sure that it is you who do the problem-solving. These days, with substantial allowances for staff and constituency office accommodation, many MPs — too many, some think — leave these chores to young persons known as caseworkers and do not gain the experience of how to get round obstructive bureaucracies and poorly-drafted legislation that can turn them into effective troubleshooters, given a respectful hearing in the chamber by their colleagues. One of my veteran colleagues was astounded to learn that I read all constituents’ letters myself. Every MP should. Harold Wilson as prime minister did.

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David Bouvier

November 21st, 2008 12:19am Report this comment

Gerald's little book "How to be a Minister" which promoted the idea that the minister can effectively use his bully pulpit to determine outcomes in their domain regardless of actual powers and responsibilities could arguably be to blame for a lot of the idiocies of New Labour.

There is a world of a difference between good government and ministerial emoting and bullying.

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