A Fresh Start? The Orientation and
Induction of New MPs at Westminster
Following the Parliamentary
Expenses Scandal
Ruth Fox & Matt Korris
r.fox@hansard.lse.ac.uk
m.korris@hansard.lse.ac.uk
A Fresh Start At Westminster?
• Recovering from the expenses crisis
• Expected large turnover of MPs
• Role of parties and independent bodies
A Year in the Life
• 2005 study – critical of the induction provision
• 2010: 3 surveys, interviews / focus groups
• 3 comparative studies
– National Assembly for Wales
– Scottish Parliament
– Dail Eireann (in partnership with Dr
Mary Murphy, University of Cork)
Orientation
Information pack – New
Members’ Guidebook
The 4 P’s:
•Passes
•Post
•PC’s
•Pay (IPSA)
Chamber Briefing
© UK Parliament
Induction
• Flexible timing: rolling programme of briefings
• Multiple formats: on-line podcasts & downloads
• Road-tested
• Presentation skills training
• Piloted aspects of it on by-election winners
• Opportunity for party’s to comment
BUT – just 19% of new MPs attended a session
Difficulty of getting it ‘just right’
• Balancing the ‘Must-Haves’ & ‘Business as Usual’
• Vary the delivery: more experiential, role-play &
simulation & fewer ‘talking heads’
• Action oriented: link the national to the local
• Time management & ‘learning how to say ‘no’’
• Independent partners providing sessions – who
and about what?
• Who is responsible for areas like ‘ethics’?
MPs in ‘learning’ mode?
• Lack of time / competing pressures
• Confidence or arrogance? High levels of
perceived knowledge on arrival in Parliament
• Greatest sources of advice / influence are peergroup – current and former MPs
Preparing for office
How much, if anything, do you feel you know about how
each of the following work? (a great deal/a fair amount)
100%
93%
90%
80%
71%
70%
60%
49%
50%
41%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
House of Commons
House of Lords
Political arm of government (PM,
Cabinet, committees)
Administrative arm of
government (Civil service,
departments)
Sources of knowledge
Where did you acquire your knowledge of
Parliament and government?
From my party
59%
Research in my own time
56%
Formal education
46%
Previous employment
41%
Sources of advice
Preelection
Postelection
Current MPs
90%
98%
Former MPs
61%
49%
Party officials
48%
42%
Friends/family
27%
25%
Needs for future learning
• 64% - procedural issues
• 45% - how government works
• 45% - IPSA’s expenses system
• 41% - government finance
• 38% - time management
• 31% - managing staff
• 31% - data protection / freedom of information
Continuing Professional
Development (CPD)?
• Only half (49%) of the MPs in our study
believe they should undertake some form
of CPD
BUT
• Of those (56%) who had prior experience
of CPD, 70% thought MPs should have
undertake it
What Might Help In Future?
• Mentors
– Greater use of peer-group: MPs / former MPs
• Engage class of 2010 to help plan for 2015
• More positive engagement by parties – importance
of locating ‘critical actors’ well in advance of the
election
For further information
about the
A Year in the Life
study and our other
related research, see:
www.hansardsociety.org.uk
A Fresh Start? The Orientation and
Induction of New MPs at Westminster
Following the Parliamentary
Expenses Scandal
Ruth Fox & Matt Korris
r.fox@hansard.lse.ac.uk
m.korris@hansard.lse.ac.uk