Under Pressure: Are We Getting the Most From Our MPs?

Publications / Reports

Under Pressure: Are We Getting the Most From Our MPs?

1 Jan 2000

At the start of the 21st century, MPs faced increasing demands on their time and skills, both at Westminster and in the constituency, and higher public and regulatory expectations and levels of scrutiny. In this 2000 report, expert contributors reviewed the practicalities of an MP's life and made proposals for reform.

In his introduction to the report, Greg Power, the then-Director of the Hansard Society's Parliament and Government Programme, said:

"The workload of the MP is greater at the beginning of the 21st century than at any time in the hisotry of the House of Commons. Public expectations of our elected representatives have also grown. Yet this increased pressure has not been matched by concomitant improvements to facilities, hours or procedures. In order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of Parliament, and its Members, tangible reform is required. The alternative is a growing disparity between expectation and reality, which can only lead to a further erosion of support for Parliament."

In this innovative report, expert contributors reviewed the practicalities of an MP's life - including working and sitting hours, procedures, training, staffing and stress - and put forward practical reform proposals.

Introduction
Reinventing the member of Parliament: A rational approach to the MP's work Anne Campbell MP
Learning to be a Member of Parliament: The induction process Michael Rush and Philip Giddings
Party politics vs. people politics: Balancing Westminster and constituency Greg Power
Stress and the Politician Dr Ashley Weinberg
Caught in the middle: Training MPs in dispute resolution Bernadette Coleman, Stephen Coleman, Ernesto Spinelli and Freddie Strasser

*NB: The quality of the electronic version of this report, available to download top right, is poor**

Banner image: 'The Father of the House of Commons joins the Yeoman Usher', by UK Parliament

Latest / Highlights

News / Growing the Greens: Ellie Chowns MP on Parliament, polling and Zack Polanski - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 124

What is it like to be part of a small but growing parliamentary party? We talk with the leader of the Green Party group at Westminster, Ellie Chowns, about the challenges of operating with limited numbers, the practical realities of parliamentary life, and how institutional structures shape the influence of smaller parties. We discuss our political culture, the Greens’ approach to leadership, internal decision-making, and the party’s longer-term ambitions for electoral and parliamentary reform and a more representative system.

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 12-16 January 2026

The result of the election for the next Lord Speaker will be announced. In the Commons, Government amendments addressing the “family farm tax” will be considered during Committee Stage of the Finance (No. 2) Bill. The Hillsborough Law is expected to complete its remaining stages in the Commons, and the Sentencing and the Diego Garcia Bills the same in the Lords. Peers will consider the assisted dying bill for a sixth day in Committee. MPs will debate an e-petition calling for a new general election, new towns, financial support during the pandemic, and the importance of the Arctic and High North. Select Committees will hear evidence from former OBR chair Richard Hughes on the UK’s fiscal framework, two Cabinet Ministers on AI and copyright, and the Housing and Courts Ministers on their responsibilities.

News / Are UK elections under threat? A conversation with the chair of the Electoral Commission, John Pullinger - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 123

With the Government investigating allegations of foreign influence in British politics, we are joined by John Pullinger, Chair of the Electoral Commission, to take stock of the health and resilience of the UK’s electoral system. Our discussion ranges widely over the pressures facing elections and campaigning today, and what issues Parliament may need to grapple with in a future elections bill.

News / Is being Prime Minister an impossible job? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 121

Why do UK Prime Ministers seem to burn out so quickly? We are joined by historian Robert Saunders to examine why the role has become so punishing in recent years. From Brexit and COVID to fractured parties, rigid governing conventions and relentless media scrutiny, the discussion explores what has gone wrong – and what kind of leadership and political culture might be needed to make the job survivable again.

News / The King and Parliament: The relationship between politics and the royals - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 122

In this episode we are joined by author and former royal correspondent Valentine Low to explore the evolving relationship between Downing Street and the Palace and why it matters for Parliament. Drawing on his book Power and the Palace, we explore how royal influence has shifted from Queen Victoria’s overt political interventions to Elizabeth II’s studied neutrality. Along the way, we connect historical episodes – where monarchs helped shape diplomacy and constitutional outcomes – to today’s flashpoints, from the prorogation and dissolution of Parliament to referendums and royal finances and the looming constitutional headaches of future hung parliaments.