How to Become a Member of Parliament (MP)

To become a Member of Parliament (MP) – a representative in the House of Commons, one of two houses of the UK Parliament – should be your natural next step, if you’ve always wanted to do something that makes a real difference to your community and your country, if you jumped at every opportunity to represent your school or university in any capacity during your student days. MPs debate laws, challenge government policy, hold the government accountable, and – most importantly – represent the concerns of their constituents in Parliament. If you have local, national and spirit, if you love public service, if you sincerely believe you’re the kind of person who can effect change, this guide tells you how to go about it, what skills you’d need, and how to translate your political talent into an enduring career.

What Does an MP Do?

Members of Parliament have three main duties, which are divided between their work in Parliament and their work in the constituency. These are:

Legislating and Debating: The MP’s activity in the House of Commons involves debating new laws and government policies. The MP joins the debate for proposed new legislation, votes on new laws, and participates in committees that discuss policy areas or government actions in detail.
Representing their electorate: MPs will be the voice, eyes, and ears of the people in their constituencies. That includes regular surgeries (where an MP meets with constituents), helping to resolve constituency issues, and lobbying in Parliament on behalf of their constituents.
Keeping the Government in Check: MPs question the government on its policies and decisions. They scrutinise policies, hold ministers to account by probing various aspects of the department’s policies and performance, and may form part of select committees that examine certain government departments.
Campaigning and policy advocacy: MPs can campaign nationally on issues or policies of concern; they can promote and introduce Bills of their own as Private Members’ Bills, propose policy changes, and collaborate with other MPs to promote particular issues.
Constituency work and community engagement: MPs show their dedication by attending local events, supporting local initiatives, and meeting with the local press. They also help mobilise funding, investment, and support for local projects.

MPs’ work is varied, balancing national policy matters with regional community concerns.

Steps to Become an MP

It’s a bit more complicated than just deciding to be an MP overnight. To succeed, you’ll need dedication, political nous and a lot of hard campaigning. So, how might you go about it?

Get Involved in Politics and Community Issues Early

And suppose you do choose to pursue a career in the House of Commons. In that case, it pays to cultivate some prior political and public service experience. Work for candidates, charities, and community organisations, join your local council, write letters to your local newspaper, and get involved with think tanks or campaign organisations. Skills and experience in public speaking, policy research or running events will stand you in good stead when it comes time to start building a social media profile.

Join a Political Party or Stand as an Independent

A candidate can run for Parliament as an individual, known as an independent candidate. However, most MPs are members of political parties. The first step is to find a party that reflects your values and ideas. The application process varies by party; becoming an active member can mean being considered for selection and provided with opportunities for networking, training and mentoring by party officials and sitting MPs. Both the Labour and the Conservative parties, as well as the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, have well-established and clear pathways for prospective politicians.

Build Your Network and Gain Political Experience

Get networking. Attend party meetings, conferences and events to make contacts with party members, local politicians and bigwigs. Work to gain party positions as a local party officer, volunteer recruiter or campaign manager. Standing as a candidate for local councils is a great policy and provides further experience.

Seek Party Selection as a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC)

To become a candidate for Parliament, you must first be ‘selected’ by your party as a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC). You can also stand as an independent. Different parties have different ways of selecting Prospective Parliamentary Candidate. Still, you will usually be interviewed, tested, surveyed, or assessed in some way by party officials or members of your local party. You must demonstrate a strong grasp of key policy issues and a clear sense of what your party stands for, besides strong leadership skills and commitment.

Campaign in Your Constituency

After being selected as a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, the next stage in the process is to run an effective campaign in the constituency you have selected. This can be achieved by speaking to voters and attending local events, door-to-door canvassing, distributing literature, such as leaflets, and publicising policy positions. Having a well-organised campaign team, good canvassing, and a good relationship with the local media can help.

Stand in a General Election or By-Election

You get elected as an MP in General Elections (which are every five years) or at a By-Election (when a seat becomes vacant). To do so, you have to win more votes than the other candidates in your constituency. If those in that area want you, they may vote for you. If they want something from you, they may give you their vote. If they’re unhappy, you might not meet their expectations, and they may choose somebody else.

Get Elected and Become a Member of Parliament

Suppose you win the most votes in your constituency. In that case, you are its MP and take a seat in the House of Commons, where you are to represent its voters’ interests, contribute to House of Commons debates, and join in policy discussions.

Key Skills for a Successful MP

These are some things you will need to be a good MP.

Public Speaking and Communication Skills: MPs must articulate ideas and policies clearly, converse with colleagues in Parliament, and communicate with constituents and the media.
Making decisions and providing leadership: MPs must make reasoned decisions, drive the direction of their electoral campaigns, and act confidently when communicating with voters and colleagues.
Understanding of Policy and Legislation: A good sense of major political issues and policies and the legislative processes behind them. ‘They must be able to debate complex policy issues, bringing expertise and insights to aides, and they must be able to contribute to the decision-making process.’
Empathy and Active Listening: The ability to empathise and show active listening to express concern and empathy for constituents’ views are critical abilities needed to represent a constituency in Parliament. MPs must have great rate-of-recall and listening skills: they must treat each interview with a constituent as just that—an interview.
Negotiation and Diplomacy Skills: Negotiations often work in overwhelmingly bipartisan ways, having to negotiate with colleagues across the chamber, form alliances to advance policy, and secure support in London on behalf of their constituents.
Organisational and Campaigning Skills: Standard wisdom says that one of the keys to good candidates is good organisational skills. An election campaign brings planning, organising, canvassing, budgeting, volunteers and – hopefully – much more into play.
Resilience: Politics is challenging, and MPs must often contend with setbacks, criticism and difficult circumstances.
Adaptability: MPs must also be quick to adapt to different circumstances.

Tips for Aspiring MPs

Start out Local, Build Up Your Profile: Run for local politics, such as posts in local councils or community organisations. People with grassroots support who have demonstrated political competence and a record of service are likely to move to a position of higher responsibility.
Follow Current Affairs and Political Issues: Stay abreast of and actively follow current events and politics at the national and local levels, paying attention to policy debates concerning the most important issues of the day. If you have not ‘got your finger on the pulse,’ you simply do not know what is going on. Being involved in current affairs and politics is the best way to form informed opinions about important issues and communicate with constituents.
Build a Strong Social Media Presence: Social media’s reach is enormous, so make sure to talk to the voters, share your thoughts, and create awareness about your campaign with your followers via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
Attend political events, conferences and debates: Be a visible face in political activities of interest. Schmoo, meet and talk with other politicians, and mingle with the public.
Communicate Your Vision and Values Clearly: Communicate Your Vision and Values Your vision, the values you possess, and the policies you will support if elected may seem obvious, but it is crucial to articulate them clearly to your constituents. Voters need to feel like you are speaking to them, someone who is authentic and understands their interests.
Be Ready for Scrutiny and Criticism: High levels of public scrutiny are associated with being an MP. Always demonstrate professionalism, integrity and resilience because your opponents will likely bash you, the media and sometimes even the Citizenry.

Average MP Salary in the UK

In 2023, an MP’s base salary is £84,144 per annum. MPs can receive extra allowances or higher salaries if they hold an additional job, such as a government spokesperson or a committee chairman. MPs can claim certain allowances for expenses incurred on parliamentary business, such as travel, accommodation and staff.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do You Need a Degree to Become an MP?

No form of education, training, or degree is necessary before becoming an MP. While many MPs have degrees in Political Science, History, Law, Economics, or other subjects, a background in law, politics, or public service is by no means essential. Passion, experience and a desire to represent people are most important.

Is It Better to Stand as a Party Candidate or an Independent?

Most MPs are elected as candidates for a particular party – i.e., as the candidate of a political party. This is the standard way most MPs get elected. You have a harder road to travel if you want to run independently. You would need to develop support networks and funding streams (i.e., cash) without the benefit of an established party machine behind you.

What’s the Difference Between a Constituency MP and a Minister?

All MPs represent their constituencies in Parliament. Some MPs also become government ministers, such as health or education ministers, and have additional responsibility for a policy area and the department associated with it.