The General Election this summer saw an influx of 334 new MPs into Parliament – a turnover of more than half the entire House of Commons!
The electoral pendulum swung. In 2015 the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party was almost obliterated; in 2019, Labour suffered heavy losses. In 2024, 252 Conservative MPs lost their seats, plus 38 SNP and a smattering of others. I’m delighted to have the largest number of Lib Dem colleagues ever, but the result is also bittersweet. Some of those who lost are friends of mine, and some lost their seat to my party.
Losing your seat, losing your identity
Many people have been celebrating this turnaround. Politicians do not attract much sympathy at the best of times. Trust is at an all-time low, and the antics of the last few years have hardly covered MPs in glory. But most of my friends and colleagues in Westminster and local politics – of all parties – put long hours and incredible emotional investment into their roles.
Polluted politicians?
Keir Starmer’s political honeymoon didn’t survive the summer. His new government started with a gloomy message of ‘buckle up, this …