Only around 1% of the current crop of Tory MPs entered parliament from a working-class job, new research suggests a growing “representation gap” in parliament.
Only 7% of all MPs can be considered ‘working class’, compared to 34% of all working-age adults in the UK. While 13% of Labor MPs joined parliament from a working-class background, the proportion has halved since the 1980s.
The analysis, by researchers at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), comes as both parties go through the process of selecting candidates for the upcoming elections. The proportion of Britons who are working class has also fallen, but the decline among MPs has been twice as fast.
The paper is the third in a series, in collaboration with the Observer, looking at the sharp decline in trust in politics and how it can be tackled. Previous studies have found that representatives of the working class are more likely to support action to tackle economic inequality and support more redistributive policies.
The proportion of Tory MPs with working-class employment backgrounds has been well below 5% for at least the last 50 years. However, 28% of Labor MPs came from working class jobs after the 1987 election, the proportion has halved.
Deputy Labor leader Angela Rayner called for cross-cutting action to improve access. “When I first entered parliament it was like going to Hogwarts,” he said. “It can be intimidating to think of all the people who have stood in front of the cash register before me, as well as mixing with people of great wealth, privilege and expensive education.
“Those working in insecure or poorly paid jobs are less likely to have an employer who gives them flexibility or can afford to leave work. Coming out to public life is not only daunting, it can be a huge commitment of time and money that is unaffordable for many. We need a real cross-party debate about how we can improve participation in our democracy and give more opportunities and support to ordinary people juggling hard work with other commitments “.
The IPPR identified two main factors driving the decline. He pointed to the fact that unions were no longer as capable as in the past of offering a route into politics for working-class candidates. Second, it now takes so much time and money to become a political candidate that it has become “an insurmountable obstacle” for some interested in pursuing a career as an MP. He said there was indeed a “class ceiling”.
To look at the class breakdown of parliament, the researchers compared the number of MPs who entered Westminster directly from an occupation considered working class with the general population in the same types of seats. The survey was based on an anonymous sample of MPs. He used an established academic definition of “working class”.
A Tory spokesman said the study underestimated the diversity of the current crop of Tory MPs. “This report appears to apply an incredibly narrow definition of working class by considering only an MP’s work immediately prior to entering parliament,” he said. “This means, for example, a Tory MP who was a coal miner for 10 years and moved on to other jobs is excluded from these figures.
“The induction of Tory MPs in 2019 was our most diverse and helped us win seats across the country and an 80-seat majority, as the Labor party. The Conservative Party Foundation funds a 250,000 bursary scheme £ to support candidates.”
Several other disparities with the population as a whole were discovered. It found that 86% of MPs attended higher education institutions, while only 34% of working-age adults did. Party candidates in 2019 were twice as likely to have voted Remain compared to general voters, while 35% of MPs were women, although this was up from 3% in 1979.
The IPPR called on all parties to publish the number of working-class candidates they were putting forward and set targets, develop new talent portfolios and invest more in supporting candidates financially, including covering childcare costs . He said there should be a government-backed “right to work” fund and mandatory time off to run for elected office.
“Many voters feel that their voices are not being heard in British democracy and that they are not represented by the member of parliament sitting in Westminster on their behalf,” said Harry Quilter-Pinner, director of research and engagement at the IPPR . “This is contributing to a decline in trust in politicians and democracy that should worry us all.”