The Houses of Parliament in Westminster are set to experience a “freshers’ week” vibe as hundreds of new MPs arrive in London. Of those elected in the recent general election, an incredible 335 have never served in Parliament before. The parliament will be notable for its record numbers of women and ethnic minorities – as well as the first MP to have been born this century. The increase in MPs from ethnic minority backgrounds is particularly striking, with 13% coming from this group. The proportion of state-educated MPs is also at its highest since 1979.
Of the MPs who have never served before, 264 are women, representing more than 40% of the overall total. The largest numbers of these have been elected by the Labour Party, with 93 new MPs, followed by the Liberal Democrats with 22. While campaigners have welcomed the rise, they have pointed out that flexible working and childcare policies are vital if the increases are to be meaningful.
The rise in ethnic minority MPs is also significant, with a rise from 65 last time around to 87 now. This means that 13% of MPs come from such backgrounds, which is closer to the actual diversity of the UK than ever before. The bulk of these MPs also come from the Labour Party.
Aside from women and people with an ethnic minority background, the new intake of MPs also represents a wide range of social backgrounds. This includes the largest proportion of state-educated MPs since 1979 and a significant number of Oxford and Cambridge graduates. There are also several MPs with interesting backgrounds, such as Roz Savage – the only female MP to have rowed solo across the three largest oceans
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