What do out of work MPs do? Do they find another job?!

[AutismHelp1980]

Just that really?! I know Rishi will start making more money on the circuit now so to speak. But what do all the others do? What sort of jobs?

Yes, I believe so. I think he now runs the V&A.

Pundits
Presenters
Podcasters
Writers
Public appointments
Consultant roles
Directorships
Charity CEOs
Peers of the Realm

Plus they have a very nice leaving package.

I was just wondering that particularly about Johnny Mercer in Plymouth if he loses his seat. I do wonder where someone like him goes - no background in finance/law/consultancy etc . It will be interesting to see.

He used to be in the army so he could do something related to that - e.g. army-related, lead an army charity or set up a business related to his army background. I think his army background will stand him in good stead and give him lots of options to explore.

He was a Captain wasn't he? No need to worry about his career prospects, he'll find something.

Thanks @Acapulco12 , it will be interesting to see. Not a fan by any means and haven't liked his aggressive approach but he is an example of how high you can rise in politics, only to be left with nothing. I look at him and people like Andrea Jenkyns, Steve Bradley et al and wonder where their next steps are.

They end up down the job centre.

In Scotland if they want to stay in politics and haven't pissed off their party, they can be recycled and end up as MSPs at Holyrood via the "List" vote even if no actual voters will vote for them.

Oh, don't be so silly. On an MP's salary I get the feeling you could save up a wee bit before re-election worries.

DH has a familial connection to a one term Irish TD.

When he lost his seat he went into lobbying- basically offering companies an insight on how the inner machinations of government worked, and how to try to influence policy to their benefit.

He did very well out of it.

No it’s genuinely an issue. There are plenty of people who refuse to go into politics for money reasons. The risk of ending up suddenly unemployed with no directly relevant skills is a big part of this. It’s not like you can say “I’ll take three months off and then go and work for a competitor firm in the same industry.”

Aahhh, very interesting! But I wonder if that requires an element of leaving your principles/beliefs at the door and commercialising your experience. I find the whole thing very interesting.

I'm sorry, but I think if you really imagine pulling in 80k for, generally, about five years means you might be 'suddenly unemployed' and might struggle ... I think you've honestly lost touch with reality. Yes, of course I can see why someone might not choose to, say, stand as an MP in a bye-election under an obviously outgoing government. And I can see that if you are already very well paid, it may seem unattractive.

But otherwise? No, sorry, this is nonsense.

I think what @Feelingstrange2 is saying is that it’s difficult for someone to get elected as a first-time MP if they haven’t got savings. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to hold down a full-time job whilst you’re campaigning to be an MP, so you’ll need to have saved quite a bit of money well before you’re considering standing.

Also, you have to pay a £500 deposit to stand as an MP, which you completely lose if you don’t get elected. I’d be very interested in standing as an MP one day, but I don’t have £500 to lose 😂 of course, if you’re standing in a safe seat, you’ll get to keep the deposit!

www.electoralcommission.org.uk/guidance-acting-returning-officers-administering-a-uk-parliamentary-election-great-britain/nominations/forms-nomination/deposit-stand-election

Oh, ok - that I can absolutely see! I am sorry if I did misunderstand - I felt very impatient at the idea that a salary of 80k over several years wouldn't be enough of a cushion for most people.

I do take the point that the campaigning is a real worry. All through my childhood my dad, god bless him, was a red-hot Lib Dem and he was always being election agent for doomed campaigns. The money was always raised by donations/fundraising, not by the candidate!

You keep your deposit if you get 5% of the vote so rare for a serious candidate to lose their deposit

MPs who lose their seat receive 2 months net pay.

Their staff are redundant and receive redundancy pay.

And then they look for a job.

Ah thanks for clarifying, @Galliano - I didn’t know that! I should have properly read the link I posted 😂 sorry! I’d always understood that all candidates who weren’t elected lost their deposit.

Our former Labour MP became a county councillor after losing her seat after one term.

£90,000 per annum being an MP. £30,000 per lecture/tv presentation/ evening talk .
They will be fine.

And, I think parties that field candidates unlikely to win, tend to concentrate funds so the candidate isn't personally out of pocket. I do see that the system is trickier for independents. But if you are approved as (say) a Green Party candidate or a Lib Dem, in an area where they feel they must have a candidate on the ballot paper in order to show that they are serious, I think your deposit would typically come from party coffers rather than personal finances. And the funds for campaigning would certainly be the former rather than the latter.

Hopefully if Gullis loses his seat even the teaching profession won't be desperate enough to have him back.

I hope Andrea Jenkyns finds herself unemployable.

A lot of MPs are actually trained in law, so go back to being solicitors etc

Yes.

Do you remember when Neil Hamilton lost his seat? His wife was employed by him at his constituency office.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Hamilton_(politician)#:~:text=The%20cash%2Dfor%2Dquestions%20affair,in%20the%201997%20general%20election.

The Hamiltons were both unemployed so they did, "anything legal that makes money" so gameshows, Rocky Horror Show, a stint in the jungle for Christine.