Anyone's DH/DP an MP or Candidate?

[PoliticalWife]

Last month DP was selected as candidate for a constituency (which obvs I'm not going to name!).
Just wondering if any other MNs are / have been in this position. we have children and I'm slightly wondering what this is going to do to our lives and how we will juggle politics/ work/ family etc.
He's always been involved in politics, so I do have some idea, but I just know that this makes it so much more public and high profile - and will be increasingly so in the run up to 2015...
So anyone else?

[claig]

'are you going to be active in the election?'

I am going to vote, yes

[zelda200]

Thanks Claig - are you going to be active in the election? I could do with some help here in South London!

[claig]

Well done, zelda200, and good luck

[zelda200]

Hi Trillions, and everyone else - bit late to this conversation, but yes! I have just been selected as a prospective MP. Very excited, and a bit daunted by the work involved, but I will just do what I can.

I'm not running for one of the main three parties, but a new party set up in 2012. In fact, that is why I'm running; I'm so angry at what all three of them have done - particularly to the NHS - that I've stopped worrying about whether there is someone else better to challenge them - I'm just going to do it myself. I've never done anything like this before, but like that famous quote: if not us, who?

Is anyone else intending to be active during the election?

[OvertiredandConfused]

I was a candidate in 2005 but am now fully recovered. Many friends are in parliament. It's a tough life - for him and you.

[PoliticalWife]

Thanks wigeon
It's a marginal target seat with a high chance of success. We live there (it's not Wales!)
He'd live in London during week and come home weekends.
I know he'll be really busy- but he is now so that won't change! Currently he works (either politics or paid work) 6 days a week, out 4/5 evenings a week. It's always a bonus that we usually see him for breakfast.
Currently I'm SAHM....

I've read the book!

[Wigeon]

I can also recommend Paul Flynn's book! Which ever party you support.

[Wigeon]

Just found this and a few things occur to me (I work with MPs):

How realistic are his chances of being elected (genuinely)? What is the incumbant's majority and is he fighting a safe seat or is it on his party's target seat list?

How far from London are you? Would he be living in Westminster during the week and then coming back to the constituency at weekends? Do you live in the constituency at the moment or do you plan to? I think some of these things make a real difference to the life MPs lead.

IME, MPs work incredibly hard, particularly when Parliament is sitting, but often also during recess. I would say that when Parliament sits they are often working from early morning (8am) until late at night. Every day. Particularly if they are at all ambitious and get involved with all the myriad things that MPs do (eg APPGs, select committees, various other committees such as Backbench business committee, 1922 committee, Public Bill committees etc etc etc). They are not "on holiday" during recesses. The main impact on family life is that most of them live away from their families from Monday morning til Thursday afternoon. This can be really hard. And then even when they are back home, they are still often very busy all Fridays and usually Saturdays (and sometimes Sundays too).

Do you work now? Would you work if he is elected? I think that can also make a big difference as essentially you are a single mother for a lot of the time. But if you don't work, you are just on his salary...

(BTW, a friend of a friend's DH is standing - Labour candidate, Wales, double-barrelled surname - if that's you, PM me!!).

[SnowinBerlin]

OP, can I recommend a very funny book by a Labour MP Paul Flynn, called 'How to be an MP'? It was written as a practical guide for the newly elected, and sets out exactly what is expected of a member of Parliament, and also what their spouse has to put up with. It's also an interesting read for those who want to know what MPs get up to outside the Chamber - a tiny part of their work.

Flynn made the jokey comment 'it's better to make your wife your secretary than go through the later heartache and misery of making your secretary your wife!' But being serious, the book has a lot on the pressures faced by spouses and how to mitigate that, and has useful comments on security measures needed for families.

[PoliticalWife]

Sorry trillions- you're right- I should have asked that too in my original question!
At the time I suppose I was very tied up in how it was all going to pan out for me & the kids & was wondering if there were any other political spouses who could give me pearls of wisdom.
But yes, I think it would also be very interesting to hear from any candidates or MPs of either gender about how they juggle family/ work/ political commitments etc.
I know from my experience that personally I couldn't be a candidate unless my DH was dealing with most of the kids & home stuff as the political stuff is so time consuming. I have no idea how couples where both are MPs or candidates do it.

[claig]

"We need to attract the best."

That's why we are voting UKIP

"Many Tory MPs would make a killing in the private sector if they were not in Parliament; some Labour MPs also. Most of the rest would starve."

We don't want that type. We want people who care about public service more than what they can get out of it.

[Trillions]

How depressing that the OP'S assumption is that MNers might be married to prospective MPs. Why not ask whether anyone on here IS one?

[TrueGent]

I've got several friends/former colleagues who are now MPs (3 Tory; 1 Labour) and one of them warned my brother that he should seek to earn as much as he can before he seeks election to Parliament because there will be little chance of so doing afterwards.

He estimated he had spent over £200k of his own money over 8 years on things that should, by rights, have been paid for out of the public purse (i.e. phone calls, stationery, taxis, travel tickets - for him and also for his constituents).

We pay MPs far too little and, as a result, we have too many posh/rich MPs and other sh*t ones that can't earn more in other roles. We need to attract the best.

Many Tory MPs would make a killing in the private sector if they were not in Parliament; some Labour MPs also. Most of the rest would starve.

[poshme]

Mutton you know that MPs do a lot more than just being in the House of Commons & doing surgeries don't you?

[PoliticalWife]

And thanks true gent & nice guy.

[PoliticalWife]

My DH will be taking a pay cut if he gets elected. In fact, he spends so much time now doing political stuff (including lots of casework for people who want help) as well as campaigning -all of which is TOTALLY UNPAID with NO EXPENSES paid at all that we have far less income now than we did before he was selected.
He is available pretty much 24/7 on his blackberry- if he doesn't reply to emails within 24 hours people often complain. And this is as an unpaid candidate.

He also has to go to things like fundraising dinners and events which he had to pay for. From his own pocket.
Generally he is out at events/ meetings/ surgeries/ etc at least 4 nights a week. He works (on political stuff) all day Saturday every week, and often Sunday afternoons.
He is still doing his (self employed) paid job when (if) he has the time.
I'm sure there are some lazy MPs. But trust me, before they're elected they will have worked bloody hard to get there.

[niceguy2]

If I didn't they'd just offshore my job to a little indian chap who would

[MuttonCadet]

You shouldn't work if you're not being paid in the private sector - that's just odd

[niceguy2]

OK, so you are not working 24x7, you are available 24x7. There's a difference. I work in the private sector too and people regularly call me outside of all hours. Doesn't matter if it's 7pm, 11pm or 3am. I've had calls at all those times. I don't even get paid for it. But then I do reserve the right to ignore my phone and pretend I never heard it.

But we're digressing now.

[MuttonCadet]

But your point makes no sense, look at the stats of the backbenchers when it comes to actually attending and voting in the house - they do not work anything like even 40 hours....... Even given local surgery hours.

And don't get me started on the expenses, even what is allowable is a scandal.

[MuttonCadet]

I'm paid to be available. I work in the private sector.

[niceguy2]

Turn your blackberry off Mutton. Job done.

[niceguy2]

Oh and that's sort of my point Mutton. A lot of good successful people right now are probably earning way more than £69k that MP's get paid. So given good, successful people are rarely stupid then a lot are probably not going to want to give up that income to be a politician with all the shit that entails. For example as above having your personal life torn apart with lies and half truths.

[MuttonCadet]

And that's from asking MPs.

I work 24/7 because I'm always available to answer my blackberry.

[niceguy2]

@Mutton. How many hours do you think an MP works?

Because according to what I've read it's averaging around 70 hours. ( Guardian link )
( BBC Link )