Member of Parliament, elected representative, constituency representative, politician

MPs represent people’s concerns and interests in the House of Commons.

Salary range: £82,000 to £115,500

How to become an MP

You can get into this job through:

• being elected

Volunteering and experience

Most people show their commitment through campaigning and volunteering for their party.

You can get other useful experience from:

• serving as a local councillor
• being active in a trade union
• being involved in student politics
• working as a researcher or caseworker for an existing MP

Other routes

You become a Member of Parliament (MP) by being elected in a by-election or general election. You can stand for election as a member of a political party or as an independent candidate.

Each political party has its own selection procedure. Normally, you must get the support of your party’s nominating officer before you can become the prospective candidate.

As a candidate during an election, you’ll be expected to campaign in public and online, attend meetings, make speeches and talk to the local media. You’ll find it helpful to have some experience in one or more of these areas.

More information

Career tips

You’ll need a good understanding of local and national issues, and be up to date with current affairs.

Further information

You can find more advice about becoming an MP from UK Parliament.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You’ll need:

• legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
• an understanding of society and culture
• excellent verbal communication skills
• analytical thinking skills
• active listening skills
• the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• persistence and determination
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and requirements

You’ll need to:

• be over 18 years of age
• be a UK, Republic of Ireland or Commonwealth citizen

To stand for election, you’ll need to be nominated by at least 10 electors from the constituency you wish to represent. You must also pay a £500 deposit. This is returned to you if you get more than 5% of the total votes cast in your constituency.

Certain people are not allowed to stand as an MP, for example someone convicted of electoral fraud. You can check with the Electoral Commission for more information about this.

What you’ll do

Day-to-day tasks

You’ll attend sessions in Parliament and:

• vote on new laws and policies
• raise constituents’ concerns with relevant ministers
• debate issues and raise questions

Outside Parliament, you’ll

• talk to businesses and schools about local, national and international issues
• speak to the media
• attend meetings and conferences
• hold surgeries and advice sessions in your constituency

Working environment

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and you may spend nights away from home.

Career path and progression

General elections are held every 5 years, so it can take a long time to be elected MP.

With experience, you may get the opportunity to take on extra responsibilities like chairing committees and moving into more senior positions like party whip or even party leader.

If your political party is in power, you could go from junior minister to minister and then cabinet minister. If your party is in opposition, you could be a spokesperson on certain issues or have responsibilities in a shadow cabinet.

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