It's a regular grumble about politicians that they don't live in the real world, or even come from it. Such complaints won't be helped by a fine bit of work from this month's Public Affairs News, which finds that more than one in 10 MPs has worked in lobbying and/or communications. (Okay, I know those are proper jobs (Well, they can be).) There's a news story here but for the full list you'll need to get the magazine.
Leading the way are David Cameron (corporate chief for Carlton Communications when it was sweeping up ITV and making a bit of a mess of OnDigital) and Nick Clegg ("political consultant" at GJW government relations 15 years ago). But the list also fingers David Miliband (parliamentary officer for the National Council for Voluntary Organisations), Diane Abbott (press officer for Lambeth Council), the saintly deputy speaker, Sir Alan Haselhurst, (public affairs consultant) and the culture secretary, Andy Burnham, (parliamentary officer at the NHS Confederation).
The magazine admits that defining the categories were tricky and that people like Patricia Hewitt (PR officer for Age Concern in the early 70s) were in the business for only a short time. Even so they've excluded MPs who did such jobs for the political parties themselves (former Lib Dem spin chief Jeremy Browne makes the list for his other comms roles). Many of the MPs worked for jolly good causes and it's easy to see how the skills — advocacy, presentation, connection with the public — translate to elected office.
In an accompanying piece in the magazine public affairs expert Conor McGrath says his research in the US found that some lobbyists-turned-politicians believe "having been a lobbyist allowed them to 'hit the ground running' as a legislator. Further, a willingness to bargain and be pragmatic, as opposed to an ideological rigidity, can be a real virtue both as a lobbyist and as a legislator".
It might be good for them. But is it good for politics?
