More women and minorities – Westminster newbies breaking records

Westminster will have an air of “freshers’ week” in the coming days, as hundreds of new faces descend on the Houses of Parliament.

Out of 650 people elected last Thursday, 335 have never been an MP before.

The new Parliament will also see a series of firsts – record numbers of women MPs and those from an ethnic-minority background, as well as the first member born in the 21st Century.

For the first time in parliamentary history, the proportion of women elected is more than 40%. There are now 263 female MPs – up from 220 in 2019 – nearly half of whom are new to the Commons.

The bulk of the new women MPs are Labour (93), followed by the Liberal Democrats (22).

Kirith Entwistle, who now represents Labour in Bolton North East, says she has already had her first meeting with a constituent, about the possible closure of a post office.

There are now four Green MPs – one of them, Ellie Chowns, the new member for North Herefordshire, says she is hugely excited about the “privilege” of being an MP.

Like many other new members, Ms Chowns now has to resign a former job – in her case as a lecturer, although her campaigning means she has been on unpaid leave for the past year.

Campaigners for gender equality, including 50:50 Parliament and the Fawcett Society, have welcomed the increase in women MPs, but say female-friendly policies also matter, including on flexible work and childcare.

The proportion of MPs from ethnic-minority backgrounds is now 87, or 13%. This is up from 65 at the last election, and the closest it has ever been in modern times to reflecting the UK’s diversity (18% of Britons identified themselves as non-white in the 2021 census),

The Labour Party has the highest number of ethnic-minority MPs (66), followed by the Conservatives (14).

Sunder Katwala, director of British Future - an independent think tank on diversity issues – says while greater ethnic-minority representation “doesn’t guarantee better policies on inclusion”, the increased numbers are good news.

“In the space of 40 years we have gone from zero to nearly one-in-seven MPs being from an ethnic-minority background.”

Mr Katwala thinks that ethnic diversity has become the new norm across the main political parties: “When the new Commons raises issues of race, ethnic-minority MPs will be there to bring their lived experience to the debate.”

This parliament includes the biggest share of state-educated MPs since 1979, according to the Sutton Trust, a charity which aims to improve social mobility.

The proportion of MPs educated in comprehensives is now 63%. Another 23% were educated privately, and 13% in selective schools.

About 7% of children across the UK are educated privately.

At university level, 20% of MPs attended Oxford or Cambridge at undergraduate level, while another 35% attended other Russell Group universities.

All but two members of the new cabinet went to state school – with two – Lisa Nandy and Lucy Powell – attending the same high school in south Manchester.

Of the 25 cabinet members, 40% are Oxbridge graduates, although deputy leader Angela Rayner is one of the 10% of MPs never to have attended university as an undergraduate.

The fresh intake of MPs also has several newcomers with notable backgrounds.

Pat Cullen – a new Sinn Fein MP – was the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing for three years. Reform UK’s Rupert Lowe was formerly the chairman of Southampton FC.

Labour’s Rachel Taylor used to be a Wimbledon umpire. Meanwhile, Roz Savage from the Lib Dems, is the only woman to have rowed solo across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.

The oldest MP this time round will be 80-year-old Tory Sir Roger Gale - born at the height of World War Two. The youngest is Sam Carling, who was born in 2002.

The 22-year-old – who is the new MP for North West Cambridgeshire – was a toddler when his defeated Conservative opponent, Shailesh Varma, was first elected as an MP.

However, Mr Carling has already gained political experience both as a Cambridge City councillor and as a campaigner against river pollution.

“I’m extremely excited of course, very cognisant of the responsibility that people have put upon me, and very grateful,” he says.

He will take his place on the government benches alongside several Labour MPs in their 20s, including the new MP for Kettering and keen figure skater Rosie Wrighting, 26 – and 24-year-old Josh Dean, the new Hertford and Stortford MP.

For those starting out, there are many practical issues to sort out. Phil Brickell, Labour MP for Bolton West, described it as a “surreal” few days.

“There’s a lot to get your head around,” he says. “How Parliament works, hiring staff, finding an office in the constituency and getting into a weekly rhythm. At the moment, I’m taking it one day at a time.”

And what do those who have recently been through it advise?

Damien Egan was first elected in a by-election in February, and is now the Labour MP for Bristol North East. He says he was advised to sit in the chamber as much as possible and absorb the way debates happen as it is “very different from a normal workplace”.

Asked for recollections of his first day, he says: “My first day, I remember waiting outside the chamber – I forgot I was allowed to go in!”