Read on Twitter
Because I am a nerd and in lockdown, I have done some analysis of Keir Starmer& #39;s new Shadow Cabinet, their backgrounds and demographics (A FUN THREAD)
...
...
Of the 32 people in Keir& #39;s new team, only two (Healey and Brown) were elected in 1997 under Blair.
Everyone else is more recent - with the largest number being from 2015 (9 MPs, including Starmer himself).
The newest MPs are Dodds, Pollard, Gill and de Cordova (all 2017)
Everyone else is more recent - with the largest number being from 2015 (9 MPs, including Starmer himself).
The newest MPs are Dodds, Pollard, Gill and de Cordova (all 2017)
Only 6 of the new Shadow Cabinet have previous ministerial experience: Healey, Brown, Lammy, Miliband, Falconer and Smith.
Only one (Miliband) has actually run a department as Secretary of State (Energy & Climate Change), and Falconer was Lord Chancellor under Blair.
Only one (Miliband) has actually run a department as Secretary of State (Energy & Climate Change), and Falconer was Lord Chancellor under Blair.
In terms of regional distribution, the Shadow Cabinet represent constituencies in:
London - 6
Northwest - 5
Northeast - 4
Yorkshire/Humber - 4
Midlands - 3
Wales - 3
Southwest - 2
Southeast - 1
Scotland - 1
This broadly reflects the distribution of Labour MPs across the country
London - 6
Northwest - 5
Northeast - 4
Yorkshire/Humber - 4
Midlands - 3
Wales - 3
Southwest - 2
Southeast - 1
Scotland - 1
This broadly reflects the distribution of Labour MPs across the country
Of the 32 members, 12 were previously local councillors.
Other common career backgrounds include:
Political researcher - 6
Solicitor - 6
Barrister - 5
Trade union worker - 4
Charity (policy/lobbying) - 4
Charity (other) - 3
Lecturer - 3
Other common career backgrounds include:
Political researcher - 6
Solicitor - 6
Barrister - 5
Trade union worker - 4
Charity (policy/lobbying) - 4
Charity (other) - 3
Lecturer - 3
Obviously many of them did combinations of these things; a popular route is solicitor - trade union - councillor - MP, for instance.
There is also one GP (Allin-Khan), a teacher (Griffith) and a cellist (Debbonaire). Only two have non-professional backgrounds.
There is also one GP (Allin-Khan), a teacher (Griffith) and a cellist (Debbonaire). Only two have non-professional backgrounds.
All but 3 completed higher education of some kind. 7 went to Oxford (including 4 PPEists). The next most common unis are Cambridge, Manchester and LSE, each with 3 graduates
12 studied politics, 8 law, and only 2 did science subjects (Vaz, biochemistry and Allin-Khan, medicine)
12 studied politics, 8 law, and only 2 did science subjects (Vaz, biochemistry and Allin-Khan, medicine)
Finally, there are 17 women and 15 men, and 7 have ethnic minority backgrounds.
I& #39;m not sure what the conclusion of all this is beyond & #39;maybe interesting& #39;, though it& #39;s perhaps worth saying that the shadow cabinet seems fairly representative of the PLP as a whole, with a bias...
I& #39;m not sure what the conclusion of all this is beyond & #39;maybe interesting& #39;, though it& #39;s perhaps worth saying that the shadow cabinet seems fairly representative of the PLP as a whole, with a bias...
... towards newer MPs. Compared to the UK population as a whole, the Shadow Cabinet is overrepresented in Oxbridge grads, uni grads in general and in those from professional backgrounds, but perhaps no more so than the Westminster world in general. (END)
