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Because I am a nerd and in lockdown, I have done some analysis of Keir Starmer's new Shadow Cabinet, their backgrounds and demographics (A FUN THREAD)
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Of the 32 people in Keir'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'm not sure what the conclusion of all this is beyond 'maybe interesting', though it's perhaps worth saying that the shadow cabinet seems fairly representative of the PLP as a whole, with a bias...
I'm not sure what the conclusion of all this is beyond 'maybe interesting', though it'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)
