Fenland Woman: Do Labour MPs Drink Tea With Tories?
Claire lets us into some of the secrets of British Parliamentarians.
The House of Commons, the lower chamber of the U.K. parliament, is a place of fierce political debate. Its combatants are MPs, men and women elected to discuss, approve or reject laws proposed by the British government. Arguments occur because the MPs belong to political parties that disagree on how the country should be run.
The largest party in the House of Commons always forms the British government. The Labour party has been in power since 1997 and currently has 353 MPs. The Conservatives are the party of opposition with 195 MPs, and the Liberal Democrats have 63. There are 35 other MPs in the House of Commons. Five have not taken their seats, four occupy nonpartisan offices, two are independent and the remainder represent seven other parties.
With so many conflicting political ideals in one chamber, a question arises: Is it possible for MPs from different parties to be friends?
"Not really," says writer and broadcaster Edwina Currie, who sat as Conservative MP for South Derbyshire from 1983 to 1997. But, "we would work together, and be pleasant to each other, perhaps over years."
In an e-mail, Currie outlined the reasons for cross-party cooperation.
"Margaret Beckett (Labour, Derby South) and I went together to lobby the secretary of state for education for a university in Derby," she said, giving an example of teamwork between MPs from neighboring constituencies.
Currie revealed that MPs collaborate on national issues of common agreement, like gay rights and abortion reform. "This tends to happen most on social issues where there is a free vote."
She explained that MPs also work alongside each other on public bill committees, select committee inquiries, "when a unanimous report is the aim, or on a delegation to another country, where it is important to present a united front."
"These are alliances and cooperations for a common goal, not friendships," she said. "I wouldn't be socially pally with other party MPs. You wouldn't confide in them as they have every reason to pass it on. Any friendships tend to occur after people have left parliament, if at all."
When asked about cross-party friendships, Christine Hamilton, wife of former Conservative MP Neil Hamilton, said, "It is rare for deeply committed politicians to be close friends with another of a different hue -- it is just too important a factor in their lives and the stakes are too high."
Yet she added: "There's a life away from politics -- although you could be forgiven for not realizing this when speaking to some politicians. Those who have wider interests will have a wider circle of friends where political color simply doesn't count."
Henry Bellingham, Conservative MP for Norfolk North West and shadow minister for justice, said that he was friendly with Labour MPs. In a telephone interview he explained that friendship between Conservative MPs could be complicated by competition for positions within the party hierarchy. He said, "With Labour MPs you give each other a bruising in the chamber, but you know where you are with them when you meet socially. There isn't any competition between you because you are in different parties."
