THE next House of Commons is likely to be made up of MPs with more business and financial management experience than the current Parliament.
The Industry and Parliament Trust charity surveyed prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs) in 225 marginal seats which require the smallest percentage swing to change hands at next year's General Election.
It found 48 per cent have business management or financial services experience, compared with 21 per cent of current MPs.
More PPCs work in those sectors than any other – 37 per cent are employed in roles such as managers or directors of firms, financial professionals or management consultants. Conservative PPCs have more experience in those fields than their Labour and Lib-Dem counterparts.
The second biggest sector is politics, public affairs and PR, followed by education and law.
The research also found the average age of a PPC is 43 and they have been involved in politics for an average of 12.6 years.
Phil Orford, chief executive of the Knutsford-based Forum of Private Business, said: “It appears that, disillusioned with existing enterprise policies, more entrepreneurs are seeking to get involved by putting themselves forward for election.”
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I hope "business and financial management experience" also includes people with scientific and technical backgrounds but for some reason I very much doubt it.
Filling it with people who have common sense would be a start. Business or Technical backgrounds are essential, the current muppets (of all parties) are failed social workers, teachers, lawyers and accountants or hereditary spongers who haven't enough brain cells between them to make a sensible decision.