‘It makes me a better MP’: British politicians get lessons in meditation
About 120 MPs and 180 peers have taken part in mindfulness courses over the last decade
More than 300 British politicians have been trained in mindfulness in the last decade, new estimates have suggested, sparking fresh calls for a meditation room to be installed in parliament.
About 120 MPs, including Tracey Crouch, the Conservative former minister and Clive Lewis, of Labour, plus about 180 peers have joined courses in the secular practice, which is rooted in ancient Buddhist meditation techniques, a new report has found.
The new figures have shown that one in 10 MPs serving over the last decade have so far had meditation training delivered by the parliamentary authorities. The scale of its spread at Westminster emerged as the mindfulness all-party parliamentary group backed a report which calls for further resources “to support politicians with either beginning or maintaining their mindfulness practice, including consideration of a specific physical space for politicians to practise”.
A mindfulness room has been suggested as part of the multibillionpound overhaul of the parliamentary estate. Over the last decade, politicians have practised meditation in committee rooms and standard meeting rooms in Portcullis House. The Australian parliament in Canberra has had a meditation space since it opened in 1988. About 800 members of staff at the Palace of Westminster have also taken part in mindfulness courses – equivalent to a quarter of the current workforce.
Several MPs have spoken out in favour of the impact of mindfulness on their working lives. In the report published last month and endorsed by the mindfulness all-party group, Scott Mann, the Conservative MP for North Cornwall, said he felt “more centred” and able to take on the concerns of constituents and local business owners. An unnamed MP said they were no longer “calling out” opponents “on a gratuitous basis”. Crouch said she takes her shoes off in the chamber before giving a speech to “mindfully feel the ground beneath her feet and help anchor herself to improve performance”.
The effectiveness of the practice remains contested. Mindfulness and meditation, including mindfulnessbased cognitive therapy, is available on the NHS and is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for the treatment and management of depression in adults . But a study of school-based training showed it did not appear to improve the mental health of teenagers. Many pupils were bored by the course and so did not practise it at home. One of the study’s leaders, Prof Mark Williams, said “the idea of mindfulness doesn’t help – it’s the practice that matters”.
A study of police officers found mindfulness training did not reduce sickness absence but did improve wellbeing, life satisfaction, resilience and performance.
Kay Andrews, the Labour peer and former chair of the Lords’ social care committee, who advocates mindfulness practice, said politicians should understand it is not “just some soppy option” but a “very serious opportunity to take stock and develop resilience and emotional understanding”.
“Mindfulness is not a panacea, either in terms of the contribution it can make to politicians’ individual wellbeing, or to their working environment,” said Ruth Ormston, director of the Mindfulness Initiative, a charity that supports the all-party parliamentary group on mindfulness. “But the accounts highlighted in our report do suggest that this evidence-based psychological training provides essential support for many politicians to carry out their roles more effectively.”
The extent of their interest in mindfulness emerges amid continued debate about the way politics is conducted in the UK. Last month, Rory Stewart, the former Conservative MP, described as “mad” the way MPs have to pretend to have the answers to everything while in reality “don’t really know what’s going on”. He said some of his “colleagues tried to kill themselves” and others had “total breakdowns”.
From 2013 to 2020 mindfulness training was provided free of charge by the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, which is part of Oxford University. Since then, Awaris, a training organisation that has also coached workers at Ikea and Red Bull has run sixweek courses, although the contract is understood to be due for renewal within months.
Tim Loughton, the MP who is cochair of the all party group and who has previously described how he meditates in the bath, said mindfulness helps politicians “disagree better” and become better colleagues “in a highly divisive and stressful environment”. He said if he is debating some else from the mindfulness class “the level of debate actually improves”. Mindfulness meditation can be seen as a form of attention training and Crouch said she was able to end meetings faster because “instead of me saying ‘I’m sorry I don’t understand that point’ ie ‘I wasn’t listening’, I’m fully focused.”
Lewis, the Labour MP, said the quality of acceptance emphasised in mindfulness practice helped him be more forgiving when something like a TV interview did not go to plan.
“It helps me to draw a line under something and move on to the next thing, with fewer self-critical thoughts sabotaging my future performance,” he said.
One former government minister who practises mindfulness but withheld their name, said: “I’m more able to do a higher volume of work. I’m able to move between things more easily and I’m less reliant on other methods to relax, which might involve doing something that’s not productive.”
Calling for further development of mindfulness training at Westminster, the report concluded: “Given that in a representative democracy millions depend upon the cognitive, emotional, and relational competencies of a small appointed group, we suggest that such training is not simply a ‘nice to have’.”
Trainers’ top tips to start your work day
Make time in the morning for mindfulness practice such as meditation, a walk or a slow cup of tea. Make a conscious transition to the start of your working day.
Create a focused environment by turning off alerts, plan when to look at emails and messages, when to reply and who to include.
Check your posture and take a deep breath before checking or sending emails or making a phone call.
Take time to prioritise the day, keep an uncluttered workspace and block out time for deeper work.
Listen in meetings and conversations. Notice people’s expression, emotion and posture. Notice your reaction in body and mind. Accept both, free of judgment.
Eat and drink away from your desk, savour the flavours rather than thinking about your to-do list.
Stretch and take a five-minute walk between meetings. Even if it is the same route, open your senses and let go of thinking.
Counter human negativity bias by noticing three things you appreciate each day.
Set aside 10 minutes between meetings or at lunch to practise a mindfulness of breath and body meditation. You can get started using guided audio.