Job’s lonely and the voters hostile complain ex-MPs

FORMER MPs have claimed the job was ‘lonely’ and grumbled about working 80-hour weeks for ‘hostile’ constituents, a report has revealed.

Politicians who left parliament at last year’s general election said they had to deal with being described as ‘crooks’ and ‘greedy’.

Many claimed they would not have taken on the job if they had realised how hard it was to be an MP with young children.

Others moaned that it was ‘lonely’ living in two places, and one said: ‘Quite bluntly for my constituents, Westminster is a swear word.’

More than 50 outgoing MPs were quizzed by Commons officials as part of a report to the House of Commons Administration Committee.

Although changes to sitting times had reduced the number of late nights, the working week was still said to be 70-80 hours.

The former MPs complained about the lack of ‘understanding’ among constituents over the pressures they faced, ‘especially when discussing MPs’ salaries’. Although the rise of Twitter and Facebook was seen as ‘positive’, it also meant that loose remarks could be ‘circulated at a furious pace’.

One said that the better their reputation the more work they had to do. They added: ‘Success can be a double edged sword. You do good work, your reputation improves, more people come to you, and your work load goes up.’

Another said: ‘I wouldn’t have done it [become an MP] if I had realised how hard it was to be an MP with young children in the constituency.’

Sir Paul Beresford, chairman of the cross-party Administration Committee said work done by MPs in constituencies and in recesses was ‘often ignored or presented as “holiday time”’.

He added: ‘This report vividly describes the pressures of working at Westminster and in the constituency, rising constituency case loads, and the human pressures of balancing a public and a private life.’