Blue Collar Parliament

Working for a Britain where anyone can become an MP.

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

The proportion of working class and blue collar MPs has declined in every election since the 1960s

We want parliament to be a place everyone can join - to truly represent the public.

Today we launch:

BLUE COLLAR PARLIAMENT
https://t.co/GzmK560ZGh

Pls RT / 🧵

[Hannah @GreenPartyHan]

And just like that, in less than 24 hours I went from photo 1, to photo 2. From holding my own live on the BBC to getting straight back under the floor fitting central heating 🙌🏻

Elect folk who live in the real world not who set out on a career in politics to stroke their ego!

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

@GreenPartyHan Hannah would it be possible to DM you please? As one of the few blue collar workers in politics, it'd be great to connect

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

The public desperately want more working class MPs
Do you?
Join us at https://t.co/7mJHLhBrKb

[YouGov @YouGov]

With MPs nominations about to close, which characteristics do Labour voters see as important for Labour's next deputy leader?

Is from a working class background: 62%
Is from outside London/South: 48%
Is from left of the party: 42%
Is a current cabinet minister: 29%
Is a woman: 26%
Is from an ethnic minority background: 18%

[English Radical History @EnglishRadical]

#OnThisDay 1874: Thomas Burt (L) and Alexander Macdonald (R), both former miners, were elected as the first working-class MPs. Burt had begun work as a trapper boy in County Durham aged 10, while Macdonald had joined his father down the Lanarkshire mines aged 8.

[Saul Staniforth @SaulStaniforth]

.@owenjonesjourno: We need more working class MP's, and one of the reasons we have so few these days is because the trade unions, which used to be the way working class people got into politics, have been weakened over decades. #GMB

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

The candidate application form for Labour for Runcorn and Helsby is here. The party has a record low number of Parliamentarians from working class and blue collar careers. If that's you, you can apply here:
https://t.co/1k6cdWrDQH

[American Political Science Review @apsrjournal]

Just published on APSR First View: "The Class Ceiling in Politics" by Olle Folke (@ollefolke) and Johanna Rickne (@johannarickne). https://t.co/MtCm4tQTvU

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

Very grateful to @PoliticsJOE_UK for the chance to speak about about our campaign. Video here:
https://t.co/HLczWdOuXZ

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

@DavidMcNeill3 hi David, please could I ask for the best method to contact you? Could I DM you please?
Thanks
David

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

@UKLabour If you would like to see more working class MPs like the great John Prescott then sign up for our campaign here
https://t.co/7mJHLhATUD

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

There is one ex care worker in parliament.

There are almost no bus drivers, plumbers, builders, mechanics, call centre workers etc.
We want to change that
Sign up
https://t.co/7mJHLhATUD

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

@MrHarryCole If you'd like to make politics more accessible for normal people rather than elite insiders, sign up at https://t.co/7mJHLhBrKb

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

@PaulEmbery The number of blue collar and working class politicians in parliament has consistently declined for two generations. At the last election, only 7% were working class.

Support out work to address this collapse at:
https://t.co/7mJHLhATUD

[Duncan Exley @Duncan_Exley]

John Prescott’s working class background discussed here as if it’s remarkable (because in Westminster it is)

@Kevin_Maguire talks of the withering of routes by which working-class folk once became MPs (There’s more to it than that tho:see @bluecollarMps)

https://t.co/8MDQyJtniS

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

@patrickkmaguire There has been a total collapse in working class people becoming MPs. In the last parliament @IPPR calculated the number to be 7%.

We're trying to address this
https://t.co/7mJHLhBrKb

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

In 2023 we organised an fringe at Labour Conference to talk about the lack of working class and blue collar people being chosen by the party to become MPs

Speakers included
@MichaelLCrick
@lukeakehurst
@pathwithanr
@HalsallSean
@ClareMcPlus4

Watch below:
https://t.co/xiudXlbHuv

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

@David_Cameron John was the son of a railway worker and and served in the merchant navy before parliament.

Today, working class and blue collar workers make up only 7% of parliament (@IPPR )

We want to change that.

Help us. Sign up to hear more at https://t.co/GzmK560rQJ

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

@campbellclaret @SkyNews John was the son of a railway worker and and served in the merchant navy before parliament.

Today, working class and blue collar workers make up only 7% of parliament (@IPPR )

We want to change that.

Help us. Sign up to hear more at https://t.co/GzmK560rQJ

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

@johnmcdonnellMP John was the son of a railway worker and and served in the merchant navy before parliament.

Today, working class and blue collar workers make up only 7% of parliament (@IPPR )

We want to change that.

Help us. Sign up to hear more at https://t.co/GzmK560rQJ

[Blue Collar Parliament @bluecollarMps]

@BenPBradshaw John was the son of a railway worker and and served in the merchant navy before parliament.

Today, working class and blue collar workers make up only 7% of parliament (@IPPR )

We want to change that.

Help us. Sign up to hear more at https://t.co/GzmK560rQJ