The post-war record for the number of new MPs has been broken following the general election.
A total of 335 fresh-faced MPs are getting to grips with their new role, beating the 1945 total of 324.
A further 15 MPs with previous experience in parliament are returning, taking the total number of new faces versus the previous parliament to 350.
Proportionally the 2024 total of 350 new MPs represents nearly 54% of the 650 seats, compared to the previous record in 1945, which represented 50.6% of the then total of 640 seats.
For context, only twice in the last fifty years has the number of new MPs exceeded a third of the total (37% in 1997 and 35% in 2010).
In November 2023, Polimapper published a research into the Class of 24 and predicted that the 1945 record would come under threat.
But even that ‘seismic’ Labour win scenario, only foresaw 321 new MPs, with the performance of the smaller parties and independents making the final total a little bit more unpredictable.
Table 1 – Likely newly elected MP numbers at different electoral scenarios
The MPs from parliaments past
In all, only 300 MPs have returned from the previous parliament. 218 MPs were unseated, adding to the 132 who stepped down ahead of the election.
Fifteen MPs are making a return to the House after some time away, having previously lost their seat.
Labour’s Douglas Alexander has returned as the MP for East Lothian. The former secretary of state for Scotland is one of three returning MPs to begin their first stint in parliament when Tony Blair came to power in 1997.
Alexander’s new Labour colleague Dan Norris (North East Somerset) and Liberal Democrat Andrew George (St Ives) are the others.
Norris has had the longest stint out of parliament, with his Wansdyke constituency being replaced by North East Somerset in 2010 and represented until the election by Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Table 2: A breakdown of the new parliament by previous MP experience
New job, familiar surroundings
Although the House of Commons’ induction team is set for a busy few weeks, their workload will be lessened by the fact many new MPs have a background in politics; a number having previously worked for an MP.
These include Cat Eccles (Labour, Brighton Kemptown) who is a former deputy chief of staff to the new prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer; Katie Lam (Conservative, Weald of Kent) who was an advisor to the former home secretary Suella Braverman.
Others to have worked for MPs include:
- Sarah Coombes (Labour, West Bromwich)- was an advisor to former MP Tom Watson.
- Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative, Bridlington and the Wolds) – was a researcher for Greg Hands in the early 2000s.
- Tom Gordon (Lib Dem, Harrogate and Knaresborough) – was the office manager for Lib Dem MP Helen Morgan.
MPs to have served in earlier parliaments
- Heidi Alexander (Labour, Swindon South) – was the MP for Lewisham East between 2010 and 2018.
- Douglas Alexander (Labour, Lothian East) – was the MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South between 1997 and 2015.
- Mary Creagh (Labour, Coventry East) – former MP for Wakefield from 2005 to 2019.
- Sir Nic Dakin (Labour, Scunthorpe) – was the MP for Scunthorpe between 2010 and 2019
- James Frith (Labour, Bury North) – was the MP for Bury North between 2017 and 2019.
- Andrew George (Liberal Democrat, St Ives) – was the MP for St Ives between 1997 and 2015
- Stephen Gethins (SNP, Arbroath and Broughty Ferry) – former MP for North East Fife between 2015 and 2019.
- Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat, Wells and Mendip) – was the MP for Wells between 2010 and 2015.
- Pamela Nash (Labour, Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke) – former MP for Airdrie and Shotts between 2010 and 2015.
- Dan Norris (Labour, North East Somerset) – was the MP for Wansdyke between 1997 and 2010.
- Melanie Onn (Labour, Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes) – was the MP for Great Grimsby between 2015 and 2019.
- Jo Platt (Labour, Leigh and Atherton) – former MP for Leigh between 2017 and 2019.
- Emma Reynolds (Labour, Wycombe) – was the MP for Wolverhampton North East between 2010 and 2019.
- Gareth Snell (Labour, Stoke-on-Trent Central) – was the MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central between 2017 and 2019.
- Anna Turley (Labour, Redcar) – former MP for Redcar between 2015 and 2019.
