UK MPs - 2015 Parliament

[Phony Moderate]

Richard Benyon   (Conservative - Newbury)

Another Army veteran. Between 1997 and 2010 he had a kind of Disraeli-Gladstone thing going on with David Rendel in this constituency - all four of those elections were between those two. Now he likely (barring scandal) has the seat for as long as he wants it.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The richest MP and also an actual slum landlord.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Regarding Benn, I have long suspected that he does not need to wear glasses.

[Phony Moderate]

John Bercow (Speaker - Buckingham)

Perhaps the most interesting character thus far. Began his political career as the last-ever Chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students - a particularly charming lot who were known for wearing 'Hang Nelson Mandela' stickers. Elected to Buckingham in 1997, he remained on the Thatcherite right until sometime around the turn of the millennium when he became what Americans may describe as a Conservative-In-Name-Only. Despite that he still served in the Shadow Cabinet during the early 2000s before quitting (or being sacked?) by Howard due to disagreements.

When Michael Martin was forced to quit as Speaker in the wake of the expenses' scandal, Bercow put himself forward. He defeated Conservative Sir George Young in the final round and it is thought that only about three Tory MPs backed him. As Speaker he has become known for his blunt put-downs of misbehaving MPs and for not exactly hiding his dislike of his former party. He survived what was in essence a coup attempt orchestrated by the Tory frontbench earlier this year.

He also has a controversial, Labour-supporting 'celebrity' wife named Sally. Oh, and he owned Nigel Farage when Farage challenged him in Buckingham in 2010.

Some of his greatest hits:

http://youtu.be/ScXv_twy2E8

http://youtu.be/uYfAM35r2wg

http://youtu.be/GIoubZxJrO0

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In 1992 he was the Conservative candidate in Bristol South, challenging the Labour incumbent 'Red' Dawn Primarolo, who would later serve (2010-15) as one of the Deputy Speakers. Yeah they both moved towards the centre as they got older.

[Phony Moderate]

Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)

Between 1992 and 1997 he was MP for Croydon Central. Failed to get re-selected in 1997 so he moved to Mole Valley.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Notorious for spending more time in his dentist practise than parliament (and the dentist practise was under suspicion in the expenses scandal)

Dentist + politician ? Must get off on unpopularity.

[politicus]

Notorious for spending more time in his dentist practise than parliament (and the dentist practise was under suspicion in the expenses scandal)

Dentist + politician ? Must get off on unpopularity.

A dentist elected in Mole Valley.. lol

[Phony Moderate]

Luciana Berger   (Labour/Co-operative - Liverpool, Wavertree)

Formerly on the NEC of the NUS, she is known as a leading Zionist voice within Labour and has on several occasions received public anti-Semitic abuse. Also, she is the great niece of Attlee government minister Manny Shinwell.

[Phony Moderate]

Jake Berry   (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)

Former PPS to Grant Shapps (ugh). Sponsored a bill to allow prayers at the beginning of council meetings. Defeated Will Straw (son of Jack) in May.

[Phony Moderate]

James Berry (Conservative - Kingston and Surbiton)

A barrister and one of the new Tory intake; the most noteworthy thing about him thus far is that he defeated Energy Secretary Ed Davey (who once had a majority of over 15,000).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In political terms at least Berger is hard as nails (it must run in the family: one suspects that she would respond to direct racist abuse in much the same manner as her great uncle; i.e. with sudden surprisingly effective physical violence) and is not without political ambition. Worth noting that unlike most politicians with a background in the murky world student politics she's a good media performer.

[Phony Moderate]

Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Openly gay and an economist; supports Sheffield Wednesday rather than United.

[YL]

Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Openly gay and an economist; supports Sheffield Wednesday rather than United.

Followed in the footsteps of David Blunkett in that he was Leader of Sheffield City Council before becoming an MP (five years after Blunkett, in 1992).

His constituency was renamed from Sheffield Attercliffe in 2010, although it still contains Attercliffe (indeed, some areas which might be considered part of Attercliffe were moved back into it from Central); presumably the justification was that Attercliffe was on the fringe of the constituency and not many people live there anyway, but both of those had been the case since at least the 1970s.  Sheffield Attercliffe's political history includes this rather entertaining by-election.

[Phony Moderate]

Andrew Bingham (Conservative - High Peak)

Standard Tory pretty much but has rebelled on things like SSM.

[Phony Moderate]

Mhairi Black (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)

At 20, she is the youngest MP in literally centuries. Defeated Shadow Foreign Secretary and Labour campaign chief Douglas Alexander. Perhaps now the most well-known SNPer aside from Sturgeon and Salmond themselves, mainly due to her maiden speech that went viral.

[Phony Moderate]

Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)

Defeated the late Charles Kennedy. Formerly worked in finance.

[Hifly]

Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)

Defeated the late Charles Kennedy. Formerly worked in finance.

Member of the Calvinistic Free Church and believes that children should not play outside on the Sabbath.

[YL]

Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)

Defeated the late Charles Kennedy. Formerly worked in finance.

Member of the Calvinistic Free Church and believes that children should not play outside on the Sabbath.

There is a playground in his constituency with a sign (in an official-looking font) saying "Please do not use this playing field on Sundays".  (Photo here.)

[Phony Moderate]

Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)

Formerly a member of the London Assembly for Brent and Harrow and yet another politician whose Wiki page has been edited for his own good.

[Phony Moderate]

Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)

Another twenty-something (29) female SNP MP whose surname contains contains the word 'Black'. Formerly served on Aberdeen City Council.

[Phony Moderate]

Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour- City of Durham)

Has served as a Minister and as a Shadow Minister. Her seat was once a major Lib Dem target; they are now in fourth place.

[Phony Moderate]

Nicola Blackwood (Conservative - Oxford West and Abingdon)

Interesting in that she is a socially conservative MP...in Oxford.

[YL]

Nicola Blackwood (Conservative - Oxford West and Abingdon)

Interesting in that she is a socially conservative MP...in Oxford.

Only about a quarter of the electorate is actually in Oxford these days.  Before 2010, when Evan Harris represented it, it contained most of the city centre, including most of the colleges, but that area got moved to Oxford East in 2010, which helps to explain Harris's defeat.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour- City of Durham)

Has served as a Minister and as a Shadow Minister. Her seat was once a major Lib Dem target; they are now in fourth place.

Though is historically a safe Labour seat - held since 1922 with only one break (1931-35, obviously) and usually with big majorities - as the pit villages that surround Durham City provide a very high base vote.

Anyway, Blackman-Woods (who is from Northern Ireland originally) is an academic representing a university constituency and is a much more capable politician than the last academic to represent Durham City (Mark Hughes, 1970-87). She's an expert on housing policy, so hopefully whoever wins the leadership keeps her as Shadow Housing Minister.