Leaving the House: the challenges former MPs face after leaving Parliament

Every election sees a number of parliamentarians leave the House of Commons. Through outlining the experiences of members who left in 2010, Christopher Byrne and Kevin Theakston explain that the transition into a ‘political afterlife’ is not as straightforward as some might think. Many former members struggled to find a job, especially following the expenses scandal, while women were more likely to have been selected for marginal or unwinnable seats, and so their shorter tenures created additional problems.