40-somethings

Are MPs age-limited?

Tor Clark and Juliet Shardlow explore why the average politician on the frontbench appears to be getting younger

32 | Total Politics | October 2010

P h o t o s:i

P h o t o s:i

S t o c k

S t o c k

&G e t t y I

G e t t y I

m a g e s m a g e s They used to say that when policemen started to look young you knew you were getting old, but things have moved on. Now the PM and his deputy are looking young – and that’s because they are, born within four months of each other in 1966-67. Why do leading politicians now seem to be in their early 40s? Is it good we are giving young, energetic politicians a chance, or does this creeping forward of the age of achievement say something about our attitude to age itself? In the televised election leaders’ debates the most obvious difference between the three men was that two were young and lively and the third seemed old, grey and tired, and that was before any policies were debated. But if we look back to the past, leading politicians seemed to be in their 50s or 60s. The men had grey or white hair – if they had any – and the ladies wore twin sets and had elaborate hairdos and authoritarian, vaguely mythical nicknames like ‘Iron Lady’ and ‘Red Queen’.

Churchill, acclaimed as the greatest Briton, only became PM at 65 and left office at 80. Almost half of Thatcher’s first cabinet were Second World War veterans. Seven years after Thatcher’s departure came a PM not even born until after the war. It used to be that senior politicians served apprenticeships in previous administrations and proved themselves in government and opposition. Churchill first entered cabinet 32 years before he became PM and held a huge range of cabinet posts, under two parties, before winning the top job.

Second World War veterans. Seven years after Thatcher’s departure came a PM not even born until after the war. It used to be that senior politicians served apprenticeships in previous administrations and proved themselves in government and opposition. Churchill first entered cabinet 32 years before he became PM and held a huge range of cabinet posts, under two parties, before winning the top job.

Post-war PMs Attlee, Eden, Macmillan and

Post-war PMs Attlee, Eden, Macmillan and

Post-war PMs Attlee, Eden, Macmillan and

40-somethings

40-SOMETHING FACTS Average age of 2010 MPs: 50 Average age of David Cameron’s first cabinet: 50 2010 cabinet ministers under 40: 3 2010 cabinet ministers in their 40s: 7 Average age of Gordon Brown’s first cabinet: 49 2007 Brown cabinet ministers under 40: 5 Average age of Tony Blair’s first cabinet: 51

Of course some forty-somethings might say they are better qualified for political office because they have spent their formative years working in politics. The two Eds – Balls and Miliband – were Gordon Brown’s left and right hand men in the Treasury for years. Balls was often described, not without foundation, as the ‘deputy chancellor’ and probably more influential than many ministers. He was in cabinet two years after entering the Commons, but no one really questioned his right to be there or his ability.

A more interesting question might be what right he had to climb above his equally talented forty-something wife Yvette Cooper, who had served her apprenticeship through the ministerial ranks since 2007. Her background was as a journalist rather than a professional politician, so draw your own conclusions there.

Home all held office before or during the war and held major offices before becoming PM. Callaghan held all three other great offices of state before finally achieving the most important of them in 1976, replacing a younger man in Downing Street. Even Thatcher served her time as a minister under three PMs. But now, two of the last three prime ministers have taken office in their early 40s, without any previous ministerial experience.

There is evidence either way as to the importance of youth over experience. Ken Clarke has proved a great survivor, recently turning 70, still a leading light of a party that looked to have left him behind ten years ago. He’s been in the Commons for 40 years, longer than his successor as Tory chancellor has been alive. On the Labour benches, the mantle of elder statesman sits on Jack Straw’s shoulders, where his party can use the experience and gravitas of the former student leader – although he is standing down from frontbench politics.

The serious issue is whether the parties’ infatuation with youthful leaders is throwing away all the talent and experience of politicians in the three decades above the 40s, who seem to have traditionally formed the nation’s leaders. When a politician of Tony Blair’s obvious skill leaves the stage at 53, or one of William Hague’s youthful promise resigns his party’s leadership barely into his 40s, is the nation missing out on future po-

The serious issue is whether the parties’ infatuation with youthful leaders is throwing away all the talent and experience of politicians in the three decades above the 40s, who seem to have traditionally formed the nation’s leaders. When a politician of Tony Blair’s obvious skill leaves the stage at 53, or one of William Hague’s youthful promise resigns his party’s leadership barely into his 40s, is the nation missing out on future political ability?

or one of William Hague’s youthful promise resigns his party’s leadership barely into his 40s, is the nation missing out on future poBut the Lib Dems were also the party whose previous leader Menzies Campbell felt he had to resign because so much of an issue

For the Lib Dems, Nick Clegg has led his party back into government for the first time in 65 years and became deputy PM at only 43. But the Lib Dems were also the party whose previous leader Menzies Campbell felt he had to resign because so much of an issue had been made of his age, and whose deputy litical ability?

had been made of his age, and whose deputy had been made of his age, and whose deputy had been made of his age, and whose deputy had been made of his age, and whose deputy

October 2010 | Total Politics | 31

October 2010 |

October 2010 | Total Politics

Total Politics | Total Politics | Total Politics 31