The Political is Personal

Tales from the Green Benches: An Oral History of Parliament

One point that all of our oral history interviewees agree on is that being MP is more than just a job: it is a lifestyle. Becoming a Member of Parliament is all-consuming and can impact upon marriages, parenting, financial security and more. Whilst some enter into this aware of the toll it can take, others find the reality of this role hard to manage. And in our period, where MPs' actions and expenses came under intense scrutiny, the political became personal- and public!

In this final episode of the series, Emma and Alex explore some of the more emotional reflections within our interview archive, as Members reflect on how being an MP impacted on their personal lives- and how they now feel about the role, years after leaving the Chamber.

Presented by Dr Emma Peplow and Dr Alex Lock, produced by Melissa FitzGerald at Zinc Audio. With additional writing from Dr Priscila Pivatto and script editing from Connie Jeffery. All interviews are deposited at the British Library. Find a catalogue of interviews on our website.

Artwork by [email protected].

Find more from the History of Parliament Trust at www.historyofparliament.com and follow this link to find information about our publication ‘The Political Lives of Postwar British MPs’.

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More information:

British Library Reference Codes: Episode Webpage:

Giles Radice interviewed by Henry Irving, C1503/0160

Kenneth Weetch interviewed by Alexander Lock, C1503/0070

Helene Hayman interviewed by Emmeline Ledgerwood, C1503/0115 B

Dick Taverne interviewed by Jason Lower, C1503/0006

John Watson interviewed by Henry Irving, C1503/0040

Jenny Tonge interviewed by Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite, C1503/0148

Ivan Lawrence interviewed by Priscila Pivatto, C1503/0171

Sylvia Heal interviewed by Alexander Lock, C1503/0172

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