By background a chemist in the steel industry, a community broadcaster, a political researcher and a councillor, Paul Flynn has proved to be a tenacious, resourceful and independent minded Member of Parliament for Newport West. Always a supporter of, but never a slave to, his beloved Labour Party, Paul is one of those MPs who entertains a wide range of political interests and has pursued them unwaveringly according to his own lights, irrespective of the received wisdom of the Government or the Official Opposition at any particular time. Health, drugs policy, social security, animal welfare, constitutional reform, Afghanistan and opposition to the Trident missile system are but a few of the issues on which he has been an outspoken and passionate campaigner. Following a brief spell on the opposition front bench, which ended over two decades ago, Paul Flynn has devoted himself to being an effective backbench parliamentarian. He has acquired significant experience on parliamentary committees and continues to serve with the Public Administration Select Committee and the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee. Yet he is best known for his witty, incisive and often provocative questioning in the Chamber of the Commons of ministers in successive governments.
Few people can be better equipped to write on how to be an MP. Using a combination of anecdotes drawn from personal experience, historical references and astute perceptions, he manages to capture the practical issues and challenges of political life with good humour, affection and insight. He has seen it all, said it all and done it all in his time and can pass on many clear-sighted words of wisdom to others who want to enter the political fray at Westminster. For those that don’t, this book is an entertaining and fascinating account, giving the unvarnished truth about life for an MP and all the compromises and difficulties that entails. His thoughts on the impact of the new intake of MPs since the 2010 election and the reforms that have helped breathe new life into parliamentary scrutiny are an encouraging indicator that we are heading in the right direction.
He tackles many of the challenging issues head on, such as in his sections on ‘How to Restore Trust’, ‘How to Switch on Young Voters’ and ‘How to Deal with Disaster’. But perhaps his greatest skill is to convey the complex, infuriating, exhausting but ultimately compelling life of an MP. I thoroughly recommend this book with one exception, because a Speaker cannot possibly commend a section entitled: ‘How to be a Hooligan’!
I trust you will enjoy what should be a stimulating and rewarding read.
John Bercow
January 2012