Stuck between the snobs and the critics

Frances Leach | 8th December 2020 | Comment, Culture & Travel, Magazine, Social Wire
Carrie Symonds and Boris Johnson
Carrie Symonds and Boris Johnson on Commonwealth Day 2020 (Credit: No 10 Downing Street)

Fashion can make or break in Westminster, says former aide to Jeremy Corbyn Frances Leach

Style in Westminster is an odd phenomenon. For some of the most visible people in the world, what they wear is often overlooked (rightly) for the political decisions they take and the convictions they hold.  But what is fashion’s role in the corridors of power? And does it really matter what you wear when you’re jostling for influence in such a volatile and superficial environment? The short answer is yes – of course, it does.  When working as an adviser in Westminster, it is always amusing to see the fresh blood arriving into the House of Commons after recess or a General Election. New MPs and their staffers alike must choose their style of dressing in a matter of days. For MPs, it can go one of two ways – either they arrive with a wardrobe that screams “I own the entire West Wing boxset on DVD” or, for MPs who come from more humble backgrounds, it’s simply whatever they could afford to put on their already eye-wateringly high credit card statements.  One such MP, who had just won a h...

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



Hospitality and social value: A unique relationship that is worth protecting

Robert Richardson | October 22, 2026

"Our profession is one of the most accessible in the world," writes hospitality CEO Robert Richardson

How to solve Britain’s housing crisis? 

Kamal Pankhania | October 20, 2026

If councils want to build more homes, they must make it easier for property developers to partner with them, says leading UK developer Kamal Pankhania  

Beyond the beautiful game: How global investment has transformed Manchester

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | October 13, 2026

Manchester’s metamorphosis into the UK’s second capital has been a testament to the potential of northern cities, so we must approach the Man City scandal with a nuanced

Forty years after Big Bang, the City cannot write its own rules for growth

Mick McAteer | September 23, 2026

Greater deregulation for the financial sector in the City is not the way forward, writes Mick McAteer.

The Great British agricultural crisis: What does this mean for food, farmers, and national resilience?

Ella Beadman | September 22, 2026

This summer exposed the chain of vulnerabilities faced by the agricultural industry, Ella Beadman writes.

Jenrick is right to abolish the Tourism Tax to save the Great British staycation

Mace Magazine | September 21, 2026

The government's new 5% tourism tax and overnight levy is the last thing the UK's hospitality sector needs, says William Cash

The government wants to make it harder for businesses to say no to WFH – what does this mean for young people?

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | September 17, 2026

The new government protocol raises concerns about whether young people are getting the necessary exposure they need in their early careers 

The existential threat AI poses for the free press

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | September 16, 2026

What happens when the technology that could one day threaten humanity begins to destroy the institution responsible for warning us about it?

The exodus of the super-wealthy: Who pays the price?  

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | September 8, 2026

As speculation mounts over further tax rises, Britain’s ultra-rich investors and job creators are choosing to take their wealth elsewhere.

The Economic Paradox: Can Britain Afford to Penalise Parenthood?

Robert Richardson | September 8, 2026

In an exclusive op-ed for Mace, hospitality industry leader Robert Richardson sets out why the sector must do more to become accessible to young families.