Whatever Happened To…?

Emelia Wild | Issue 2 | Magazine, Westminster Index

From the Archive

WEHT

From armchair space exploration to prison chaplaincy, Rosa Herxheimer and Emelia Wild look at the ways politicians approach the second acts of their lives

It's hard being an MP, but it's even harder when you have to stop being one." So says Elizabeth Peacock, chair of the Association of Former Members of Parlia­ment. She served as an MP for the West Yorkshire constituency of Batley and Spen between 1983 and 1997, and, when it was all over, was at a total loss about what to do. So she formed an association. 'Well, actually, I was sort of recruited;' she tells Mace. "I was at a gathering at the Speaker's house, and someone was saying, very loudly: We need a woman from the north who's a Conservative; and his companion said: Well, there aren't any:" Peacock overheard and piped up: 'Well, sir, yes there are - I am one:' She has been spearheading the association, which now has a membership of over 400 - including three former prime ministers - ever since. It takes a special type of person to want to be an MP, and these ex-politicos make up a colourful crowd. Here are some examples of the characters you might find at one of their quarterly gath...

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