The rise of the career politician
Up from 20% in the 1980s. Researchers, special advisers and think-tankers now outnumber lawyers and businesspeople.
Before Thatcher's first government, a typical minister arrived from the Bar, the City or the family firm. Today the most common route runs through politics itself: a job as a researcher for an MP, a special adviser in a department, a post at a think tank or in party headquarters.
Among serving ministers with a known career history, 56% had worked in politics before being elected, against 34% who came from law, finance or business.
Show the data
| Date | Political staff % | Law/business % | Councillor % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-07-01 | 14.4 | 58.9 | 17.8 |
| 1980-07-01 | 14.4 | 58.9 | 17.8 |
| 1981-07-01 | 13.5 | 57.3 | 15.7 |
| 1982-07-01 | 19.4 | 51.6 | 16.1 |
| 1983-07-01 | 18.6 | 54.7 | 18.6 |
| 1984-07-01 | 18.4 | 52.9 | 18.4 |
| 1985-07-01 | 19.8 | 53.8 | 17.6 |
| 1986-07-01 | 21.1 | 51.1 | 17.8 |
| 1987-07-01 | 23.9 | 54.3 | 17.4 |
| 1988-07-01 | 23.9 | 54.3 | 17.4 |
| 1989-07-01 | 24.5 | 56.4 | 14.9 |
| 1990-07-01 | 25.3 | 56.8 | 16.8 |
| 1991-07-01 | 24.5 | 58.5 | 18.1 |
| 1992-07-01 | 21.9 | 66.7 | 18.8 |
| 1993-07-01 | 19.8 | 66.7 | 18.8 |
| 1994-07-01 | 19.1 | 66.0 | 19.1 |
| 1995-07-01 | 18.8 | 65.6 | 19.8 |
| 1996-07-01 | 19.1 | 68.1 | 21.3 |
| 1997-07-01 | 23.1 | 30.6 | 41.7 |
| 1998-07-01 | 22.5 | 31.5 | 40.5 |
| 1999-07-01 | 25.0 | 36.1 | 39.8 |
| 2000-07-01 | 26.2 | 36.4 | 42.1 |
| 2001-07-01 | 30.9 | 38.2 | 40.9 |
| 2002-07-01 | 30.8 | 38.3 | 38.3 |
| 2003-07-01 | 30.9 | 37.3 | 38.2 |
| 2004-07-01 | 32.1 | 36.7 | 39.4 |
| 2005-07-01 | 34.5 | 39.1 | 37.3 |
| 2006-07-01 | 34.2 | 38.7 | 33.3 |
| 2007-07-01 | 37.9 | 37.9 | 34.5 |
| 2008-07-01 | 37.4 | 40.0 | 34.8 |
| 2009-07-01 | 30.8 | 43.6 | 34.2 |
| 2010-07-01 | 47.0 | 70.1 | 21.4 |
| 2011-07-01 | 46.2 | 70.1 | 21.4 |
| 2012-07-01 | 47.4 | 69.8 | 21.6 |
| 2013-07-01 | 44.1 | 72.0 | 25.4 |
| 2014-07-01 | 42.7 | 74.4 | 28.2 |
| 2015-07-01 | 48.2 | 82.1 | 24.1 |
| 2016-07-01 | 50.0 | 82.1 | 23.2 |
| 2017-07-01 | 45.5 | 75.9 | 29.5 |
| 2018-07-01 | 41.7 | 77.4 | 31.3 |
| 2019-07-01 | 38.4 | 75.9 | 34.8 |
| 2020-07-01 | 43.1 | 75.0 | 31.0 |
| 2021-07-01 | 40.7 | 74.6 | 32.2 |
| 2022-07-01 | 40.7 | 74.6 | 32.2 |
| 2023-07-01 | 36.9 | 67.2 | 27.9 |
| 2024-07-01 | 38.0 | 67.8 | 28.9 |
| 2025-07-01 | 53.0 | 37.4 | 33.9 |
| 2026-07-01 | 54.5 | 40.7 | 30.1 |
The swings follow changes of government. A new party brings in a cohort with different backgrounds: Labour's 1997 intake leaned on trade unions, councils and campaigning, the 2010 Conservatives on business and the professions. But under both parties the long trend has been toward people who have spent their working lives in and around Westminster.