ABSTRACT
MPs' staff underpin the effective functioning of politicians and consequently they are vital to governance within the democratic system. Representation of the public is serviced by MPs' staff, yet their own well-being has been overlooked by research. 315 UK MPs' staff completed surveys in 2021 and 2023, including the Scale of Political Stressors, assessing the frequency of sources of job pressures. Additionally, 1517 qualitative comments were considered in relation to the public-facing, organisation-facing and individually focused features of their work according to the framework of Flinders et al. Despite the gravity of the job, there appears a concerning prevalence – and overarching tolerance – of often suboptimal working conditions, characterised frequently by inconsistent patterns of induction and training, job insecurity, lack of career progression and modest renumeration. Public hostility and threats of violence are particularly concerning. On the positive side, there is good management by many MPs and office managers.
