As the year turns, the next general election looms ever larger. One thing can, however, be said about the election already. Whenever it finally comes and whatever the result, the turnover of MPs in the House of Commons looks likely to be unusually large. At least 83 MPs have announced that they will be retiring. More are certain to follow. Others will lose their seats. If the swing between the parties is dramatic, the turnover may approach the level reached in 1997, when 249 retired or defeated MPs did not return to Westminster, and a similar number of new MPs arrived.
So get ready for the faces of politics to change. But what about the face of British politics itself? This question matters. The current parliament will certainly not be missed. It has been studded with financial misconduct, lobbying abuses, lockdown parties, sexual harassment, bullying allegations, absenteeism and misleading ministerial statements. Many of the byelections since 2019 have been triggered by scandals. Another MP, Scott Benton, faces a 35-day suspension for reportedly offering his lobbying services to a bogus company in return for up to £48,000 a year on the side.
