Expert: Phil Woodford - 6/19/2001

Question
I am 16, and would like to know how old you have to be in order to join a political party. I am very interested in politics and would like to go into it as a career, but I don't know how.

How do you become a candidate in a general eletion in order to become an MP for a political party? and what kind of qualifications do you need??

I would be extremly grateful for any information or advice you could give me,

Thanks

Answer
Hi Becki

There is no minimum age set by law for joining a political party, but parties may have their own rules.  I think the Labour Party is either 15 or 16 (I joined at about this age myself) and all major parties will have youth organisations too.  Although you can vote at the age of 18, you can't stand for public office until you are 21.

The process of becoming a parliamentary candidate varies from party to party.  When I was selected in 1995 as a Labour candidate for the 1997 election, I simply sent a political CV to different constituency parties.  They drew up a shortlist and would invite candidates to make speeches at a meeting.  The members then voted.  For the 2001 general election, I had to be approved by the national Labour Party and placed on an official panel before I could start approaching constituency parties.  To get on the panel, you had to make a presentation, answer questions like in a job interview and take part in a make-believe press conference.

Traditionally, parliamentary candidates tended to be people who had spent time as councillors in local government or as local party officers.  I think most parties are probably prepared to consider people from more diverse backgrounds today.  I have been a Labour Party activist and have chaired a constituency party in the past, but have never been a councillor.

People will select you on your ability to present yourself well, make speeches, answer questions and so on.  They will also want to know about your political views, your connection with the area you seek to represent and your involvement in community affairs.  It is also useful to have specialist knowledge of some areas of government policy.

The first thing you need to do is decide which party you want to join!

Best wishes

Phil Woodford