More than a memento mori? Assessing the participation of former Prime Ministers in the House of Commons

The successes and failures of political leaders and their rise and fall from power are well analysed by academic studies. The roles played by former leaders however are more obscure, particularly if they continue to maintain an institutional presence. This article explores the backbench behaviour of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBritish journal of politics & international relations Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 528 - 547
Main Authors Middleton, Alia, Thompson, Louise
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.05.2024
Subjects
House of Commons
former prime ministers
political leaders
statecraft
backbenchers
constituency work
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Summary:The successes and failures of political leaders and their rise and fall from power are well analysed by academic studies. The roles played by former leaders however are more obscure, particularly if they continue to maintain an institutional presence. This article explores the backbench behaviour of 12 former UK prime ministers following their departure from Downing Street. We find that contemporary former prime ministers display more diverse backbench behaviour in the House of Commons, are more focused on performing constituency representation in the chamber and engage in a form of statecraft focused on real time assessments of their successors. This is significant as it suggests that our traditional assumptions of post leadership careers may need reinterpreting. It also demonstrates an ongoing democratic benefit to the presence of former leaders within legislatures.
ISSN:1369-1481
1467-856X
DOI:10.1177/13691481231215737