Comments on: How often do MPs turn up for work (Part 2): the good, the average, and the downright lazy http://countculture.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/how-often-do-mps-turn-up-for-work-part-2-the-good-the-average-and-the-downright-lazy/ Taking time to look at the numbers Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:39:12 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: MP attendance: end of term report « countculture http://countculture.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/how-often-do-mps-turn-up-for-work-part-2-the-good-the-average-and-the-downright-lazy/#comment-11 MP attendance: end of term report « countculture Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:03:19 +0000 http://countculture.wordpress.com/?p=14#comment-11 [...] let’s have a look at the main parties in detail, using the same histograms used before to show the distribution of the parties attendance figures. Interestingly (well, in a wonkish sort of way), the distributions are a bit more spread out than [...] [...] let’s have a look at the main parties in detail, using the same histograms used before to show the distribution of the parties attendance figures. Interestingly (well, in a wonkish sort of way), the distributions are a bit more spread out than [...]

]]> By: How often do MPs turn up for work (Part 3): attendance week by week « countculture http://countculture.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/how-often-do-mps-turn-up-for-work-part-2-the-good-the-average-and-the-downright-lazy/#comment-7 How often do MPs turn up for work (Part 3): attendance week by week « countculture Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:55:14 +0000 http://countculture.wordpress.com/?p=14#comment-7 [...] Last time I looked at how evenly distributed of MPs attendance was, looking at how the averages were made up by party, and at some of those individual MPs who had particularly low attendance rates. [...] [...] Last time I looked at how evenly distributed of MPs attendance was, looking at how the averages were made up by party, and at some of those individual MPs who had particularly low attendance rates. [...]

]]> By: countculture http://countculture.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/how-often-do-mps-turn-up-for-work-part-2-the-good-the-average-and-the-downright-lazy/#comment-6 countculture Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:52:12 +0000 http://countculture.wordpress.com/?p=14#comment-6 David Interesting theory. I speculated on the previous post what might be the reason for Labour's attendance figures being consistently higher than the Conservatives, but you may be right it's to do with motivation (knowing their votes will mean something), or possibly to stronger whips. I made clear in the previous post when comparing attendance figures by year that it was only since 1997, but it's worth stressing the point in the post for clarity. Thanks for pointing it out. C David

Interesting theory. I speculated on the previous post what might be the reason for Labour’s attendance figures being consistently higher than the Conservatives, but you may be right it’s to do with motivation (knowing their votes will mean something), or possibly to stronger whips.

I made clear in the previous post when comparing attendance figures by year that it was only since 1997, but it’s worth stressing the point in the post for clarity. Thanks for pointing it out.
C

]]> By: countculture http://countculture.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/how-often-do-mps-turn-up-for-work-part-2-the-good-the-average-and-the-downright-lazy/#comment-5 countculture Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:41:29 +0000 http://countculture.wordpress.com/?p=14#comment-5 Alex Actually I'm not saying that all MPs do for a living is vote, and if you read the first post and the notes at the bottom of this one I stress that using votes as a proxy for attendance has a number of difficulties, including the problem of MPs who just turn up to vote. However, it's the only measurement (at the moment) we have. How much time they spend dealing with constituents, for example, how often they hold surgeries or any other non-voting business is not available. In addition, if there were an inverse correlation between division attendance and how good a job an MP does, as you seem to be implying, then this would mean that the Conservative MPs are consistently doing a better job than Labour ones (see my first post for the comparison) ...which would seem odd coming from a Labour Party activist like yourself. Alex
Actually I’m not saying that all MPs do for a living is vote, and if you read the first post and the notes at the bottom of this one I stress that using votes as a proxy for attendance has a number of difficulties, including the problem of MPs who just turn up to vote.

However, it’s the only measurement (at the moment) we have. How much time they spend dealing with constituents, for example, how often they hold surgeries or any other non-voting business is not available.

In addition, if there were an inverse correlation between division attendance and how good a job an MP does, as you seem to be implying, then this would mean that the Conservative MPs are consistently doing a better job than Labour ones (see my first post for the comparison) …which would seem odd coming from a Labour Party activist like yourself.

]]> By: David McKee http://countculture.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/how-often-do-mps-turn-up-for-work-part-2-the-good-the-average-and-the-downright-lazy/#comment-4 David McKee Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:39:44 +0000 http://countculture.wordpress.com/?p=14#comment-4 It should be observed that the data only spans the period since Labour gained power. It is to be expected that a party of government with a straight majority should be required to turn out and vote for most divisions, since they know that their votes will be meaningful. Quite how different this dataset would look in times of a hung, Conservative or Liberal Democrat government is left as an exercise for the patient or time-travelling reader. It should be observed that the data only spans the period since Labour gained power. It is to be expected that a party of government with a straight majority should be required to turn out and vote for most divisions, since they know that their votes will be meaningful.

Quite how different this dataset would look in times of a hung, Conservative or Liberal Democrat government is left as an exercise for the patient or time-travelling reader.

]]> By: Alex Hilton http://countculture.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/how-often-do-mps-turn-up-for-work-part-2-the-good-the-average-and-the-downright-lazy/#comment-3 Alex Hilton Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:19:27 +0000 http://countculture.wordpress.com/?p=14#comment-3 I think you have a very simplistic view of what MPs do for a living. Voting is usually a minor thing and I'm far mor irritated by those MPs who vote, yet who have not listened first to one moment of the debate, which you mention. If you are an MP, you are accountable to around 70,000 people and a number of them feel they own. You get regular phonecalls in the middle of the night, you get invited to stuff at evenings and weekends, you do weekend surgeries. You do casework and advocacy. Personally, I find it hard to imagine how any MP does less than 70 hours per week. So if you have an MP who misses a few votes because they're going to the housing office to advocate for a family living in a B&B or if they are instead meeting an autistic child at the request of a parent who wants you to understand autism better, then they are doing their job far better that some arse getting pissed in the bar, whose waiting for the division bell to go so they can vote. Just my humble opinion Alex Hilton 07985 384 859 alexhilton@gmail.com I think you have a very simplistic view of what MPs do for a living. Voting is usually a minor thing and I’m far mor irritated by those MPs who vote, yet who have not listened first to one moment of the debate, which you mention.

If you are an MP, you are accountable to around 70,000 people and a number of them feel they own. You get regular phonecalls in the middle of the night, you get invited to stuff at evenings and weekends, you do weekend surgeries. You do casework and advocacy.

Personally, I find it hard to imagine how any MP does less than 70 hours per week.

So if you have an MP who misses a few votes because they’re going to the housing office to advocate for a family living in a B&B or if they are instead meeting an autistic child at the request of a parent who wants you to understand autism better, then they are doing their job far better that some arse getting pissed in the bar, whose waiting for the division bell to go so they can vote.

Just my humble opinion

Alex Hilton
07985 384 859
alexhilton@gmail.com

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