New Labour MPs warned about bad behaviour after ‘Parliament of scandal’

In brief...

• Keir Starmer has encouraged special training for new Labour MPs, emphasising humility and high standards to avoid the scandals that marred previous parliaments.
• Starmer's approach includes ethics and standards as central themes, aiming to restore trust in politics by increasing accountability for MPs.
• The new government promising to focus on accountability and public service, with initiatives such as regular meetings with mayors and ending divisive culture wars.

Labour MPs have been told that they "are not that special", in their first week in government.

That might sound harsh, but it's all part of Keir Starmer's bid to clean up UK politics after what Lewis Goodall describes as "the Parliament of scandal", referring to the Conservatives and some of their activities during the last 14 years in power..

This week, it was revealed that special training had been held for new MPs, which LBC politics correspondent Aggie Chambre tells The News Agents Starmer "personally encouraged" his 412 new Labour government members to attend.

Starmer promised a different type of politics when he became Prime Minister on the morning of 5 July, using his speech outside 10 Downing Street to promise "a return of politics to public service".

"When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation," he said at the time.

Starmer added that his role, and any in public service, is a "privilege."

"Your government should treat every single person in this country with respect."

And in less than a week, it seems he's been taking steps to achieve these goals, not only with stirring speeches made from a lectern outside his new central London home, but behind closed doors as well.

"Basically, it's newly elected MPs getting into a room and being told, you are not that special," Aggie Chamber tells Emily and Lewis.

"Yes, you’re in a special place, but don't get ahead of yourself, don't get a massive ego, don't get drunk, don't shout at people – because it is not a good look.

"They're coming in and just being really, really hit over the head with the fact that standards are going to be really important for all MPs."

She tells The News Agents that MPs were presented with situations such as: 'You are an older male MP, should you invite your young researcher to your hotel suite to work?', and a discussion would follow about how to respond to the situation.

There were also conversations on whether MPs should "ignore or shout at" security staff.

"It's interesting that this is being done and does tell us something about how Starmer or the Commons authorities are responding to the Parliament of scandal," says Lewis.

"That was the last parliament, and it happened again, and again, and again."

Emily believes the number of women MPs now in the House of Commons will have iinfluenced Starmer’s determination to reshape politics, and life inside Parliament for the people working there. Following the July election, there are now 263 female MPs, and his cabinet has the most in history.

"They'll be thinking: you bloody better get this right now. We're not in the dark ages anymore," she adds.

Aggie says standards and ethics are "central" to Starmer's plans for his government, especially with so many of the new Labour MPs in Parliament, many of whom will never have managed staff before.

Since winning the July election, Starmer has promised to increase the powers of his ministerial watchdog, to hold his government to a higher level of account, after making a manifesto commitment to set up a new independent Ethics and Integrity Commission to "ensure probity in government".

Labour blames incidents under Conservative governments, such as Downing Street parties during the Covid-19 pandemic, for leaving trust in politics "shattered".

He has also promised to hold regular meetings with England's mayors, saying they can make "better decisions than people sitting in Westminster" about local issues.

Following his lead, new culture secretary Lisa Nandy also promised the "era of culture wars is over" in her first few days on the job.

“This is how polarisation, division and isolation thrives," she said during a speech to staff at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

“In recent years we’ve found multiple ways to divide ourselves from one another. And lost that sense of a self-confident, outward-looking country which values its own people in every part of the UK.”

Listen to the discussion in full on The News Agents.