Frequently Asked Questions: MPs

Useful information and related reading about MPs.

How many MPs are there in the House of Commons?
How many MPs are there in each party?
How many male MPs are there?
How many female MPs are there?
Who was the first female MP?
Who was the first female Minister?
Who is the Speaker of the House of Commons?
Who is the Father of the House?
Who is the oldest MP?
Who is the youngest MP?
What is the average age of an MP?
What is the longest ever length of service for an MP?
How many MPs are from ethnic minorities?
Do MPs have to live in their constituency?
When did MPs first get an annual salary?
What is the annual salary of an MP?
Do MPs pay tax on their salary?
Can MPs claim expenses?
How much do the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers get paid?
How much do Select Committee Chairs get paid?
How much does the Speaker get paid?
Do opposition parties get financial help from Parliament?
Do MPs have their own pension scheme?

How many MPs are there in the House of Commons?

At the 2024 General Election, 650 MPs were elected.

List of MPs

How many MPs are there in each party?

Up to date information is shown on the State of the Parties page at the link below:

Current State of the Parties

How many male MPs are there?

At the 2024 General Election, 387 male MPs were elected.

List of male MPs in the current Parliament

How many female MPs are there?

At the 2024 General Election, 263 female MPs were elected: 40 percent of the total.

List of female MPs in the current Parliament
Research briefing: General election 2024 results and analysis

Who was the first female MP?

Countess Constance Markievicz was the first woman elected to the House of Commons, in 1918. However, as a member of Sinn Fein, she did not take her seat. The first woman to be elected and to take her seat was Viscountess Nancy Astor in 1919.

Research briefing: Women in Parliament: making a difference since 1918
About Parliament: Parliament and women

Who was the first female Minister?

Margaret Bondfield - appointed Under Secretary in the Ministry of Labour in 1924.

Glossary: Minister
Research briefing: Women in Parliament and Government
About Parliament: Parliament and women

Who is the Speaker of the House of Commons?

The Speaker of the House of Commons is Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP.

About Parliament: The Speaker
Research briefing: Speakers of the House of Commons

Who is the Father of the House?

Following the 2024 general election, the Father of the House (the MP with the longest unbroken service) is Sir Edward Leigh MP who has been an MP continuously since 1983.

Glossary: Father of the House
Research briefing: Father of the House

The female MP with the longest unbroken service (the 'Mother of the House') is Diane Abbott MP, who was first elected in 1987.

Who is the oldest MP?

At the 2024 General Election, the oldest MP elected was Sir Roger Gale, aged 80 when last re-elected.

Biography of Sir Roger Gale MP

Who is the youngest MP?

The youngest MP is Sam Carling, Labour MP for North West Cambridgeshire, aged 22 when elected at the 2024 General Election.

What is the average age of an MP?

The average age of the MPs elected at the 2024 general election was estimated to be 48, based upon available information.

In the period from 1979 to 2019, the average age of MPs at elections was consistently around 50 years.

Research briefing: General election 2024 results and analysis
Research briefing: Social background of MPs: 1979 to 2019

What is the longest ever length of service for an MP?

Charles Pelham Villiers served continuously for 63 years, 6 days. Sir Winston Churchill served for 63 years, 10 months in total but this was not unbroken service.

How many MPs are from ethnic minorities?

There is no official data on the ethnic background of MPs. However, according to the British Future think tank, 90 MPs with a minority ethnic background were elected in 2024; 14% of the total.

Research briefing: General election 2024 results and analysis
Research briefing: Social background of MPs: 1979 to 2019

Do MPs have to live in their constituency?

MPs do not have to live in their constituency. In fact, there is no residency qualification at all - an MP could even live outside the UK. There are, however, nationality and age qualifications and a number of other disqualifications for MPs.

For more details contact the Electoral Commission

When did MPs first get an annual salary?

1911. The first annual salary was £400.

Research briefing: Members' pay and allowances - a brief history

What is the annual salary of an MP?

£91,346 from 1 April 2024. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) are responsible for setting the level of MPs' pay.

Do MPs pay tax on their salary?

Yes. MPs pay the same rates of taxation and National Insurance as any other employed person.

Can MPs claim expenses?

Yes. MPs can claim expenses to cover, for example, staff costs, travel expenses and the cost of running an office. Expenses for MPs are regulated and administered by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA)

How much do the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers get paid?

Ministerial salary figures are published on the Cabinet Office website.

Ministerial Salary Data (Gov.UK)

How much do Select Committee Chairs get paid?

Chairs of Commons committees receive an additional salary on top of their MP salary. Figures are given on the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) website.

Pay for Committee Chairs (IPSA website)

How much does the Speaker get paid?

The Speaker is paid an additonal salary on top of their MP salary. The amount is increased annually in line with percentage increases in Senior Civil Servant pay.

Do opposition parties get financial help from Parliament?

Opposition parties get extra money to help them carry out their parliamentary business. This is known as 'Short Money'.

Glossary: Short Money
Research briefing: Short Money

Do MPs have their own pension scheme?

Yes they do - details of the scheme are given on the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) website.

MPs' Pay and Pensions (IPSA website)