Leaders' experience

Yesterday, I watched a documentary by Michael Portillo called 'The Lady's Not For Spurning'. In the end of the movie, Portillo briefly said that when Cameron ran for leadership, he was not sure if he could win due to his lack of parliamentary experience. I decided to check when Cameron became an MP, and I was quite surprised to find out that he only entered politics in 2001. Of course, he was a special adviser to Norman Lamont, but let's be fair - that is very different. Many previous leaders not only had a huge parliamentary experience before standing for the Leadership, but also usually stood for a one or two unwinnable seats before actually becoming an MP. This tendency can be observed in other parties too, so let's take a look at postwar leaders of three main parties (I don't take SDP separately because it consisted mainly of very experienced Labour MPs).

Conservative:

Winston Churchill - Leader in 1940-1955; MP since 1900. That's 38 years (with a 2-year gap in 1922-1924) of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Anthony Eden - Leader 1955-1957; MP since 1923, first election contested in 1922. 32 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Harold Macmillan - Leader 1957-1963, MP since 1924 (out in 1929-1931). 31 year of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Alec Douglas-Home - became PM from the Lords so cannot be compared.

Edward Heath - Leader in 1965-1975, MP since 1950  - 15 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Margaret Thatcher - Leader in 1975-1990, MP since 1959 - 16 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

John Major - Leader in 1990-1997, MP since 1979 - 11 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

 William Hague - Leader 1997-2001, MP since 1989 - 8 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Ian Duncan Smith - Leader 2001-2003, MP since 1992 - 9 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Michael Howard - Leader 2003-2005, MP since 1983, 20 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

David Cameron - Leader 2005-now, MP since 2001, 4 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Labour Party:

Clement Attlee - Leader 1935-1955, MP since 1922, 13 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader (but don't forget that Labour was a relatively small party then)

Hugh Gaitskell - Leader 1955-1963, MP since 1945, 10 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Harold Wilson - Leader 1963-1976, MP since 1945, 18 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

James Callaghan - Leader 1976-1980, MP since 1945, 31 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Michael Foot - Leader 1980-1983, MP since 1945 (not MP 1955-1960), 30 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Neil Kinnock - Leader 1983-1992, MP since 1970, 13 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

John Smith - Leader 1992-1994, MP since 1970, 22 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Tony Blair - Leader 1994-2007, MP since 1983, 11 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Gordon Brown - Leader 2007-2010, MP since 1983, 24 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Ed Miliband - Leader since 2010, MP since 2005, 5 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Liberal/Liberal Democratic Party:

Archibald Sinclair - Leader 1935-1945, MP since 1922, 13 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Clement Davies - Leader 1945-1956, MP since 1929, 16 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Jo Grimond - Leader 1956-1967, MP since 1950, 6 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader (but Liberals only had 6 MPs so there was little to choose from)

Jeremy Thorpe - Leader 1967-1976, MP since 1959, 8 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

David Steel - Leader 1976-1988, MP since 1965, 13 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Paddy Ashdown - Leader 1988-1999, MP since 1983, 5 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Charles Kennedy - Leader 1999-2006, MP since 1983, 16 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Ming Campbell - Leader 2006-2007, MP since 1987, 19 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader.

Nick Clegg - Leader 2007-now, MP since 2005, 2 years of parliamentary experience by the date of becoming leader (he was an MEP but, I mean, really...)

The overall tendency is the reduction of the average number of years spent in Parliament before becoming Leader. There were notable exceptions in the beginning of 21st century - Howard, Brown, Campbell. But after them, each of the new leaders was elected with 5 years or less of experience. Makes you think, doesn't it?