There is another explanation: the way the electoral system work (FPTP is definitely awkward and lead to deep misrepresentation of the voters), the interest of people, and the feeling that often it is more valuable and rewarding to be involved in real action beside politic chit-chat.

Mario Cavalli on Twitter raises the opposite question – http://twitter.com/mariocavalli/status/1574691002 – why do some people persevere despite all the obstacles and disadvantages. An interesting question and I think our current PM is a textbook case of someone who was motivated by political ambition to the exclusion of virtually everything else. Having had a few months experience of being a father I cannot imagine why anyone would miss it, but I just don’t think having a ‘normal’ life ever really occurred to Gordon Brown.

When I am asked what do I feel is appropriate for offense X in situation Y. I ask what the guidelines say (to also better understand exactly how the offense should be classified). They say they don’t want me to go off the guidelines. I try to explain that I thought the whole point was to go off the guidelines to get a starting point, and then decide whether there are exacerbating factors or mitigating factors.

They say yes, in court, you’d use the guidelines. But we want to know what you think is appropriate. I say I don’t know what is appropriate because I don’t know what the starting point is supposed to be. They tell me to say something anyway.

So I am asked to guess, despite the fact that in court I wouldn’t have to. Later, I discover that my application ‘was unsuccessful at this time’, and can’t help think that was the reason why*… (although I’m quite happy not to be doing it now).

*although it could simply have been that I was white, male, and of the wrong age group or educational background to what they were looking for to get a representative sample. But if I knew WHY then I’d have known whether it was worth my while ever applying again…

Anyway, personal rant aside, I’d be interested in any blog posts on ‘the aborted politician’ if you don’t feel it would compromise your magnum opus any further 🙂

I agree with you, and appreciate the clarity you bring to this issue. There are some overwhelming obstacles facing potential MPs, not the least the cost (direct and opportunity), and certainly not the least the impact on family life during campaigning, and, if elected, once serving.

Something in my shies away from a future professional political class – which in essence we have in many ways already – but I do agree that there must be some way in which the party machine could assist aspiring members.