MPs’ staff are experiencing increasing psychological problems, the study shows
MPs’ staff are suffering from increasingly serious psychological problems due to increased tensions over the war in the Middle East, a study has found.
Nearly half of the 3,700 workers employed by MPs experienced clinical stress comparable to that of care workers last year, the findings show.
One in five said they feared for their own safety and that of their colleagues. This led to calls for a new whistleblower-style hotline, where employees can voice their concerns.
The survey of 357 members of MPs’ staff, the largest of its kind, was carried out before increased tensions in Westminster over the Israel-Gaza war, which many say has increased their fears.
Concerns about the safety of parliamentarians increased last month following the controversy over House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle’s handling of the Gaza ceasefire votes.
Hoyle broke parliamentary protocol to allow three separate votes on a ceasefire in Gaza, angering the Scottish National Party and the Conservatives. An emotional speaker later told MPs he had made his decision, allowing Labor to avoid a difficult vote, because he feared for MPs’ safety.
Several members of MPs’ staff told the Guardian that the episode had “put a target on our backs” and led to them being accused of “undermining democracy” because Hoyle had breached parliamentary protocol during the debate.
One said they felt concerns about the protests had been “politicized” and that the main fear was “widespread bullying and harassment of junior staff” by MPs and other senior colleagues.
They added: “There is definitely a huge amount of fear surrounding the aftermath of what happened to Jo Cox and David Amess and the comments (by Tory donor Frank Hester) about the death of Diane Abbott.”
Cox died after being shot and stabbed in 2016 and Amess was fatally stabbed in 2021.
“That’s all very scary because you’re in front of the public and sometimes you have to vet people before they get to the MP – that adds a level of fear.”
The research found that 46% of staff met the medical threshold for mental health problems – more than twice the rate among the general population.
This is an increase from 42% in 2022, reflecting increased pressure last year amid the fallout from global conflicts, including in Gaza and Ukraine.
It had fallen from 49.8% in 2021, when MPs were inundated with concerns from the public about the end of Covid-19 support measures such as furlough.
Nearly half said they often or always hid the nature of their work from others because they expected a negative response.
One said they were questioned by a nurse about the state of the NHS “when I had to have an operation” after revealing their job in politics.
The MP’s welfare group, which commissioned the research, called for a new whistleblowing-style hotline for employees to use.
They said staff safety was a “key concern, particularly in recent years” and that those working in constituency offices felt more threatened than those in Westminster.
It said it was “astonished” that almost one in 10 office workers in the constituency said their MP or office manager had rejected measures that would improve the safety of their workplace.
The survey also highlighted concerns about the impending general election, with more than half saying they felt it would have a negative impact on their job, and 48% felt unprepared to seek a new role .
Workers outside Whitehall said they were treated as “slack-jawed” and “second-class citizens” by the parliamentary establishment, often working in unpleasant offices.
One said: “Our constituency office is awful – there is damp, mould, the toilet and kitchen are so old and don’t work properly, the heating is terrible, there is no real natural light. The carpets are filthy and the whole place needs serious renovation.
“The building is owned by a real estate company of the local political party, so we have no say in how it is maintained. All requests for modernization, cleaning and decoration will be rejected.”
A House of Commons spokesperson said the Members Services team has a confidential hotline for pastoral care and other support.
The spokesperson said the ability of parliamentary staff to carry out their duties safely is “fundamental to our democracy”, adding: “MPs’ staff are a highly valued and integral part of the parliamentary community, and while the report shows that progress is being made. More work needs to be done to ensure that the working lives of MPs’ staff can be improved in the long term.”