Arise, novice leader! The continuing rise of the career politician in Britain

Abstract

In late 2010 the leaders of the major British political parties were the most inexperienced of the post-war era. This short article discusses this development. It shows how unusual this is, comparing the leaders of 2010 to their post-war predecessors. It demonstrates that this development is unlikely to be some fluke, before considering the causes of the transformation, which it suggests can be attributed to two things: the changes in the election methods used by the political parties - which seem to have led to less experienced candidates being elected - as well as the changing nature of political 'experience', with career politicians gaining political experience before entering the Commons. © 2012 The Author. Politics © 2012 Political Studies Association.