MPs’ “stuck in fire-fighting mode” as outdated back offices hold back modern democracy, warns cross-party think tank

The report – co-produced by Demos, Campaign Lab and the London College of Political Technology – identifies systemic operational weaknesses across parliamentary offices, including poor digital infrastructure, rushed recruitment, budget constraints and a lack of data and process design skills.

MPs’ offices handle millions of requests each year and are the primary interface between citizens and the state. Yet they have been widely overlooked by the wider system and left without the modern infrastructure required to function effectively.

The report sets out practical, low-cost reforms spanning political parties, Parliament, the Parliamentary Digital Service and the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, to bring parliamentary office practices into the 21st century.

Lucy Bush, Director of Research and Participation at Demos said:

“MPs’ constituency offices are a critical part of our democratic infrastructure. But too often they are stuck in fire-fighting mode and running on outmoded and deeply inefficient systems. 

“Greater support for MPs’ offices is urgently needed to unlock their productivity and enable them to work with strategic purpose. This report makes clear recommendations that will contribute to the democratic upgrade this country so desperately needs” 

Hannah O’Rourke, Director of Campaign Lab, said:

“MPs’ offices are the frontline of our democracy, yet too many are still operating with outdated systems that make it harder for staff to serve the public effectively. Having worked in parliamentary and constituency offices myself, I’ve seen firsthand how dedicated teams are held back not by a lack of commitment, but by a lack of modern tools, clear processes, and institutional support. At a time when public trust in politics is fragile, people deserve a democratic system that is capable, responsive, and fit for the modern world. Improving how MPs’ offices function isn’t a technical or ops issue, it’s fundamental to rebuilding trust between citizens and their representatives.”

Edward Saperia, Dean of the London College of Political Technology and Co-chair of the UK Democracy Network, said:

“For many citizens, their MP is the primary point of contact when encountering problems they attribute to the state. The total cost to the public of all 650 offices is on the order of £200m per year. This is a major national infrastructure project, and a unique direct investment in the UK’s democratic function that we cannot let go to waste. There are many straightforward practical improvements to be made, and very few are costly or require new legislation.”

KEY FINDINGS

Staff turnover is high and roles are de-professionalised

A survey of MP office staff conducted as part of the research found 73% of ‘staffers’ (MP office staff members) said they had no written guidance, handbook or instructions for how things are run in their office.

“Every time someone leaves, half the knowledge goes with them.” – anonymised staffer

Recommendation: Political parties should develop and invest in shared office infrastructure such as staffer learning networks and pooled party research services like Parliamentary Research Service or Policy Research Unit to improve cross-office learning and knowledge sharing.

Staff lack direction and have unrealistic workloads

46% of staffers surveyed said that they did not have clear targets or goals, pointing to a lack of strategic oversight. This was an issue compounded by staff being inundated with casework, emails, and other duties, often stretching far beyond the confines of a normal working day.

“My work is always on my mind, the huge workload and pressures an ever constant, the worriment about a vulnerable constituent or an important case left over the weekend is not far from my thoughts, my emails are at my fingertips, a text or a call from the Member needing something or asking a question.” – anonymised staffer

Recommendation: MPs should get quarterly leadership or executive coaching focused on setting strategic priorities. Office managers should commission operations consultants annually to help them identify opportunities for automation and capacity building.

Office budget allowances are inadequate

“MP’s offices are quite obviously under-resourced. It’s an insane expectation that MPs are able to respond to ~200/300 emails per day with £153,000 of staffing budget.” – anonymised staffer

The report highlights that budgets for MPs’ offices are modest when compared to similar organisations in other sectors and that MPs face significant constraints in how their budgets can be deployed, including hiring caps, inflexible salary bands, and the reputational risks associated with public scrutiny of spending.

The analysis finds that in the year 2022-2023, 68% of MPs had more than £20,000 left in their staffing budgets, whilst many offices rely on interns and short-term placements instead of permanent hires. At the same time, 23% of staffers surveyed say they do not believe they have received the training necessary to perform their role.

Recommendation: The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority should review pay bands annually to match market rates for comparable job titles, building on their recent consultation on competency-based pay and progression.

Recruitment is haphazard and rushed

“A relatively insular process advertised to folks already in the industry or actively looking, and with a preference for candidates who have experience in an MPs office.”  – anonymised staffer

The report found that 6 in 10 MP staffers (59%) claim to have had prior experience working in parliament before their current role, pointing to a limited pipeline of new parliamentary staff. And at the same time, only a minority of staffers surveyed report undertaking structured assessments; survey data found that just 32% were asked for references, 23% for examples of work, and 29% were given a work test.

Recommendation: Parliament should offer support from independent recruitment specialists to sit in on interviews and advise offices on recruiting best practice.

Offices do not take advantage of commonplace modern technology

Analysis of MPs’ software budgets illustrates that most MPs (449) maintain modest spending levels of under £1,000 per year.

Yet findings suggest that much more could be automated; staffers interviewed reported the biggest waste of time in the job included “having to do various repetitive processes [manually] because there’s no alternative”.

“I wish that we weren’t hamstrung so much by PDS and ‘best organisational practices’ that prevent MPs using far better tech to respond to their constituents.”  – anonymised staffer

Technology use across Parliament is uneven, heavily concentrated in communications and content production and constrained by central security and access controls.

Since 2019, MPs’ offices have purchased over 275 different software tools, including 34 separate video editing platforms alone.

Recommendation: Parliamentary Digital Service should negotiate bulk procurement and bespoke support for popular products, and publish a transparent pathway for requests for new software with clear guidance both for offices and for prospective suppliers.

– ENDS – 

Notes to Editors

Methodology

Findings are based on fieldwork conducted between 2023 and 2024, including in-depth interviews with 10 parliamentary staff and a survey of 35 respondents, drawn from the approximately 3,500 people employed by MPs at the time.

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