Running can help bridge Westminster divide, say MPs ahead of London Marathon
Others are taking part for the first time such as shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, who sparked rumours of a leadership challenge after he accidentally added 600 people to a WhatsApp group while trying to fundraise for the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association.
Harriet Cross, an ultra-marathon winner, has been tipped by her Tory colleague Andrew Bowie as one of the fastest MPs in the Conservative Party (Michal Wachucik/PA)
Meanwhile, Lib Dem Tom Gordon will be running his second marathon this month, having completed the Paris Marathon on April 13.
Another of those who will be lining up on Blackheath on Sunday is John Slinger, newly-elected Labour MP for Rugby and chair of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on running.
Speaking to the PA news agency, he said he had found running to be one of the things that brought people together in Westminster, despite their differences.
He said: 'I'm a new MP, I was elected in July, and what I found was there's a huge amount of cross-party working in all-party groups and select committees and just in and around the House.
'Don't believe everything you see in the chamber. Yes, there's a lot of yah-boo Punch and Judy, there's also a lot of serious debate there and outside of the chamber people are, to a person, very friendly and civil with one another.
'So, it's yet another way that we can enhance cross-party working because, at the end of the day, we are all colleagues at one level seeking to do the best for the country.'
While Mr Slinger's group intends to encourage more MPs to take up running, many require no additional incentive, finding it helps them unwind from the stresses of Parliament.
Mr Bowie, the shadow Scotland secretary and acting shadow energy secretary who started running properly in the Royal Navy, said it 'provided an opportunity to get away from the madhouse' and 'think things through, contemplate and clear the head'.
Parliament marks the final stage of the London Marathon course (Yui Mok/PA)
Labour's Cat Smith said she had taken up running during lockdown, 'more for my wellbeing than my physical fitness', completing Couch to 5k before taking on the London Marathon in 2021 and 2023.
She said: 'I've done it twice before, and it's a bit addictive, so I want a third one.'
Meanwhile, Mr Fenton-Glynn, the fell runner, saw things as a more binary choice, telling PA: 'An MP told me you need to be careful, because there's two kinds of MPs – running MPs and drinking MPs.
'You don't want to be the latter.'
Six of the MPs taking part in this year's race have run the London Marathon before while in office, although none are close to matching the record held jointly by Alun Cairns and Edward Timpson of 12 appearances in the race.
The most frequent participant this year is Labour's Alex Norris, who is taking on his fourth marathon as an MP – and 10th in total – despite claiming to have done 'precisely three training runs'.
Another returning runner is Lib Dem environment spokesman Tim Farron, who did the marathon in 2021 and 2022 before a knee injury while serving coffee at his local church a year later put him out of action.
He said: 'I thought for a while that might be it, I might no longer be a runner.
'But, slowly but surely, I have mended, I think, and I guess you get to 54, nearly 55, you think, if I stop, bad things will happen.
'But I enjoy it, I enjoyed the buzz of doing it last time round. I also enjoyed the challenge of trying to be ready for it, the discipline of it.'
He would not say whether his party leader, Sir Ed Davey, should make running a marathon his next election stunt, but said he too had 'paid a lot of attention to his physical wellbeing and is, like me, a man in his 50s who is, I think, fitter now than we were 10 years ago'.
Whether any of this year's MP runners will break time records for the marathon remains to be seen.
The fastest ever time by an MP remains 2:32:57, set by Matthew Parris in 1985; and the fastest time by a female MP stands at 3:57:00, set by Liberal Democrat Jo Swinson in 2011.
But, in the same way MPs generally avoid commenting on expected election results, most refused to be drawn on how they thought they would do, focusing instead on completing the 26.2 mile course and raising money for charities.
Several have chosen to raise money for local charities: Mr Slinger has opted for Back and Forth Men's Mental Health; Mr Fenton-Glynn for the Overgate Hospice; Mr Farron for mental health charity Growing Well; and Ms Smith for the Bay Hospitals Charity, all connected to their constituencies.
Others, however, have opted for national charities. Mr Bowie said he chose to raise money for the MS Society because a member of his team has the condition and it 'doesn't get as much attention as some of the other headline-grabbing charities'.
And although not a parliamentarian himself, David Prescott – son of the former deputy prime minister John Prescott – will be running for Alzheimer's Research UK in memory of his father, who died last November.
The parliamentarians taking part in Sunday's London Marathon are:
– Alex Norris (Labour, Nottingham North and Kimberley)
– Andrew Bowie (Conservative, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
– Blake Stephenson (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
– Cat Smith (Labour, Lancaster and Wyre)
– Chris Curtis (Labour, Milton Keynes North)
– Chris Evans (Labour, Caerphilly)
– David Simmonds (Conservative, Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
– Harriet Cross (Conservative, Gordon and Buchan)
– John Slinger (Labour, Rugby)
– Josh Fenton-Glynn (Labour, Calder Valley)
– Lloyd Hatton (Labour, South Dorset)
– Michael Shanks (Labour, Rutherglen)
– Patrick Hurley (Labour, Southport)
– Robert Jenrick (Conservative, Newark)
– Tim Farron (Lib Dem, Westmorland and Lonsdale)
– Tom Gordon (Lib Dem, Harrogate and Knaresborough)
– Lord James Bethell (Conservative)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
Keir Starmer's end-of-term report card is in and it makes for grim reading – he has three big problems
IT is the end of the school year and Parliament is shutting down for the summer holidays. But if Sir Keir Starmer is hoping to spend August in his swimming trunks larking about by the pool, he should think again. 1 The PM's end-of-term report card is in — and it makes for grim reading. The economy is shrinking, his popularity is plummeting and his pesky backbenchers are busy rebelling. The only thing on the up in Britain is illegal immigration and crime. Across the board, Sir Keir and his chums in Labour's class of 2024 are at risk of scoring straight Fs — and failing the British public. In Opposition, Keir Starmer campaigned like a swotty prefect. Dull, yes, but a safe pair of hands who promised to fix broken Britain and restore integrity in politics. But in No10 he has been more Dunce than headboy. The PM has a big problem with his three Rs: Reeves, recession and rebellions. He must master each of these to turn things around. Let's start with Rachel Reeves. On the campaign trail she promised the most 'pro-business' government in British history, and cosplayed Margaret Thatcher by declaring herself the 'Iron Chancellor'. PM vows to drastically increase the numbers of channel migrants sent back to France But once safely tucked up in the Treasury, she dropped a £40billion tax bomb on us — clobbering businesses with that crippling NICs hike. The results were predictable. Britain's economy has gone from the fastest-growing in the G7 to one that is SHRINKING after the tax rises kicked in. Unemployment numbers are up and struggling businesses are thinking twice before hiring because of the eye- watering costs. You don't have to be a maths whizz to work out the numbers don't add up. If Keir Starmer is not careful he could end up with another big problem — a recession. Labour has always had a bad reputation with money. The problem is simple: They love spending money but are rubbish at making it. Now, Labour MPs are busy clamouring for a new wealth tax. ('What wealth?', I hear you cry.) This would be a grave mistake. Eye-watering costs If you squeeze people and businesses with higher and higher taxes they will stop spending, stop hiring, and stop investing. That is how we have ended up in this doom-loop where people feel poorer and cut back on treats like holidays and dinners out. It hacks away at people's happiness and optimism. If you work hard but life isn't getting better, your local pub or shop is closing down, and your kids have fewer opportunities than you had, then what's the point of the Government? If the Starmer regime plunges Britain into recession within its first 18 months in power then it is hard to see how Labour recovers. Which brings me to the third R — rebellions. Labour MPs won by a landslide a year ago, but they have already got a taste for mutiny. The recent welfare rebellion forced No10 into yet another humiliating U-turn and left a £5billion hole in the Budget. Last week Starmer hit back — suspending four rebel MPs for what one insider called 'persistent knobheadery'. I've seen the past four PMs torn down by bitter party feuding. Voters handed Labour a giant majority for a reason: They want change. If the Government fails to deliver it, voters will flock elsewhere. And Nigel Farage's Reform UK party is lurking on the horizon. But Keir Starmer CAN turn things around — it is not too late to turn those Fs into As. First he must stand by Rachel Reeves as Chancellor. Yes, she has made big mistakes, but she knows the importance of providing certainty and stability for the market. Another Labour Chancellor might bring in a wealth tax and go on an even bigger spending splurge. That would be a terrible mistake. Next, he must stop punishing businesses. No more big tax hikes. No more suffocating red tape. Having a wobble Restrictive licensing laws should be torn up. Incentives to take over empty shops should be brought in. Third, he must take on the rebels. No PM can be a hostage to his backbenchers. He must be free to lead. But, to do this, Keir must be braver and make the big arguments. He must stop trying to sneak in piecemeal reform by the back door. On welfare, he should come back with a package of measures that ends the scandal of teenagers and young adults being signed off work for anxiety, depression and bad nerves. It is killing their life chances with misplaced kindness. It is not too late for the Government to turn things around. As any parent of a spotty teenager will tell Keir, lots of people have a wobble in their first year. But the PM must pull his socks up, hit the books this summer and come back next term with bigger and better ideas. Otherwise, as one of my old teachers once told me, he risks slipping into obscurity. And he will have failed Britain. THERE is a long hot summer ahead of us and that can only mean one thing – more crime. Shoplifting, phone snatching, stabbings. Brits are sick to the back teeth with it all. A shocking poll in yesterday's Sun on Sunday revealed that half of voters think the country is becoming lawless. That is a stat to keep politicians and police chiefs awake at night. Nigel Farage and Reform UK will spend the summer shining a light on our crime-blighted streets and promising to restore law and order. Keir Starmer should be worried. People want their neighbourhoods cleaned up. If Labour can't do it, they will vote for a party that can.
Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Telegraph
There must be a way forward for our water industry
On one thing everyone is agreed: the water industry is in a mess. The finances are shot to pieces, charges to consumers have risen rapidly and the record on pollution is a disgrace. A review to be published today will try to chart a way forward for the country's water companies though without any great expectations that it will bring about the fundamental reforms that are needed. The political parties are unable to agree about what should happen next. With businesses like Thames Water heavily in debt, is renationalisation the answer? Labour ministers, who are not normally shy about praising state ownership, are not keen since the costs would be enormous, probably around £100 billion. Moreover, since the industry struggled to raise money for investment when it was run by the state, why would reverting to the days before privatisation make any difference? The Water Commission chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe, former deputy governor of the Bank of England, was specifically told not to consider renationalisation as an option in its review. Nonetheless, it has been looking at alternative models such as mixed public-private arrangements. The Government would retain a golden share and control while the private sector would still be expected to drum up the investment rather than the taxpayer. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, says this is an approach he would favour if in office and it may be something the review recommends. On the other hand, in his preliminary findings Sir Jon said it was by means clear that any particular model equated to better outcomes. 'The Commission's Call for Evidence set out preliminary analysis that suggested no clear, consistent causal link between ownership models and water company performance on a range of metrics and called, specifically, for more evidence on this issue'. There is one thing that unites everyone and that is the uselessness of Ofwat as a regulator and the need to replace it with something that works. On its watch the industry has come close to bankruptcy and vast sums have been paid out in dividends while pollution of rivers, lakes and seas has risen dramatically. Serious incidents have risen 60 per cent in a year, according to the Environment Agency. Will today's review usher in the fundamental changes that are needed or merely see the mess continue? It would help if the politicians could agree on a way forward for dealing with our most precious commodity.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
NIGEL FARAGE: If you're a criminal, I'm putting you on notice. Follow the law or face serious justice
Britain is lawless. Over the past 20 years, crime has become commonplace across Britain – something Labour and the Tories have accepted rather than challenged. Labour's relentless focus on restricting free speech, raising taxes, and releasing hardened criminals early has come at the direct expense of policing and public safety. We must hold the Conservatives equally accountable, they've been in power throughout this crisis. They introduced the disastrous £200 shoplifting charter, effectively incentivising theft under that threshold and allowing criminals to face no real consequences. They eroded public trust and safety. There's no question: Britain is lawless and it needs Reform. That is why today I am laying out my party's plans for how we take back control of our streets from the criminals who currently plague them. Over the last 20 years, witnessing and experiencing crime has become normalised, with Britons feeling helpless and an overworked police force struggling to keep up. Government funding seems to be going to everything except keeping the people of this country safe on the streets and secure in their homes. Moreover, the Government seems to be doing everything it can to increase the likelihood of crime by importing droves of unvetted men into our towns and cities. Total crime is now 50 per cent higher than it was in the 1990s, and twice as high as in the 1980s. The current figures today are four times greater than they were in the 1970s. Something is fundamentally wrong with both our justice system and the approach towards criminal prosecutions. Our prison system is broken and, in most cases, at full capacity. Violent repeat offenders are being released early and in many cases people do not feel confident that reporting crimes to the police will lead to justice. A recent study has revealed that 44 per cent of violent crimes go unreported and over 64 per cent of robberies and thefts. One of the greatest measures of how a country is faring is the level of trust the public holds with government officials and their ability to keep us safe. From successive Labour and Conservative governments, that trust has been completely lost. By deporting 10,400 foreign prisoners, Reform will end the crisis of prison overcrowding. There's no justification for taxpayers funding the lives of criminals who shouldn't be here in the first place. Many break the law just by entering the UK, then commit further crimes once here – disrespecting our laws, culture, and civility. The only acceptable response is deportation. Reform will commit to the building of five new 'Nightingale' style prisons across the UK. Similar to what Denmark has done, we will negotiate a deal with countries such as Kosovo to ensure prison overcrowding is not a problem that occurs in Britain. For too long, Labour and the Tories have sent the message that crime in Britain carries little to no consequence. Reform will change that. We will ensure that the punishment actually fits the crime – not our current system where people are jailed for tweets while violent criminals walk free after serving a two-year sentence. Reform will build a justice system that properly investigates and prosecutes all crimes. Britain will no longer send the message that robbery, theft, and antisocial behaviour are acceptable. I will ensure any crime, big or small, will be investigated and perpetrators will face justice. Under a Reform government, we will have full-tariff sentences. Life will mean life if I am your prime minister. There will be no early release and no suspended sentences for serious violent offenders, sexual offenders and knife possession. We will end the £200 shoplifters' charter – all shoplifters will face arrest. We will also introduce mandatory life imprisonment for drug trafficking. Reform UK will be the toughest party on law and order this country has ever seen. We will cut crime in half. We will take back control of our streets, we will take back control of our courts and prisons. If you're a criminal, I am putting you on notice. In 2029 you have a choice to make: be a law-abiding citizen or face serious justice.
