It seems the well of compassion for out-of-work Conservatives has run a bit dry. Former MPs, turfed out when Labour claimed a landslide victory at the last general election, are discovering that political fame doesn’t automatically translate into job offers.
Sir Charles Walker’s “Career Distress”
In a Telegraph interview, Sir Charles Walker revealed he’s made just £575 in the six months since leaving office—£500 from a bit of election-night punditry and £75 for a spot on Radio 4’s Broadcasting House.
“I’m beginning to talk to more and more colleagues who are in career distress,” he said, noting they “simply just not getting interviews.”
Walker has dipped into his financial reserves, even taking his House of Commons pension early, but warns that it’s not an endless pot of gold.
Jonathan Gullis: Another Tory Story
Jonathan Gullis, once MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, lost his seat to Labour’s David Williams. Now, he’s struggling to find work too—an unemployment situation impacting not just himself, but also his wife and two young children.
“I’ve applied for a few jobs and sadly not even had an interview yet,” Gullis lamented in a radio interview.
“We’re now seen as a problem… that’s a challenge.”
Social Media Says “No Thanks”
Unfortunately for these ex-MPs, sympathy from the public is in rather short supply. Social media has been quick to point out the irony of The Telegraph championing the plight of unemployed Tory politicians when many ordinary job-seekers feel they’ve had to sink or swim without such benevolent coverage. Suffice to say, the online world isn’t queuing up to send a sympathy bouquet.
You may also like: “Bungling Badenoch” hints at means testing state pension
