Tales from the Green Benches: An Oral History of Parliament

Introducing Tales from the Green Benches: An Oral History of Parliament, a new podcast from the History of Parliament Trust. Many of us will be familiar with the image of the House of Commons’ infamous green benches. But what does it really feel like to be in the Chamber, working in the ‘mother of Parliaments’? This is what the History of Parliament Trust’s Oral History project seeks to find out, interviewing former MPs about their time in Westminster- and beyond. Now, for the first time, we have gathered some of the reflections within our vast archive of interviews into one place, allowing you a true insider’s view into life as a Member of Parliament.What drove these individuals to enter political life? How did they secure their seat or win an election? And what impact did this job have on their personal life?Hosted by Dr Emma Peplow, Head of Contemporary History at the History of Parliament Trust, and Dr Alex Lock, historian and curator at the British Library, this podcast spotlights some of the brilliant interviews from MPs who sat between the 1950s and early 2000s within our 200+ strong archive, using never before heard clips and highlighting the unique insights that oral history interviews provide. Listen to ‘Tales from the Green Benches: an Oral History of Parliament’ to hear stories from the heart of the Commons, from those who sat on those very benches.

Entering the Houses of Parliament as a new MP is one of the few experiences universal to all interviewees within the History of Parliament’s Oral History project. Stepping foot into this historic building could be a humbling experience, particularly with its winding maze of corridors! In this first episode we look at how different Members responded to this potentially daunting physical environment - and find that some took to it much easier than others…Presented by Dr Emma Peplow and Dr Alex Lock, produced by Melissa FitzGerald at Zinc Audio. With additional writing from Dr Priscila Pivatto and script editing from Connie Jeffery. All interviews are deposited at the British Library. Find a catalogue of interviews on our website.Artwork by neil@the-brightside.co.uk.Find more from the History of Parliament Trust at www.historyofparliament.com and follow this link to find information about our publication ‘The Political Lives of Postwar British MPs’.Make sure to like, subscribe and send us a review!More information:British Library Reference Codes:Robert Gascoyne Cecil interviewed by Emmeline Ledgerwood, C1503/0131Ann Widdecombe interviewed by Simon Peplow, C1503/0176Jenny Tonge interviewed by Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite, C1503/0148 David Hinchliffe interviewed by Christine Vergunson, C1503/0065Ken Baker interviewed by Michael Greenwood, C1503/0013Michael Heseltine interviewed by Michael Greenwood, C1503/0054 Alice Mahon interviewed by Mark Wilson, C1503/0030Edwina Currie interviewed by Henry Irving, C1503/0163 Find out more about MPs’ first impressions of Parliament in this online article.For more on the traditions in Parliament, see this blog from Dr Paul Seaward. Or to read about the smoking room, see this blog from Dr Seaward.

In this special episode Emma and Alex take a deeper look into the History of Parliament’s Oral History archive itself, discussing the methods and techniques used by our interviewers and reflecting on some of their own interviews- the good, the bad, and the awkward…Presented by Dr Emma Peplow and Dr Alex Lock, produced by Melissa FitzGerald at Zinc Audio. With additional writing from Dr Priscila Pivatto and script editing from Connie Jeffery. All interviews are deposited at the British Library. Find a catalogue of interviews on our website.Artwork by neil@the-brightside.co.uk.Find more from the History of Parliament Trust at www.historyofparliament.com and follow this link to find information about our publication ‘The Political Lives of Postwar British MPs’.Find out more, including practical advice and reading lists, at the Oral History Society website, here.Make sure to like, subscribe and send us a review!

For many MPs the hardest part of a political campaign is not a General Election, but actually being chosen by your party to contest a seat.In this episode Emma and Alex take a closer look at the selection process- exploring what parties wanted from their candidates, how a certain type of seat could affect your parliamentary career, and how some MPs from our period (1950s to the early 2000s) were able to bypass a standardised selection process altogether…Presented by Dr Emma Peplow and Dr Alex Lock, produced by Melissa FitzGerald at Zinc Audio. With additional writing from Dr Priscila Pivatto and script editing from Connie Jeffery. All interviews are deposited at the British Library. Find a catalogue of interviews on our website.Artwork by neil@the-brightside.co.uk.Find more from the History of Parliament Trust at www.historyofparliament.com and follow this link to find information about our publication ‘The Political Lives of Postwar British MPs’.Make sure to like, subscribe and send us a review!More information:British Library Reference Codes:Michael Heseltine interviewed by Michael Greenwood, C1503/0054Timothy Kirkhope interviewed by Henry Irving, C1503/0084Dick Taverne interviewed by Jason Lower, C1503/0006 Kenneth Baker interviewed by Michael Greenwood, C1503/0013Teddy Taylor interviewed by James Freeman, C1503/0003Michael Barnes interviewed by Philip Aylett, C1503/0076