Only 22% of parents would be proud to see their child become an MP

The Hansard Society has today published its annual Audit of Political Engagement. We've got a story about the conclusions on the site already but I've now had a chance to flick through the whole of the 137-page report and there's one other finding that particularly struck me: only 22% of people would be proud to see their child, or another relative, become an MP. That's lower than the figure for broadsheet journalists – and 10th out of the 14 professions covered in the survey. Here are the full figures. People were given a list of professions and asked which, if any, they would be proud for a child or a family member to do. Family doctor: 75% would be proud School headteacher: 64% Solicitor: 53% Businessman/woman: 50% Judge: 46% Senior police officer: 44% NHS manager: 33% Senior civil servant: 30% Broadsheet journalist: 24% National politician (MP): 22% Local politician (councillor): 21% Council manager: 16% Tabloid journalist: 13% It was a shame they didn't include bankers in the list.