A dream job or a chance of life?

In a moment of barely-disguised conceit, Tristram Hunt described his decision to resign as an MP as “a wonderful moment for the Victoria and Albert Museum”. Not such a wonderful moment for those of his constituents who, less than two years ago, thought they had an agreement with Mr Hunt: that they would give him their vote, and he would represent them for five years.

And not such a wonderful moment for the taxpayer, given that, according to Cabinet Office reports, the average cost of a Parliamentary by-election in England and Wales is more than £230,000. Since the last general election there have been five parliamentary by-elections that were brought about by resignations (rather than the death of an MP): two because of policy differences, two in order to take up alternative elected positions and one because David Cameron decided that if he couldn’t captain the ship he would abandon it. The resignation of Jamie Reed as MP for Copeland, to take up a job at Sellafield, and Tristram Hunt’s “dream job” at the V&A, take the bill for by-elections caused by resignations to around £1.6 million. The mayoral elections in Greater Manchester and Liverpool are almost certain to add to this number.

As any football fan will tell you, if a manager leaves a club before the end of his contract, the club will demand compensation, either from him or from his new employer. Morally at least, MPs who promised to represent their constituents for five years and who choose not to see out their term have breached their contract with the electorate.

Back in the real world of what politicians patronisingly describe as ‘ordinary people’, a petition and fundraising campaign introduced me to the story of Sasha, a young mother whose leukaemia has relapsed after a stem cell transplant. According to the charity Anthony Nolan, around 20 people a year need a second transplant for blood cancer or a blood disorder that has relapsed following an initial stem cell transplant. Such transplants have been deemed unaffordable by NHS England, despite the fact that a 2015 study suggested a one in three chance of these patients surviving for five years. Sasha must now raise the money to fund private treatment, to have that chance. The cost of a stem cell transplant procedure to the NHS? Between £50,000 and 120,000. So if the average cost is around £85,000, the annual cost for 20 ‘unaffordable’ transplants is around £1.7million.

If our shared society cannot afford £1.7 million to save six lives a year, how can we afford £1.6 million so that seven MPs can move to their ‘dream job’?

Can someone please explain that to me? Much more importantly, can someone explain it to Sasha?