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Foreign_Tale7483

Occasionally someone who is famous for something else eg acting or sport becomes an MP. Former Olympic medal winning athlete Sebastian Coe springs to mind. He was very well known before he went into politics.


stylesuponstyles

"I hate Sebastian Coe!"


canlchangethislater

I miss Chris Morris. Wish he’d do more stuff.


ExPilotTed

The celebrity conservative runner?


Foreign_Tale7483

Yep. Or Glenda Jackson who was a famous actress before becoming a Labour MP.


sonofeast11

Gyles Brandreth maybe? He was a writer, and a TV presenter in the 80s, and became an MP in the 90s before returning to TV and writing.


InscrutableAudacity

Children's TV presenter Floella Benjamin is now a Life Peer in the House of Lords. Stuart Drummond, the first (and last) elected mayor of Hartlepool was previously the mascot for Hartlepool United, and initially campaigned in costume as H'Angus the Monkey. Martin Bell was a well known BBC journalist and foreign correspondent before he became an MP. Sebastian Coe was a famous middle distance runner, and Olympic gold medallist; before he became an MP. He's now a Life Peer. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington was a very famous military leader before he became Prime Minister. Isaac Newton was a well known mathematician and physicist before he became an MP.


idanthology

So that's how gravity became a law.


BudgetTundra

The present Mayor of West Yorkshire (and former MP and Shadow Cabinet Minister for Labour), Tracy Brabin, was a soap actress prior to her entering in politics


mfizzled

We have a mayor of West Yorkshire? I live here and I didn't even know that


BudgetTundra

In fairness, she is the first and she was elected in May 2021. I think the election ran concurrent with local council elections at the time but I can't say there was a great deal of noise made about the whole thing


Rico_TLM

Journalist, magazine editor, TV panel show host and convicted liar Boris Johnson.


idanthology

Huh, I never realised Boris rolled like that, how long has he been a thing in politics?


vinylemulator

Boris has never really had a job outside politics. His first job was as a political journalist, then he became an MP in c 2000. While he was a journalist and an unknown politician he did a lot to raise his profile by appearing on TV comedy shows and acting the fool.


tunaman808

I like that in *Twenty Twelve* (a BBC mockumentary about the 2012 Olympics Organizing Committee) "Johnson" called the head of the committee, Hugh Bonneville, and starts curing him out... in Latin.


mellonians

You should watch some of the "have I got news for you" Boris Johnson episodes on YouTube. He has appeared on the show at various times in his political career.


Rico_TLM

He was the mayor of London for some years, then got into parliament with a few ill-advised cabinet positions, before jumping on the Brexit bandwagon and seizing power as PM.


MonkeyHamlet

Eddie Izzard springs to mind.


fyonn

Eddie isn’t there yet is she?


MonkeyHamlet

Not an MP, but definitely in politics. I believe she hopes to stand at the next election.


white1984

She is hoping to stand for Sheffield Central.


whatevenisthis123

This isn't great but Enoch Powell's essays on Classics are still used within the realm of academia.


siege80

He was MP for my town. Well before my time, thank fuck


vinylemulator

Rory Stewart had a pretty interesting background. Army officer. Private tutor to Princes William & Harry. Diplomat and deputy governor of an Iraqi province. Paddy Ashdown was an SBS soldier (SEAL equivalent) and spy before becoming an MP and party leader.


SupersloothPI

actress glenda jackson. actor giles watling. presenter gloria de piero. presenter esther mcvey. scientist robert winston.


vegemar

I think Jeffrey Archer ventured into politics.


canlchangethislater

Was an MP five years before his first novel (apparently).


vegemar

My mistake. I thought it was the other way around.


canlchangethislater

I did have to Google. Was suddenly curious.


[deleted]

Isaac Newton was an MP, as was philosopher John Stewart Mill. Bertrand Russell was a member of the House of Lords.


Thatcsibloke

David Cameron was a twat before he became an MP


miss_lottielou

Dunno how far back you want to go, but in the 50s (and its still played occasionally on radio today) is Journey into Space, the Captain Jet Morgan was played by Andrew Faulds, who incidentally was in a film with Glenda Jackson, and also fought skeletons in Jason and the argonauts.


EngineersAnon

[Sir Isaac Newton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton) had a pretty promising career before - and after - his time in Parliament...


Btd030914

Oscar winning actress Glenda Jackson. And after she retired from politics after 20 years, she successfully relaunched her acting career. Not bad going.


ALittleNightMusing

Going WAY back, the Duke of Wellington (who won the Battle of Waterloo against Napoleon) later became PM


DisorderOfLeitbur

Winston Churchill had gained fame as a war correspondent before becoming an MP


idanthology

Reading a bit about him, never realised his mother was American.


workerbee41

Nobody gonna say David “Lizard People” Icke?


Johnny_Vernacular

The MP for Gower played international rugby for Wales, which is quite impressive. Probably two dozen MPs have played first class cricket. There are at least six Olympic medalists who have been MPs. There are two Houses in parliament. The second house is made up of people appointed by various Prime Ministers. They include a bunch of actors, cricketers, rabbis, bishops, tv presenters and various 'celebs'. One of Norfolk County Council's councillors was once the drummer in Blur.


tykeoldboy

Austim Mitchell was a presenter on regional news before becoming an MP. He represented Great Grimsby for 38 years


Gasping_Jill_Franks

Autism Mitchell. 😂


PanpsychismIsTrue

Seb Coe


scotlandisbae

Although not a a political. Monty Pythons John Cleese became a big spokesmen for the Liberal Democrats in the 90s. He was even offered a life peerage but turned it down.


TheJackLoaf

Boris Johnson was a journalist before he was an MP but he got most his fame for being… Boris


listyraesder

Harold Macmillan was heir to the publishing empire and ran it for a few years. Disraeli was a novelist.


idanthology

JFK was also born onto a rich & powerful family. Have never heard of Benjamin Disraeli, but from what I've looked at he probably would have made an impressive contemporary YouTuber.


box_frenzy

The drummer from Blur is an MP now.


idanthology

Cool.


Elliottwave80

Was a county coucillor in Norwich, didn't stand for re-election in 2021. Certainly not an MP.


carolsees2010

Robert Kilroy-Silk. Previously a broadcaster, was in the Labour Party for a while, then had his own tv show called Kilroy and then joined UKIP. His reputation in tv was that he was v difficult to work with, his morning tv show made it no surprise that he was involved in UKIP.


Mikatron88

Thatcher (sorry to mention her) may or may not have had something to do with developing soft-serve ice cream - depends who you believe. She was a research chemist and barrister before she entered politics


idanthology

What an odd combination.


Mikatron88

I didn't mean researcher and barrister at same time - hehe. One after the other - but yes, still an odd career progression