Tales from the Green Benches: An Oral History of Parliament

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.

A podcast from the History of Parliament Trust.

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 [email protected]

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