Member of Parliament (UK)
The professional career of a Member of Parliament normally begins when he or she finds a parliamentary constituency in which the selection committee of the local branch of a political party is willing to adopt him or her as their prospective parliamentary candidate. After being elected to the House of Commons, parliamentary loyalties are acquired, but constituency loyalties cannot be set aside.
Getting elected
In principle, anyone can become a Member of Parliament provided that he or she is aged 18 or over, a citizen of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland, and not a disqualified person (such as a government employee, or a member of the House of Lords). All that is necessary to stand for election is a nomination paper signed by ten voters, and a £500 deposit. Membership of a political party is not necessary, but it is almost impossible to mount an effective election campaign without party support. Selection as a party candidate is a two-stage process because the central organisations of United Kingdom political parties maintain lists of people who have passed their vetting procedures, from which local party committees are expected to choose their prospective parliamentary candidates. Election campaigns last three or four weeks, during which candidates and their supporters do what they can to get their message across to the voters. There are legal limits of £10,000 to £12,000 on the amounts that can be spent for that purpose[1], so campaigning depends heavily on volunteers. Voting is on a simple first past the post system.
Constituency work
A Member of Parliament is elected by the voters of a defined geographic area termed a constituency. He or she is then known as "the member for" that constituency, but there are no rules that define that relationship. Practice varies, but many MPs feel obliged to do what they can in response to their constituents' requests for help, and many people go to their MPs for information about their legal rights and duties, or for help in dealing with local officials. MPs are also expected to support local campaigns on matters such as the need for a by-pass or the location of a hospital. His or her parliamentary contacts also enable an MP to serve as the only available channel of communication between local people and central government.