Being an MP is a complicated business. You are expected to have a view about everything from potholes to Britain’s relationship with China, to intervene on issues raised by constituents, and to scrutinise complex proposals for new laws. And if you have a small majority, you may want to keep in touch with previous interests in case a General Election throws you out of the job.
One way of keeping in touch is through All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs). These are informal, but regulated, cross party groups of MPs and Peers who meet from time to time to discuss a particular topic. They are open to all MPs and Peers, and chaired by an MP, with three other officers, including at least one Opposition MP and one Peer.
At the beginning of a Parliament, a new set of groups is set up, and we reported on the provisional list in November. That list has now been vastly expanded, and it gives us an insight into what our MPs are particularly interested in.
There are now 288 APPGs. Fifty-two are Country Groups – from Africa to West Papua, and 236 are Subject Groups – from Access to Justice to Zoos and Aquariums. Many have external members from outside Parliament, and they often have outside speakers and invite relevant organisations to take part in meetings, on a non-voting basis. Unlike Select Committees, their meetings are not minuted or broadcast, though some have websites which report on activities.
APPGs in the East of England
To be registered, a Group must have at least 20 members. The key people in each Group are the four Officers. As of December 2024, East of England MPs were officers of 67 APPGs, and either chair or co-chair of 17.
As the table below shows, the two most active MPs in our region are John Whittingdale (Con, Maldon) who is a member of six, three of which he chairs; and Andrew Pakes (Lab, Peterborough) who is an officer of five, three of which he chairs. Twenty-four Eastern MPs are not officers of any group (including front benchers).
There is a specific East of England APPG, chaired by Jess Asato (Lab, Lowestoft) with Andrew Pakes (Lab, Peterborough) as vice chair. The other officers are Blake Stephenson (Con, Mid Bedfordshire), and Marie Goldman (LibDem, Chelmsford).
Its Secretariat is provided by Steve Barwick Political Consultancy, and it has received funding of £42,000 for its work from 12 organisations: British Sugar, East of England Local Government Association (EELGA), Anglian Water, Transport East, Freeport East, England’s Economic Heartland, Innovation Corridor UK, Sizewell C, London Stansted Airport, Lower Thames Crossing, Flagship Housing Group and Eastlight Community Homes.
What groups have East of England MPs as officers?
The table below lists all the Eastern region MPs who are officers of any APPG. Emboldening indicates that the MP is chair or co-chair of that group.
