but he makes other points too. And he claims that what is particularly awful for MPs is the realisation they've entered a career cul-de-sac. By the time he realises how irrelevant he is, another grisly truth is dawning: there is no going back. A stretch in Westminster has made him all but unemployable: 80% of ex-MPs are still without work a year after losing their seats. Forget the idea that MPs can walk into directorships, by the way. The era when companies thought that a parliamentarian on their board would lend them respectability is long past. These days, placing "MP" after your name is tantamount to an admission of corruption.