Thomas Munson: Conservative parliamentary staffers are more optimistic than you might think

Thomas Munson if a former parliamentary aide to two government ministers. He writes for a number of publications.

Life as a Parliamentary staffer is rarely dull. One day you’re meeting political idols and sharing drinks with colleagues on the Terrace; the next, you’re opening abusive post or scrambling to reschedule your MP’s diary after a late-breaking political row. It’s a job defined by long hours, unpredictable days, and a front-row seat to the drama of Westminster.

Still, you’re at the heart of British democracy — and you can feel it in the air.

I remember the days of the seismic Brexit debates. Political heavyweights were constantly plotting, scheming, speculating. My eyes would dart around the Portcullis House canteen, wondering what might be unfolding as I saw Parliamentarians deep in conversation.

It’s a fair analogy for staffer life: always a glance away from power, but rarely sure of its intentions — and never feeling its full weight.

I moved from Parliament to a think tank in 2023, a well-trodden path. Having first started working for an MP in 2019, I’d only ever known parliamentary life under a Conservative Government. In the wake of Boris Johnson’s blue wave, it felt like we might never lose again.

That optimism — no, arrogance — seems almost laughable now.

Labour has transitioned into government, and the Conservatives, with the door firmly slammed behind us by the electorate, are adjusting to life in opposition.

Much has been written about the party’s struggle to define itself in this new era. Little, however, has been said about the effect on those behind the scenes — the Parliamentary staff managing their MPs’ lives.

For many, the shift has been disorienting. Like me, most have only ever worked for the party in power. Even basic tasks — such as responding to constituent letters about policy — have become more difficult without a government platform to fall back on.

The reality is that opposition is not just a challenge for MPs but for the entire Conservative political infrastructure. Staff who once had clear career trajectories now feel stuck and increasingly uncertain about their next move.

Under Conservative Governments, staff roles were often a springboard to promising careers in policy or public affairs. Today, the only organisation that seems to be seriously considering Conservative CVs is Reform UK, as it seeks to professionalise.

There are both financial and political reasons why staffers, past and present, might consider the jump. Hundreds have lost their jobs in the election guillotine and, faced with the uninspiring prospect of working at CCHQ, Reform may feel like a more appealing — and better-paid — option. Recent vacancies at Reform have offered higher-than-market salaries, while Conservative coffers more closely resemble those of Dickens’ Mr Micawber than King Midas.

Beyond finances, some staff are frustrated with the party’s record in Government. As one Conservative Office Manager put it, “Delivery after 13 years hasn’t been there.” They added that the results were “the direct opposite of what the party promised to deliver,” especially on issues like immigration.

Reform’s savvy social media campaign resonated during the election, and they’ve continued to use digital tools to their advantage in Parliament. The 24-hour news cycle and the prevalence of online campaigning have also changed the nature of opposition.

“It’s not like it was 20 years ago,” a veteran staffer, whose experience dates back to David Cameron’s opposition years, told me. “Everyone expects an instant response to major events — in 100 characters or less on X.”

Asked how this pressure impacts the Conservative Party’s response, especially without a coherent policy platform, they said: “The pressure on the Leader of the Opposition is more intense than when we were last in opposition — and that presents real challenges in terms of narrative.”

And yet, despite it all — the uncertainty, the job losses, the sense of limbo — many staffers have what Margaret Thatcher might have called a cautious optimism.

Among staffers, there is a growing sense of ownership and purpose — a recognition that with fewer resources and a smaller Parliamentary team, the role they play in shaping the party’s direction has never been more important.

In opposition, the buffer of the Civil Service is gone.

Staff are taking on expanded roles — not just managing constituency work but supporting their MPs in seizing Parliamentary opportunities: crafting questions, shaping responses, preparing amendments, and identifying the pressure points where Labour can be held to account.

Every debate, every bill, is a chance to draw a dividing line — to land a jab that reinforces the Conservative alternative.

This added responsibility has instilled a kind of energised focus. There’s little time for despondency. Staffers are working flat out — managing correspondence, preparing speeches, coordinating diaries, and helping to steer the party’s messaging.

In many ways, this has been a galvanising experience. With fewer MPs and tighter resources, productivity must be high, discipline must be tight, and messaging must be sharp. As one staffer put it, “low morale means poor productivity — and right now, we all need to be firing on all cylinders.”

There is also a clear understanding of the stakes. The rise of Reform on the right and the Lib Dems on the left poses a strategic challenge. But staffers recognise the danger of chasing one flank too aggressively, only to alienate the other. What gives many of them confidence is the belief that the Conservatives — despite everything — remain the only serious party capable of offering a credible alternative to Labour.

Reform’s few policies have been seen as unserious and damaging. The challenge for the Conservatives is to leverage this advantage — to do the hard work of developing policy that resonates, while maintaining discipline and consistency.

For many staffers, their loyalty to their MP and the daily grind of Parliamentary work has insulated them from broader gloom. What they want is clear leadership, a united message, and the chance to get on with the job.

If anything, this moment presents an opportunity — to build from the ground up, to reconnect with voters, and to prove that the Conservative Party is not just capable of fighting on all fronts, but of winning again.