--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being an MP is not a desperately hard…" description: "\"Being an MP is not a desperately hard life, like going down the pit or working in the steelworks - with which I am all too familiar, having been brough..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/david-blunkett-4087_am_being-an-mp-is-not-a-desperately-hard-li_2379800.png" --- # Being an MP is not a desperately hard life, like going… ![“Being an MP is not a desperately hard life, like going down the pit or working in the steelworks - with which I am all too familiar, having been brought up in the city of Sheffield; and it certainly isn't badly paid compared with any of my constituents.” quote by David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/david-blunkett-4087_am_being-an-mp-is-not-a-desperately-hard-li_2379800.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/david-blunkett-4087_am_being-an-mp-is-not-a-desperately-hard-li_2379800.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/david-blunkett-4087_am_being-an-mp-is-not-a-desperately-hard-li_2379800.png) > “Being an MP is not a desperately hard life, like going down the pit or working in the steelworks - with which I am all too familiar, having been brought up in the city of Sheffield; and it certainly isn't badly paid compared with any of my constituents.” [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being an MP is demanding but not as harsh as manual labor; it offers a different set of challenges and moderate pay compared to constituents. **In simple terms:** MP life is tough but not as hard as steelwork. Key Takeaway Recognize the unique pressures of public service. Themes public service work conditions pay class perception Mood reflective balanced Type political analytical When to use this quote - parliamentary duties - constituent meetings - policy making - media scrutiny Key Concepts political responsibility social mobility economic disparity Questions to Reflect On - How does public perception of MPs differ from reality? - What support could improve MP wellbeing? A Different Perspective Compensation may still lag behind private sector for high cost of living. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/am/) [Any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) [Badly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/badly/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Brought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brought/) [Certainly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainly/) [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [City Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city-sheffield-1927660/) [Compared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compared/) [Constituents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constituents/) [Desperately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperately/) [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Familiar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/familiar/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-life/) [Having](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having/) [I am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-am/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Mp Desperately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mp-desperately-5890868/) [Paid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paid/) [Pit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pit/) [Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sheffield/) [Sheffield Certainly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sheffield-certainly-5890867/) [Steelworks Familiar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steelworks-familiar-5890869/) [Too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Which](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which/) [Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working/) ## Related quotes > [I have never tried to fiddle my role as leader of the city of Sheffield, as an MP or as a minister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/i-have-never-tried-to-fiddle-my-role-as-leader-of-the-city-of/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [In Sheffield, we need support from the community and for the community. We need integration with no loss of heritage, and a clear appreciation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/in-sheffield-we-need-support-from-the-community-and-for-the-community/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [Our Sheffield and London homes are worth well over a million but the bank owns most of them - we are mortgaged up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/our-sheffield-and-london-homes-are-worth-well-over-a-million-but-the/) [Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/) > [I recently spent quite a bit of time in Sheffield, England, which is where I'm from. I wouldn't move back there, but it's funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarvis-cocker/i-recently-spent-quite-a-bit-of-time-in-sheffield-england-which-is/) [Jarvis Cocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarvis-cocker/) > [Early in 1888 one or two of us got together to establish our own Sheffield Socialist Society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-carpenter/early-in-1888-one-or-two-of-us-got-together-to-establish-our-own/) [Edward Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-carpenter/) > [Sheffield has everything as far as I'm concerned and the football club is right in the heart of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wilder/sheffield-has-everything-as-far-as-i-m-concerned-and-the-football/) [Chris Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wilder/) > [We're getting a lot of new music together. It's all about our adventures at the moment. We don't see Sheffield much anymore ? it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-turner/we-re-getting-a-lot-of-new-music-together-it-s-all-about-our/) [Alex Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-turner/) > [I remember queuing around the block in Sheffield when I was growing up. At that time, going to the cinema was really something special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/i-remember-queuing-around-the-block-in-sheffield-when-i-was-growing/) [Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/) > [Elisabeth Sheffield's new novel is multilayered, smart, beautifully written, and funny. I was taken in by the first paragraph and held firmly through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-everett/elisabeth-sheffield-s-new-novel-is-multilayered-smart-beautifully/) [Percival Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-everett/) > [I'm very happy to have moved to West Ham, because I can play for a better team than Sheffield Wednesday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-di-canio/i-m-very-happy-to-have-moved-to-west-ham-because-i-can-play-for-a/) [Paolo Di Canio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-di-canio/) > [I'm a born and bred Sheffield man and I just want the city to do well with sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kell-brook/i-m-a-born-and-bred-sheffield-man-and-i-just-want-the-city-to-do-well/) [Kell Brook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kell-brook/) > [This town of Sheffield is very populous and large, the streets narrow, and the houses dark and black, occasioned by the continued smoke of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/this-town-of-sheffield-is-very-populous-and-large-the-streets-narrow/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [If you lived in Sheffield and were called Sebastian, you had to learn to run fast at a very early stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-coe/if-you-lived-in-sheffield-and-were-called-sebastian-you-had-to-learn/) [Sebastian Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-coe/) > [At heart, this job is about continuing to make great theatre for the people of Sheffield - a city I've known and loved since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-west/at-heart-this-job-is-about-continuing-to-make-great-theatre-for-the/) [Samuel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-west/) > [If the people of Sheffield could only receive a tenth part of what their knives sell for by retail in America, Sheffield might pave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/if-the-people-of-sheffield-could-only-receive-a-tenth-part-of-what/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) ## More by David Blunkett > [Strengthening our identity is one way of reinforcing people's confidence and sense of citizenship and well-being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/strengthening-our-identity-is-one-way-of-reinforcing-people-s/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [Politics is about the participation and engagement of the wider citizenry - to miss that point would doom us to irrelevance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/politics-is-about-the-participation-and-engagement-of-the-wider/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [I don't think anyone can say I have said one thing in public and done another in private.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/i-don-t-think-anyone-can-say-i-have-said-one-thing-in-public-and-done/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [As a former home secretary, I have access to and knowledge of the workings of the system in a way that individuals unfamiliar with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/as-a-former-home-secretary-i-have-access-to-and-knowledge-of-the/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [The Home Office culture was one of being just above the problem, of hovering just out of reach of knowing what was going on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/the-home-office-culture-was-one-of-being-just-above-the-problem-of/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [And we think that our citizens and yours would be very angry if they thought that we hadnt taken every possible step for prevention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/and-we-think-that-our-citizens-and-yours-would-be-very-angry-if-they/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [I was affected by the harshness of government, the reality of 16-hour days, and the pressures of modern communications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/i-was-affected-by-the-harshness-of-government-the-reality-of-16-hour/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [Yes, it will go through the disciplines that all puppies go through including house training and puppy walking, then at twelve month old it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/yes-it-will-go-through-the-disciplines-that-all-puppies-go-through/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [At school, I was brought up on revolting food - 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