---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: MPs have no real knowledge of how to…"
description: "\"MPs have no real knowledge of how to function other than via gimmick and briefings.\" — Dominic Cummings"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/dominic-cummings-5896_gimmick_mps-have-no-real-knowledge-of-how-to-fun_394695.jpg"
---

#  MPs have no real knowledge of how to function other than…

![“MPs have no real knowledge of how to function other than via gimmick and briefings.” quote by Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/dominic-cummings-5896_gimmick_mps-have-no-real-knowledge-of-how-to-fun_394695.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/dominic-cummings-5896_gimmick_mps-have-no-real-knowledge-of-how-to-fun_394695.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/dominic-cummings-5896_gimmick_mps-have-no-real-knowledge-of-how-to-fun_394695.jpg)

> “MPs have no real knowledge of how to function other than via gimmick and briefings.”

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Politicians often lack practical expertise, relying on superficial tactics and briefings.

**In simple terms:** MPs may not understand real work, using tricks instead.

Key Takeaway

Seek leaders with genuine knowledge and experience.

Themes

politics expertise leadership

Mood

skeptical critical

Type

analytical questioning

When to use this quote

- legislative debates
- campaign strategies
- public hearings

Key Concepts

policy decision making

Questions to Reflect On

- How can citizens encourage expertise in politics?
- What mechanisms ensure accountability?

A Different Perspective

Some MPs do possess deep expertise in specific fields.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Briefings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/briefings-2616383/) [Function Gimmick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function-gimmick-3552816/) [Gimmick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gimmick/) [Gimmick Briefings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gimmick-briefings-3552815/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Mps Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mps-real-3552814/) [Other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-knowledge/) [Than](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/than/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/)

## Related quotes

> [The quicker we get rid of the lobby system the better for all of us. I don't think in this day and age it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kennedy/the-quicker-we-get-rid-of-the-lobby-system-the-better-for-all-of-us-i/)

[Charles Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kennedy/)

> [When there are falsehoods and ludicrous statements made at briefings, we've got to call that out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/when-there-are-falsehoods-and-ludicrous-statements-made-at-briefings/)

[Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/)

> [One of the principles of White House coverage is that a wide variety of news outlets should be represented at briefings and press conferences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/one-of-the-principles-of-white-house-coverage-is-that-a-wide-variety/)

[Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/)

> [There's an art to asking questions. Briefings are valuable but normally communicate primarily what the subordinate leader wants you to know, and often the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/there-s-an-art-to-asking-questions-briefings-are-valuable-but/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [I would never say, as a member of the press, that there should be fewer press briefings. The more access, the better, no matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-bash/i-would-never-say-as-a-member-of-the-press-that-there-should-be-fewer/)

[Dana Bash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-bash/)

> [I hope we don't lose in America this demand that those of us who want this office must be prepared not to handle the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-h-pater/i-hope-we-don-t-lose-in-america-this-demand-that-those-of-us-who-want/)

[Walter H Pater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-h-pater/)

> [“Whether you try too hard to fit in or you try too hard to stand out, it is of equal consequence: you exhaust your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/whether-you-try-too-hard-to-fit-in-or-you-try-too-hard-to-stand-out/)

[Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/)

> [A song cannot be a gimmick as it requires talent and hard work. But if it is placed wrongly, then it can be called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sameera-reddy/a-song-cannot-be-a-gimmick-as-it-requires-talent-and-hard-work-but-if/)

[Sameera Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sameera-reddy/)

> [You gotta have a gimmick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-merman/you-gotta-have-a-gimmick/)

[Ethel Merman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-merman/)

> [These days, you have to have a gimmick to do the weather. You have to have an act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-scott/these-days-you-have-to-have-a-gimmick-to-do-the-weather-you-have-to/)

[Willard Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-scott/)

> [Everybody is designing magic iPhone apps that do things that are really, really beautiful, but a really important thing about magic is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/everybody-is-designing-magic-iphone-apps-that-do-things-that-are/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [I don't want any gimmicks. The fact that people think that Whack is a gimmick is so crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tierra-whack/i-don-t-want-any-gimmicks-the-fact-that-people-think-that-whack-is-a/)

[Tierra Whack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tierra-whack/)

> [I am a successful lecturer in physics for popular audiences. The real entertainment gimmick is the excitement, drama and mystery of the subject matter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/i-am-a-successful-lecturer-in-physics-for-popular-audiences-the-real/)

[Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/)

> [I didn't want to be written about as a human-interest story. I didn't want to be a passing thing. You know, now we move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-mullins/i-didn-t-want-to-be-written-about-as-a-human-interest-story-i-didn-t/)

[Aimee Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-mullins/)

> [I've never wanted to use my age as a gimmick, as something that would get me ahead of other people. I've wanted the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-ve-never-wanted-to-use-my-age-as-a-gimmick-as-something-that-would/)

[Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/)

## More by Dominic Cummings

> [The reason why Whitehall is full of people failing in predictable ways on an hourly basis is because, first, there is general system-wide failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/the-reason-why-whitehall-is-full-of-people-failing-in-predictable/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [The audience for facts, evidence and research about microtargeting, Facebook and Brexit is tiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/the-audience-for-facts-evidence-and-research-about-microtargeting/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [In the commercial world, big companies mostly die within a few decades because they cannot maintain an internal system to keep them aligned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/in-the-commercial-world-big-companies-mostly-die-within-a-few-decades/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [Physicists and mathematicians regularly invade other fields but other fields do not invade theirs so we can see which fields are hardest for very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/physicists-and-mathematicians-regularly-invade-other-fields-but-other/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [Fundamental to real expertise is 1: whether the informational structure of the environment is sufficiently regular that it's possible to make good predictions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/fundamental-to-real-expertise-is-1-whether-the-informational/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [The panic over Sputnik brought many good things such as a huge increase in science funding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/the-panic-over-sputnik-brought-many-good-things-such-as-a-huge/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [In history books, luck is always underplayed and the talent of individuals is usually overplayed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/in-history-books-luck-is-always-underplayed-and-the-talent-of/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [Changing the world in a profound and beneficial way is not enough to put a dint in bureaucracies which operate on their own dynamics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/changing-the-world-in-a-profound-and-beneficial-way-is-not-enough-to/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [I make judgments about people and ideas individually - for me, parties are just a vehicle of convenience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/i-make-judgments-about-people-and-ideas-individually-for-me-parties/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [Usually in politics everything is done on hunches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/usually-in-politics-everything-is-done-on-hunches/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [Technology enables people to improve communication with unprecedented speed, scale and iterative testing. It also allows people to wreak chaos with high leverage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/technology-enables-people-to-improve-communication-with-unprecedented/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [If you want to avoid the usual fate in politics of failure, you need to understand some basic principles about why people make mistakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/if-you-want-to-avoid-the-usual-fate-in-politics-of-failure-you-need/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [It is hard to change people's minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/it-is-hard-to-change-people-s-minds/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [Music is similar to sport. There is very fast feedback, learning, and a clear hierarchy of expertise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/music-is-similar-to-sport-there-is-very-fast-feedback-learning-and-a/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [Brexit cannot be done with the traditional Westminster/Whitehall system as Vote Leave warned repeatedly before 23 June 2016.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/brexit-cannot-be-done-with-the-traditional-westminster-whitehall/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

[Explore all 100 Dominic Cummings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

## More Gimmick quotes

> [I've never wanted to use my age as a gimmick, as something that would get me ahead of other people. I've wanted the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-ve-never-wanted-to-use-my-age-as-a-gimmick-as-something-that-would/)

[Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/)

> [I didn't want to be written about as a human-interest story. I didn't want to be a passing thing. You know, now we move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-mullins/i-didn-t-want-to-be-written-about-as-a-human-interest-story-i-didn-t/)

[Aimee Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-mullins/)

> [I am a successful lecturer in physics for popular audiences. The real entertainment gimmick is the excitement, drama and mystery of the subject matter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/i-am-a-successful-lecturer-in-physics-for-popular-audiences-the-real/)

[Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/)

> [I don't want any gimmicks. The fact that people think that Whack is a gimmick is so crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tierra-whack/i-don-t-want-any-gimmicks-the-fact-that-people-think-that-whack-is-a/)

[Tierra Whack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tierra-whack/)

> [Everybody is designing magic iPhone apps that do things that are really, really beautiful, but a really important thing about magic is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/everybody-is-designing-magic-iphone-apps-that-do-things-that-are/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [These days, you have to have a gimmick to do the weather. You have to have an act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-scott/these-days-you-have-to-have-a-gimmick-to-do-the-weather-you-have-to/)

[Willard Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-scott/)

> [You gotta have a gimmick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-merman/you-gotta-have-a-gimmick/)

[Ethel Merman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-merman/)

> [A song cannot be a gimmick as it requires talent and hard work. But if it is placed wrongly, then it can be called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sameera-reddy/a-song-cannot-be-a-gimmick-as-it-requires-talent-and-hard-work-but-if/)

[Sameera Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sameera-reddy/)

> [“Whether you try too hard to fit in or you try too hard to stand out, it is of equal consequence: you exhaust your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/whether-you-try-too-hard-to-fit-in-or-you-try-too-hard-to-stand-out/)

[Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/)

> [I hope we don't lose in America this demand that those of us who want this office must be prepared not to handle the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-h-pater/i-hope-we-don-t-lose-in-america-this-demand-that-those-of-us-who-want/)

[Walter H Pater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-h-pater/)

> [Sometimes it's tempting to go for more clickbait or go cover more controversial topics, or just find a gimmick that'll get more people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrbeast/sometimes-it-s-tempting-to-go-for-more-clickbait-or-go-cover-more/)

[MrBeast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mrbeast/)

> [No matter how skillful you are, you can't invent a product advantage that doesn't exist. And if you do, and it's just a gimmick,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/no-matter-how-skillful-you-are-you-can-t-invent-a-product-advantage/)

[William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/)

> [ \[Death is\] a gimmick. It's the time-birth-death gimmick. Can't go on much longer, too many people are wising up. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/death-is-a-gimmick-it-s-the-time-birth-death-gimmick-can-t-go-on-much/)

[William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/)

> [Stop thinking 'outside the box' and look what is actually in the box first. You jump around from marketing gimmick to marketing gimmick without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-ann-dawson/stop-thinking-outside-the-box-and-look-what-is-actually-in-the-box/)

[Julie Ann Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-ann-dawson/)

> [Rap is a gimmick, but I'm for the hip-hop, the culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/method-man/rap-is-a-gimmick-but-i-m-for-the-hip-hop-the-culture/)

[Method Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/method-man/)

[Browse all 84 Gimmick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gimmick/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "MPs have no real knowledge of how to function other than via gimmick and briefings.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dominic Cummings"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/mps-have-no-real-knowledge-of-how-to-function-other-than-via-gimmick/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Gimmick"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/mps-have-no-real-knowledge-of-how-to-function-other-than-via-gimmick/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/dominic-cummings-5896_gimmick_mps-have-no-real-knowledge-of-how-to-fun_394695.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/dominic-cummings-5896_gimmick_mps-have-no-real-knowledge-of-how-to-fun_394695.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/dominic-cummings-5896_gimmick_mps-have-no-real-knowledge-of-how-to-fun_394695.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“MPs have no real knowledge of how to function other than via gimmick and briefings.” — Dominic Cummings",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Dominic Cummings",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "MPs have no real knowledge of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/mps-have-no-real-knowledge-of-how-to-function-other-than-via-gimmick/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/mps-have-no-real-knowledge-of-how-to-function-other-than-via-gimmick/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
