[James]

I'm an MP - get me into there'
By Chris Hastings and Lucy Tobin
(Filed: 02/11/2003)


A group of MPs are to volunteer for an election which will guarantee them a huge turnout: Channel Four's Big Brother.

Endemol, the company that produces Britain's most famous reality programme, is being asked to consider an MPs' version of the programme in which contestants are locked up in a house and cut off from the outside world.

The suggestion has been made by Jane Griffiths, the Labour MP for Reading, who is convinced that a parliamentary version of the show, which normally attracts seven million viewers, would help to combat voter apathy among the young.

"I have raised the idea of MP Big Brother with Endemol. I think they thought I was a little bit crazy applying to be on the programme, but I am hoping they will seize upon the idea," she said.

"I have started asking colleagues to see if it is something they might be interested in. MPs spend most of their lives in the glare of publicity so I am sure they will be able to cope with the sort of pressures that come with a programme like this."

The phenomenal success of Big Brother, which encourages television viewers to vote regularly on the contestants, has taxed the minds of politicians struggling to combat apathy among the young. The steady fall in young people voting in local and general elections over the past 20 years is in stark contrast to the popularity of Big Brother, which first appeared on Channel Four four years ago.

The recent fourth series attracted more than 11 million telephone votes during its nine-week run.

Ms Griffiths hopes to attract all-party support for the MP Big Brother, which would take its lead from the two editions of Celebrity Big Brother and raise money for charity. Good causes would take a share of the revenue generated by the viewers' telephone votes and the winner would donate the £70,000 prize to charity.

"All the proceeds generated by the telephone voting would go to good causes. The programme might also help us understand why so many people take part in programmes like this, but still consider real elections as being an irrelevance."

Although the show, which has featured nudity, bad language and endless speculation about sexual encounters between the contestants, might be too racy for some MPs, others are not deterred.

Helen Clark, the MP for Peterborough, said that she would like to feature in the programme. "I think it is a fantastic idea and I will definitely get involved in some way. Whether we like it or not, people who have no time for parliamentary elections vote for programmes like these in their droves. If people could see politicians as real people rather than automatons just spouting out official policy, then perhaps it would change their opinion of them.

"I know from my conversations with Michael Fabricant [the Conservative MP] he thinks it's a good idea."

Other MPs were not so keen. Ann Widdecombe, the Conservative member who appeared in ITV's Celebrity Fit Club, said she would not touch Big Brother with a "10ft barge pole".

She said: "I do a lot of non-political television because I think it is a useful way of connecting with the public. I would draw the line at this programme because I think it is nothing but a gimmick. I took part in Celebrity Fit Club because it was genuine reality television. I lost some weight and raised some money for charity. There is nothing real about Big Brother." Vanessa Feltz, the television presenter who took part in Celebrity Big Brother, said she had no doubt that a parliamentary version of the programme would be a huge ratings winner. She did, however, urge MPs to think before they signed on the dotted line.

"Everyone who takes part in these things thinks they are the nicest, most normal person on earth. They think all they have to do is expose their inner selves to the public and everyone will fall in love with them. The truth is that while some people will emerge rehabilitated, others will actually be annihilated."

Ms Feltz doubted if the programme would have any positive impact on the political process. "People vote for these programmes because they like reality television. It is as simple as that."

http://www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/ne...02/ixhome.html

[LEE]

Jane Griffiths, the Labour MP for Reading

If she held this seat a couple of years ago she was Paul's local MP while he was in the house

[BusyBee]

Helen Clark, the MP for Peterborough, said that she would like to feature in the programme

Like the sound of this MP's name

[amber]

There seems to be an MP on here already. Or is it NOT Boris Johnson?

Hope I'm not being too forward for a "newby"........

[kaphc]

No, you're not being too forward at all Amber, you just made me really laugh!!

Step forward Boris and take a bow!