Chris Stephens MP

Chris Stephens MP

Christopher Charles Stephens, born in Glasgow in March 1973, is the current MP for the Glasgow South West Constituency, elected in 2015. Chris was then re-elected in June 2017 and again in 2019.

At Westminster, Chris is currently the Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Levelling Up), has previously served as the Chair of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union Parliamentary Group, vice chair of the Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood All Party Parliamentary Group, vice chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on South Africa, and as a member of the Work and Pension committee.

Life as an MP!

What is it like to be an MP?

No one would believe me if I said it was not exciting to walk into that chamber and take the oath to serve. You see this place on the TV since being a kid and suddenly you are standing right in the middle of it and its many well-kent faces. My first impression was how relatively small the Chamber is; it’s much bigger on the telly. However, the excitement didn’t last long as there was work to be done representing my constituents in Glasgow South West and the people of Scotland; it is a very busy job.

How I split my time between Constituency and Parliament.

Mostly, I am in Westminster four days a week and travel usually back on Thursday evening to attend my surgeries on Fridays and Saturdays. I also spend a lot of time in the constituency visiting local community groups and businesses looking to see what help I might be able to give them.

How it feels to stand up in the chamber in front of the nation.

To be honest, it was quite daunting the first time, but I profoundly disagree with most things the current UK government does so I am very focused on my question and the response to it, so everything else tends to dissolve into the background.

Representing Glasgow South West.

It is an absolute privilege to be able to represent the constituents of Glasgow South West in such a manner. I have that Scottish thing of working hard, and it is important to me personally that in any job I do, I do it as well as I possibly can. As a socialist and trade unionist, I have managed to make a difference in many ways both for my constituents and, on a wider scale, for people all over the UK. I am very proud of that.