Chris Shaw, Class of 1986

Since leaving Trinity, Chris has carved out an impressive career in public service. After furthering his studies at Southampton University, Chris entered the civil service, ultimately securing a coveted position as a Clerk in the House of Commons. Over the past three decades, he has held a variety of influential roles, from supporting select committees to navigating complex legislative processes.

What initially inspired you to pursue a career as a Clerk in the House of Commons, and how did your time at Trinity shape your path?

My interest in history and politics was sparked when I studied history at A-level and was nurtured by my inspiring and enthusiastic teachers, Mr Jardine and Mr Fairchild. Mr Peak was also great, although we usually distracted him with lengthy discussions on the historical accuracy of Blackadder!

I then studied politics at Southampton University and then got a job in the civil service at the Department of the Environment in 1990. As part of that job, on the glamorous waste management team, we were often in the Palace of Westminster to support ministers steering a bill through Parliament. I really loved the building, the history and mixing with MPs, so I successfully applied for the fast stream and opted for one of only a couple of slots as a Clerk in the House of Commons. It was – and still is – an awesome place to go to work.

You’ve worked on several high profile select committees. Which committee’s work do you feel has had the most lasting impact on UK policy and why?

That is a hard question to answer because it is always difficult to disentangle cause and effect when it comes to influencing policy. The most high-profile work I have supported was probably on the Business Committee, holding big business leaders, such as Sir Philip Green and Mike Ashley, to account for their exploitative business practices, on behalf of employees and shareholders. They hated having to appear in public to answer questions for hours on end and relationships were strained, in public and in private. But the public pressure on them helped to force a shift in business practices at Sports Direct and increased payments into the pension pot of BHS workers, who had suddenly lost their jobs. Select committees normally hold government – not business – to account. On this front, probably the most effective work was with the Foreign Affairs Committee in exposing the shambles of the evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021, with the help of two very brave civil service whistleblowers. The lessons learnt have benefitted those escaping from Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza.

What were some of the most significant challenges you faced during your time in the Public Bill Office, especially regarding Private Members’ Bills?

One of the skills you pick up as a Clerk in the House of Commons is drafting legislation. Not perfectly, or even to required professional standards, but good enough to indicate to MPs what the intention is of the proposed new laws and how they would work. It was quite a daunting task to be asked by MPs, successful in the ballot for Private Members’ Bills, to draft short bills for them on anything from recycling to leaving the EU. The biggest challenge – and one we ducked on the grounds of insufficient capacity – was being asked to draft a bill for a UK Constitution. Perhaps it is sensible that some things remain unwritten, especially if the authors are not constitutional lawyers.

Bill committees can be highly contentious at times: I have fond memories of one acrimonious all night sitting, after the Opposition ambushed the Government, that I was able to survive with the help of a stiff whisky on the Commons Terrace at 5am, before writing a brief for the Speaker on what had happened.

Your role as UK Delegation Secretary to various international parliamentary assemblies is quite unique. What was the most memorable moment from your time with NATO or the OSCE?

I was hugely privileged to spend three years supporting UK parliamentary delegations to international organisations such as the NATO and OSCE parliamentary assemblies. The role involved working with the Foreign Office to provide policy and administrative support to help MPs represent UK interests in international affairs. So I got to travel with MPs all over Europe and to NATO countries, from Reykjavik to Istanbul, and attend some spectacular events. A dinner in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles for 800, guarded by French forces in full ceremonial attire was a highlight; as was a dinner we hosted in a marquee at Scone Palace in Scotland at which the Black Watch Pipes and Drums had many delegates in tears.

The most memorable conference was in St Petersburg in July 1999, when it was light for 24 hours, and the debates around the relationship between NATO and Russia were electric – a throwback to the Cold War and a reminder that, before Putin, an alternative future for Russia was briefly on offer.

As Head of the Scrutiny Unit, you provided financial, legal and economic expertise to select committees. How did this role differ from other positions you have held in the Commons?

The great thing about a career in the House is the sheer variety of jobs on offer, not just supporting scrutiny and legislative functions but in IT, security, estate management or the library. Heading up our Scrutiny Unit was primarily a management role, allocating a talented group of different specialists to committees in accordance with fluctuating demands. It also allowed a little hands-on work, supporting ad hoc committees tasked with scrutinising draft legislation in advance of its introduction. I was also able to give experience to a wide variety of interns and specialists as we sought to make the House a much more diverse place to work.

During your secondment to the Cabinet Office, you worked closely with the Leader of the House and No 10. What was one of the most critical parliamentary issues you had to navigate during that time?

It was a massive shift of mindset from professionally throwing stones at the Government to helping it deliver and manage its relationship with Parliament. It was also fascinating to get to see how No 10 works and to support the Leader of the House in delivering the Government’s legislative agenda. Apart from delivering English Votes for English Laws (since repealed) and helping to introduce the current system of public petitions to Parliament, I expended most energy responding to the various crises that arose during the Coalition Government during 2012-15. Providing advice to both sides was challenging at times: I recall traipsing around Whitehall to get wording on devolution agreed by different ministers and negotiating over important things like the number of pages in a document and which should be blue or yellow. Working with the brilliant William Hague was a highlight: he could turn any dull speech I drafted into something witty and engaging with his turn of phrase and mastery of delivery in the House.

The Climate Change Citizens’ Assembly in 2020 was a groundbreaking initiative. What lessons did you take away from this experience, and how do you see deliberative methods shaping future parliamentary practices?

Climate Assembly UK was definitely the most inspiring and fun project I have been involved in. I will admit that I started off very sceptical about the ability of ordinary people to come together to deliberate on complex issues and agree on a set of recommendations to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. But I was wrong and am now probably the leading advocate in the House of these deliberative techniques in support of scrutiny and policy making. The main lessons I have learnt is that deliberative methods can help to depolarise difficult issues and give politicians the confidence to pursue bold policy options. MPs who have seen such exercises in practice are generally persuaded; the challenge is now to persuade the Government to support such initiatives and to show that they have impact by implementing recommendations. This could help to rebuild trust in our political processes and politicians and resolve tricky policy challenges, such as social care and immigration.

Having spent over three decades in the House of Commons, how have you seen the role of select committees evolve, especially in the areas of transparency and public engagement?

Select committees have improved in terms of their performance, public profile and impact. They are now widely regarded as the element of our parliamentary processes least in need of reform. We have enjoyed increased resources too, so we are now able to supplement the routine written and oral evidence with high-quality public engagement: speaking to people who have policy “done to them” and hearing views from the general public, unfiltered by lobbyists or interest groups. Committees now enjoy a respected place in the political firmament: an oasis of cross-party working and (usually) a constructive critic of the Government. Whilst committees are transparent, the work is often painstaking and dull; it is the political theatre of the Chamber that gets the attention, so the public gets a misleading impression of how Parliament works.

Looking back on your career, what has been the most rewarding part of your work in Parliament, and what advice would you give to students considering a career in government or public service?

My three years working for the Government were the most exciting and rewarding in terms of the insight they gave me into how power is exercised in UK politics. But the only thing I got done was unnecessary and unworkable and repealed shortly afterwards. Committee work in the House is rewarding in an unquantifiable way. I enjoy drafting reports that secures agreement from MPs with very different political outlooks.

In terms of a career, there is a choice to be made about whether to work in Government and help to form and deliver policy or to work in Parliament and to support the legislative and scrutiny processes. We work with backbenchers rather than ministers and are generally less hierarchical in terms of decision making. But in both roles you have to be prepared to be politically impartial; to serve politicians of all parties. If that doesn’t rule you out, then a career in parliament or the civil service would be fascinating to anyone with an interest in politics.