For the majority of the public the 'good life' will depend on the opportunities and conversely the constraints that are created and imposed by our government. In an era of gradually suffocating social mobility, the oft-Americanised concept of rugged individualism can only take us so far. We rely on the good judgement and in turn the good intentions of our national elites, yet we have little understanding of their human character. Whenever the 'good life' evades us we are quick to find political animals in Westminster who act as lightning rods for our ire. A justified response? This study examines the value orientations of national politicians and is the first of its kind in the UK, applying the socio-psychological model of Basic Human Values (Schwartz, 1994). The quantitative data gained from the Portrait Values Questionnaire challenges the demonisation of politicians, clarifies motivations behind political decision making and highlights the role of personal values within the British political system. 48 MPs completed the survey and demonstrated high scores for the desirable values of Benevolence and Universalism, and low for the frequently criticised values of Power, Achievement and Hedonism. Tests of difference revealed statistically significant variation by party, parliamentary responsibility and gender.
