# U.K. M.P.s: Some are "Mr.," some aren't **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 27, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-k-m-p-s-some-are-mr-some-arent/341906 "2006-01-27T20:33:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-k-m-p-s-some-are-mr-some-arent/341906/1 "2006-01-27T20:33:51Z")
On the British Parliament Web site’s [listing](http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/clomps.cfm) of members of parliament, most members are given some kind of title preceding their names (“Rt. Hon.,” “Dr.,” “Mr.,” “Ms.”), but some have none at all. I assume there is some objective criteria for titles like “Rt. Hon.” and “Dr.,” but what about “Mr.”? What’s the difference between an M.P. whose name is listed with “Mr.” and one who isn’t? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-k-m-p-s-some-are-mr-some-arent/341906/2 "2006-01-27T20:43:31Z")
No difference. > [@](#): > > Members have been asked to supply details of the preferred form of their names, titles and qualifications; these have been included in this list where known [http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm](http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm) All members of the Commons are entitled to use ‘Rt Hon’, should they wish, but not all do. Note also that Tony Blair opts not to use his full first name. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-k-m-p-s-some-are-mr-some-arent/341906/3 "2006-01-27T20:59:25Z")
:: Writes _I will not assume I know the answer_ one hundred times :: > [@](#): > > The honorific is normally only used on the front of envelopes and other written documents: for example, The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP is otherwise referred to simply as “Mr Blair”. > > In the House of Commons, members refer to each other as “the honourable member for …” or “the right honourable member for …” depending upon whether or not they are Privy Counsellors. However the title “the honourable member” is only a parliamentary term and is not used outside the House. > **[The Right Honourable](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_Honourable)** > > The Right Honourable (abbreviation: The Rt Hon. or Rt Hon.) is an honorific style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, Australia, the former British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations. The term is predominantly used today as a style associated with the holding of certain senior public offices in the United Kingdom, Canada, Kenya and New Zealand. > "Right" in this context is an adverb meaning "thoroughly" or "very". > The prefix is customarily abb... The basic gist, that they choose how they wish to be called, stands. From what I can see, there’s only one MP calling himself ‘Rev.’, but I’m sure there’s other clerics in there. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-k-m-p-s-some-are-mr-some-arent/341906/4 "2006-01-27T21:09:45Z")
Cool. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-k-m-p-s-some-are-mr-some-arent/341906/5 "2006-01-27T21:25:01Z")
No problem - so what is it with all these questions recently? We wouldn’t want to be doing anyone’s homework for them 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-k-m-p-s-some-are-mr-some-arent/341906/6 "2006-01-27T21:49:34Z")
> [@](#): > > No problem - so what is it with all these questions recently? Okay, I’ll take the hijack. Depressed with American politics. This week’s election in Canada got me looking at other Anglo countries’ politics. Canada led to the United Kingdom. Things are wonderfully complicated there and I can get lost in the minutiae without worrying about real-life policy matters. > [@](#): > > We wouldn’t want to be doing anyone’s homework for them 😃 Homework! At my age. If only I were so lucky.