Member News
Fate brought together four MPs to form the world's first parliamentary rock band.
According to drummer Greg Knight, the 60-year-old Tory MP for East Yorkshire, one day Labour MP Ian Cawsey (49, Brigg and Goole), and the SNP's Pete Wishart (47, Perth and North Perthshire) were discussing the possiblity of forming a parliamentary band.
"Ian said it would be impossible as no-one on parliament plays the drums," explains Knight.
"I happened to be walking past at that exact moment and thought they were winding me up as I play drums. What were the odds?"
They decided to call themselves MP3.
"Then we heard Kevin play guitar."
The addition of Labour minister Kevin Brennan (50, Cardiff West) meant the band changed its name to MP4.
They bonded over the Beatles and found they clicked musically.
Knight rejects the "novelty tag" and with some reason.
"We can all actually play our instruments," he points out.
Indeed, Wishart is the first MP to have appeared on Top of the Pops, as a member of Scottish folk outfit Runrig.
"It keeps us out of trouble and we always enjoy it, even if members of the audience do not," says Knight.
"We never talk politics in the group and we have never fallen out.
"In the pop world we see lots of pop stars who think they are politicians - we are the payback."
The band, novelty or not, has managed to raise £500,000 for charity since it was formed five years ago.
They will perform at a special Help for Heroes concert in Lincolnshire on February 26.
"Ian Cawsey is the main organiser of the Help for Heroes concert - it is in his constituency and he learned about it and offered to appear," says Knight.
"Winterton Jubilee Club is the venue.
"Kevin will come from Wales and Pete from Scotland to play there - it is only about 30 miles away from me.
"We were looking for a charity to support - every year we take part in the annual Parliamentary Palace of Varieties Show, but we wanted to do something more relevant to what is happening.
"With the deaths of servicemen in Afghanistan in the news, we wanted to pay tribute to those who lay their lives on the line."
Help for Heroes has raised more than £40m since it was founded in October 2007.
It focuses on helping servicemen and women injured on active duty.
With the election looming, all four members of the band are standing again.
"We would like to continue the band after the election but that is of course in the hands of the electorate," says Knight.
"But I am sure we will meet up in future no matter what happens.
"We have build up something of a fanbase among MPs.
"Last year we played in the Commons terrace at a music industry event. Later the head of catering told me there had been more MPs in attendance than at any other event she had seen in the marquee."
Fate brought the band together, Knight insists.
"We went to a recording studio near parliament called Snake Ranch, and played Can't Buy Me Love by the Beatles.
"A guy called Robin Millar, who produced Sade, came along to talk us out of it.
"He felt politicians shouldn't be in a band.
"In the end he offered to produce our album."
The album, proceeds to Help For Heroes, will be released by Revolver Records in the first week of March.
"We have a proper distribution deal and it will also be available to buy online as a download," says Knight.
"There are eight band original songs and three covers.
"Kevin wrote most of them with some help from Ian. I wrote two and Ian co-wrote the lyrics. It was very much a team effort."
And the title?
Cross Party.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd