Chris Bryant

Sir Christopher John Bryant (born 11 January 1962) is a British politician and former Anglican priest who is the chair of the Committees on Standards and Privileges. He previously served in government as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons from 2008 to 2009 and Under-Secretary of State for Europe and Asia from 2009 to 2010. A member of the Labour Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Rhondda since the 2001 general election.

Quotes

• We get very complacent about the state of our democracy. We think that because we’ve got parliament, and people get elected, that’s the democracy box ticked. It’s not.
• No, I’m not going on Strictly. I won't dance. Don't ask me. Our primary job is running the country. We've got to a state now where most of us are more fixated on our two-minute clip on Twitter than a sustained, nuanced argument.
• [On the damage done to politician's public reputation by the actions of MPs such as Boris Johnson] We've gone from 45 per cent of people thinking we're all terrible and lying all the time to 80 per cent.
  That is really problematic. Government is by consent and if the people no longer think that, in the main, parliament is there to defend their rights and freedoms, then the danger is they'll go, "What is the point of democracy?" It's easy for someone to say it's a lot more efficient to just have someone in charge. Why bother with getting things through the House? Why bother with persuading people? That’s the danger.
  • "Chris Bryant: In the 22 years I’ve been an MP, five male MPs have groped me", The Times (9 August 2023)