Our reporter Ben Robinson spoke with Preston Coun Ron Atkins, who is a two-time former Preston North MP, and Ben Wallace, 38, has been MP for Lancaster and Wyre since 2005.

Ben Robinson: During the course of this series I have spoken to a lot of people who almost fell into their careers, but others who always saw it as a vocation. I am guessing being an MP belongs in the latter category. How and why did you get into it?

Ron Atkins: "I wanted to put the world right. It all started at school in the debating society. I was a good speaker and the teacher had me talking to the class about the League of Nations – I was interested even then.

"When I left school I did Trade Union work and joined the Labour party even when I was too young – it was called the League of Youth.

"I did Trade Union work in factories and originally I did not have a parliamentary seat in mind but I was put forward by a young socialist for the Preston North seat and won."

Ben Wallace: "I was always interested in it and it was always in me. You either watch it on the TV or you get out and do something about it."

For the full feature see Thursday's Lancashire Evening Post.

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