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Why are some MPs referred to in the Order Paper with an honorific, while the majority are not?

For example, in the Order Paper for Wednesday 6th June 2018, the MPs asking questions of the Prime Minister are listed as

Q1 Alex Chalk (Cheltenham)
Q2 Eddie Hughes (Walsall North)
Q3 Mr Steve Reed (Croydon North)
Q4 Jim Shannon (Strangford)
Q5 Melanie Onn (Great Grimsby)
Q6 Chris Skidmore (Kingswood)
Q7 Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Brighton, Kemptown)
Q8 Bill Grant (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Q9 Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Q10 Mr Paul Sweeney (Glasgow North East)

(with the bold added by me, for emphasis).

I note that, elsewhere, these same MPs seem to be referred to in the same way: for example, Mr Steve Reed's Parliamentary profile versus that of Eddie Hughes.

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    Isn't that based on some sort of self-filled info? Where some people fill out the honorific and some not?
    – user4012
    Jun 7, 2018 at 1:57
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    I concur. Note that the parliamentary profile has an "address as" section, so we know that John Baron likes to be called "Mr Baron", but Kevin Barron prefers "Sir Kevin" and Guto Bebb is happy to be "Guto Bebb". These don't divide down party lines, nor according to previous employment, privy council membership or any other factor I can think of. Probably new members have to fill out a form and if they choose "Mr Reed" it sticks with them. I'll exapand this to an answer if nobody can come up with a better reason.
    – James K
    Jun 7, 2018 at 8:29

1 Answer 1

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It's personal preference. From the page on Parliament's website about swearing in:

The MP takes the oath or affirms, then moves along the Table to the next Table Clerk and signs the Test Roll, a parchment book headed by the oath and affirmation which is kept by the Clerk of the House of Commons.

Finally, the MP is introduced to the Commons Speaker by the Clerk of the House. After shaking the Speaker’s hand, the MP goes behind the Speaker’s Chair, where staff will take a signature for recognition purposes and ask how the MP wishes to be known in House documents.

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  • Good research..
    – James K
    Jun 9, 2018 at 21:39

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