FROM MPs behaving like the lord of the manor defending their moats and duck houses, to their leaders fighting allegations of physical violence – never play at the top of the stairs in Number 10 - anti-Westminster sentiment is at all-time high.

So the question remains: What makes any normal person want to be a politician?

Sinner or saint – are would-be politicians motivated by lust for power and expenses or burning with a desire to help their fellow man?

Dr Rupa Huq, a senior lecturer at Kingston University and perennial Labour party candidate, believes most want to make a difference, but realises they can only bring so much influence in community groups.

She says: “As part of a pressure group, you can only do so much, but as an elected representative, you have the power to hold people to account.”

A candidate for May’s local elections in Ealing, Dr Huq has stood as a candidate for European Parliament in 2004 and for Westminster in 2005.

Despite not making it as an office-holder herself, she argues that for politicians to succeed, they need to be tenacious and make decisive judgments.

She says: “They probably have to have some ruthlessness. You don’t want some politician crying every minute. A politician needs to be decisive, have firmness, have principles and I also think they need to have real life experiences.”

She says: “People are not on the same planet as us if they’re cleaning a moat or if they have a duck house.”

One of the biggest pitfalls for politicians according to Dr Huq is the rise of “professional politics”.

She cites politicians like departing Labour MP and former cabinet minister James Purnell, who has spent all his working life in Westminster, as examples of “professional politicians” who don’t live the same life as their voters.

Dr. Huq says: “I suppose you have to be driven to go so far. But if you’re so singularly driven [in  politics], you’re a one-dimensional person.”

According to a recent study published in the Journal of Public Economics, voters seemed drawn to attractive looking politicians, which could make them seem trustworthy, likeable and intelligent.

But Alex Haslam, professor of social psychology at the University of Exeter, refutes the idea of the “model” politician, emphasising the fact that people’s ideal of a politician reflects on the values of their group.

Prof. Haslam argues that no “particular constellation” of traits is necessary for politicians to succeed in the field. He says: “A good model is someone who is able to present the values of society [politicians] are about to represent.”

“It depends on the attitudes they have and things like traits are not critical. It’s all about what people want in their leaders.”

While values help politicians go far in their career, Prof. Haslam also points out the social characteristics of this group of people. The makings of a politician, like many other roles in life, ties in with the social interactions he makes.

He said: “I think a lot if it has to do with socialisation where political issues are discussed and exposed to certain people and think these issues are important.”

Local politicians like Kingston upon Thames Liberal Democrat Councillor Bart Ricketts agree with Prof. Haslam’s arguments that socialisation helped groom his interest in that field.

As a science of business student at Kingston University in the late 1990s, Mr Ricketts was involved in societies on campus, which led to a position as a sabbatical officer at Kingston’s student union from 1998 to 2000.

From there he was elected to a position on Kingston Council which he has held since 2002.

Because of his experiences as a student leader, he was more involved in local politics, which ultimately led to his election as a councillor.

He hopes to move beyond local government and run as an MP in the future.

 Cllr. Ricketts said: “If I hadn’t been interested in helping people that were disadvantaged, I wouldn’t have come into the council.”