| TWIGG | Stephen, Labour MP who won Michael Portillo's seat in 1997 (5) |
| GLENDAJACKSON | Labour MP who won Best Actress Oscars for Women in Love and A Touch of Class (6,7) |
| TRAIN | Work out Michael Portillo's favourite kind of transport? (5) |
| THEDEERHUNTER | 1978 war film which won Michael Cimino a Best Director Oscar |
| PLEA | Michael Portillo's entertaining ex post facto excuse (4) |
| BRADSHAW | Pitt, Irish playwright, wrote Portillo's guide (8) |
| SHORT | Clare _, former Labour MP who was Secretary of State for International Development 1997-2003 (5) |
| DEWAR | Donald ___, Labour MP who was first minister of Scotland from 1999-2000 (5) |
| BYERS | Surname of Labour MP who was Transport Secretary from June 2001-May 2002 (5) |
| ROBIN | Labour MP who served as Leader of the House of Commons from 2001-03 (5,4) |
| FRANKDOBSON | Late former Labour MP who was Secretary of State for Health 1997-99 (5,6) |
| GRANT | Mr Schapps, MP who lost his seat in the last election (5) |
| BETTYBOOTHROYD | Former Labour MP who served as the first female Speaker in the House of Commons (5,9) |
| DAVIDBLUNKETT | Former Labour MP who was Home Secretary from 2001 to 2004 (5,8) |
| CREAGH | Mary ---, former Labour MP who lost her Wakefield seat at the 2019 general election (6) |
| FRANKDORAN | Labour MP who was married to Joan Ruddock from 2010 until his death in 2017 |
| MEKA | Labour MP who switched to Te Pati Maori in 2023 (4,8) |
| WHAITIRI | Labour MP who switched to Te Pati Maori in 2023 (4,8) |
| BECKETT | Margaret ---, Labour MP who became Britain's first female foreign secretary in 2006 (7) |
| OWEN | --- Smith, former Labour MP who contested the leadership of the party in 2016 (4) |
