UK Parliament MCP Server

search_members

Find current MPs and Lords using filters like name, location, party, constituency, gender, posts held, or policy interests. Supports advanced criteria including membership dates and eligibility.

Instructions

Search for current MPs and Lords with comprehensive filtering options. Use when you need to find members by name, location, party, constituency, gender, posts held, or policy interests. Supports advanced search criteria including membership dates and eligibility status. See also: get_member_by_name, search_historical_members, get_mp_profile.

    Args:
        name: Optional: full or partial name to search for.
        location: Optional: location or constituency name.
        post_title: Optional: post title (e.g. 'Minister', 'Secretary of State').
        party_id: Optional: party ID to filter by.
        house: Optional: house - 1 or 'Commons', 2 or 'Lords'.
        constituency_id: Optional: constituency ID to filter by.
        name_starts_with: Optional: filter names starting with specific letter(s).
        gender: Optional: gender filter ('M' or 'F').
        membership_started_since: Optional: membership started since date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
        membership_ended_since: Optional: membership ended since date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
        was_member_on_or_after: Optional: was member on or after date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
        was_member_on_or_before: Optional: was member on or before date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
        was_member_of_house: Optional: was member of house - 1 or 'Commons', 2 or 'Lords'.
        is_eligible: Optional: filter by eligibility status.
        is_current_member: Optional: filter by current membership status.
        policy_interest_id: Optional: policy interest ID to filter by.
        experience: Optional: search term for professional experience.
        skip: Number of records to skip (for pagination).
        take: Number of records to return (default 20, max 100).

    Returns:
        Matching member profiles with comprehensive details.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`name`	No
`skip`	No
`take`	No
`house`	No
`gender`	No
`location`	No
`party_id`	No
`experience`	No
`post_title`	No
`is_eligible`	No
`constituency_id`	No
`name_starts_with`	No
`is_current_member`	No
`policy_interest_id`	No
`was_member_of_house`	No
`membership_ended_since`	No
`was_member_on_or_after`	No
`was_member_on_or_before`	No
`membership_started_since`	No

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`result`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv0.1.0Oct 6, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden. It does disclose useful operational detail beyond the schema—filterable dimensions, date formats, and pagination bounds (default 20, max 100)—but says nothing about authorization needs, rate limits, or result ordering, leaving behavioral traits only partially covered.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Purpose and when-to-use are front-loaded before the long Args block. The Args enumeration is long but justified given 0% schema coverage; the only mild redundancy is that filter dimensions are listed once in the usage sentence and again per-parameter.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists, so return values need not be detailed, and the brief Returns line suffices. With 19 optional parameters all documented and siblings referenced, the description gives everything needed to invoke the tool correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters5/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 0%, so the description must compensate, and it does: every one of the 19 parameters is annotated with meaning the schema lacks, including enum-like values for house ('1 or Commons, 2 or Lords'), gender ('M' or 'F'), date formats (YYYY-MM-DD), and pagination defaults/caps for take and skip.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb (Search) and resource (current MPs and Lords), and the word 'current' distinguishes it from search_historical_members. It also names relevant siblings (get_member_by_name, get_mp_profile), so an agent can tell it apart from adjacent tools without opening a schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

'Use when you need to find members by name, location, party, constituency, gender, posts held, or policy interests' gives clear usage context. The 'See also' list points at alternatives but never states the condition that should route the agent to get_member_by_name or search_historical_members instead, so exclusions are missing.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Deploy Server