Notable newcomers to the House of Commons included David Cameron, David Miliband, Boris Johnson, John Thurso, George Osborne, Nigel Dodds, Chris Grayling, Andy Burnham, Adam Price, Alistair Carmichael, Angus Robertson, Chris Bryant, Norman Lamb, and Tom Watson (many of whom would go on to reach senior positions in government and/or their respective parties).

During the 2001–05 Parliament, Michael Martin was the Speaker, Tony Blair served as Prime Minister, and William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard served as Leader of the Opposition.

This is not the official seating plan of the House of Commons, which has five rows of benches on each side, with the government party to the right of the speaker and opposition parties to the left, but with room for only around two-thirds of MPs to sit at any one time.

The effective government majority was slightly higher because Sinn Féin members did not take up their seats and the speaker does not vote.

Speaker Michael Martin technically represented Labour in a notional majority.