Sebastian Coe

A double Olympic 1500 metres champion, Coe was Conservative MP for Falmouth and Camborne from 1992 to 1997 and then William Hague's chief of staff. His parliamentary career was brief and unremarkable; the political skills he learned there proved far more useful outside, leading London's winning bid for the 2012 Olympics, chairing the organising committee and becoming president of World Athletics. He is an example of Westminster as a training ground rather than a destination.