The Recall of MP’s Bill passed through the remainder of its legislative stages in the House of Commons this evening and will now pass to the House of Lords for consideration.
My view is that I would not have started down this particular road but now that we have and raised voters hope that they are going to be given a right to recall errant MP’s I think the current Bill will only serve to disappoint.
I voted for the package of changes put forward by my colleague Zac Goldsmith which would have genuinely put the power of recall in the hands of constituents but by a considerable majority the plans were rejected. Now it will be back to whether a MP is sentenced to jail by the Courts or suspended by the Committee of Standards in the House of Commons as to whether a MP will face a recall by-election. The crucial point that I am concerned about is that MP’s should not face a Recall ballot for the views that they hold. It should only be for misconduct. MP’s must always be free o speak out even if what they say is unpopular.
David Nuttall 