In response to the expenses scandal and understandable public outrage in the 2005-10 Parliament, of which I was not a Member, The Conservative Party declared in 2010 in our election manifesto that:
“A Conservative Government will introduce a power of recall to allow electors to kick out MPs, a power that will be triggered by proven serious wrongdoing”.
For the last year I have worked on a cross Party Recall Bill committee chaired by Zac Goldsmith MP (Conservative, Richmond Park) and supported by David Davis MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg MP and Kate Hoey MP amongst others.
MPs yesterday debated the Recall Bill for the final time, and considered amendments put forward by members of all political parties. Unfortunately the amendments suggested by the ‘Zac Committee’ on which I served did not make it into law. This was a real shame – as they would have enabled real recall, put proper power in the hands of the electorate, and created a genuinely empowering and transparent system.
The world of politics sometimes requires compromises, and the Recall Bill that we have is better than nothing. A recall petition will be triggered if:
An MP is sentenced to a term of imprisonment of up to a year (after which disqualification is already automatic)
An MP were suspended by the House for at least 21 sitting days, or 28 continuous days.
This is a start in our attempt to cleanse the stables, and restore public confidence in the Mother of Parliaments…an institution that I regard as a great honour and privilege to work in. I am confident that we will return to this issue again, and look to beef up the Recall powers, after the General Election next May.
The Recall Bill has now moved on to the House of Lords, before becoming law.