Editorial note: If you have not yet read our mission statement above, please do so in order that you can put our blogs in context.
27 April 2012
Today, at the request of UK political activist and former Green Party member Dave Bradney, we are publishing details of a campaign to improve the local accountability of UK Members of Parliament.
UK citizens or residents who want to sign the accompanying petition can click on the hyperlink at the bottom.
The two parties in the UK’s current coalition government are the Conservatives, the dominant partner, and the Liberal Democrats. Hence it is sometimes referred to, not without irony, as the “ConDem” coalition. These parties have shared power since parliamentary elections in May 2010 on the basis of an agreement cobbled together between themselves shortly after the electorate had denied either party an overall majority in parliament.
PETITION TO IMPROVE ACCOUNTABILITY OF UK MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
The Coalition Government’s “junior partners”, who put the “Dem” in ConDem, are arguing that reform of the House of Lords should go ahead, without recourse to a referendum, because it was part of the original Coalition Agreement.
If this argument is valid, they should also be held to account for a further provision of the Coalition Agreement of May 2010, which stated: “The parties will bring forward early legislation to introduce a power of recall, allowing voters to force a by-election where an MP was found to have engaged in serious wrongdoing and having had a petition calling for a by-election signed by 10% of his or her constituents.”
This interesting provision, dreamt up perhaps unwisely two years ago when MPs’ expenses scandals such as residence “flipping” and duckhouses were much fresher in the public consciousness, should definitely not be allowed to wither on the vine, as I daresay the Con-spirators would prefer.
It is being suggested that there will be little fresh parliamentary business for the next couple of years, because the government has got on with its mayhem so swiftly and no further Coalition Agreement can be created, as the two partners try to look more distinctive in the buildup to the next election. So there should be no shortage of parliamentary time to implement the remaining Coalition commitments, such as this one.
I have created an HM Government e-petition calling on the Coalition Government to legislate so that its proposals for MP recall can come into force before the end of this administration. I would be very pleased if any UK citizen or resident reading this would follow the link below and sign up. Also, please feel free to publicise this initiative in any way that seems appropriate.
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/33163
Dave Bradney
——————
You might perhaps care to view some of our earlier posts. For instance:
1. Why? or How? That is the question (3 Jan 2012)
2. Das Vierte Reich/The Fourth Reich (6 Feb 2012)
3. The shoddiest possible goods at the highest possible prices (2 Feb 2012)
4. Where’s the beef? Ontology and tinned meat (31 Jan 2012)
5. What would Gandhi have said? (30 Jan 2012)
Every so often we shall change this sample of previously published posts.
——————
antigone1984.com 