Ideas: Power of recall over MPs

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Ideas: Power of recall over MPs

29.11.2009 // by Guest

This idea comes from Tom in London:

What's the big idea?:

Give voters the power of recall over MPs.

Why is this change important to you?:

Political parties shouldn't be able to make their own minds up about what is legitimate and what should warrant the sack. There is no reason why we couldn't replicate the "recall provision" that exists in many US states over here. If 25% of those who voted in a constituency at the last election signed a petition calling for their MP to go, that could trigger a by-election where they had to defend their seat against all comers. When this sort of reform is proposed, defenders of
the status quo conjure up nightmares of endless, expensive by-elections that will exhaust the patience and pocket book of the electorate. In reality, that won't happen. California requires just 12% of those who voted in the last election to sign a petition to trigger a recall, yet they recalled a governor for the first time in 2003, since the provision was introduced in 1911. Recalls are rare but important. If they were allowed right now, the public would be able to kick out those MPs who have let them down. Beyond that, MPs might not behave so badly if they knew that they would face the ignominy of a recall if they stepped out of line.