The Right to Expel MPs
Posted on Wednesday 9th March 2011 18:00 by Gordon Bain
Nick Clegg: voters should have right to expel MPs convicted of a criminal offence
At present, MPs are disqualified from Parliament only if they are sentenced to a prison term of more than 12 months. But under the Coalition Government’s plans to give voters the right to “recall” their MP, any criminal conviction could be sufficient to trigger a local ballot to consider whether expulsion should take place. Mr Clegg told the Commons that where there was a clear case of wrongdoing, a petition signed by 10 per cent of electors in the errant MP’s constituency would be enough to recall them. Exact details of what would constitute wrongdoing are to be set out by the Government “shortly,” the Liberal Democrat leader said. But at the very least, any MP convicted of a criminal offence should potentially be up for recall.
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