Electoral Reform Society: Expenses and Second Jobs reveal broken relationship between voters and MPs.

Wednesday, 1 July 2009 12:00 AM

The Electoral Reform Society has reacted to today's deadline for MPs to declare outside incomes.

The Society's Chief Executive Dr Ken Ritchie said:

"The relationship between the voter and MP is defined by the ballot box. And today this relationship looks increasingly like a bad marriage, with self interested, self absorbed MPs, juggling duties to voters with their bits on the side.

The expenses crisis showed that our 'safest' MPs were free to make decadent claims at the taxpayers' expense without thought to the consequences. It already seems pretty clear with second jobs that the same relationship will stand up. Parliament's Renaissance Men have made such strides with moonlighting precisely because they aren't compelled to fight for every vote.

Princess Dianna once said of her marriage to Prince Charles that there were three people in that marriage. It seems the same applies to the bond between MPs and their voters. Voters expect fidelity from their politicians, not a class of professional polygamists. We expect MPs will always work on other projects. That can even be healthy, but they need to be reminded of their priorities with a responsive politics that rewards effort, and penalises neglect.

Systems of proportional representation like the Single Transferable Vote make playing away a tactical impossibility. If we want a more attentive partner in our politicians we just have to look at the impact it's made in Scotland, where the old Labour fiefs have been swept away, replaced by competitive, responsive politicians who are forced to make a bid for every vote.

The biggest blockers to reform in the Commons always like to claim everything is happy families back in their seats. But the public have indicated in poll after poll that they do feel cheated by their MPs. Signs are they are also want a new basis for this relationship that best serves them. That means a referendum on voting reform".

Notes to editors

The Electoral Reform Society has joined with groups from the Fawcett Society to Greenpeace in supporting the Vote for a Change campaign, calling for voters to take the lead on reform of parliament www.voteforachange.co.uk The campaign will be bringing 2000 people to Westminster on July 9th at 6:30 for a rally in Methodist Central Hall.

Contacts

For more information contact the Society on 020 7928 1622 or Ken Ritchie on 07754165551

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