Recalling with bite

Polling StationMPs have come together to say that they need to regain our trust. And they’re right. Many of us think that politics in the UK needs improvement. MPs can be sent to prison, can fiddle their expenses or break their promises and we can only get rid of them on election days.
Now we’ve got a chance right now to make things better. It looks like the government is making plans to announce new powers to sack – ‘recall’ – MPs who don’t do their job properly.
However the new plans could put the power to sack MPs in their colleagues’ hands – not their constituents. Some MPs think this is not good enough. They’re backing real recall – so if enough people wanted to hold a by-election to sack their MP in between elections, they could.
A real recall law is not the answer to all of our democracy’s problems. But it’s a step in the right direction. And above all, it puts the power into our hands rather than MPs’.
Real recall won’t mean that by-elections happen every day. There would be checks and balances in place so that MPs can get on with their jobs. It’s only the bad MPs who will need to worry.
We need to send the government a clear signal, which means the petition needs to be big. Every signature will build the pressure.
Here’s what Conservative MP, Zac Goldsmith said:
“As an MP, I’ve seen how public pressure can force the government’s arm – and they’re particularly sensitive about public trust in MPs right now. A massive petition could give David Cameron and Nick Clegg no option but to go back to the drawing board – and produce recall with bite.”
Please sign the petition now calling for a proper recall option on:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/recall-2014
Please also see The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10850163/Let-voters-sack-underperforming-politicians-MPs-say.html