Recall of MPs Bill

Debate between Douglas Carswell and Lord Beamish
Tuesday 21st October 2014

(10 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Beamish Portrait Mr Jones
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I am sorry, but that is not the point. Expenditure limits can be put on the recall election, but the campaigning in the lead-up to such an election would undermine the representative in getting their constituents—

Douglas Carswell Portrait Douglas Carswell
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Trust the voters.

Lord Beamish Portrait Mr Jones
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This is not about trusting the voters, but about putting influence in the hands of a small group of very wealthy individuals. If the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith), with the wealth he has, wanted to shift a Member of Parliament, he could do it.

Lord Beamish Portrait Mr Jones
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What happens in practice in the United States is that individuals who take against a policy or a state or national representative can use their tremendous wealth to use a campaign in the lead-up to the recall election to undermine such a representative. The idea that that is somehow empowering the voters is not the case. Recall empowers very wealthy individuals who could then—

Douglas Carswell Portrait Douglas Carswell
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You don’t trust the voters.

Lord Beamish Portrait Mr Jones
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I do trust the electorate. The hon. Gentleman should stop chuntering from a sedentary position. The fact is that recall will give influence over who the Member of Parliament is not to the majority of the electors but to a small group of very wealthy individuals.