General / Off-Topic The UK banishes the employment of a close friend by members of parliament

[Patrick_68000]

The British parliamentary regulator (Ipsa) decided on Thursday to ban employment by elected officials in the House of Commons from family members or close business relations. UK is a great democracy. Not like France (Fillon affair) and perhaps other countries of the EU

 

[Bran Tse Mallory]

Although this is a move in the right direction I fear all that will happen is MP's will start hiring other MP's family members form the same party.

 

[The Kerbinator]

UK is a great democracy.

Meanwhile they use the unrepresentative first past the post electroral system, the head of state is decided by the womb they fall out of and more than half the legislative is unelected and unaccountable.

 

[CmdrJacks]

Meanwhile they use the unrepresentative first past the post electroral system, the head of state is decided by the womb they fall out of and more than half the legislative is unelected and unaccountable.

Makes you proud to be British.

 

[Arry]

Is the punishment just a fine? Like electoral expenses fraud.

Dose this mean that a lot of 'assistants' are about to lose their jobs?

I doubt if it can be enforced.

 

[racer1]

Meanwhile they use the unrepresentative first past the post electroral system, the head of state is decided by the womb they fall out of and more than half the legislative is unelected and unaccountable.

I think you'll find we voted in a referendum to keep first past the post and people are generally happy with our head of state. The Lords are nominated by elected members and ultimately cannot stop any legislation from the elected house.

Not perfect but not really an issue for the majority of people.

 

[Arry]

I think you'll find we voted in a referendum to keep first past the post and people are generally happy with our head of state. The Lords are nominated by elected members and ultimately cannot stop any legislation from the elected house.

Not perfect but not really an issue for the majority of people.

It was one of the lowest voter turn outs in history and the two main parties campaigned against it. That referendum was a bit of a farce to be honest.

 

[Edith_The_Hutt]

Although this is a move in the right direction I fear all that will happen is MP's will start hiring other MP's family members form the same party.

In most cases that would not make sense. A lot of the MPs at fault here are ones running their constituency offices like family businesses, employing spouses or children as personal assistants for the sake of convenience and confidence as much as for the money (i.e.: family members are much less likely to stab each other in the back for political gain).

This makes another MP's family member a lot less attractive as an employee (they live in another constituency and have an active loyalty to someone the MP may wind up disagreeing with professionally). Local activists from within the MP's constituency party make much more reliable and convenient employees in this regards.

 

[Arry]

Has anyone thought about the 'self employed' option here?

 

[racer1]

It was one of the lowest voter turn outs in history and the two main parties campaigned against it. That referendum was a bit of a farce to be honest.

What can you do? People had a chance to change it. Look at the EU and Scottish referendums turnout, if people thought it was important they would have turned out.

 

[Bran Tse Mallory]

the head of state is decided by the womb they fall out of and more than half the legislative is unelected and unaccountable.

You mean the woman with absolutely no power at all and as for un-elected officials just look at the EU. 21 Ex-bankers who nobody will ever get to vote for run the whole thing. I'd sooner have our system of governance than any other in the world.

 

[SeeZaa]

You mean the woman with absolutely no power at all and as for un-elected officials just look at the EU. 21 Ex-bankers who nobody will ever get to vote for run the whole thing. I'd sooner have our system of governance than any other in the world.

aye, very much this. while not perfect, i'm more than happy with our form of governance over any other out there.

 

[The Kerbinator]

You mean the woman with absolutely no power at all and as for un-elected officials just look at the EU. 21 Ex-bankers who nobody will ever get to vote for run the whole thing. I'd sooner have our system of governance than any other in the world.

If unelected officials are something you don't like, I refer you to the House of Lords.

EDIT: There's also that other woman that wasn't elected who has a huge amount of power. Two out of the last three PMs were unelected. Is that ok?

 

[Talarin]

EDIT: There's also that other woman that wasn't elected who has a huge amount of power. Two out of the last three PMs were unelected. Is that ok?

We've never had an elected PM, so yeah. The party governs. The Prime Minister is just the leader of that party.

 

[The Kerbinator]

We've never had an elected PM, so yeah. The party governs. The Prime Minister is just the leader of that party.

Hence I have little time for those who complain about unelected EU officials yet are content for us to have no say in the internal party politics that have led us to two PMs being appointed in the past decade without any election.

 

[Talarin]

Hence I have little time for those who complain about unelected EU officials yet are content for us to have no say in the internal party politics that have led us to two PMs being appointed in the past decade without any election.

The PMs were elected. Just not by the general public. You can have a say; join the party.

EU Commissioners are nominated by their governments, the public literally has no say (beyond the general election) and the commissioner doesn't have to be a actual member of the government. Their special advisers (such as Michel Barnier - the Chief negotiator for the EU in the Brexit talks) are hand-picked.

 

[The Kerbinator]

The PMs were elected. Just not by the general public. You can have a say; join the party.

When the general public don't get a vote it's hard to claim it's democratic.

 

[Becks]

The PMs were elected. Just not by the general public. You can have a say; join the party.

EU Commissioners are nominated by their governments, the public literally has no say (beyond the general election) and the commissioner doesn't have to be a actual member of the government. Their special advisers (such as Michel Barnier - the Chief negotiator for the EU in the Brexit talks) are hand-picked.

EU commissioners are indirectly elected as they get their nomination and mandate by the elected governments of the members. While they hold considerable powers they're also kept in check closely by the European Council and the European Parliament, which are both democratically elected entities.

We don't directly elect our ministers, we don't directly elect our chancellor, you don't directly elect your ministers and you don't directly elect your PM, but suddenly it's a problem when EU commissioners aren't directly elected?

 

[racer1]

When the general public don't get a vote it's hard to claim it's democratic.

Are you suggesting every issue should be decided by referenda?

The idea of having elected members is that it becomes their job to understand each issue and vote appropriately on it for you. Although admittedly they normally vote on party lines.

 

[The Kerbinator]

Are you suggesting every issue should be decided by referenda?

That's a massive misrepresentation of my statement. My reply was specifically about the appointment of the Prime Minister.