‘Give power to the people’ says Dorries petitioner
Jonathan Paxton with his petition
Nearly 700 people have signed a petition for the right to recall their MP, sparked by the departure of Mid Beds MP Nadine Dorries for the celebrity jungle.
Jonathan Paxton, of Brazier Close, Barton, handed in the ‘Recall Nadine Dorries’ petition to the Mid Beds Conservative Association office in Shefford on Monday.
He also delivered copies to the headquarters of the main three political parties in London.
He wants members of the public to be able to trigger a by-election if they are not happy with the way their MP is behaving.
The MP has said that her appearance on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here meant she was taking politics to a wider audience, but Mr Paxton said she had “let down” her constituents.
He said all three of the main political parties had promised legislation that would allow the public to recall an MP and trigger a by-election, but that this was yet to happen.
“We want to use this a case to show why people should have the right to recall their MP.
“It happens in the US in some cases – if people think an elected official is acting improperly they can force an election.
“We were promised this after the expenses scandal but it hasn’t happened yet. I understand that it is in the pipeline but they have got the difficulty of where to set the bar.”
Mr Paxton said he believed the MP was trying to raise her public profile in preparation for a life outside politics.
He added: “We don’t want this issue to be brushed aside and forgotten about. People should have the right to recall their MP.”
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Weather for Luton
Thursday 23 May 2013
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