Term limits for all elected posts? A minimum five year break for MPs after any consecutive fifteen years in office?
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Term limits for all elected posts? A minimum five year break for MPs after any consecutive fifteen years in office?
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A look at some of the research (LGA/CfWD) shows incumbency as one of the great barriers to equal gender representation. I don’t think making our governance bodies more representative is just a matter for political parties. The state, for example, could insist on gender monitoring of nominated candidates in all elections and share results.
I am enjoying this forum but won’t be replying again for a while. I have promised myself the whole of August without social media and that will need to include commenting on here.
I’m not sure, however, what the importance of voters’ current prejudices is. If we’re talking about the elements of a new constitution we should be looking beyond what would be popular now. The old adage “hard cases make bad law” applies here; that some MPs fiddled a badly thought out expenses regime (which originated in a political fix by Thatcher) does not in any way imply that curtailing MPs terms in office artificially will improve their probity.
Nor do I see term limits as a way to improve diversity among MPs. MPs with safe seats would be the most affected group. Ask yourself how those MPs were selected for that safe seat in the first place. Answer – they were well connected in their party to begin with. Ask yourself how that selection process even in slightly winnable seats, left to itself, produces such a lack of diversity that even the Tory party has been forced to introduce a system to ensure some more women are selected. Answer – because it takes a lot of time and effort ingratiating yourself with a local party so if you’re not already working for another politician or a TU, or have your own business, or have private wealth you’re at a big disadvantage.
I’ll admit that if selection processes were devised to ensure diversity the HoC would reflect that a little more quickly if limits were introduced, but unless selection is improved dramatically term-limits would just make the career paths of spads a little less difficult. I don’t think that’s much of an improvement personally. Selection procedures, however, are a matter for the party, not the constitution.
Of course, if you’re interested in getting rid of particular MPs who oppose the current leadership I’m sure term limits are an absolutely wonderful idea, but I was under the impression that we were looking to the long term here, and not just short term political advantage.
In addition, the job of an MP should not be paid neither should expenses be paid. Charitable workers are unpaid so why should MPs be paid? In order to ensure that parliament draws people from all walks of life, people who do not have the means to support themselves can be paid, but wealthy politicians should not be.
In addition, I think it would be a really good idea if politicians who left politics were not allowed to work for companies that are party to or are bidding for government contracts for a period of 5 years after they leave office.