10 signatures reached
To: Political and Constitutional Reform Committee
How about MPs actually being local to the area they represent?
Create a situation (ruling) where Members of Parliament belong to the constituency they represent. By this I mean that they should be resident in the area for at least 5 years prior to their seeking election as an MP for that particular constituency.
Why is this important?
Only 49% of current MPs were born in the area they represent and very slightly more (51%) completed their secondary schooling in their constituency. In England those born within their constituency stands at just 43%. There are many MPs elected via a so-called "safe-seat" who have had nothing to do with the people and the area they seek to represent. We should all be represented in parliament by someone who has solid links with the people and place he/she purports to speak for. Clearly many people leave their town of birth to live elsewhere, and politicians are no different. However, a minimum residency ruling would help create a better understanding by our MPs of the needs and concerns of local people and therefore a more repesentative parliament.
