To say this is the clearest Brexit position statement you will get this week

LoveGrowsWhere · 2019-09-06T06:58:31+00:00

Emily Thornberry will negotiate a deal but then personally vote against it ! [[https://twitter.com/ellievarley13/status/1169736475904217093]]

Idontwanttotalk · 06/09/2019 08:20

When I heard that on Question Time I thought it was hilarious. She would negotiate the best deal she could with the EU but then go to the electorate and ask for us to reject because she wants us to stay in the EU.

What about Jo Swinton saying she would like a 2nd referendum but if the result was to leave the EU she still would not accept it.

Politicians shouldn't be representing their own views but those of the majority of their constituents. Where the majority voted to remain in the EU they should represent those views, and where the majority voted to leave the EU they should represent those views. They are supposed to be our elected representatives.

Original poster

LoveGrowsWhere · 06/09/2019 08:24

It's her face as she knows she's talking garbage.

Agree MPs seem to have forgotten the job description - be representative.

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PuzzledObserver · 06/09/2019 08:27

Politicians shouldn't be representing their own views but those of the majority of their constituents. Where the majority voted to remain in the EU they should represent those views, and where the majority voted to leave the EU they should represent those views. They are supposed to be our elected representatives.

I’ve heard this view expressed many time in relation to Brexit, but it is a fundamental misunderstanding of how parliamentary democracy works. MP’s are representatives, not delegates. That means that, although they represent their constituents in parliament, they are not obliged to represent their views, even if there was agreement on what those views are.

They vote according to the party whip, unless given a free vote. Then they vote according to their own reason and conscience.

You might think this system is wrong, and that we should have a delegate system, where each MP votes according to the views of their constituents. Good luck with organising that. However, that is not the system we currently have, so MP’s are not doing anything wrong by not voting the same way as their constituency did on Brexit.

Sotiredofthislife · 06/09/2019 08:28

Where the majority voted to remain in the EU they should represent those views, and where the majority voted to leave the EU they should represent those views. They are supposed to be our elected representatives

I live in a strongly ‘leave’ area. I voted remain. My MP still has a duty to represent my interests, even if I didn’t go with the majority. He still has a duty to represent my interests even though there is not a hope in hell I will ever vote for him. MPs don’t just represent the very small majority on this issue. They represent all,of us. And they of course have their own opinions.

whatshallIdo1 · 06/09/2019 08:30

yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/08/13/are-mps-elected-exercise-their-own-judgement-or-do

Interesting article on this subject.

whatshallIdo1 · 06/09/2019 08:31

And in the beautiful words of Edmund Burke:

“His unbiased opinion, his mature judgment, his enlightened conscience, he ought not to sacrifice to you, to any man, or to any set of men living. Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion."

MerryChristmasHarry · 06/09/2019 08:31

It's not actually true that MPs votes are supposed to mirror their constituents views. A lot of people think it is, but there's nothing in our system that says that. Actually it's been a topic of significant debate for centuries. By all means feel this should change, I get that, but meanwhile our MPs are doing parliamentary democracy.

AlexaShutUp · 06/09/2019 08:32

Politicians shouldn't be representing their own views but those of the majority of their constituents.

I don't agree. I think politicians should represent the best interests of their constituents, but not necessarily their views.

I expect my MP to spend a lot of time analysing and understanding the issues so that they can make an informed judgement about the best way forward for their constituents. Most of the electorate haven't got the time or the inclination to undertake this study.

If the constituents are unhappy with their representative's choices, then they can boot them out at the next election. That's how our democracy works.

Original poster

LoveGrowsWhere · 06/09/2019 08:46

Does anyone feel that ET is showing mature judgment in that clip? She's saying I'll say one thing to the EU and sell another to the electorate.

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