Constituencies

[newwave]

I have read a post on another site that advocates that no one can be put up for election as a constituency MP for unless s/he has lived in the constituency for a period of time, say three years.

This seems a good idea as it will stop the party hierarchy parachuting in their oxbridge pals into safe seats against the wishes of the local constituency parties.

From a personal point of view I would have a lower age limit (maybe 35-40) to be an MP so that the university/intern/researcher/MP route is stopped and they get to know "real life" first.

All three party leaders have never had a "real" job and most of the cabinet are millionaires, well qualified, or maybe not.

Your thoughts please

Its a good idea but don't think it would work with the current set up. At the moment promising young potential MP is given a completely hopeless seat first time (e.g. labour candidate in Kensington and Chelsea) and if the candidate makes a bit of an effort at campaigning, gets on the list to be offered a better seat next time round.

I completely agree that all candidates should have proper jobs beforehand and preferably not as barristers. Local politics should be immediate disqualification

I don't think its Oxbridge pals though a lot of the time. More like children of high profile existing party members...

newwave I like the idea!

Skaen

There were a couple of examples of Labour parachuting a couple of Home Counties well connected first timers into northern seats (wish i could remember which) against the wishes of the locals. In one case the majority local party campaigned against the "parachute" and in favour of their choice who stood as an independent.

Their was one Tory example as well, I think it was Zak Goldsmith, may be wrong.

Local politics should be immediate disqualification, dont agree, in fact that is the best route as you will know the area and it's needs.

Agree about barristers though :o

Ah, the local politicians I mean are the ones who start when they're about 18 and try and work their way up to local MP so they have never ever done anything other than politics but because they've been local councillors/ activists for ages they think they know absolutely everything.

I could be slightly jaded.

skaen

I see what you mean, I was thinking of those who run a local business or work in a local school for example not some pimply politics geek, Danny Alexander comes to mind :o

I think its a very bad idea and harmful to democracy. Anyone who is eligible to vote should be eligible to stand for election regardless of their age or whether they've ever set foot in the constituency. I don't think the Government should be interferring in the internal candidate selection processes of political parties in anyway either.

It's also "harmful to democracy" for the party hierarchies to impose candidates against the will of the constituency parties.

No its not, political parties can choose however they wish to stand for them, the views of constituency parties and how they are represented in decision making are down to the internal structure of the various parties. Party HQs imposing candidates doesn't affect democracy in anyway IMO.

hudd, then I am afraid we must continue to disagree as we tend to do on so many things :)

MP's are not the same as shopkeepers, MP's make decisions that affect many of us and I would like to think they have at least a modicum of experience of "real life".

Politics did not used to be a career in itself and we have lost much since it has.

Actually for once I actually agree with Newwave.

MP's are supposed to represent local constituents. As such I believe they will perform better if they were "from the area" so to speak rather than parachuted into a safe seat so they can take advantage of the voters.

For me this practice is bending the rules and whilst legal is not in the spirit of things.

Again, I'd much prefer successful businessmen who know how to build a successful business, what it takes to produce widgets than a career politician who doesn't have a clue what a hard days graft is like.

Local is good but, given the choice, I'd prefer to have the best candidate rather than purely someone who has the right post-code. Mind you, if AV and ultimately PR ever got on the law books, any idea of where MPs live would become redundant. Like the European elections, we'd simply vote for a party and we'd get one allocated at the end of the process. I have no idea who my European MP is, let alone where they live.

I definitely don't like age-ism in any field of life, so I wouldn't support MPs having to be over 35. As long as there's a good mix of male/female, old/young, professional politician and latecomers to politics then I think that works best. And working in PR, as a lawyer or as a researcher may not count as a 'real job' to some, but I think we should try to avoid inverse snobbery.

I was really annoyed with the new MP we got last time. The woman we have has NEVER had to get a job. Her only job after a pretty rubbish degree (despite private schooling) was working in politics for her Dad. Obviously I don't know her personal history, but there is nothing on her CV or public information that suggests she would get the job if it was a standard job application type process. But she has money, and clearly she and Daddy have lots of influence with the local party. It really annoys me that in politics it is still the case that money is key.

I think there should be more of a place in government for people with life experience, although don't think there should be an age limit as such. For example, it would help if people making decisions for the NHS had actually worked in the system, or if the Education Minister had been a teacher, active school governor or at least attended a state school.