Force out MPs who abuse expenses

10.00.45pm GMT Thu 29th Oct 2009

Commenting on Norman Baker MP's motion today in Parliament relating to MPs who are convicted of a criminal offence in relation to their expenses or otherwise found to have claimed expenses fraudulently, Serena Tierney, Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner for Mid Sussex, said:

"Norman Baker is quite right to call for these MPs to be forced out of Parliament to give their constituents a chance to replace them with honest people who will represent them properly. MPs should not keep their jobs in such circumstances. If they were in ordinary jobs they would be out on their ears. It is much worse when it is public money that they are obtaining fraudulently."

Earlier this year Liberal Democrats proposed a 'recall' mechanism for MP's as an amendment to the Political Parties and Elections Bill to bring about recall elections, but Labour voted against, while the Conservatives abstained. Under Liberal Democrat plans it would have been possible for constituents to recall their MP if an independent scrutiny panel had first proved an MP was acting incorrectly.