What should George Galloway do?
Suspended MP George Galloway has decided to fight the Poplar and Limehouse seat next general election – whenever that is.
Nothing wrong in that, except isn’t he the MP for Bethnal green and Bow? The not very Respectful MP was originally going to stand down next election, then he fell out with the parliamentary standards committee and was suspended from the House of Commons. That seems to have changed his mind – or perhaps just focussed it.
According to the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament, “Members have a general duty to act int he interests of the nation as a whole and a SPECIAL duty to their constituents.”
{mosimage}Many MPs take this side of being an Member of Parliament very seriously. Jack Straw, for instance, is well known for his attention to his Blackburn constituents. Despite holding high office for much of his political life, he has endeavoured to hold regular surgeries and is not backward in bring forward constituents worries to the attention of British Government | Government. And although he was less than tactful, though well meaning, over the issue of veils, he is well liked by the local people.
Jack Straw is far from the only MP to be this way, a fact borne out by MPs representing the same constituencies for year on year. Alan Williams for instance has served Swansea West since 1964 – that is 43 years for those slack of mathematical mind.
Back to George Galloway then. He ousted Oona King in 2005, targeting her seat as he knew his anti Iraq war stance would gain him voted in her multicultural constituency. He was right. A campaign that pitted constituent against constituent split the vote and he won by 800 odd seats.
{sidebar id=1 align=left}So, having won his seat has he decided to continue to represent those who voted for him and his constituents in general, as his duty as an MP demands? Well, he has held precious few surgeries in Bow and has attended very few debates in the Commons, including ones on the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005. And now, rather than standing again in the same constituency he has decided to just leap to another area simply to try and kick the government.
An MP who fails his constituents fails as an MP, it is as simple as that,
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