Late last night, Anne Main backed amendments to the Government’s Recall Bill, which would have weakened Parliament’s role in excluding Members of Parliament from the House of Commons.

Anne said “The amendments I voted on would have given the public more powers on chucking out Members who haven’t been working for their constituents. Sadly these amendments were defeated.”

The St Albans MP was one of only 166 Members who voted for these new powers, only for the clause to fall as 340 MPs voted against.

“I am disappointed that we couldn’t persuade enough colleagues to vote for new clauses in the Bill. These amendments would have demonstrated, in law, that we do not mistrust voters.

“The Bill is due to come back to the floor of the House next Monday, and I will be following its progress closely. In its current Bill form, however, Recall does appear toothless, and we should have trust in our constituents.”

TEXT OF ANNE’S INTERVENTION

Mrs Anne Main (St Albans) (Con): My right hon. Friend talks about Members who, like me, represent marginal seats. We must be careful that we do not give the public the completely wrong impression that we are not going for this idea because we are running scared of being destabilised in such seats.

Sir James Paice: I note what my hon. Friend says, but I would not be prepared to say that, if I had a majority in the order of 100, I would not be very concerned about what people thought about me. I am concerned anyway, but at least, for the reasons that my hon. Friend the Member for Gainsborough set out, I am able to stand here and say whatever I like in the knowledge that I am protected by privilege. I would not wish to abuse that privilege—I do not think that I have ever sought to do so—but if what a Member said could be held against them, as might be the case if the amendments are agreed to, we could jeopardise their opportunity to speak with the freedoms that we rightly pride in this place.

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