Debbie Abrahams to introduce Parliamentary Bill to legislate on MP's and Councillors' conduct

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP, Debbie Abrahams, is to present a bill in parliament to improve the regulation of MPs and local councillors.

The MP, who is Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Compassionate Politics, will be introducing her Private Members’ Bill on the Elected Representatives (Codes of Conduct). This Bill would put the Ministerial and Members’ Codes of Conduct onto a statutory footing, as well as introducing a new Code of Conduct for local councillors.

This Bill would, for the first time in the UK's 400-plus year old democracy, make the Ministerial Code statutory, with a fully independent office of a new Commissioner for Ministerial Standards and a new Ethics Commission. In addition, the Bill establishes the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner’s office which currently oversees the Code of Conduct of MPs, as a statutory office.

Currently, the Prime Minister remains arbiter of the Ministerial code, a position the Labour MP says is 'unacceptable'

Commenting on her Bill, Debbie Abrahams said: "I believe, most people from all political parties get into politics for the right reasons: to make a positive difference for their communities and the people they represent. Unfortunately, there are a tiny minority who use their position for their own purposes and who don’t seem to think that the rules apply to them.

"By putting the Ministerial and MPs codes of conduct on a statutory footing, overseen by fully independent Ministerial and Parliamentary Standards Commissioners, protected as statutory offices, my Bill seeks to prevent the scandals we have seen in the past and to hold those individuals who break the rules, to account.

"I recognise my Bill is only one small step in what needs to happen to restore public confidence in politics. I hope the Government – who have the gift to adopt my Bill into law – recognise the serious malaise in our democracy and agree to the measures in my Bill."

Whilst many Private Members Bills contribute to Government policy, it is rare that a Bill introduced by an MP rather than the government is successful.

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