division_name: Recall of MPs (Change of Party Affiliation)
motion: <p class="indent" pid="b208.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes">That leave be given to bring in a Bill to enable the recall of Members of the House of Commons who voluntarily change their political party affiliation; and for connected purposes.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b208.2/8" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;should be the rule, not the exception.&#8221;&#8212;[Official Report, <phrase class="date" code="2020-11-23">23 November</phrase> 2011; Vol. 536, c. 318.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b210.0/9" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;In effect this would be a huge shift of power&#8212;not to our constituents&#8212;but to the respective Party Leaderships. Imagine the chilling effect on debate; the incentive for a Member to be bullied out of their own party; we have to ignore our own history to become an advocate of this approach. And not ancient history&#8212;recent history. When I chose to sit as an Independent, it was on an issue of integrity; like many of my colleagues I could not advocate putting a man so universally ill-suited to leadership, into 10 Downing Street; unlike many of them, I chose to embrace the consequences. I knew full well that at the next election I would&#160;likely not be returned and in the end that&#8217;s exactly what happened. The same people who elected me chose not to return me; the system worked&#8212;and all without this Bill.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b210.0/10" pwmotiontext="yes">MPs in this House are not delegates&#8221;&#8212;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b210.0/12" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;we are representatives. The knowledge that, when a party changes beyond all recognition&#160;around a Member, that Member may choose to resign the Whip, is an important safety valve&#160;in our system; and a good bit of political hygiene.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b210.0/13" pwmotiontext="yes">This proposed legislation is rooted in a popular argument&#160;which at first seems very clever.&#160;But it&#8217;s not very wise.&#8221;</p>