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| An MPs job is represent all of their constituents on the political stage, regardless of whether they voted for them or not. In the UK, most MPs have a surgery on Fridays when they return from Westminster, where their constituents can book an appointment to speak to them one to one. I once had occasion to seek the assistance of the last Wigan MP (Labour) even though I wasn't a Labour voter. He heard my problem, wrote a letter and the problem was resolved. For bigger stuff, they raise issues with colleagues and/or in the HoC to seek out a political solution. That's their job.
My current Windsor MP (Conservative) has the nickname 'Absent Adam' because he very rarely holds surgeries or meets with his constituents. He's resolutely follows the PMs line despite being the MP for a remain area, which has caused a lot of antagonism towards him. He'll be very lucky to keep his seat because Windsor is moderate Conservative / LibDem with virtually no Labour presence, and a high percentage of international residents who work in the city or at Heathrow.
The thing with the EU referendum is that it's a tool of direct democracy and that result is butting against the traditional role of an MP in a representative democracy. Imagine you're an MP who's active in their constituency, and almost every surgery you hear these concerns and fears:
My vote isn't being respected.
My spouse hasn't been given Settled Status.
My business will struggle massively under a No Deal scenario.
My job will go with a No Deal Brexit.
My children are being told to "go home" by kids at school even though they were born and raised here.
My local pharmacist is experiencing a shortage of the insulin/epilepsy tablets that keep me alive and I'm scared.
Our youth centre/wildlife centre/country park/etc is going to lose it's EU grant. How will the government help to make up that shortfall in funding?
Who do you prioritise?
Any MP with a grain of common sense will see that there's a theme here, and wonder if they could kill several birds with one stone by rejecting a hard, no deal brexit. It might mean that they get thrown out of their party. It might mean that they lose their seat at the next election, but their overriding duty is to their constituents.
When the Conservative party has taken a sharp move the right, and Labour a sharp move to the left, it's very possible to be a traditional MP for either party and feel that, whilst your core values haven't changed, the current values of the cabinet do not share your views. It's like when your favourite band release that tricky third album and it turns out to be a pile of dog poop. You still love the first two albums, but can't embrace the third 'just because...' and why should you?! | |
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I think it’s very sad that in this day and age there are still people like you who still feel they need to have MPs to represent them. If Brexit has shown us anything is that if the UK political system isn’t broken (I believe it is), then it certainly isn’t equipped to deal with a referendum of this type where MPs are able to block the result. We live in an age of information (and misinformation), there is the internet, everyone is more informed now than they have ever been. I’m sure you believe very strongly in the system, but people need to wake up and realise it’s no good any more.
If you want proof of this, then look no further then at all the MPs who have switched party in recently weeks. Heidi Allen is on her fifth party since February. None of them have called by-elections to seek a mandate. Furthermore, look at how many of them are looking to stand in different seats at the next election because they know they won’t get reelected in their current seat. They don’t care for their constituents, they just care about remaining in power. They’re more desperate to remain an MP than they are representing and serving a place they care about. If that doesn’t prove the farce that is the UK’s representative democracy, I don’t know what does.