LABOUR AND TORIES DENY PEOPLE RIGHT TO SACK MPs

Both Labour and Conservative Parties have voted to deny constituents the right to sack their MP in cases of gross misconduct.

At the first opportunity to fulfil their promises of recent weeks, neither party instructed its Peers to support a Liberal Democrat amendment to make possible ‘recall’ of MPs who have been suspended by Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

Speaking in the House of Lords debate this afternoon, Liberal Democrat spokesman, Lord Tyler said:  “If we dodge this issue now, the pubic will think that we have deliberately forgotten it, despite the promises of the party leaders.  Delay will be interpreted as a further broken promise.”

Labour Peers nonetheless voted against the proposals and Conservatives took instructions from their whips to abstain, despite the expressions of support from Gordon Brown and David Cameron last week.

However, Liberal Democrats led a successful cross-party attack on donations by foreign multi-millionaires to political parties.  A record 45 Labour backbenchers in the Lords supported a move to insist that only those who paid tax in the United Kingdom should be "permissible donors".  Despite Government and Tory opposition, the amendment was carried by 107 to 85.

100 DAYS TO INTRODUCE REAL DEMOCRACY TO BRITAIN

Liberal Democrat Peer Lord Tyler has worked with Party Leader Nick Clegg to out line a radical response to the crisis in confidence in British politics. 

The plans would:

·         Give people the right to sack MPs

·         Stop all big party political donations

·         Introduce an elected House of Lords

·         Make the voting system fair - so that governments can't just get all that power and all that money with only a minority of you voting for them

·        Put an end to self serving politics and put you back in charge

LOCAL CAMPAIGN FOR REFORM OF DOG CONTROL LAW

Defective Conservative legislation controlling ‘dangerous dogs’ is in urgent need of reform, according to Liberal Democrat Peer, Lord Tyler. 

The former North Cornwall MP told the House of Lords on Friday that ‘the Dangerous Dog Act 1991 is cited by political students, not just in this country, but all over the world as a classic case of the danger of a knee jerk response to events producing a law that seeks to remedy a situation in speed.’ 

Lord Tyler made special reference to particular case he had dealt with on behalf of two of his then constituents in Newquay, over the course of two years, when their obedient, friendly Staffordshire Bull Terriers were threatened with destruction after German authorities confused their breed with that of the American Staffordshire Terrier.  Over 6000 people signed a petition to demand a review of the law.