Second Class Citizens

The most encouraging news story to emerge this weekend - so far anyway - is that members of the public are going to have a say in holding Westminster MPs to account.

Nothing too radical mind you - after all this is the House of Commons we're talking about and MPs are used to making up the rules to suit themselves - whenever possible.

Anyway the good news - such as it is - is that members of the public will be invited to sit on the Standards Committee of the House of Commons.

Which decides whether MPs have broken the parliament's 'code of conduct' and - if so - what punishment to impose on the honourable member concerned.

Now you would imagine that Eric Joyce MP will be in big trouble for headbutting one fellow MP and assaulting others - during his recent violent outburst in the House of Commons. 

But don't be too sure - maybe he will be able to persuade his peers that the cheap and publicly subsidised booze in the Strangers Bar - was to blame for his downfall.

Because just last year the Standards Committee gave David Laws MP - a  former  government minister - the equivalent of a rap over the knuckles by suspending him from the Commons for seven days - for “a series of serious breaches of rules”.

So it seems that MPs are not inclined to take tough action against 'one of their own' - which may be why the government is proposing to involve members of the public - at some point in the future.

The government is suggesting that in future up to three 'lay' members will be able to sit on the committee - which sounds like progress.

But the bad new is that the lay members will not be entitled to vote - although the lay members  will be able to publish their own report into any cases where MPs on the committee decide to simply ignore their views.

Now how ridiculous and patronising is that?

Makes me feel like applying to become involved - because every self-respecting profession that is properly regulated nowadays - is perfectly happy to carry out its work with lay members  who have exactly the same rights as everyone else.

Maybe some MPs will stand up and make the obvious argument - that lay members  representing the public interest must not be regarded as second class citizens - with fewer rights and less influence than MPs themselves.

I certainly hope so because if not - the 'new improved' system will quickly become a bit of a joke.