Labour proposals to restore trust in Parliament are welcome but must include information sharing when MPs are accused

Labour’s Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell has made a speech to the Institute for Government (IfG) about plans to restore trust in politics.

Part of the plan set out was for a “”memorandum of understanding between the parties and the Independent Complaints & Grievance Scheme (ICGS) that all complaints relating to an MPs behaviour should be directed to the ICGS”. She also pledged to clamp down on MPs’ second jobs.

Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect , said:

“This is an important speech from Lucy Powell after successive parliaments have seen trust in politicians fall to an all-time low.

“The Shadow Leader offers a vision of parliament as a modern workplace, where MPs no longer exempt themselves from the rules and responsibilities that their constituents face at work every day. Last night’s vote on exclusion is an encouraging sign that parliament is finding its voice on these issues.

“Support from the Shadow Leader of the House for a memorandum of understanding between the parties and the ICGS is welcome. The discussion on this must also consider information sharing protocols on misconduct complaints so the house authorities can make sure potential risks to staff are properly mitigated.”