Who does an MP represent?
- Constituents (people who live in their constituency)
- Everyone in the country
- Their party
- Themselves
Representation
The first and foremost job of MPs and Lords is to represent either their constituents or the wider country in decision making in Parliament.
This is mostly true for directly elected politicians in the Commons. The Lords have a less representative function. This is best shown by the case of Zac Goldsmith in 2016, but it is also illustrated by the difficulties faced by Conservative MPs being sacked over Brexit.
This can be influenced by who an MP represents.
Challenges
- MPs as part-time representatives
- MPs as representatives of particular interests
- MPs as constituency problem solvers (including redress of grievances).
Part-time MPs
- MPs as part-time representatives
- According to the BB (2021) “more than 200 MPs” received earnings in the last year on top of their £81,932 annual salary. The extra earnings range from £50 to almost £1m.”
Examples
Geoffrey Cox
Former Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox, registered a total income of £970,00 in 2020 for 705 hours of legal services.
An opinion piece in The Telegraph describes how Cox has always disclosed his earnings and that his constituents re-elect him with “ever increasing majorities every time his name appears on the ballot paper”.
Rosena Allin-Khan
Note
TODO
Theories
Delegate
“Mouthpieces for constituents”
The theory that politicians are there to represent their constituents.
Example: Zac Goldsmith
Mandate
The theory that politicians are there to represent a party and carry out their policies.
Evidence: When a politician states that they disagree with their party, they normally lose.
Example: Douglas Carswell, Frank Field (resigned - felt Jeremy Corbyn was anti-semetic, stood independently & lost).
Trustee (Burkean)
The theory that it is up to a politicians own judgement on what to represent.
Evidence: MPs sometimes vote against their constituents’ views or their party line when they believe doing so is morally or nationally right.
Example: Dominic Grieve rebelled against the Conservative Party on Brexit legislation because he believed Parliament needed a meaningful vote.