The saga-to-be that is Phil Woolas’ position as an MP now looks certain to be batted between courtrooms like a tennis ball. Other MPs might make gaffes, the Speaker might be manipulated by his wife, and the judges will probably stick by their peers. However one thing is certain; the constituents of Oldham East and Saddleworth will have very little to do with the outcome. This legal and constitutional mess is a sign of just how distanced British politics has become from the electorate, and just how much work Parliament has to do to bring it back home.
A far better way to solve the Woolas affair would’ve been for constituents to have the right to recall their MP. It’d save the legal wrangling and the awkward constitutional precedents. No politician would have to worry about how future courts would look upon their more innocent forms of misrepresenting the truth; instead only one thing would matter – how angry you make your electorate.
Imagine if instead of calling an obscure special court to consider legalisms, a different process were initiated. The constituents who felt cheated by Woolas’ callous photoshopping of his opponent, who resent his quasi-racist manipulations, could petition for a by-election to be called. No doubt any reasonable threshold would’ve been reached. The local Labour Party could then select their candidate – which they should do by open primary, to give the people being represented the say instead of farming it out to Party elites. A new election could then be held, where constituents could decide whether they still trusted Woolas to be their voice in Parliament.
As it stands, these decisions are being taken without even a cursory glance at the desires of the people of Oldham. Perhaps rather than insulating themselves further in the political bubble, MPs should take some action to restore power to the electorate. While politicians get caught up in a debate about Phil Woolas they should remember it is his constituents’ futures, not just his, they are deciding.
