MPs and their peers could be forced to undergo criminal records checks under proposals put forward by a new Labor MP.
In a letter seen by Sky Information, Jo White urged the leader of the House of Commons to examine whether a new committee set up to modernize parliament should force all new members to undergo checks because of their access to young people and vulnerable.
She suggests in-depth background checks by the Disclosure and Banning Service, commonly known as DBS checks, as initial stages in introducing MPs to parliament.
Candidates are currently banned from running to be MPs if they have been imprisoned for more than a year in the UK.
However, there is no requirement for DBS checks, something most other jobs require when applying for roles working with vulnerable people.
Ms White previously tabled an early motion on this issue, with cross-party signatures, including 13 others Labour The parliamentarians support his motion.
In her letter to the committee, the Bassetlaw MP writes: “It is a privilege that as MPs we are able to work with local schools, care homes and hospitals, but we must be proactive to preserve this trust.
“Implementing mandatory management would protect both the people we visit and ourselves. “It would be key to maintaining public trust and high labor standards across the state and in our congressional districts.”
DBS checks are standard practice for GPs, nurses, teachers and other professions. They inform potential employers if a candidate has a criminal record or is prohibited from working with children or vulnerable adults.
Many local authorities already carry out DBS checks on elected officials, but it is not standard practice in parliament.
Prospective MPs can stand for election despite having a criminal record or appearing on the child or adult banned list, unless they have served a prison sentence of more than 12 months.
In fact, they do not need to disclose any criminal behavior to the public before becoming candidates.
The main vetting process before entering the House of Commons is carried out through political parties, which establish their own rules to carry out such checks.
None of the UK’s reform MPs have signed the initial motion and the leader Nigel Farage He said that in the last elections “there was no background investigation” of the candidates.
This has already caused some controversy.
TO Reform Deputy James McMurdock was imprisoned 19 years ago for repeatedly kicking his then-girlfriendaccording to court documents disclosed by The Occasions.
The MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock attacked her in 2006 while she was drunk outside a nightclub and she spent 21 days in a young offenders’ institution.
He had not publicly disclosed the conviction and described it as a “teenage indiscretion” when asked about the incident last year.
Under the new rules, new MPs could have to fully disclose their criminal past.
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The creation of a modernization committee was a Labor manifesto promise and now operates as a cross-party group tasked with reforming Commons procedures and improving standards.
The committee said it would not comment on the submissions until it has had time to fully consider all options, but is due to publish an initial report early this year.
