http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/the-free-vote-and-voluntary-recall-alliance-pledge

At present, an MP can change parties, vote against everything he or she said that they stood for before election – they can’t even be removed if they have done something criminal and been jailed for more than 12 months!

“Why are our MPs told how to vote by the party whips on most bills that go through the House of Commons????

David Cameron MP gave us the answer: “[A Bill] gets sent to the House of Commons where it’s debated without diligence–because automatic guillotines cut time short. It’s passed without proper scrutiny–because standing committees for Public Bills are stuffed with puppets of the Government. And it’s voted through without much of a whisper–because MPs have been whipped to follow the party line”.

The above quotation from a party leader whilst in opposition, shows that political parties are stern critics of the whipping system in parliament when in opposition, but then use exactly the same methods themselves when elected to government.”

This Party Whips system which is used to enforce party decisions on our elected MPs, combined with the fact that the membership of all major parties has been reduced to very small numbers, has left our democracy locked into a situation where a very small elite of party activists have control over our political parties, our government and our country.

This is the Pledge that ALL candidates of ALL parties are being asked to sign:

The Free Vote Voluntary Recall Alliance Pledge (FVVRA)
As a prospective Parliamentary candidate for the [your] constituency in the Westminster Parliament General election, I herby give this pledge on my word of honour to the voters of the aforesaid constituency.

I pledge that if elected to be your Member of Parliament in the election on 7th May 2015, I will pursue the aims and policies presented to the voters in my manifesto. I will maintain a continuous review of these policies in light of any change of circumstances that will affect the viability or desirability of these policies during the Parliamentary term and inform my constituents of any change in my support for any of these policies. I will work diligently to advance the interests of the people of my constituency, my region and my country and I affirm and promise that all of my voting decisions in the Westminster Parliament will be cast as a Free Vote (not on the instruction or direction from my party or party whips) and I will not abstain from voting in any parliamentary division.

I confirm that as your Member of Parliament, I will be guided by the Seven Principles of Public Life “selflessness, accountability, objectivity, integrity, honesty, openness and leadership”. as drawn up by the Nolan Committee and endorsed by parliament. I also confirm that I will always represent the interests of my constituents and my country above the interests of my party, the Executive or any self interest groups of Lobbyists or Special Advisers who may exist inside or outside of parliament.

If elected, I will expect to be personally judged as your Member of Parliament on my voting decisions in Parliament, my service to my constituency, region and country and my adherence to the “Seven Principals of Public Life”. If at any time, I am presented with verifiable evidence through the FVVRA Standards Committee that I have broken this pledge to my constituents. I will resign my post as your Member of Parliament and initiate a new constituency election.

Having signed this the FVVRA Pledge myself, I will support the right of any other prospective Member of Parliament or present Member of Parliament to adopt and make this pledge to the people of our United Kingdom.

Signed __________________

Date

Witnessed ________________