Citizens' Convention

Twenty MPs each drew an opportunity yesterday to promote a Private Member's Bill:
If your MP is one of the twenty, would you urgently ask him or her to adopt the Citizens' Convention Bill? Please ask all your friends and acquaintances in the constituency to do the same.
Please also write to the first seven (as they will have the most parliamentary time), asking them to adopt the Bill.

The Bill would commit the Government to establishing a Citizens’ Convention within twelve months of the Bill's becoming law, which would involve people in discussing how to improve the way the UK is governed. The Government would then be required to co-operate with the Convention in deciding on the implementation of those recommendations. There is more in STV News 07/11 and on Unlock Democracy's website.

The twenty MPs are as follows, with the first seven in bold:

• Michael Fallon, Sevenoaks (Conservative)
• Sharon Hodgson, Gateshead East and Washington West (Labour)
• Andrew Miller, Ellesmere Port and Nelson (Labour)
• Julian Brazier, Canterbury (Conservative)
• John Heppell, Nottingham East (Labour)
• Stephen Crabb, Preseli Pembrokeshire (Conservative)
• Nigel Griffiths, Edinburgh South (Labour)
• Mark Lazarowicz, Edinburgh North and Leith (Labour)
• Keith Hill, Streatham (Labour)
• Tim Yeo, South Suffolk (Conservative)
• Julie Morgan, Cardiff North (Labour)
• David Howarth, Cambridge (Liberal Democrat)
• Michael Mates, East Hampshire (Conservative)
• Simon Hughes, North Southwark and Bermondsey (Liberal Democrat)
• Derek Conway, Old Bexley and Sidcup (Conservative)
• Peter Wishart, Perth and North Perthshire (Scottish National Party)
• Justine Greening, Putney (Conservative)
• Anne Snelgrove, South Swindon (Labour)
• William Cash, Stone (Conservative)
• Gordon Prentice, Pendle (Labour)

I am grateful to Unlock Democracy for telling me about this and I apologize to readers who have already heard about it from Unlock Democracy or elsewhere.