Elections 19h 37m left
Should election candidates have to pass an enhanced criminal record check before they can stand?
No candidate for Parliament or council has to undergo a DBS check to stand. Disqualification rests on set rules: for MPs, a prison sentence of over a year being served; for councillors, a sentence of three months or more in the last five years, plus certain sexual offences since 2022. Returning officers take nomination papers at face value, and a false declaration is a criminal offence. Some councils run DBS checks on councillors after election, and MPs have proposed enhanced checks for parliamentary candidates.
6 Opinions
MPs are in a position of trust and given privileged access. As such they should, as a minimum be UK citizens that pass Security checks.
If they get elected, the job they have is one of responsibility, and we need to know they can be trusted. There is also the danger that journalists will find out about any criminal behaviour, and spread it, causing problems. So yes, check them out,
Obviously, the answer is yes. Provided they take all mitigating circumstances and their track record after the offence into account. Redemption has become unfashionable as a concept. And public service seems a good path to it. Replaced, instead, by Cancel Culture. Where one indiscretion, youthful or otherwise, ruins the rest of your life. Do we seriously think that's an improvement?
Too many sex offenders have gotten into positions of power.
History is full of great leaders who were technically convicted criminals Nelson Mandela being the most obvious example. What the state defines as a crime doesn't always determine someone's moral fitness to lead, which is exactly why the voters need to make that choice, not a blanket ban
Hopefully it would prevent convicted fraudsters like Louise Haigh into parliament. But what about Nigel Farage, I'm sure the lefties will say - but he isn't a front bench MP, and has been convicted of nothing.