Thoughts of a departing MP

Chris Mullin, a Labour MP who is not standing again for parliament in this coming election, has put his thoughts on politics and the House of Commons on paper in yesterday's Guardian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/25/mp-parting-constituents-chris-mullin

He has always been an MP whom I have admired ever since he almost singlehandedly challenged the major miscarriage of justice over the Birmingham Six, at a time when supporting Irish causes, or those accused of acts of terrorism was not only unpopular but dangerous for his political career. I heard Chris speak at an event before Xmas organised by Dodds the parliamentary publishers for aspiring parliamentary candidates at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in London, and I thought he was forthright and unassuming. I think he represents those decent hardworking MPs who are the backbone of parliamentary democracy but who have been ignored in the chorus of condemnation directed (rightly) at those who have transgressed.

He has made a number of sensible suggestions concerning parliamentary reforms and governance and I particularly liked where he wrote: 

"As to the longer term, I doubt there is a future for an economy based on shopping. This is only a very temporary period in human history. The frantic consumerism of recent decades surely contains the seeds of its own destruction. One way or another we have to devise lifestyles that are sustainable and which may require changes that most people have only dimly begun to contemplate. The future is green. It has to be if the human race is to survive many more generations."

He is also absolutely right in pointing out the growing army of contract and agency workers and how pay and conditions are heading back towards a 19th century situation. There has been a lot of union bashing in the media recently, especially with the growing threat of industrial action and Newsnight last night ran a story on declining union membership and how the private sector only has 16% union membership. Chris Mullin shows why union membership is important but also why any new government in this country must do more to protect workers' rights and conditions, which this government has abjectly failed to do. His warning about governments distancing themselves from the rich are salutary and I strongly support state funding of political paties for this reason. 

I salute Chris Mullin as a decent MP and parliamentarian, who I believe has tried to do his best for his constituents. The Commons will be diminished after his departure.