The Buckingham Lib Dem’s website is receiving a steady stream of emails from local electors disappointed to find that there will not be a Lib Dem candidate at the General Election.  Locally we wish we did have a candidate but the Party, along with the Conservatives and Labour are observing the convention that they do not contest the Speaker’s seat.  Once someone is elected Speaker they are obliged to withdraw from ‘party’ politics to preserve the independence of the post.  This is entirely reasonable but it leads to the effective disenfranchisement of electors in the Speakers constituency.  

To counter this situation local Lib Dems put forward a proposal  to the party’s annual conference last September that the Speaker should automatically become the Member for the honourary constituency of St Stephen’s and his, or her, constituents would be the members of parliament. (St Stephens is the name of the entrance to the House of Commons used by MP’s).  This would then allow a by-election in the Speakers former constituency which would enable electors to vote for the party of their choice without restriction. Changes such as this take time to bring about and the few changes to the electoral system which might have been passed by the outgoing government have just been scuppered by the Tories so we will have to hope that the new parliament will bring about the change.  All of this is very frustrating for us and for local electors.  However, there is some consolation in that Speaker John Bercow has said that he will only serve for two parliaments so even if the system isn’t changed at least Buckingham will not be disenfranchised for ever.