Mentally ill will be allowed to sit as MPs

[emad]

By Ben Leapman, Evening Standard Home Affairs Correspondent
16 September 2004

A rule that bans the mentally ill from sitting as MPs is to be relaxed in a shake-up of mental health laws.

An outright bar on MPs "of unsound mind" will be replaced by a test that allows them to carry on so long as they are able to turn up at Westminster. The change would allow politicians suffering severe mental illness to remain in the Commons for years, even if they could not understand debates and were undergoing compulsory treatment in the community. The proposal is part of the draft Mental Health Bill unveiled by Health Secretary John Reid last week.

The new law would extend the recovery period from six months to a year. The MP's seat would only then be declared vacant if the illness was judged "likely to affect to a significant extent the member's ability to attend the legislature".

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/13219407?source=Evening%20Standard

So, good personal news for Poodle.....

What's the mental deal for US presidents????

[slappypan]

1. Isn't that what the House of Lords was for?

:shrug:

[silverpatronus]

2. this is bizzare!

it's ok if they can't understand, participate...in short REPRESENT their constituents, so long as their arse is warming the seat??

[DemBones DemBones]

3. How so? If they don't get better in a year, they're out.

Physical illness/ injury could keep an MP out of commission that long; for example, people who have a stroke or serious injuries in an auto accident and require extensive physical rehabilitation.


"The new law would extend the recovery period from six months to a year. The MP's seat would only then be declared vacant if the illness was judged "likely to affect to a significant extent the member's ability to attend the legislature".

[vademocrat]

4. Maybe Ann Coulter should move to England!

:-)

[delete_bush]

5. It's called the Strom Thurmond amendment