Published Wednesday, 03 February 2010
Peers accepted amendments to the Northern Ireland Assembly Members Bill on Wednesday that are intended to prevent local elected representatives from earning a salary from sitting at both Westminster and in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The move follows pressure from Tories and Liberal Democrats, and would prevent a politician who receives a salary from sitting in either the Commons or the Lords from also being paid as an assembly member.
Lords Leader Baroness Royall, speaking during the report stage debate, said she hoped the provision would be a "catalyst" for politicians to decide whether they wanted to sit in Westminster or in the assembly.
Conservative Lord Glentoran said that of the 18 Northern Ireland MPs 15 were also members of the assembly.
He argued that "however dedicated they may be" the demands of the jobs made it very hard to serve in both places.
Lord Smith of Clifton, pointing to the current uncertainty over the assembly, said: "So many MLAs are also MPs they can't concentrate their minds on the job in hand."
Former Commons Speaker Lord Martin of Springburn, a crossbench peer, said that he supported the amendments.
However, he also pointed out the "beneficial" aspects of MPs with a dual mandate being able to convey arguments raised in the Commons to the Assembly and vice versa.