The Argus article which reveals that Caroline Lucas' family home is still in Brussels nine months after she was elected MP for Brighton Pavilion has, understandably, attracted a large number of comments. Many are along the lines of whether the role she is playing is really that of a constituency MP. Some of course are supportive that she is getting involved in a lot of national and international issues, but others feel that this is moving her away from her first responsibility, that of being a constituency MP for the people of Brighton.
Supporters say it doesn't matter where her family home is, if she is doing a good job. I understand this view, but I do think that when it comes to matters like these, the same rules should apply regardless of party and political viewpoint. Would these same people be equally understanding if a Conservative or Labour MP had their main home abroad?
I also struggle to see how it fits with the Green Party's policy of localism - reducing the need for travel by planning so that what you need is closer to home. I do think that there is a serious point here: if Caroline Lucas is finding it difficult to live and work locally, how realistic are these policies for people generally? In fact, many people find that clashes between work and family commitments mean that they travel a long way to work.
I'm concerned about the small number of comments accusing the Argus of "sloppy journalism" or criticising them for running the article at all. Of course people are interested in knowing where their MP is based. No-one should expect a Green MP to be less subject to scrutiny than MPs of other parties. The Argus article seems pretty well balanced to me, and I'm glad they raised this important issue.
Tracey Hill
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