A Midsomer Norton resident is calling for American-style Recall Referendums to be offered to residents frustrated with their Local Councillors. Recall Referendums offer voters the chance to remove elected officials from office before their term has ended. A recall can be initiated when a sufficient proportion of voters sign a petition.

The Recall of MPs Act 2015 makes provision for electors to trigger a by-election, if a member of parliament is sentenced to a prison term or is suspended from the House for at least 21 sitting days. The act requires 10% of eligible electors to sign the recall petition over an eight-week period.

Campaigner, April Fool, is calling for an amendment to the act that will see it extended to cover Unitary, Town and Parish Councils, with a further amendment extending the recall provision outside of imprisonment and suspension.

April explains: “People’s interest in local politics is limited at best. At the last Town Council elections, we never even got a chance to vote. Since then, we’ve not had by-elections, only the Town Councillors have been able to choose who they wanted to co-opt.

“Democracy isn’t best served by fermenting apathy. When we get concerned that too many houses are being built in the wrong place, or there aren’t enough doctors, dentists or school places to go around, we shouldn’t have to wait two or three years to make a change. If we aren’t happy with how we are being governed, we should be able to make a change now!”

Miss Fool is currently lobbying MPs to find a Member to support her proposal and bring forward a Private Members’ Bill. The Recall of MPs Act had been sponsored by former Liberal leader, Nick Clegg. However, voters chose to remove Sir Nick from office in 2017.