CONSENSUS is being sought among political leaders in Scotland to extend the Recall Bill in the Queen's Speech, aimed at sacking MPs guilty of wrongdoing, to Holyrood and MSPs.
Under this provision, if it had been implemented at the time, then Bill Walker, the former SNP MSP, would have been swiftly expelled from the Scottish Parliament because he served six months in jail after being found guilty of attacking three former wives and a teenage step-daughter.
Alistair Carmichael, the Scottish Secretary, hailed the Recall Bill as an "enormous advance" on current measures meant to deal with recalcitrant members. But critics were quick to brand the proposed legislation as meaningless because its terms were so narrowly drawn.
At present MPs can be expelled if they are sentenced to a jail term of more than 12 months; the new proposal is to expand this to any member serving a term of less than 12 months.
However, other cases of bad behaviour would only trigger a possible by-election if the Commons found an individual had engaged in "serious wrongdoing" and recommended they face a recall petition.
Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith, who has campaigned for tough recall laws, complained: "No one will be recalled. Effectively, this is all power to the parliamentary committee and no power to the voter, which is what it is meant to be."
The Bill, while UK-wide, relates only to MPs. Mr Carmichael said he had written to political leaders in Scotland to get proposals on how this could be dealt with at Holyrood.
Referring to the Walker case, he added: "This has been an issue in the not too distant past. If there is a consensus among the Scottish parties I shall do everything possible to make sure amendments will be brought forward to extend the provisions to the Scottish Parliament."
The Bill was one of just 11 new measures in the programme for the final year of the Lib-Con Coaltion, which included major pension reforms.
Prime Minister David Cameron brushed aside Labour taunts that he was now heading a "zombie government, insisting the UK Government had put forward a "packed programme of a busy and radical government".
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