Constituency office
.jpg)
A constituency office is an office owned by a local political officeholder, such as a Member of Parliament (MP), within the area they represent. It may be used to have meetings with constituents, or administration for the officeholder. It can serve a similar function to a surgery, but is normally based in a fixed office. Sometimes officeholders may also have offices in or around the legislature they serve in, which may serve a similar function but are normally not in the officeholder's constituency.
In Canada[edit]
Some Members of Provincial Parliaments (MPPs) in Canada, for example in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, maintain constituency offices.[1][2][3]
In the United Kingdom[edit]
Constituency offices are common in the UK, especially for established MPs.[4] Unlike surgeries, where 'drop-in' sessions are common, some meetings in constituency offices may require booking.[5]
Offices are regulated by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which provides support with rent, deposits, and valuation. Most MPs have a constituency office and a Westminster office, although not all.[6]
Following the murder of Jo Cox in 2016, MPs were reportedly offered access to additional security measures for their homes and constituency offices, leading to an increase in spending on such measures up to 2018.[7]
In Ireland[edit]
.jpg)
It is common in Ireland, similar to MPs in the UK, for Teachta Dálas (TDs) to maintain constituency offices.[8] These offices are maintained in the TD's home constituency, and are covered by a "constituency office establishment allowance",[9][10] and other allowances for some of the costs in running the office.[11]
In January 2024, the constituency office of TD Holly Cairns was reportedly closed due to "safety concerns".[12][13] In February 2024, the office of Offaly TD Carol Nolan was vandalised.[14][15]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Contact an MPP". ola.org. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ↑ "MPP contact information: constituency offices". ola.org. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ↑ Koop, Royce (June 2012). "Party Constituency Associations and the Service, Policy and Symbolic Responsiveness of Canadian Members of Parliament". Canadian Journal of Political Science. Canadian Political Science Association. 45 (2): 359–378. doi:10.1017/S0008423912000364. JSTOR 23320975. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ Hofstetter, Emily; Stokoe, Elizabeth (August 2018). "Getting service at the constituency office: Analyzing citizens' encounters with their Member of Parliament". Text & Talk. 38 (5): 551–573. doi:10.1515/text-2018-0014. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ Costa, Alberto. "Constituency Office". albertocosta.org.uk. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ↑ "Surviving your first week in the constituency office". Working for MPs. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ↑ "Sir David Amess killing: Should MPs still be able to meet the public?". BBC. 16 October 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
All MPs were offered panic buttons [..] and emergency fobs at their homes and constituency offices [..] The spending on such measures soared from £170,576 in 2015/16 to £4.5m two years later
- ↑ "Opinion: Duncan Smith: Constituency clinics are vital for many". Irish Examiner. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ↑ "Other allowances - Constituency office establishment allowanc". oireachtas.ie. Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
If a TD chooses to have an office presence in his or her own constituency they can reclaim some of the costs associated with setting up that office
- ↑ "S.I. No. 84/2010 - Oireachtas (Allowances and Facilities) Regulations 2010". irishstatutebook.ie. 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ↑ "Revealed: how much in expenses your local TD claimed in 2021". Irish Independent. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
TDs can claim the cost of their constituency office energy bills [..] It can also be used to pay for utility bills associated with running an office
- ↑ "Closure of Holly Cairns' constituency office over safety concerns 'shocking', says Cork councillor". breakingnews.ie. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ↑ "'Sad day for democracy' when TD's constituency office forced to close over security concerns". The Journal. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ↑ "TD vows to continue 'undeterred' after attack on constituency office". Mayo Live. 27 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ↑ "Laois Offaly TDs constituency office window smashed". Ireland Live. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
This article "Constituency office" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Constituency office. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
