Page 12 - Member of Parliament Uk-handbook

6
GuIdAnCE

THE COdE OF COnduCT FOR MEMbERS OF pARlIAMEnT
Prepared pursuant to the Resolution of the House of 19 July 1995

I puRpOSE OF THE COdE apply to Members falling within
1 The purpose of this Code of the scope of the Ministerial Code.
Conduct is to assist Members in
III publIC duTIES OF MEMbERS
the discharge of their obligations to
4 By virtue of the oath, or
the House, their constituents and
affirmation, of allegiance taken
the public at large by:
by all Members when they are
a) Providing guidance on the
elected to the House, Members
standards of conduct expected
have a duty to be faithful and bear
of Members in discharging their
true allegiance to Her Majesty the
parliamentary and public duties,
Queen, her heirs and successors,
and in so doing
according to law.
b) Providing the openness and
accountability necessary to 5 Members have a duty to uphold
reinforce public confidence in the law, including the general law
the way in which Members against discrimination, and to act
perform those duties. on all occasions in accordance with
the public trust placed in them.
II SCOpE OF THE COdE
2 The Code applies to Members 6 Members have a general duty to
in all aspects of their public life. act in the interests of the nation as
It does not seek to regulate what a whole; and a special duty to their
Members do in their purely private constituents.
and personal lives.
IV GEnERAl pRInCIplES OF
COnduCT
3 The obligations set out in this
7 In carrying out their parliamentary
Code are complementary to those
and public duties, Members will be
which apply to all Members by
expected to observe the following
virtue of the procedural and other
general principles of conduct
rules of the House and the rulings
identified by the Committee on
of the Chair, and to those which