PM backs UK-style petitions, MP code of conduct

Barbadians could soon have a direct route to influence parliamentary debate, as Prime Minister Mia Mottley has backed sweeping reforms—including a UK-style public petition system and a formal code of conduct for MPs—aimed at boosting public trust and engagement in the nation’s democracy.

The Parliamentary Reform Commission (PRC) proposals also suggest strengthening parliamentary question time.

The resolution on the report merely takes note of the document and does not bind lawmakers. But Mottley endorsed the commission’s call for the introduction of a formal petition system. This would allow any citizen-backed petition with at least 5 000 verified signatures to be submitted to Parliament for formal debate.

“In other words, an extension of what we’ve tried to do with the establishment of the standing working committees of Parliament,” she said. “This time, giving you on the outside the ability to say, ‘I want to hear my Parliament debate this petition’, and hopefully take some form of advice or direction from this petition. The commission is saying that if the petition is signed by 5 000 citizens who are duly on the electoral register, the Parliament of Barbados should pause and be able to take the petition.”

Mottley described the recommendation as a “worthy” step forward, one which would bring the public into more direct contact with policymaking, echoing similar mechanisms used in the United Kingdom. In the UK Parliament, petitions signed by 100 000 or more individuals are considered for debate by a petitions committee, often leading to public sessions and ministerial responses.

In addition to these participatory reforms, the prime minister endorsed a formal code of conduct for parliamentarians—dubbed the “Trident Code”—which outlines a set of ethical attributes for members, including being trustworthy, respectable, informed, dutiful, ethical, noble and truthful, and the code will cover all forms of behaviour. The code would be backed by a complaints and sanctions mechanism, moving beyond informal conventions.

Mottley said such reforms are essential to restoring public trust in politicians and encouraging more Barbadians to view political service as a noble endeavour.

She said: “There is the regrettable development of people who see politicians as pariahs without recognising that political service is public service, and that one of the things that has kept this country safe and stable has been the fact that on all sides, we have been able in the past to attract people of high virtue, and high competence as a small island developing state. This is what has allowed Barbados to punch above its weight.

“I genuinely feel that the code of conduct is a major way—the Trident Code of Conduct is only but one of the major ways—in which we can re-instil confidence of our citizens in the system of governance that we have, such that they will want to come forward and offer themselves to participate.” (SB)