Green Basingstoke MP job share nomination rejected

Sarah Cope had wanted to stand as a joint Green Party candidate

Two Green Party candidates who wanted to stand in a general election constituency on a job share basis have had their nomination rejected.

Sarah Cope and Clare Phipps say neither would be able to serve as a full-time MP for Basingstoke.

Ms Cope is the main carer for two young children and Ms Phipps suffers from a disability, which would prevent her from working full-time.

Electoral Commission rules currently do not allow MPs to job share.

Allowing MPs to job share has been Green Party policy since 2012.

The party's spokesman James Doyle said the joint nomination had been planned for six months.

"They knew their application would be rejected," he said.

"But, they wanted to highlight the discrepancy between Employment Law and Electoral Law and have found a law firm who are willing to take on their case and ask for a judicial review."

In 2012, Labour MP John McDonnell proposed a law change to allow MPs to job share, a move which he said would help make Parliament more diverse.

Any change to the law would require parliamentary approval.

The candidates for the constituency are:

• Paul Harvey (Labour)

• Maria Miller (Conservative)

• Omar Selim (Independent)

• Janice Spalding (Liberal Democrat)

• Alan Stone (UK Independence Party)