Parmjit Dhanda

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Parmjit Dhanda says the country is ready for radical change in Parliament.

Question: How has the row over expenses affected the role of the Speaker?

I find it extraordinary that we have such an archaic system of expenses, which has then led to people finding their own way with child care. I'm not going to excuse what they've done or the way that they've done it, but the system has basically stitched people up and not helped them at all.

We can actually make practical changes - child care is one of them - creche facilities in the House in the year 2009 is not ridiculous, but I think if we actually change Parliament and make it far more deferential to the public and we loosen up and let them have a greater say, more power and control over this place, then I think we can rebuild trust and start to get beyond the whole allowances issue.

Question: Should the Speaker be initiating reform?

I think this is a great opportunity for the next Speaker, whoever it is. I'm well aware that I'm a huge underdog here and this isn't about me. For me it's about the issues that I'm raising, whoever takes them up when they become Speaker. In fact I would get behind another candidate if I thought they would take up all of these issues and make a difference, but until I feel that they do I'll stay in this race.

This is an opportunity to have a Speaker who actually does get on breakfast television, does speak up for the House - they've got to make the changes to be able to champion the place.

But it's a great opportunity to have someone speaking to and being in touch with modern Britain. I think it's really important because Speakers have always been seen as this austere character a million miles from your home and to most of my constituents probably a million miles from their everyday reality.

Question: What are your views on the more arcane rituals of the chamber?

I don't want to throw out our history and our heritage, but there are some things that we could do much better in terms of involving the public, involving people that we need to do.

Firstly we need to loosen up in terms of the executive - it needs to loosen its grip so parliament has more powers. Parliament as a whole has to involve the voters far more and there are some things it can do, for example why should the frontbenches, both government and Opposition, decide the issues for topical debate?

In this modern age, why don't we just say it should be done through internet polling, involving people directly? Why don't we take some of the apparatus of Westminster out of London and hold a day long adjournment debates in town halls around the country?

That would actually really stimulate media interest, it would also stimulate a lot of public interest, it would also lead to different and more effective policies, because if ministers actually have to all of a sudden got to square what they're saying out in the field rather than in just a refined atmosphere in London a long, long way away from the people who are affected by it, I think we can see a very different culture.

Until I actually see any of the candidates talking radically in terms of reform and in terms of radical changes, then I'll stay in this contest. For me it's not about personality, it's not about ego whether or not I'm Speaker is neither here nor there, but I think these issues need to be raised because I think this is a unique opportunity to actually make these changes.

Question: So these are ideas that the Speaker should be sharing with the public?

I made it quite clear, if I was elected Speaker this would be part of my mandate to do this and to make it happen.

It's not a case of here are some ideas, let's have a discussion and debate and kick it to the grass and set up a working party. I think these are urgent changes that we need to make. The reason I'm here, I've toyed with the idea of standing, probably wouldn't have done so, but Sunday saw the election of two members of the British National Party to the European Parliament on my behalf, on behalf of my country and that makes me feel ashamed.

What do we need to do then? We need to reconnect, because I do not believe that this is a racist country, I do not believe the majority of people who voted for those candidates are racist but what do we do? Well we need to find ways and mechanisms of re-connecting those people and we need to do it quickly. I don't want to look back on my career in however many years time and say "well there came this moment in 2009 when I could have raised these issues, I could have talked about these changes and I chose not to do so because I was a bit intimidated or a bit scared and Parliament's always been a bit more austere than that and I haven't got a knighthood and I don't fit the bill for being Speaker of the House".

I think you have to make the case, and you have to make the case not just here to the House, I think you have to make the case to the people.

Question: Are you surprised that these issues haven't been raised by the candidates so far?

They come up with some interesting ideas, there are some good ideas among them, but I really do think that is a more radical time. I really do think there is a need to make big changes, largely out of the mistrust that's out there after what we've seen over members' allowances.

Question: What are you personal qualities for the role?

I've seen ministerial life; I've seen the processes of the whips office. Although I'm only 37 I've been here since I was 29, I've almost grown up in this role as a young single man on the backbenches when I was elected, to meeting someone, getting engaged, getting married, having two young children.

I'm very aware of the issues that would put off people like me, young people, people who have got young children, people who are still contemplating having children, people of ethnic minority backgrounds.

There are a lot of things that seem to stand in the way of this House being more diverse, more representative of people from different class backgrounds as well and I think that knowledge and that awareness adds some strings to my bow.

I found that ministerial life was quite macho; there is a mood within ministerial offices that whoever decides to leave the offices first are go home to their constituency and their young families get labelled lazy.

I think it's time to be brave and actually say "let's not flog our politicians to death, whether they're ministers or back benchers, and actually say well actually, as well as talking about work life balance of being real people and ordinary people in touch with modern society, let's be more like that ourselves".

Question: People will say you are too young.

I accept that criticism. I don't speak Erskine May, I speak common English - that's me I'm afraid. I'm the son of a cleaner and a lorry driver - I went to a comprehensive school. This isn't a criticism of anybody else but I can only be who I am and perhaps I've over-achieved in my life, I'd like to think not.

And perhaps this is a daring and risky thing that I'm doing, but I do passionately believe in the changes that I'm proposing and I passionately believe it's time to be radical. That may well mean that I won't be the most popular person, it may mean that I haven't got a very good chance of succeeding, but that doesn't matter - the important thing are the issues that I'm talking about - getting them on the agenda and seeing Parliament change.

Question: Which Speaker do you admire?

I'm going to be unfashionable because I've only known the one Speaker, but he's always been very kind to me. I don't think there's anything wrong with being softly spoken.

I know he's had lots of flack, but whoever gets elected as Speaker, I never want to see them being taken out by frontbenches of any political party. They're there to represent and work for all parliamentarians, so it shouldn't be down to frontbenches to lever people out of their jobs.

This time I think it's going to be different, it's going to be a case of not just having support of the whole House, you need to have the country behind you and the country I think is ready for radical changes.