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Immediate action is needed to change the culture of UK politics and make a more representative House of Commons, a group of MPs have said.
Half of parliamentary candidates should be women and there should also be an increase in candidates of ethnic minorities and with disabilities, a report recommended.
The Speaker's conference, a committee set up to consider ways of making the Commons more representative, has made the controversial recommendations in an interim report.
Conference vice chairwoman Anne Begg (Lab, Aberdeen South) said: "Despite recent changes, MPs remain predominantly white, male, middle-aged and middle-class."
Plummeting trust in MPs was also a "matter of urgent concern", the interim report warned.
And with a number of MPs are standing down following the expenses scandal, this provides an opportunity to provide a more representative House, the Speaker's conference said.
The report used data from the British Election Survey in 2009 to indicate that nearly a quarter of participants (23.8 per cent) had no trust at all in political parties.
The conference called on leadership from within each of the political parties to create diverse lists of political candidates and to report by October 12 on details of selections.
"This is a matter of urgent concern," the report said. "There is a real danger that in this furore people have lost sight of the importance of democracy."
"All of us now should take a step back and consider the fundamental value and importance of Parliament.
"Without it our democracy would simply not function."
During prime minister's questions, Gordon Brown reaffirmed his commitment to diversity amongst members of Parliament.
Begg called for the government's "wholehearted" support for the Speaker's conference interim report.
The report is an "important opportunity" to increase the representation of women, ethnic minorities and disabled people in public life, Brown agreed.
Article Comments
Not a new debate so its all been said before- as in comment from christina speight. Obvious problems with her comment being, second rate women compared to what? first rate men? Do we need to be arrogant to be good? (why is being astonished to be elected, equated with not being good?)Who did the excellent women MPs she refers to fight with?
val woodward
16th Jul 2009 at 6:42 pm
Could we have more honest MPs first - definitely more talented MPs - possibly more MPs with experience of the world outside Westminster.
These are the minority groups we want to see in Westminster.
Disorganised1
15th Jul 2009 at 3:50 pm
Most women don't want to get into politics so to have a quota of 50% all you'll do is get the second rate women elected as happened with Blair's Babes, many of whom in 1997 were astonished to be elected.
There are excellent women MPs etc but they're good because they fought to get there.
christina Speight
15th Jul 2009 at 3:46 pm
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd
Michael Salt
19th Jul 2009 at 4:26 pm