The Wardman Wire

The “First 100 Days” have started in earnest, and we have a proposed package of Constitutional Reform from Gordon Brown.

His reforms include some lessons from other European Countries, and some from North America.

Limiting Executive Power

This is the list of areas where the power of the Executive will be limited:

• the power of the executive to declare war
• the power to request the dissolution of Parliament
• the power over recall of Parliament
• the power of the executive to ratify international treaties without decision by Parliament
• the power to make key public appointments without effective scrutiny
• the power to restrict Parliamentary oversight of the intelligence services
• the power to choose bishops
• power in the appointment of judges
• the power to direct prosecutors in individual criminal cases
• power over the civil service itself
• powers to determine the rules governing entitlement to passports
• powers to determine the rules governing the granting of pardons

Areas of Constitutional Reform

These are other areas of Constitutional Reform:

• Reducing the advance sight government departments have of the release of statistical information from as much as five days currently to 24 hours
• A National Security Council would be created within government, “sending out a clear message that at all times we will be vigilant and we will never yield”. A national security strategy will also be published regularly, setting out threats and objectives
• There will be a statement before the summer recess on reform of the House of Lords
• There will be an opportunity for MPs to vote on legislation flowing from the European Union amending treaty
• He wants to extend the period of time during which parties can use all women shortlists for candidate selections and to give more time for all parties to take up this new right if they choose
• He published a new Ministerial Code, with a new independent adviser whom the PM can ask to scrutinise ministerial conduct including conflicts of interest
• Mr Brown called for a public debate on the case for a British Bill of Rights or a written constitution

Reactions

David Cameron’s reaction is spot on:

“Surely he has to realise he’s been at the heart of a government that, more than any other in living memory, has damaged trust in politics.”

The initial reaction MUST be cynicism. Mr Brown has been at the heart of - and been a hugely important player in - the government that undermined the nation’s confidence in politics, that he says he is trying to repair.

He has a long record of making budget speeches that turn out to have been sweet smelling perorations concealing very nasty small print that gives a different meaning to his speech than that claimed.

Wrapping-up

So this is a gift horse that must have its molars examined, must be X-Rayed and must be observed in action. No credence can be placed on anything except irrevocable actions.

And the acid test of Gordon Brown’s intent is his response when he realises the scepticism and cynicism that exists throughout the country (and his own party, for that matter) about his intentions.

If he recognises that he starts from a position of less than zero trust, and works continually to gain that trust and work genuinely with other parties, then we may be on the way to something new - and that would be good.

But the proof of this pudding can ONLY be in the eating.

Tags: gordon brown, tony blair, first hundred days, speech in parliament, david cameron, labour party, conservative party, tory party, liberal democrat party, ming campbell, constitutional reform, power of executive, privy council[tags]gordon brown, tony blair, first hundred days, speech in parliament, david cameron, labour party, conservative party, tory party, liberal democrat party, ming campbell, constitutional reform, power of executive, privy council[/tags]