The Wardman Wire

The Thunderdragon writes about Democracy

We are starting a new series thinking about possible ways to reform the political system in the UK.

In this piece, Chris Hawes (the Thunderdragon) - a Conservative candidate for Three Rivers District Council - gives a perspective on possible reforms.

(Note: This bio has been updated due to an editorial mistake by Matt Wardman the Editor, not by the writer.)

The word of the moment is clear and unambiguous… yet no-one can agree on what it means. What’s the word? Reform, of course.

Mention any issue that is in the news to a politician and very shortly you will get the word “reform” bandied around. Let’s reform this, let’s reform that, everything needs reform! But what reform? Reform of what? And why?

Reform of the MPs expenses system is needed for obvious reasons – one of them being to rescue public opinion of politicians from the sewers that it has resided in since the stories first started coming out in the Telegraph <s>some last century</s> 24 days ago. But even this clearly required reform does not have consensus, with some wanting to go so far as to house MPs in a block of flats, Brown wanting to replace expenses with a daily allowance, Cameron wanting to restrict expenses to only certain items, and Clegg floundering around saying something new about “reforming the expenses system” in some way or another every day – and then you have the great number of people who have just turned to the “screw them all” approach.

From the MPs expenses scandal and the (even further) collapse of public confidence in politicians has re-emerged another place to use the word – just after “parliamentary”. Parliamentary reform, however, is even more impossible to reach any form of consensus on than MP expenses – primarily because everyone’s view of what parliament is and/or should be does not agree. And so there are four main issues:

1. Proportional representation
2. Fixed term parliaments
3. Elected House of Lords
4. Referenda
5. MP recall

There is a poll that says that people are generally in favour in all of these things, but this is not based on real knowledge of the political system, but a perception of “fairness” with little thought for the consequences.

The Telegraph continues to publish more and more details of MPs expense claims and, alongside public anger, forcing MPs into humiliating apologies and resignations. But Rowan WIlliams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is saying “enough’s enough” and that it is “damaging democracy” - oh, and giving the BNP support (like people become racist when their MPs [...]

The Conservatives need to be careful about seeming too congratulatory about themselves and their electoral prospects at the next general election. William Hague was pushing it even when he said

It is likely that we are going to be able to win the next election

That sounds dangerously like “we expect to win”, which isn’t a good [...]

In prison. Jail. The Big House. At Her Majesty’s Pleasure. Prison is the place where convicted criminals are locked up for breaking the law. It is where they lose their freedoms. So why should they be able to vote?
Apparently, under European “Human Rights” laws, it is unlawful to take away a prisoner’s right to vote [...]

Polly Toynbee has declared, with a straight face, that

Britain without the Mail or the Sun would be a happier place, less biliously nihilist, less miserable, angry and afraid. But democracy without the scrutiny of good journalism is unthinkable. In the end, it’s up to you. If you always read this on the web, go out [...]

The House of Lords has been getting a bit of a battering in the press recently, after the “cash for laws” scandal erupted, over four Labour life peers who appearing willing to take money in order to put forward amendments to Bills before the House. And since then, allegations have continued to come.
 
What’s the problem?
Corruption. [...]