We don’t just need a new Prime Minister or even a new Government. We need a new constitutional settlement.
The Conservative Party is in the process of electing a new leader who will become Britain’s new Prime Minister. The outcome will result in a new personality and perhaps a new style of governance but fundamentally it will be the same set of policies.
This is why people like me – a life-long member of the Labour Party – want a change of government. If Boris Johnson had remained as PM, the next general election would probably have been in 2024 (with a majority in the mid 70s why would one go earlier?). However, a new PM might mean a general election in 2023 as the new leader might feel the need to seek their own mandate.
Whenever it comes, I profoundly hope that Labour forms the next government either through securing an overall majority or through some kind of alliance with the Liberal Democrats and/or some kind of understanding with the Scottish National Party.
But for me a change of PM and a change of government is not enough. Politics as usual is not serving the national interest. The UK may not have a written constitution but it does have a constitutional settlement and that needs to change.
Above all, we need a democratisation of the legislature with the adoption of a system of proportional representation (PR) for election to the House of Commons and the creation of an elected House of Lords (which will need to be renamed).
We can debate the type of PR to be used for the Commons but the additional member system (AMS) used in German federal elections and in elections to the Scottish & Welsh Parliaments would be sensible. We can debate the structure of a new Senate but I would favour something much smaller than the present House of Lords (say 400 members instead of over 800) and election on the basis of nations and regions (say the constituencies used when we had elections to the European Parliament).
These two changes would transform British politics. But many other changes need to be discussed including a stronger and more enforced code of ethics for Ministers and legislators, stronger regulation of lobbyists, extension of the franchise to those aged 16 and above, more power (especially over legislation) to Select Committees of the Commons and the Senate, and more devolution of power to the non-English governments and to English regions and/or cities.
July 17th, 2022 at 1:40 pm
None of our ideas will happen as turkeys don’t vote for Christmas. Agree on proportional representation, but to be added: 1.Some learnings from the Scottish assembly- Move to a new building with semicircular seating with seating mixed so that parties do not sit together. 9 to 5 attendance required. Add no expenses to be paid to those with outside jobs. 2. Abolition of the monarchy and transfer of all assets to the state. For those wishing to continue with tradition allow the monarch to be crowd funded with the receipts taxable. 3. An elected president and second chamber. 4.Age and term limits for all senior roles. 5. Severe penalties for anyone breaking rules. . No employment for retiring persons after office for 5 years,10 years if in a business related to their activities and then ending their pensions and benefits. No one allowed to hire family members or past business colleagues. 6. No state owned broadcasting. 7. Senior members of the armed forces and spooks forbidden to comment on matters related to military activities in the media and excluded from all branches of government. 8. End bishops sitting in the Lords. That is enough to dream about for now.
July 24th, 2022 at 7:28 pm
Some interesting ideas there, Chris. A reaction to a couple of them:
The Palace of Westminster could burn down at any time because the wiring is so old and the building is is in such a state of disrepair. Then we could move to a semi-circular chamber.
I would only favour an elected president if the post replaced the monarch as head of state but merely had ceremonial powers. I would still like the prime minister to have most of the power and be accountable to parliament.