I AM no fan of Gordon Brown or Labour. In fact I'd go as far to say that Brown's tenure as our graciously unelected Prime Minister has been the worst tenure in my lifetime. Sort of like John Major but without the decency.
Yet some Tory supporters like Donal Blaney have continued their relentless offensive against Gordon Brown, this time calling his plans to reform the Westminster voting system pathetic and desperate.
You can't have it both ways. David Cameron has based his entire bid for the PM hotseat on the basis of "change". Many people in the country who do not vote are put off by the fact that they live in safe seat fiefdoms where their vote has little influence. If Brown proposes electoral reform that opens the system up, he may be seen as trying to change a failing system. That does however depend on his execution and the proposed system. I'm not holding my breath, but it's a radical shake-up that I suspect people will welcome.
Yet some Tory supporters like Donal Blaney have continued their relentless offensive against Gordon Brown, this time calling his plans to reform the Westminster voting system pathetic and desperate.
You can't have it both ways. David Cameron has based his entire bid for the PM hotseat on the basis of "change". Many people in the country who do not vote are put off by the fact that they live in safe seat fiefdoms where their vote has little influence. If Brown proposes electoral reform that opens the system up, he may be seen as trying to change a failing system. That does however depend on his execution and the proposed system. I'm not holding my breath, but it's a radical shake-up that I suspect people will welcome.
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Have to disagree. This package of reforms is not designed to bring about real change. It is a transparent ruse to neutralise the issue of expenses before the election. The proposal for a discussion on PR is nothing but a naked political move designed to put the Tories on the wrong side of the argument.
ReplyDeleteWhat we need is a precise, targeted package of reforms. What we are being presented with is a glut of hurried, ill-conceived, crowd-pleasing measures. Each element carefully selected for pure partisan advantage. It is not the unelected second chamber that is at the root of the disconnect between people and parliament. Nor is it the first past the post voting system or any of the other targets of Labour’s newfound reforming zeal.
What we need is a set of decentralising measures, mechanisms to shift the balance of power away from the centre and the executive towards parliament and the people. This means renewing and revitalising the legislature. It means an end to the reliance on statutory instruments. It means more time for debate. It means a more robust committee system. It does not mean abolishing the Upper House or any of the other radical reforming mechanisms trotted out by the beleaguered, bewildered rump of this demoralised and discredited government.