It's Speaker Week on PM. Read Greg Dyke's ideas here.
Here at PM, we're offering you the chance to vote for the best ideas on cleaning up public life and restoring faith in politics.
We're calling it Speaker Week.
We've asked four people - none of them politicians - to put forward their personal manifestos for change. You can hear them on consecutive nights, and on Friday they'll debate each other.
Then you'll be able to vote by phone for the person whose ideas you like best.
On Monday it was the manifesto of Colonel Tim Collins, which you can read here.
Last night it was the manifesto of A L Kennedy.
Tonight, it's the manifesto of Greg Dyke.
Feel free to read his words and let us know what you think by clicking on Comments.
"The scandal over MP's expenses is symbolic of something much more profound in our country. Our political system is sick, cynicism about politics and politicians has never been greater and there is a desperate need for change. The task of the new speaker is to bring that about.
As Speaker I would start on day one by ending all the nonsense that surrounds Prime Ministers questions. MP's who jeered, shouted or interrupted would be disciplined. Overnight I'd make MP's behave like adults instead of spoilt children.
On Day two I'd scrap all the pomp and ceremony that engulfs parliament, all those ridiculous men in tights, all that bowing and scraping and all the ludicrous, outdated language that is used.
But that would only be the start. On Day Three I'd set up a speakers' commission, which I would chair, tasked with coming up with long term changes to the whole of our political system. And membership of my commission wouldn't be dominated by MP's, on the basis that turkeys don't vote for Christmas.
So what would I want the commission to recommend?
The first would be symbolic; to move Parliament out of the Palace of Westminster and convert the existing building into the museum it already resembles. I'd move parliament to a new modern building in somewhere like Milton Keynes or Leeds. Overnight that would change the whole atmosphere of parliamentary politics.
At the same time I'd reduce the number of MP's to around 400 cutting more than a third of the total. There are far too many at present. I'd use the money we'd save in salaries to pay the rest a decent wage, around £80,000 a year, with a fixed expenses allowance enabling them to employ support staff, but not their wives, husbands or other members of the family. But that's all the money they would get.
I'd introduce a system of proportional representation so that the number of MP's a party has reflects the number of votes it gets. In the last general election Labour got an overall majority of more than sixty with the support of only 21% of the total electorate and 36% of those who voted. How is that democratic? The current system is unfair and more importantly, an obstacle to change.
I'd limit MP's to standing for three terms only, a maximum of twelve years, so we would no longer have a political class who are cradle to grave politicians. We want different people to be involved in politics at different times in their lives.
I'd take power away from the Prime Minister by having fixed term elections every four years, as happens in almost every other democracy in the world.
I'd do away with the House of Lords and replace it with a fully elected second chamber where there is no whipping system so that members would vote on each issue on merit rather than being told how to vote by their party and the party leader.
Currently, Britain is the most centralised state in Europe. So we need to devolve power downwards. But that will only work if we find new ways of involving the electorate in the decision making process.
The days of old fashioned representative democracy are over. Our democratic model, designed for the 18th century, doesn't fit 21st century Britain. Compared with 50 years ago we are a better educated nation, less deferential and people have a higher sense of self esteem. As a result we all want more influence over our lives.
In my lifetime the world has changed beyond recognition, in that same time parliament and the political system has scarcely changed at all and that is the root of the problem. It's time to be radical."
Listen to PM
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Every one of them a good idea, well done that man.
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Yes, VERY good ideas however, as I posted elsewhere:
Mr Dyke is an acknowledged and highly respected strategist, team builder/leader and people developer.
If organisations today wish to survive in the extremely difficult and demanding conditions we're experiencing, amongst MANY other things, they need to be led by a person who others like, support - and trust.
So far, so good for Mr Dyke. He ticks all of the boxes I believe.
But Mr Speaker..? No.
Mr Dyke has been shown to be too trustful of "his" people.
And, as "we" unfortunately now know, many of "our" MP's have abused much of the trust placed in them.
Also, I have the impression from Mr Dyke's departure from the BBC that whilst he's sees and is indeed, more than able to modify, the "big picture", he doesn't sweat the small stuff. Detail isn't his thing is my guess. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, excluding the "Commons".
I also guess he's not used to keeping his opinions to himself. I understand few top executives do.
No, there are horses for courses.
I've immense respect and time for Mr Dyke and am greatly looking forward to reading his manifesto.
It'll be good.
But, the attributes of the person required to effect such a plan within the "Commons" are different to those I understand Mr Dyke posseses.
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Good sounding policies, definately facing in the right direction, but stops a little short for my liking.
Why not remove the whip from both chambers? Indeed make it an offence to place undue pressure on how an MP votes?
In fact why not make moves to remove party politics althogather?
I like the idea of moving parliament away from London. Although look at Canberra, maybe not a million miles away from Milton Keynes in character.
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Hmm,Greg. So the likes of Vince Cable would be barred. Experience in the right hands is a good thing.
I'm afraid £80,000 a year wouldn't be enough to support MPs with constituencies outside London. Except perhaps you are suggesting by a cull of 250 MPs then unimportant provincial places like Scotland,Wales or the south west wouldn't have representation any more. After all, you 21st century sophisticated city types know what's best for the rest of us.
PR is an excellent idea but you have to be prepared for the BNP or the Communists getting an MP into Parliament. I think the baby's going out with the bathwater here.
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While I was delighted to hear Michael Martin starting to quote Burns in his farewell speech, I was appalled that he chose not to read it in the Scots it was written in. The Address to the Unco Guid is a powerful poem and a brief translation would have sufficed rather than his Anglifying it unnecessarily. The lines should have been 'tho they may gang a kennin wrang, to step aside is human'
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Excuse me.
Raaalfffff
Had to throw up hearing those hypocritical utterances in the House.
They will never change. Today at PMQ it was the usual jeering, baying, laughing at weak jokes and general boy's own hoohah. Good grief, do these people have no idea what they look like from the outside?
And to think they want to take democracy to all those countries which don't have it.
Flashman and his whip... sighs, rolls eyes, feels nauseous again.
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5. pinkthistledo
That's taking multiculturalism a tad too far.
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4. windWembley
What's wropng with a BNP MP in with the present bunch of crooks and liars? We're not looking at a BNP Government PLC here, one MP? What kind of threat to democracy is that? There have been communists in parliament before and it didn't bring the house down, unfortunately.
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I see Greg is another who doesn't know how to use an apostrophe.
MPs' expenses not MP's expenses
MPs who jeered not MP's who jeered
etc...
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Oops - that will have been our fault transcribing rather than his. Apologies.
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Excellent, give that man the job!
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Greg Dyke for Speaker! Spot on, every word.
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Dyke says "So what would I want the commission to recommend?"
so, hold a commission, but decide in advance what the outcome will be - I thought the point was to look for a new approach.
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Yes, right. Because creating a new, modern building for Parliament worked so well in Scotland, didn't it?
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Good as far as it went.
Greg didn't mention outside jobs being ended...unless this was incorporated in his statement that 80,000 pounds would be all they get.
Good to hear no family dynasties on the payroll.
Not sure about the 12 year cut off for service. Like someone above has said, no Vince Cable,....Tony Ben...etc....Dennis Skinner...(at least good for a laugh?)
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Cat (14): I'm sure a deal could be done with the Open University if he wants the HoP to be moved to Milton Keynes .... ;o)
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I'd say some pretty good ideas from Mr Dyke there.
With him all the way on reducing the number of MPs but I'd go further and cut down to about 300. That would include removing all MPs representing Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs as those countries now all have their own parliaments or assemblies. 90% of what happens in Westminster at the moment concerns England only anyway so it would be fair to have those issues handled by the 300 English MPs.
Time for an English parliament.
The house of Lords should be converted into an elected UK chamber to meet once a month and deal with UK issues.
All for moving the parliament to somewhere more central - central to England that is.
A new building would be fine but for the Gods sake not something like the Scottish parliament with its "thinking pods" and massive budget.
Wary of his ideas about devolving more power, not because I am against the principle, I'm not. But I am dead against the "English regions" project - the English regions suit the EU more than they suit England. Any devolution of power in England should be to our traditional counties or further down to local counties and even parishes. And should be decided by the English people and only the English people.
Mr Dyke wants radical - recognition and representation for the people of England is the radical solution. Radical and just.
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Generally excellent. 9/10.
re PR: yes, we might well see BNP MPs - but that's less likely if we use proper PR (i.e. STV). If 20% of the population want racist charlatans, they should be allowed to have them.
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All points along the right track - but why oh why do we still have Lords, Ladies, Sirs, and Baronets?! What has that to do with democracy. As Mr. Dyke says we no longer want to defer to these characters. It was notable that all the 'financiers' in hot water for blowing up the economy were Sirs and Lords. Aren't these guys and gals just ordinary old punters like you and me?!
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Excellent - especially on the behaviour issue. It's juvenile and immature, and actually rather unintelligent. The ritual and procedures are ridiculous.
Alan_Kerr
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How refreshing to hear Greg Dyke's common sense approach to the issue of Parliament's credibility amid the over-hyped outrage currently taking place (I didnt listen to the others yet).Yes it's shocking to be feeling so ripped off in the midst of a time when we are all counting our pennies, but there are far bigger issues worthy of attention all around the world.
Overall I agree with Mr Dyke's radical suggestions. Not sure about getting rid of tights and garters etc, as I doubt that has much to do with MP's expenses claims and there is nothing wrong with a little bit of tradition. Men in grey suits and women in twin sets is much more boring to look at.
I do think that the issue of career politicians is a major part of the problem. They become divorced from real life really quickly and given more status than they deserve because of their positions. They forget what real life is like and how most people have to struggle to get by and care for their families. I do get fed up with MPs banging on about their working-class cred, when they've left it far behind in time and in their current lives. They forget what the working world is like. His 12 year max is a good idea. A further suggestion I would propose to Greg Dyke's scenario is that all MPs should do at least 3 weeks real job experience every year to put them in touch with real life e.g. Porter in hospital, class assistant in school, social work assistant in Social Services - not guided tours when they are shown round as VIPs and the red carpet is rolled out.
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Ref 18. Sid
In today's post you acknowledge,"re PR: yes, we might well see BNP MPs."
Yet previously you wrote: "Interesting that we haven't heard anyone complaining that our fabulous first-past-the-post voting system 'lets extremists in' - though you hear that quite regularly (and wrongly) about PR."
How do account for your apparent inconsistency?
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How does who account?
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Ref 23. Sid
How do you account for your apparent inconsistency?
I missed a word, small mistake compared to referring to "population." Did you mean electorate, or don't you understand the difference?
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So - you can make mistakes!
Anyway, in answer to your question - I shall account to you for what you call my apparent inconsistency when you account to Chris Ghoti for your failure to answer her question on another thread.
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Well, I feel humbled being just a simple man. Having read the blogs they are well above my intellect. Why does'nt he simply depose Lord Mandleson and and promote himself Prime Minister, given that this post will even not exist under his re-structuring? Forget not the old adage: why make a change when one is not necessary. ie. How many CEO's,newly appointed, make changes upon their immediate appointment or on the purchase of a new company. The reason is to be seen and the harm it cause as well the cost has been time again non cost effective. Talk of a new building and what cost. Be grateful that we have a democratic system but the point he sorely missed was to rais the standard on an MP. Try Ed Balls?
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Greg Dyke's manifesto rocks. The current system does not represent the British people. It is outmoded, outdated and in need of change.
I agree with how we need to move into this century instead of the juvenile school boy behaviour currently displayed. All the bowing, scraping and sycophantic behaviour be gotten rid of. In addition, stop politicians' families working as paid 'help'. Instead, pay MPs a higher wage and have fewer of them. MPs seem out of touch with the people they are supposed to represent.
Greg Dyke's solution is radical and radical change is needed. Working people feel a loss of confidence in the system. Our voice is unheard.
I teach in a primary school. This government has created such a mountain of paperwork for heads that it has become a nightmare. The bureaucracy has to stop. Yet, the irony is that while education is so heavily regulated - it appears that no one regulates the government. I did not vote for this prime minister (nor did anyone else). He was Chancellor of the Exchequer when Blair was Prime Minister. There is no excuse. They are responsible for the mess we are in... I say this government be treated like teachers - Ofsted them - underperforming - 4 - OUT.
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Ref 26. Sid
I'd already answered that question. Chris Ghoti just needs to scroll up the page.
So the ball's in your court.
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I thought Edgie Mare exposed Dyke as having a giant sized drive for power on Any Questions, late last year in Rugby.
His ideas are scarcely unique to him. Why choose someone with an unhealthy lust for power to express them?
How about having someone who believes in equality in income, wealth (including housing) and the way work is distributed intergenerationally.
You want some examples? The Benns, the Freuds, the Dimblebeys etc, etc, etc.
Its time their lineage did its turn hewing the wood and drawing the water.
Instead the youngest Benn already has her career as an MP started.
J. Dimblebey's daughter sings for her supper.
The Freuds, the Brittain-Williams lineage etc continue to pontificate at the expense of the poor.
It really is about time we dissolved the glass floor for middle class women.
Almost anyone not cudgellled into believing they'd better not offend the middle classes and is below the average in terms of wealth and income and slaving for the 5th or 6th generation would do as a spokes person. And say it well.
Benjamin Zephaniah? Or one of the thousands of black kids laeving school this year with qualifications aplenty that they fear may be pointless
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Sid
Better to clarify your post in case Eddie reads your post out on tomorrow's programme, " Sid Cumberland of Rayleigh says......" He read mine out the other day.
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I think Greg may have paoched a few of his ideas from from various BBC blogs...but none-the-less, he's picked out the best ones and summarised them very well.
I also agree with the post above about MPs shouldn't be allowed to have 2nd or 3rd jobs outside of Parliament.
One more that I would add would be the PM or Chancellor not being allowed to take up positions in private companies after their tenures in office (re Tony Blair and his part time job at US Bank J P Morgan Chase following his infamous letter to the FSA in 2005 admonishing them for over regulation of the financial industry).
Otherwise...great one Greg!
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Moreofthesame (30) Is it your week for hewing the wood, or have I got the rotas mixed up?
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Greg Dyke's proposal for maximum 12-year terms for MPs is totally unrealistic. MPs provide our ministers and the proposal would guarantee ministers with little experience. Imagine: first 4-year term as an MP, second 4-year term promoted to minister, third 4-year term as Prime Minister, then out. There must be a word for government by the inexperienced: rookie-ocracy?
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Don't give a monkeys really as this exercise is totally pointless. So far all your speakers week guests have failed to inspire and have just mouthed off the usual anti-parliament claptrap i have heard for donkeys years. Lets get on with devolution and get the English parliament set up (same as the Scottish parliament).
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Listening to Greg Dyke, it was hard to disagree with the majority of his reform ideas. Perhaps the most rational and sensible summary of useful changes so far.
However, experience shows that people who have the best ideas are often not the best people to implement them: a different psychological profile is usually required to turn theory into practice.
For Mr Dyke's shortfalls on this front I recommend Charlie's incisive post at (2).
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I agree with everything Greg Dyke has said; except that, if his reforms were implemented at Westminster, it would not resolve the "West Lothian" question. We need to decide if we are one nation or four, and if four, then we need an English Parliament. ... possibly based at York, rather than Leeds!
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In this election I hope we will be having a box marked "None of the above"
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I agreed with every word
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Greg Dyke highlights the outdated nature of our political system and proclaims the need for radicalism, but while his many proposed changes were substantial, none were radical.
Proportional representation, for instance, is not a new idea, and furthermore, it offers little improvement upon the crude and indistinct reflection of the public will that characterises our present government and parliament.
I applaud your call for radicalism Mr Dyke, but can it be developed?
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Greg Dyke: excellent ideas but why pay MPs so much and give them a fixed expense allowance?
Pay MPs the average wage; provide them with services where necessary; regionalise parliament so no-one needs a second home; make them work 9-5, full 5-day weeks for 48 weeks a year.
MPs who genuinely care will still want to do the job.
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#37.
"...then we need an English Parliament. ... possibly based at York, rather than Leeds!"
Why an English Parliament in York? Somewhere in the Midlands makes far more sense.
It would be nice if the BBC would actually mention the option of an English parliament.
It seems like it's a forbidden subject.
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Sid @ 26, he can't. He's all mouth and no trousers. As far as I am concerned, "it is finished".
Anybody else, of course, can think whatever they please, but I now know what I think about him.
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#42
In history, York nearly became the capital of England before London grabbed the title.
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chris @ 43
That's exactly what happened last time - he said I'd said something I hadn't, then he claimed others supported him who didn't ... sad, really. As I said some time ago, don't hold your breath ...
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Some very good ideas here. You could still keep the men in tights for ceremonial occasions (opening of Parliament etc); you need to keep some of this to give an identity to Parliament and entertain the tourists. However, MPs should work in an office environment, somewhere designed to encourage work and efficiency. I also agree with moving the HoP out of London to somewhere more central and more affordable; no more claiming for flats in Pimlico.
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Steady on, Sid, what did you say there, then?
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Can't remember exactly. Just explaining to Chris about poor old Richard.
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#42
Well ok if you want to look backwards, how about Winchester which was the capital of Anglo-Saxon England?
Personally somewhere in the Midlands would be better for an English parliament.
Of course if could always stay at Westminster and be done very cheaply by excluding MPs from Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish constituencies from English only legislation.
Of course even this is unlikely to happen while the media retains it's blackout on the subject.
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Great ideas, however I think he misunderstands the powers of the speaker of the HOC!
The only two I have reservations about are setting a limit on the number of terms an MP can serve and PR voting (as had already been discussed). In particular PR voting leads to minority Governments where (like in Canada for example) nothing gets done.
Also if he added 'Get rid of the Monarchy' then he would have just proposedthe best list of modern reform to the British Parliamentary system I've seen. Unfortunately he stops short of this.
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At last! Greg Dyke tells it like it is.
Every facet of our lives over the last 50 years has had to adapt painfully to rapid changes in technology and social attitudes. Every facet that is, except our political system. The UK needs a democratic revolution almost as much as Iran. As I listened to Greg's contribution I found myself agreeing with everything he said. The old political elite will of course fight tooth and nail to defend their privileged position, so change must be driven through despite them, after all the politicians should be the servants of the people not the other way round. If that sounds obvious then re listen to William Hague's recent contribution when he said that a change to the voting system should be resisted because it would mean letting minor parties into Parliament. Heaven help us! The voters just might vote for the "wrong" candidates!
Lets vote for Greg and let the politicos know their time is almost up.
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Of course the BBC will not allow discussion of equal rights for the English. Look at the places of birth of the people who set the news agenda. Yes I mean you Mr Mair and Mr. Naughtie. Anyone who dares to speak up for England is sneered at for being a little englander. All the English I speak to say the same "it ain't fair". By the way I am not a little englander as my father was an economic migrant from the celtic fringe. I have family all over the British Isles and some in the next door constituency to Gordon Brown. They have more democracy than me and their MP has a say over the laws that affect me but not them. Surely in a properly democratic system the English are entitled to have a parliament that is of the people, by the people, for the people. Irrespective of the system that elects the parliament it is only right that the laws that English people are subject to are made by English people or their elected representatives.
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30
The Glass Ceiling for working class women will only be shattered when the Glass Floor protecting middle class women from proper jobs is smashed.
What worries me about the 'Celtic fringe' (mentioned above) is the way we complain (my 'fringe' creds adorn a sporran) about not getting our fair share of the British cake. From an international standpoint it's an unfairly large cake in the first place.
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All sound ideas, unfortunately there is too much vested interest from those in power for such radical changes to take hold.
So far so good, but voting once every X number of years and delegating all responsibility for how we are governed is what turns off the electorate. It is a feeling of helplessness. I agree we all want more influence over our lives.
We need to find ways of involving the electorate in the decision making process. Perhaps frequent referendums on major issues would help to devolve power downwards?
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Some of Greg Dyke's points are very good: keeping tight discipline during PM Questions, setting up a commission to look into the voting system, reducing the number of MPs, setting them a salary with no expenses, not allowing them to employ members of their own family, or to serve more than three terms and having fixed term elections every four years.
As for "scrapping the pomp and ceremony", setting up a Speakers' commission to change the voting system, moving parliament to Milton Keynes, doing away with the House of Lords - has Greg Dyke misinterpreted what he was being asked, or has he wildly misunderstood the powers of the Speaker?
Apart from keeping discipline in the house during PM Questions and debates, everything else he suggests is outside the remit of Speaker.
He says, "The days of old fashioned representative democracy are over" and they certainly would be if he were put in charge.
PM has asked each of their contributors to Speaker Week to, "to put forward their personal manifestos for change" not a manifesto for taking over as a totalitarian dictator.
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Well said. A considered, thoughtful, informed contribution to the debate (even if some of his suggestions are outside the remit of the speaker).
I'm not a fan of term limits because I don't believe either in artificially removing popular choices just because they've been around for a while, or in the loss of experience they inevitably cause. Otherwise, though - a mature, modern parliament, the centralising power of the government over parliament being curbed, a parliament that honestly reflected the wishes of the electorate and MPs being paid a fair wage for a fair job - a strong contribution to the national debate.
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Very good comments. Not sure about the three term limit. Perhaps for the commons but not the new elected lords. Three terms would have excluded Churchill, Thatcher, Attlee, Gladstone, Disraeli - almost any leader in the last 200 years. We need experience somewhere in government and in parliament.
I agree that without PR we will never have true democracy in this country and also that none of the MPs would vote for these reforms due to too much vested self-interest. The old arguments about deals being done in smoke filled rooms, extremist parties holding the balance of power etc. (apart from being impossible now due to the smoking ban) hide the fact that the self same deals happen within the spectrum of the two main parties internal machinations anyway and in both cases the extremists within the parties can sometimes hold the casting vote. Lets have the votes fair and the parties all out in the open. Then we can really say we got the government we deserve. At present our system excludes more parties from Government than Iran's does.
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I think GD would make a very good speaker, I would be in favor of most of the ideas he puts forward, a new chamber, situated in the Midlands say, should be provided with individual seating together with electronic voting to stop the parading through the lobbies etc., what an antiquated waste of time.
The 'Bear Garden' seems to be lacking in the assemblies/ parliaments of France and Spain where genuine debate and respect of the opinions of the other elected representatives seems to be present, even if their views are not endorsed.
I believe that apathy is easily created in the population at large when our parliament seems to ignore the wishes of the electorate and in some cases party manifestos, and carries out the bidding of the PM and the whips.
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1 MP's - behave! - Yes
2 Scrap all the pomp and ceremony -Yes!
3 Reduce the number of MP's to around 400 -Yes!!
4 Move Parliament out of the Palace of Westminster - er, no.
5 Pay the rest a decent wage - Yes!!!
6 Proportional representation - Yes!!!!
7 Limit MP's to standing for three terms only - Nice idea
8 Fixed term elections - Yes!!!!!
9 Do away with the House of Lords and replace it with a fully elected second chamber where there is no whipping system Yes!!!!!! Wow.
10 find new ways of involving the electorate in the decision making process.- er, not sure what that means in practice, but I am willing to listen
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Greg Dyke for speaker!!!
YES YES YES!
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I think Greg is just missing a couple more radical ideas, otherwise a good try.
I would vote him in as the first PRESIDENT of ENGLAND.
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Why have the ideas of only a token woman been presented during speaker's week? Women should have comprised half of the selection.
When will the BBC get it as regards equality?
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"I'd introduce a system of proportional representation so that the number of MPs a party has reflects the number of votes it gets."
Ah, that's more like it, you're the only candidate who favours electoral reform.
However, make sure you choose the right kind of Proportional Representation. Systems based on Party Lists would actually make things worse, because MPs would be dependent on party organisations for their jobs, and would only answer to the voters indirectly.
The solution is to have something like STV (Single Transferable Vote), as proposed by the Electoral Reform Society. This system allows voters to
* put individual candidates in order of preference, and
* have the vote transferred to another candidate (not wasted, as it is under our present system) if the candidate that was put first can't be elected.
Such a system allows voters to put an independent candidate first, if the official candidate is greedy, lazy or out of touch. The fierce competition from independent candidates helps to keep official candidates up to scratch.
STV works fine in Ireland, which is a small country. Voters there have twice been asked to change to a different system, but both times they decided to keep what they've got.
However, there's a problem with STV in a bigger country like the UK, as the geographical area of constituencies in thinly-populated rural areas has to be massive.
To get over the problem, MPs should be given Block Votes, like delegates have at Trade Union congresses. The number of votes that an MP gets would depend on how many voters are on the electoral roll for the constituency. This would allow constituencies that are geographically too large to be broken up into smaller ones.
Giving voters the *Right to Recall* the MP or MPs for their constituency, by writing to the Electoral Officers for that constituency within specified periods, would also be an important reform.
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I admire a man who chooses not to be vague for fear of alienating potential voters.
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Why mess around with the system? It's people that misbehaved. What doesn't help is the culture of not apportioning responsibility in the first place, which is leading to hysterical finger-pointing and witch-hunts.
David Mitchell summed it up brilliantly on Have I Got News For You: So essentially they are saying This swimming pool is full of piss, therefore swimming pools are a bad idea. Not, Weve been pissing in the swimming pool."
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To get to the later, those historical
figures who dedicated their lives
to the idea of a political system should be studied. This being said,
I agree the current system is unfair,
but party politics with its private
interests will never make it fairer!
If each person had the right to
register their interests i.e., in property,
is it not right they can vote for someone, who shares that interest?
In this way, all the other interests can be fairly distributed. Any proposed legislation can then be decided by a government that collectively represents those interests. To avoid the problem
of any set of them becoming dominant,
the house of lords should consist of hereditary peers.
For by the mere accident of birth, their title will be safe from those who desire to sell them for personal gain.
From the right structure, a
constitution can be a dynamic force for cultural change.
Therefore, until this and any other proposal is accessible for the public, celebrities should stay out of it, unless they want the problems of Iran to come to the UK!
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Greg Dyke's suggestion of moving them all out of The Palaces of Westminster is long overdue.
The cost of maintenance, with them all bouncing around in that historic building, must be astronomic. I believe builders etc. are in permanent residence.
Add the cost of heating, and the subsidised food/drinks to the bill (it's the best club in London) and you are looking at expenditure this country cannot afford. The Empire is long gone.
Whilst modernising the whole political system the reductions of MPS and Lords is also essential.
Second home mortgage payments, rent, refurbishment and furnishing claims etc. should be abolished along with many other expenses. An overnight payment, set at a modest amount, would suffice.
Please look at the bloated, inefficient, antiquated charade and wonder why it has been allowed to continue for so long.
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Greg Dyke wins my vote. Why? because he proposes the introduction of a proportional voting stystem. This would be the single best thing to do to fix the mess we are now in. They made the switch from FFP to PR in New Zealand in the mid 1990s and it made a huge improvement to democracy. It led immediately to a far richer mix of MPs, reflecting the diversity of the population to a far greater extent than was previously the case. Also the caliber and content of the debate in parliament improved considerably. The UK must not squander this chance to embrace PR!
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Well Greg you've pressed all the right buttons and summed up my feelings about this out of date forum called the Lords and Commons - and by the look of the preceeding postbag of comments, a fairly large section of the voting public too.
It really is time for a great big change and the momentum of public anger needs maintaining to ensure the process of reform doesn't fade from the radar before the next General Election.
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I agree with Greg Dyke's approach here 100%. Things need to change. As arddunby said above... it presses all the right buttons. People are becoming increasingly fed up with the current system and it must change.
I also liked the idea of the 100 days of change for Parliament which Nick Clegg talked about in the Guardian, though I don't really have Liberal Democrat leanings. MPs will go on their recess, though, won't they?
Will we get this change? Will we really? I wonder!
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I agree with most of the changes that Greg Dyke would make, but not all. I like his approach.
I would add no whipping to his list. I think that all the whipping is a major reason that MPs are seen as liars, as they are always toeing the party line instead of following what they really think or what their constituents think or feel.
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Dyke presented his ideas in a very orderly fashion that is easy to summarise:
(1) Force MPs to show respect at PM's question time
(2) remove out-dated ceremonies and language
(3) Set up a commission, not dominated by MPs, to develop reforms
(4) Move parliament from Westminster
(5) Cut numbers to about 400
(6) Increase MPs' salary to £80000 and restrict expenses to support staff only
(7) introduce proportional representation for general elections
(8) limit careers to 3 terms (12 years)
(9) fix term of government to 4 years
(10) Replace House of Lords with a fully elected chamber free to vote without interference from Whips.
(11) find new ways of devolving power to the people
What I think about Dyke's proposals:
(1) Good luck to any Speaker who attempts to teach respect
(2) I dont think MPs should be forced to refer to each other as "Right Honourable" in fact the title probably should be stripped from the current lot except perhaps for the few that didnt claim for a second home, didnt flip their second home designation, didnt claim for accountants, didnt vote for exemption from freedom of information and didnt vote for war against Iraq. I'm afraid that as they want one law for themselves and another for the rest of us, MPs should be considered just "Ordinary" unless they can prove themselves honourable.
(4) Read Kennedy's address for the reasons why this is a good idea: something as nebulous but nevertheless influential as ... surroundings.
(5) I agree there are too many of them and the way our current parliament works the presence of the majority is largely irrelevant
(6) I think MPs are already paid too much.
(7) Some people say that PR produces hung parliaments that are unable to govern and others cite examples where it works. I think that PR is fairer because it is more representative, allowing more voices to be heard. So be it if it produces hung parliaments that cant make change: this is the will of the nation as a whole
(8) I dont have any concerns about the great "elderly" statesmen that would be lost because of the career length restriction. Breaking the stranglehold of the political lifer is worth it. The Churchills and the Thatchers would still be able to serve their time. Inspirer neatly illustrates how quickly MPs would have to graduate in to statesmen in a 3 term system, but I think Dyke's idea is that people would come in to parliament at the right time in their lifes with the right type of skills. Anyway I'm a bit unclear about what back bench MPs can learn about government unless its how to avoid answering a question directly, how to put down your opponent across the floor, how to line your nest without doing anything wrong, how to deceive without actually telling lies, how to make contacts for your life after politics.....
(9) apparantly investors prefer fixed terms
(10) I agree with 78-eh-78 that the coertion of voting in the commons should be ended too.
(11) I like aquafampublish's idea of devolving power to the electorate by referendii
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Just why did Greg resign when he was right? It is kind of a relevant question given that he is an opinion maker. Greg should stand as an independent - that would be the quickest way to change this lot... if enough were elected then a 'loose federation' of them could hold the balance of power - and so change things in Parliament. We might never get proportion rep otherwise.
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Did somebody bring back Greg Dyke?
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