Archive for the ‘Democracy’ Category
House of Lords Reform
Posted by Richard | Filed under Democracy, Parliament
Image: Parliamentary copyright/Roger Harris
Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament
On Tuesday I was one of 91 Conservative MPs to vote against the proposed reforms to the House of Lords. We were joined in the ‘No’ lobby by 26 Labour MPs, and 8 members of the Democratic Unionist Party. Had the Government also sought to limit the amount of time Parliament could spend debating the Bill, it is likely there would have been far more rebels.
I did not take the decision to vote against the Bill lightly and it is not because I am against reforming the House of Lords.
I agree that the size of the House of Lords should be reduced and that provision should be made to allow for the removal of Peers guilty of wrongdoing. I agree that we should get rid of the system of political patronage and remove the remaining hereditary Peers. I think that these are points that everyone can agree on.
So why did I vote against the Bill? There were a number of reasons why I did not feel able to support the proposed reforms, the most significant of which were:
- Making the Lords into an elected chamber will provide it with a democratic legitimacy that is incompatible with the expectation that the House of Commons will retain primacy. The two Houses will most likely compete and this will lead to legislative gridlock. The issue of the roles of each House needs to be addressed before we can press ahead with changing the composition of the Lords.
- Election via a proportional party list system and a term of office of 15 years does nothing to promote democracy. Party leaders will still be able to exert powers of patronage by placing their chosen candidates near the top of the party lists and elected peers will have no real accountability to voters. Turning the Second Chamber into a party political body like the House of Commons will remove many of the expert and diverse voices that are currently heard in the Lords and who are not the type of people to seek election.
- The new system will be much, much more expensive than the current one. There will be the expense of another election and the running costs of a full-time salaried and staffed Upper House.
Finally, I would urge the Government to give much greater consideration to holding a referendum on such a significant constitutional change. If we are to alter the very structure of our constitution, then we need to have the full support of the people.
Richard Welcomes Parliamentary Inquiry into Professional Standards in Financial Services
Posted by admin | Filed under Democracy, Economy, Parliament
When I raised the need for criminal prosecutions in financial services at Prime Minister’s Question Time in the House of Commons last December, I did not believe we would come so far, so fast.
Yet I feel that we have only just seen the tip of the iceberg of potential wrong doings in the financial sector during the financial crisis.
That is why I welcome the call for a Parliamentary inquiry into professional standards in financial services.
Put bluntly, people want these issues sorted out quickly, and they don’t expect to fork out a fortune to get the job done. The public wants to be engaged. If I draw one conclusion from recent judicial led enquiries, it is that they distance, rather than engage the public from the resolution of the issues that concerns them.
People want to know and see that those responsible are held to account and that those who acted criminally are imprisoned.
Parliament would have been weakened if, yet again, when a major issue of concern needed resolution, MPs had voted to pass it off to someone else.
Parliament has democratic accountability. Members of Parliament are responsible to our constituents and Parliament has the power to reshape the laws of our land.
It is time that Parliament stood up to these responsibilities and stopped contracting them out to others. The vote this week, and the willingness of the Opposition to engage constructively, is a positive development.
We are living through times not only of great economic uncertainty but also of great doubt about the veracity and legitimacy of major institutions that impact our daily lives: the media: the banks; the European Union and, indeed, Parliament itself.
In a democratic society, the pathway to recovering people’s faith in these major institutions – and Parliament itself – is for Parliament to assert its authority, to find its voice, and to work together to get the public’s work done. I am pleased we have started the job.
The First TV Debate
Posted by Richard | Filed under Democracy
I thought the first TV debate was excellent television, and that ITV and their host, Alastair Stewart, were the clear winners. The key comparison was between Mr Cameron and Mr Brown as one or either of them will be the Prime Minister. With an easier wicket to play on, I thought Mr Clegg answered some questions well, but he was very vague on details in some areas and was given an easier pass than the other two. Overall, congratulations to all the participants, but especially to the excellent chairmanship of Alistair Stewart.
Passion Week Debate
Posted by Richard | Filed under Bedford & Kempston, Democracy
Congratulations to Brickhill Baptist Church and to the organisers of the Passion Week event for hosting a very well attended “Passion for Bedford’s Future” event. The range of questions was broad and the responses from the panel were fascinating and constructive.
The politics of division are the politics of despair
Posted by Richard | Filed under Democracy
Substance in politics is what really matters but sometimes the tone matters too. Contrast the opening efforts in the General Election campaign between Gordon Brown and David Cameron.
Gordon Brown and the Labour Party have launched divisive attacks – based on class, on bankers, on those with support hunting. The tone is one that seeks to deflect blame from the Government’s own failings but also one which seeks to divide the country in to “them” and “us”.
See Parvez make a powerful case for why he should be our Mayor
Posted by Richard | Filed under Democracy
Beds on Sunday have a video of Parvez where he outlines his priorities for serving the people of the Borough of Bedford. Parvez’s key themes are: keeping Council tax down – reducing waste and cutting costs; striking a fairer balance between the rural and urban parts of our Borough; and, being a listening Mayor responding to the needs and requirements of local residents. Well worth a look
http://www.bedsonsunday.com/bedsonsunday-mayoralelection/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=451555
If you want to see the efforts of the other candidates, they are also available on the BoS site.
Cameron Impresses In Bedford
Posted by Richard | Filed under Bedford & Kempston, Democracy
Conservative Party leader, David Cameron, visited Bedford on Tuesday to answer questions from local residents and to get a better impression of the local issues that are important to the people of Bedford and Kempston.
First stop for Mr Cameron was the Civic Theatre for a spirited meeting with local Party members and supporters. Well over 100 activists heard Mr Cameron stress how important it was for the Conservatives to win Bedford if Mr Brown is to be removed from Downing Street and the hard work of restoring Britain’s finances is to begin.
After answering questions, Mr Cameron was off on the short walk to the Harpur Suite for his second meeting. This time it was a public meeting in the form of an open Question and Answer session. Over 140 people filled the Harpur Suite and Mr Cameron answered questions for over an hour. As many told me afterwards, it was hard but to be impressed with his openness and his willingness to offer direct answers to people’s questions.
Cameron Direct in Bedford
Posted by Richard | Filed under Bedford & Kempston, Democracy
David Cameron will be in Bedford on Tuesday 8 September to answer questions from local residents as he prepares his plans for forming the next Government.
It’s a completely public event for anyone local wanting to attend, whatever their political beliefs. The meeting is taking place at the Harpur Suite in the centre of town from 6:30pm in the evening.
Places will be limited, so if you would like to attend, send an email to camerondirect@bedfordconservatives.com or call 07858 642346 to register.
