So, Gordon Brown’s decided to reform Britain's voting system and is keen to see some results before the next election, due by June 2010. Funnily enough polls point to a big Conservative win in the next election. Strange that.
And even stranger that Gordon Brown, a man never elected by the public as Prime Minister and therefore a man without a mandate, believes he and his discredited Labour government are the people best placed to initiate this reform. Well I’m sorry, but that’s somewhat akin to inviting Gary Glitter to be your babysitter.
The current situation over MPs’ expenses is not due to any kind of constitutional weakness, but is simple consequence of the moral failings of too many MPs. Just look at the fight they put up to keep the details of their expense claims secret – they even went so far as to advocate a change in the law, exempting themselves from the Freedom of Information Act!
How on earth can these people possibly believe that there is any link between the voting system used to elect an MP and the fact that he claims for a non-existent mortgage, avoids capital gains tax, cleans his moat or tries to buy a home for ducks on the taxpayer? The fact that so many members of this Labour government suddenly want to reform the constitution sums up so much of what is wrong with our politicians - their enthusiasm is a moral flag of convenience.
Trust in our politicians and government has got to be rebuilt first. Then –and only then – can people engage in the debate about how we can strengthen our democratic process. This cannot possibly happen until the voters have had a chance to cleanse the House of Commons of its current occupants via a general election.
Whatever Brown may think, his government lacks the moral authority to reform the voting system. The authority of the Commons flows from the people it represents. Until the people have had a chance to hold its membership to account, talk of reform is both preposterous and morally outrageous. Our constitution is too important to be played around with by this mob of discredited, crooked and morally bankrupt villains.
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