True Democracy For This Country

Readers of this blog will know that I am a fervent admirer of 'The Plan' written by Daniel Hannan and Douglas Carswell.

At the risk of being a bore, it is about time that this country awoke to what politicians of all parties have been allowing to happen during the last few decades.

To part-quote Hayek:

The delegation of particular tasks to separate bodies is yet the first step by which a democracy progressively relinquishes its powers.

Consider what has taken place: for example, we have allowed the supreme power of Parliament to be subjugated to that of a few bureaucrats located in another country. We have allowed 'fake charities' - no more than government funded organisations, representing minority pressure groups, to dictate how we should think, act and speak. We have allowed non-elected bodies to dictate what can be built and where. We have allowed a non-elected body to dictate what drugs we may be given and who may be given them. We have allowed the police to dictate how and which crimes they will investigate. We have allowed our politicians to enrich themselves at our expense.

In allowing all this we then complain that 'there is no point in voting, all the parties are the same, nothing ever changes'. It can change - and it is up to us to recognise what is wrong and to use the ballot box to bring about that change.

However to do so we need to acknowledge the deficits in our democracy and demand that those who want our votes will promise to rectify those deficits. The United States of America, for all its supposed faults, has one defining phrase which it uses to demonstrate their vision of democracy - Government by the people - for the people; and it is about time we in this country took up that vision.

First we must divorce ourselves from the European Union, thus allowing us to decide our own laws, how and with whom we wish to trade, who we will and will not allow to enter our country, the rules by which those wishing to live in this country must abide.

Second we need to repeal the Human Rights Act and withdraw from the European Court of Human Rights.

Third we must devolve to local government all those areas devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

Fourth we must make local government virtually self-financing and responsible for, example, planning, fire and police services, housing, education and health. This would make local councillors truly accountable and responsible for their position in local government - something which, at present, they are not.

Fifth we must introduce a system of referenda, both locally and nationally, to enable the people to concentrate political minds, thus getting action in areas where politicians do not wish to, or refuse to, become involved.

Sixth we need to decide how MPs are paid, but notwithstanding that we need to abolish the Additional Costs Allowance and Communications Allowance immediately. We need to insure that MPs are bound by the same laws as the common man. We need more 'transparency' within the parliamentary system; the Speaker should be elected by secret ballot, which is not the case at present; with the devolving of powers to local authorities the majority of existing quangos and ngos' will be unnecessary - but for those that are left the heads of those bodies should be appointed by parliamentary committees in public hearings. We need to scrap all use of public money by and for political parties; ie they want an election broadcast or leaflets printed - fine, they pay for it. We need a system of 're-call' for MPs whereby if his/her constituents felt he/she was representing party views and not theirs they could demand he/she change their views or be forced to stand down in order that one who would can then be elected.

In summary, true democracy would work on the following lines: Parliament would be responsible for matters affecting the country - areas such as Defence, Immigration, Foreign Relations. All civil matters, such as education, law & order, health would become the responsibility of local authorities and be matters whereby those living within each local authority would decide policy and implementation.

Now that would be Government By The People - For The People