Statement On Constitutional Reform

Gordon Brown's statement, which is reproduced on Politics Home, after PMQs was notable for its 'inbuilt' contradictions.

"......I should like to make a statement about the government's proposal to invite the house to agree further democratic reform....."

That is a joke in itself, in that this government doesn't even know the meaning of the word 'democratic'!

"I believe also that the vast majority of MPs work hard for their constituents and demonstrate by their service that they are in politics not for what they can get but for what they can give."

WTF! We have had nigh on 12 weeks revelations from the Daily Telegraph which has shown just the opposite. Any MP who has claimed for anything, over and above rent/mortgage interest and utility bills has 'abused' the system! Gordon Brown really does live on another planet!

"At its first meeting yesterday, the government's democratic council decided to bring forward new legislative proposals before the summer adjournment, on two issues which have been the subject of constructive cross-party discussion. First, we propose that the House of Commons – and then subsequently the House of Lords – move from the old system of self-regulation to independent, statutory regulation. This will mean the immediate creation of a new parliamentary standards authority with delegated power to regulate the system of allowances. No more can Westminster operate in ways reminiscent of the last century where the members make up the rules and operate them among themselves."

Firstly, the 'government's democratic council' - surely a title straight out of a totalitarian government's handbook - is comprised of government ministers, those who have had their 'hands in the till'; secondly the immediate socialist response to the problem by creating a new parliamentary standards authority - aka a quango - is totally unnecessary as we already have an independent regulator which is called the electorate. A further question is who is to appoint members of this new 'standards authority'; what will be the criteria for selection to this body and what will be the cost? Coupled with this is the point that 'cross party support' for these proposals is, once again, no more than a euphemism for 'in-house' self-regulation.

"There will be consultation with all sides of the house to come forward with new proposals for dealing effectively with inappropriate behaviour, including potentially the options of effective exclusion and recall for gross financial misconduct identified by the new independent regulator and the house itself."

'Consultation with all sides of the house to come forward with new proposals' and 'gross financial misconduct identified by the new independent regulator and the house itself' are yet further examples of the foxes setting the rules for living in the chicken coop!

"Mr Speaker, in the last 12 years we have created the devolved administrations, ended the hereditary principle in the House of Lords, and introduced the Freedom of Information Act and the Human Rights Act."

To boast about four administrative acts which have gone spectacularly wrong can hardly give the electorate any confidence in Gordon Brown's ability to solve anything.

"The public want to be, and should be, part of the solution. So we must build a process that engages citizens themselves, people of all parties and none; of all faiths and no faith; from every background and every part of the country."

This must be the most brazen statement of all in that past experience shows that ordinary members of the public are the last to be involved; instead any 'engagement' will be with the government's 'fake charities' and the like, as usual.

"Third is the devolution of power and engagement of people themselves in their local communities."

In twelve years all the Labour Party has managed to do is actually distance power from the people by the creation of regional offices, development agencies, quangos, more layers of local government (MAAs), so one must be forgiven for taking a cynical attitude to this suggestion!

"But let us stand together for integrity and democracy......"

As stated earlier in this post, Gordon Brown does not even know the basic meaning of those two words!

"Our proposals will also be informed by leading external figures including academics and others who command public respect and have a recognised interest or expertise in the different elements of democratic reform."

There is only one group of people who have the right to a say in any change to our constitution; on the contents of any new Bill of Rights - and whether we actually need one - and that is the British electorate; remember them Gordon, the ones who pay your salary and to whom you are answerable?