Sunday 13 December 2009

Reinvent The Relationship Between Citizen and State

A statement, noted in Matthew D'Ancona's article in today's Sunday Telegraph, was one by a 'senior' Cameroon: ".......we have to reinvent the relationship between the citizen and the state."

FFS! Obviously I have no idea which 'senior' Cameroon suggested this idea - and lets face it, there are many dimwits from which to choose - but there is nothing, I repeat, nothing to reinvent. What does need repeating is that MPs are sent to Westminster to govern this country on behalf of the people and to enact laws to which the people assent.

It is so simple really in that MPs could begin by not handing control of this country to some supra-national, unaccountable and unelected body in a foreign land without specifically and previously having asked the people's permission; by swearing to place country above party; by not altering our democracy and how we elect our representatives without asking those who pay their wages, by not taking the taxpayer for a ride and abiding by the principle governing their expenses; and by acting as the parliamentarians they profess to be.

3 comments:

Jim said...

I think these's more to the throw-away line than might be thought (tho whether the Tories mean it to mean more is debatable).

There is a huge shift in consciousness required - to shift the idea that the State will ALWAYS provide for you, whatever you do, however you behave. That there is a oneway street responsibility flowing from the State to the individual, and never in the opposite direction. To reintroduce the concept of personal responsibility to ones decisions. You do X, you're on your own. And mean it.

Equally there is a shift in Public sector consciousness required to remove the producer capture philosophy that pervades all State run entities. To somehow engineer the system such that there is an option for the 'consumer' (or taxpayer) if they do not like the State provided option.

Education vouchers are a good start IMO,they need to be introduced asap under a Tory administration. The same ideas can and should be exported to the health service as well.

AntiCitizenOne said...

Change to a citizens dividend funded by an LVT.

We want MPs to do the simple job of ADMINISTRATING the country, not ruling us.

James Higham said...

It is so simple really in that MPs could begin by not handing control of this country to some supra-national, unaccountable and unelected body in a foreign land without specifically and previously having asked the people's permission; by swearing to place country above party; by not altering our democracy and how we elect our representatives without asking those who pay their wages, by not taking the taxpayer for a ride and abiding by the principle governing their expenses; and by acting as the parliamentarians they profess to be.

Doesn't take an Einstein to work out but well written all the same.