Nearly 'Got It' Charles, But Not Quite

Charles Moore, in his usual Saturday 'Lead Article' for the Daily Telegraph, has a thought provoking article on what is wrong with our political system. He states:

"Britain is in a tremendous mess and a general election is coming. This is the time, above all times, when politicians are supposed to tell you how they propose to clear the mess up. And yet it seems to have become the time, above all times, when they are least ready to do so. If you left the country now, and did not return till polling day, you would miss nothing important in helping you make up your mind how to vote." and "Our current parliamentary system, as has been so clearly exposed by the expenses scandal, has gradually turned political parties into arms of the state apparatus. The parties run their MPs for their own convenience, buying off their possible revolts with privileges paid for by public money. Careers depend on whips, not upon voters. In four of the last five general elections (the exception being 1997), less than 9 per cent of parliamentary seats changed from one party to another. Therefore most seats are safe. Therefore, for most MPs, general elections are perfunctory."

Unfortunately, Charles Moore no more gets this 'democracy thingy' - to quote Douglas Carswell - than does any other political journalist, even though Moore cites the 'open primary' system of candidate selection - another of Carswell and Hannan's ideas from their work 'The Plan'.

Anyone leaving the country now and returning just before polling day would not miss anything, purely because politicians, when they do say anything, are not telling us the truth. Witness David Cameron's speech today at Chatham House. His idea that there should be co-operation between army and  police is no more than prior planning to ease the introduction of the EU's implementation of EuroGendFor. He wishes to deport people and stop people entering Britain, yet he cannot stop payments to terrorists dependents. All his energy policies are 'constrained' by the need to be compliant with EU Directives and Regulations, as are those of the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties.
 

Charles Moore says: "The parties run their MPs for their own convenience, buying off their possible revolts with privileges paid for by public money. Careers depend on whips, not upon voters." An accusation exemplified by the responses to the pledge requested by the Albion Alliance from all candidates standing in the next election. One only has to access the data base on that site and read the responses from candidates of all three main parties in order to see that Moore's statement is true. 

With the exception of two 'free thinking' Conservatives and one Liberal Democrat, all acceptances of the requested pledge have been made by candidates representing what are termed 'minor parties'. Yet is is these 'minor party' candidates that seem to be the only ones that truly understand this 'democracy thingy'.

When considering this 'democracy thingy' it is a fact that one basic question has to be answered - namely who governs Britain. Yet not one political leader wishes, or will allow, debate on this subject. As an example of that assertion, three times David Cameron has been challenged, by the Witney branch of the UK Independence Party, to a public debate on this subject and three times he has refused. Either he does not wish to show his ignorance, or he cannot substantiate his argument, or he is just plain frightened that he may be made to appear a fool - you place your bet and take your choice!

It could be argued that the reason - as Charles Moore presumes - that "for most MPs, general elections are perfunctory." is because the three main political parties have 'socially engineered' the electorate to believe that they are the only possible people who have the 'right' answers. They dismiss the UK Independence Party as 'fruitcases and nutcases' (David Cameron) yet that party, like other 'minor' parties such as the Libertarian Party UK, understand 'democracy' far better than the Lib/Lab/Con - and 'Con' is what all three are guilty of!