by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has on Tuesday, Feb 2, 2010, delivered a speech setting out the next steps in the Government’s program of constitutional and parliamentary reform in the UK.
Mr. Brown said he believes there is an urgent need for politicians on all sides to reconnect with people, and to make significant changes to both national and local government.
Gordon Brown said a new politics should involve ending the hereditary principle in parliament; ensuring each MP has the support of the majority of their voters; giving people a right to recall MPs who break the rules where parliament fails to act; and backing the progress being made towards local democracy and improved scrutiny.
The PM said the agenda for a new politics would revolve around two fundamental debates about change:
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How the Government distributes power between individuals, neighborhoods, regions and the center; and
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How the Government restores the legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness of parliament, through reform of the unelected House of Lords, a new electoral system for the House of Commons, and a public life that starts to reflect the dynamism and diversity of Britain
Having said all that it is obvious that the Prime Minister has no real intention of changing the system to a real democratic one, namely of the systems that are in use in most democratic countries and institutions, that is to say “proportional representation”.
It would appear that that system is an anathema to the British political establishment and one can but wonder what they are afraid of. The voters, I guess.
Another interesting point is again and again the mention of the British constitutional system and changes to the same. What constitutional system, Prime Minister?
Britain does NOT have a constitution and he has admitted as much in his statement wondering as to whether the people would like a written one. Even an unwritten one would be nice but even that does not exist.
When will the politicians be prepared to admit that Britain is a Parliamentary Monarchy and nothing else and the “citizens” are, as it stated until recently – and I have to admit I have not seen a recent one – on British passports, “subjects of Her Britannic Majesty”.
Let's cut the pretense. There is no such thing as a “British citizen” under the British law but “subjects of Her Majesty” (no that I have a problem with that and I think we might actually be better of if Her Majesty would actually rule), and Britain has no constitution.
Let's all wake up finally, my fellow Brits, and realize what's what.
© 2010
