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How the people are to be governed

Dear Friends,

I don’t believe in government by plebiscite generally, but where the matter is of significant constitutional significance and concerns ‘how the people are to be governed’, then it is for the people, not the politicians to decide.   So thank you for letting me have your views.

Over 90% of those responding to me in Castle Point wanted a largely or wholly elected chamber, but not on a PR list system and not with 15 year single election terms.

Honouring this ‘public’ view has not been difficult since it was my view also.  So far, we have delivered, now we need to get the voting system right.

But before that, the Lords will be frustrating (quite rightly) the Commons and I guess, in the end, Brown will use the Parliament Act to push it through.   This would be absolutely wrong… But it will make for a massive, and some may think irrelevant, distraction for Brown in the dog months of the Labour Government.

Two interesting points from the voting are:

1.      108 Conservatives (59 per cent) voted for at least one of the predominantly or wholly democratic options (60, 80 or 100), out of the 184 who participated in at least one of the divisions;

2.     99 per cent of the Party voted to keep the second chamber (only one vote against with 182 for).  Conservative unity on bicameralism contrasts sharply with Labour which was evenly divided (52 per cent supporting and 48 per cent voting for abolition).  This is in line with the position of both parties for most of the last century.

With best wishes

Yours ever

Bob

PS I voted for both Ayes and Nos on 60% elected in order to formally register an abstention rather than a positive or negative vote on that option.