Jul 04 2007
Gordon’s power to the people - only when they agree with him
The PM’s 12 points, where he intends to shift power from government to Parliament in areas of the so-called prerogative are fine. They were hyped to be more than they are. The need for?? a?? Parliamentary vote on war is not entirely new. We had a vote on the Iraq war. Parliament met to approve the Falklands war - no vote was taken because no-one disagreed. The requirement for Parliament to vote on dissolution and a General Election will make no difference in normal circumstances. The PM of the day has a majority and will be able to use it easily to facilitate??an election when he wishes. Nonetheless, it is a welcome move in the right direciton.
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The incendiary proposal for most Conservatives - and indeed for many electors - is the proposal to balkanise England further, replicating the unloved Regional Assemblies with Parliamentary regional committees and regional Minsiters answering questions. I want SEEDA, the South East Regional Assembly, the governemnt office in Guiildford and all the rest of the regional baggage in "my region" abolished. The money saved should be given back to taxpayers. If this government really is serioous about listening to people it should understand the strength of feeling in the North-east (traditional Labour territory) where they voted down regioanl government 4 to??1 against it.
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The regioanl proposals showed a partisan meanness of spirit after a good first half to the PM’s statement. We will fight the regional proposals all the way. If this is a listening PM reaching out he will quietly drop this provocative folly.
John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
I think I agree with you on this. It seems to me that devolving more and more decisions to regional and local levels just results in less accountability, not more. The government in westminster doing something is picked up in the media, and discussed by people in the media and country.
When was the last time the south-east regional assembly was mentioned anywhere in the local media, never mind the national one that most people follow.
I think the idea of having “english” days in the Wesminster parliament is the best idea and saves most money. If the Welsh and Scots decide they’d rather pay two lots of MPs, it’s their money….
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It is just the latest smoke and mirrors exercise from Brown. His tiny inner sanctum is spinning this ‘power back to the people’ illusion relentlessly as evidence that he will deliver real, substantial change and empower the British people. No more ’sofa’ government. Now it is ‘armchair’ government with no room for anyone by Brown.
We can justifiably state that Brown’s real agenda is to camouflage the extent of the damage inflicted on the British economy by Brown and wipe his fingerprints off the government departments whose often disastrous policies he dictated by controlling the purse strings.
Of course all of Brown’s actions and proposals thus far fit snugly with EU requirements to break up England into administrative chunks that can be run from Brusels. He is not the Eurosceptic he is painted to be in the media, not by a long stretch.
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In an independent England, or federal UK for that matter, there would be no need for two Set’s of Mp’s as there are in Scotland and Wales, the extra expense argument is a unionist myth, we could save money with fewer MP’s.
As for regional assemblies, why do Conservative councillors sit on them, when the conservative party wants them abolished?
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Cameron has not reciprocated and appointed Shadow Regional Ministers. This should be a fruitful area to attack Brown as well the lack of the promised referendum on the Constitution. Brown is taking major risks with his own side let alone Cameron.
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