A collection of thoughts on constitutional matters, centred on the desperate need for greater democracy in the UK, as well as in the world as a whole. Moderately coherent in parts, but some very old and in need of revisiting.
Democracy
- We aspire to have “government of the people by the people for the people”. We fall some way short of this. Here is a very old draft note on some of the failings in our supposed democracy (original). ᴥ
- The dubious concept of majority rule (original) ᴥ
- Very old summaries of some major issues, now awaiting relocation:
- (1) Commons election [previously part of issues]
- (3) House of Lords [previously part of issues]
Electoral system
- There is an urgent need for attention to our voting system, which needs to be much fairer, more effective, and above all more democratic.
Modernisation
- Names [Names pdf, Names ex 300] of houses
- State Opening of Parliament
- efficiency
- location: Is it likely to be cost-effective, or even effective, to seek to modernise the operation of Parliament while it is housed in a crumbling Victorian building in the most expensive part of London?
House of Commons
- We need a much better way of choosing our Prime Minister.
- parliamentary parties (TBD)
- We need to reduce financial and other corruption in the House of Commons (TBD) [HTML version]
- MPs’ pay (TBD)
- Whipping needs to be curbed.
- Lobbying needs to be curbed.
- PMQs
House of Lords
- The possibility of a more democratic, more effective, and less tainted, House of Lords.
Civil Service
- [11/4] We need to re-kindle the role of Civil Servants to offer objective, expert advice to government Minsters, alongside the obligation of Ministers to consider such advice carefully. To this end …
- [11/1,2,3] (a) We should review Civil Service staffing, including the classification of civil servants, and seek to further develop subject expertise;
- [10] (b) We should have fewer Special Advisors . They are expensive and political, and they impair the operation of the Civil Service.
Other
- ../c2 republic? — royal assent — (TBD)
- NAO
- OBR
- BOE
- Electoral Commission
- supreme court
- [BBC = ../c3 outside control of HMG (TBD)] transferred to Information
- [../c4 Ministry of Truth(TBD)] transferred to Information
- [The need for reconstitution of the United Nations] transferred to Other
| x a | yy | z Electoral Commission supreme court |
Please send all comments and contributions to constitution [at] nonparty.org.uk
Old site has:
We hope for democratic government. See attached notes, some old and all in need of review, on this and other issues of a constitutional nature.