Parliamentary Revolution?

[IBM]

Just reading the BBC article on some proposed reform ideas, and for the life of me I can't see why they all shouldn't be innacted immediately.

Suggestions are;

Proportional representation - Ending what critics see as the inherently unfair "first-past-the-post" system of electing MPs

• Fixed term parliaments - Ending the advantage to the ruling party of choosing the polling date

• A written constitution - Setting out voters' rights and limiting the power of government

• A fully elected second chamber - Ending the power of patronage and expelling the few remaining hereditary peers

• Curbing the power of the whips - Freeing MPs to to vote with their conscience more often rather than following the party line

• Fixed terms for MPs - So they do not become too cosy and complacent in their roles

• Boosting the power of select committees - Electing the chairmen rather than having them chosen by the whips and handing them greater investigatory powers

Article can be found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8060896.stm

[G4Z]

I think it will take rioting in the streets before the government enacts any of these. Turkeys wouldn't vote for an early christmas now would they?

[JPreston]

The reader comments on that page are 'spEak You're bRanes' at its finest.

[M0nkeyb0Y]

Douglas Carswell is one of the few MPs I respect. He's a libertarian at heart, I'm sure of it.

I'll be writing to my MP expressing my support for most of the suggestions, especially:

• A written constitution - Setting out voters' rights and limiting the power of government

[JPreston]

Yes, I think we'd all agree on precisely what rights are to be enshrined in that constitution and I can see no problem with asking this most authoritarian of governments to write it.