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After the political scandals of the past two months, today's election of a new Speaker ought to mark a new beginning for Parliament, starting the process of rebuilding people's faith in politics. It's a huge challenge. The expenses debacle has exposed rottenness right at the heart of our democracy.
The scale of change that's needed is unprecedented. Whoever turns out to be the new Speaker by the end of today should, to show they are a true reformer, this very week, bring party leaders together and set before them a series of significant changes to be implemented before Parliament returns in October. They shouldn't be requests, but demands.
At the top of that list, once expenses have fully been dealt with, should be change to the basic machinery of what gets debated, and under what terms.
For too long, the weaknesses of our Parliament have been hidden under the pomp, its failure to hold the Government to account disguised by sentimental rhetoric about the "mother of Parliaments".
The truth is, our Parliament has been emasculated by an over-mighty executive. The fundamental problems are that the Government wins almost every vote and debates are either deserted, with just three or four MPs on the benches, or vitriolic slanging matches such as Prime Minister's Questions.
It was bizarre during PMQs last week to watch David Cameron and Gordon Brown fighting about public spending figures. Cameron had one set of figures. Brown another. They both thought the other was lying, but neither was permitted to say so. So they just read out lists of numbers at one another for 10 minutes. It is clear this sort of strange show-fight adds nothing to public understanding or political debate.
The other big problem is that it's almost always the Government that decides the subject of debates. That's very convenient for them, but a hopeless way of securing real scrutiny.
The new Speaker can change this: he or she can summon ministers to answer to the House more regularly, accept many more debates on urgent matters under the rather obscure Standing Order 24, and in the longer term, push for debate to be decided by an all-party committee instead of government whips.
These changes may sound like technical back-room stuff, and they certainly don't match up to the primary colours of the expenses issue.
But they are, nonetheless, important. People need a Parliament that represents their interests, holds the Government to account, and exposes wrongdoing as well as celebrating victories.
That's the way to improve public services, take care of public finances so taxes don't have to rise, and make sure wars are only ever fought for the right reasons. Our old-fashioned constitutional arrangements dictate that sovereignty, strictly speaking, is held by "the Queen in Parliament". But I believe that power really derives from the people, and they are the ones whose sovereignty should be represented in the Commons, not only as constituents through their individual MP, but also as citizens by the Parliament as a whole.
So the next Speaker should take a different approach to their predecessors, who considered themselves the defenders of Parliament, protecting the rights of MPs.
The time is now right for a People's Speaker. He or she should consider himself the people's representative in Parliament, ensuring that the people's interests are taken into account, and put ahead of the interests of individual politicians.
Unfortunately, however committed to reform they are, the new Speaker will have a huge challenge to face from the two establishment parties. They are vested interests in this debate, determined to do all they can to stand in the way of real change. Even now, in response to the expenses scandal, they want to do as little as possible to create merely an illusion of change.
It will be the new Speaker's job to stand up against these vested interests and be an engine of reform, exposing the hypocrisy of the establishment parties and making change possible.
The new Speaker will be elected at a unique moment in history. Public trust is at an all-time low, and the need for change is clear. Challenging the vested interests that block reform will be difficult, but this new Speaker has the best chance in generations. Thanks to the events of the last two months, he or she will have the strongest mandate of any in living memory for reform.
They must seize the moment, and help those who believe in change build a new kind of democracy, fit for the modern age.
Reader views (2)
'The time is right for a People's Speaker.'Nick there is a short list none of whom are really suitable as a'People's speaker.We the electorate will next year be presented with something similar,none of the present bunch are really suitable to be trusted in Government.Those candidates who would be suitable simply have not received any support,so we are left with 'Non-People's Speakers with the exception of Ann,who can be trusted to get the ball rolling until she steps down at the GE.Remember Nick it is your responsibility to vote in the right person,our's is to vote in the right party and leader!!!
- Tithonus, Athens Greece, 22/06/2009 16:11
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This is the last chance MPs have before the next general election to vote for decency, honesty and integrity and elect a speaker who has not pilfered from the public purse and who has the moral fibre necessary to end once and for all the immoral expenses claims which have dragged this government down into the gutter. Until there is a complete clean-up and transparency they will never regain the respect of the electorate.
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 22/06/2009 09:48
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