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This from Maggie Nelmes, Ventnor. Ed
On Tuesday 10th May, the Queen will be in Parliament delivering this year’s Queen’s Speech, announcing the Government’s priorities.
I believe that plans to improve our democracy should be at the heart of that speech.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, following Putin’s takeover of the Russian media, judiciary and oil wealth to claim absolute power, has highlighted the vulnerability of democracy, in Europe and around the world. In response to this, our government should take steps to strengthen and modernise our democracy to protect us from dictatorship.
A fairer voting system
Measures that would help include a fair voting system in which every vote counts, and one that ensures no party can achieve absolute power on the basis of a minority of the votes.
Our first-past-the-post system is blatantly unfair, leading to low turnout at elections, many people feeling disenfranchised, and having to turn to street protests to voice their grievances.
To help heal the deep divisions in our society, we need a proportional representation (PR) voting system, which most democracies have long used
Greater transparency and accountability
We also need greater transparency and accountability of our elected representatives.
MPs should not be allowed to spend more than perhaps 15 hours a week doing a second job. Nor should they be paid to represent corporate interests in parliament.
A written constitution
We need a written constitution. The UK is one of very few democracies not to have one, its uncodified constitution having largely developed out of historic English law: Magna Carta 1215, the English Bill of Rights 1689, and the Acts of Union 1707. This leaves loopholes for unscrupulous governments.
The absence of a written constitution caused major constitutional argument over Brexit about what a government can do without parliament’s consent. Could the referendum result alone be used to trigger Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon? To contravene the results of a referendum would have triggered a constitutional crisis.
Begin the process of restoring trust
With trust in politicians at an all-time low, this Queen’s Speech needs concrete action to begin the process of restoring trust.
I hope that Bob Seely MP and all political parties on the Isle of Wight will support these calls for change made by Unlock Democracy, Good Law Project, Electoral Reform Society, Make Votes Matter and other campaign groups.
