Campaign Blog

Our supporters have delivered. We’re waiting on the politicians.

Back in July over 2000 of our supporters signed a letter we sent to the Prime Minister asking him to let the voters decide on the future of their of their parliament. We made our case, and now we've got an answer.

http://voteforachange.co.uk/GordonsResponse

Our supporters have got our foot in the door at Downing Street. The PM has pledged to be "closely involved" in talks between the government and the campaign. 

Today the Observer reported this big step for the  campaign. And it's also showing new evidence that voters are prepared to reward the government for it. Polling  is showing that significant numbers of swing voters would back Labour if it offered a referendum.

We're familiar with the picture of self interested politicians. But even if they do the right thing for the wrong reason, it's still the right thing.

Voters have every reason to trust politicians that trust them. And we'd hope that registers with MPs from every party. For or against reform, there's nothing to lose from giving the voters a choice on change. This is the chance to have the debate, and leave the verdict to the voters.

While voters seem willing to reward politicians prepared to give them a real voice, we can also assume they will remember missed opportunities.

In our mind November's Queen's Speech is the government's last chance to show it's commitment to change. The government has the time, and it has a reason to give us a vote. It just needs the will. And that's just the message we intend to take to Westminster.

http://voteforachange.co.uk/GordonsResponse

It’s getting lonely in Westminster’s Ivory Tower

Today some of the UK's foremost political minds have joined the growing chorus calling on the politicians to trust the voters. 

In a letter in the Observer, a group of leading academics has argued that the British people deserve the opportunity to register their views on a political system that has clearly failed the British people.

"We look forward to the opportunity to put the merits of the case for change to the court of public opinion" they write.

The charge of living in an Ivory Tower is often levelled when politicians clash with professors. But today it just seems to be the politicians doling out prescriptions. We've been told the system apparently works for us. We've been told all about Strong Government. We've been told what's best for us, but we've not been credited with an opinion.

The crisis of accountability at Westminster is our business, and politicians are at serious risk of being left behind on this. Give us the chance to choose another kind of politics.

http://voteforachange.co.uk/referendum

And the winner isn’t…

A hallowed institution in crisis. A nation eyes fixed on the TV as the results come in. Worries that voting rules might throw up an unpopular winner.

Sound familiar? Sadly it's not the Palace of Westminster, it's the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, home of the Academy Awards.

Change is coming to Tinsel Town. Under the old winner-take-all rules, as little as 580 of the Academy's 5800 could hand an Oscar to a complete Turkey.

‘Best' film - no mandate required.

The flawed voting we use at General Elections is infamous for excluding such cinematic greats as Alfred Hitchcock, who went to the grave Oscarless. Now Academy president Tom Sherak says he wants to "establish the best picture recipient with the strongest support of a majority of our electorate". And that has meant dumping Westminster-style voting for a ranking system - that aims to produce winners that at least most voters can agree on.

Small comfort for anyone who's seen Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, but progress nonetheless.

They say politics is showbiz for ugly people. But the facts are that the big parties at Westminster have reached just the same conclusions as the Academy. None have deemed First-Past-the-Post ‘appropriate' for their leadership contests.

One set of rules for them, another for the rest of us.

A fair democracy isn't just for blubbing starlets or party hacks. We want the chance to chose another kind of politics. A public with a vote that counts, and MPs we can actually regard as legitimate. 

No offence to Renée Zellweger, but we can't risk the political equivalent of a Chicago win at our next General Election. We need a referendum.

PS: And if all this talk of the movies makes you want to tap your inner Traffaut, then why not enter our viral video competition

The rise and rise of the professional MP

Some claim that the only way we can clean up parliament is to call an immediate election. We've always argued that new faces aren't enough to change the old politics at Westminster - and it seems the boffins at the New Local Government Network have a little research up their sleeves to prove it. 

The NLGN number crunchers have shown that as much as one in four of the candidates at the next election will be a 'career politician'. With our country facing big and difficult choices, only 11.7% per cent of candidates will have any practical grasp of public services, and only a shocking 2.6% in health care.

The expeneses crisis has shown the very worst of the Westminster bubble. Now it seems the solution will come from a new generation with even clearer loyalties - and we don't mean to the voters.  

There will be few Mr Smith's heading to Westminster. Indeed chances are Mr Smith will have racked up a few years in student politics, before making the leap to researcher in Portcullis House, stopping off at a couple of London Thinktanks, before landing a plum job as a Special Advisor. 

The problems at Westminster are too big politics is just too big for any new MP to fix - no matter how good their intentions. The 'closed shop' in Westminster needs opening up. And we can start by getting rid of the safe seats Partys are so eager to dispense to their Young Turks.

It's not what you know, but who you know. So get your friends on the case today

http://voteforachange.co.uk/invite

For sale: British democracy

Yesterday's quarterly political party donations report from the Electoral Commission shows the Tories are continuing to cash in on huge sums from their super-rich backers - over a million pounds just from fat cat financier David Rowland alone. In total, they took in more money than all the other major parties put together, despite getting barely more than a quarter of the votes in the European elections in June.

But the Tories know that under Britain's electoral system they don't need to get most of the votes - and their money means they can pour cash in to the marginal seats where elections are won or lost in unprecedented amounts. First past the post is letting the Tories buy power - with a little help from their rich friends.

That's not real democracy - and it's what's wrong with the system we have now. That's why everyone who cares about fair elections and a fair society should vote for a change - and you should join us today:

http://www.voteforachange.co.uk/referendum

Slack Jack holds back

New Labour has been in power for twelve years - but it could be another twelve before they finally deliver a democratic upper house. That was the message from Justice Secretary Jack Straw at today's Unlock Democracy seminar:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/aug/26/house-lords-reform-jack-straw

But if we have to wait that long for a democratic second chamber, then there is no time to waste in reforming the House of Commons. And time is running short - legislation for a referendum on the voting system on the day of the next general election would need to be announced in this November's Queen's Speech.

We were promised that way back in those heady days of 1997 - but the politicians are only now getting around to removing the hereditary peers, let alone electing any - or reforming the Commons. It's obvious we can't wait on the politicians. They could take another twelve years to even come up with a plan for what to do twelve years after that - if they ever take any action at all.

So don't wait for slack Jack to act - sign up to Vote for a Change here:

http://www.voteforachange.co.uk/referendum

How to clean up Parliament? Double our salary, say MPs!

Hot on the heels of Alan Duncan's complaint that MPs are "treated like ****" and forced to live "on rations" comes the latest solution from a Tory MP to the expenses crisis: double his salary.

Top Tory Sir Patrick Cormack, who only recently stood to be Speaker of the House of Commons, called for MPs' salaries to be doubled in his evidence to an inquiry in to MPs' pay and expenses - prompted by abuse of the existing system. It was Cormack's solution to MPs' breaking the rules on expenses - just get rid of the rules, and pay the money straight in to his bank account!

He was backed up by fellow Tory MP Douglas Hogg, who said: "A parliamentary salary does not support the lifestyle to which most professional and business classes aspire."

Hogg had become infamous in the expense scandal for claiming back the cost of cleaning the moat at his country castle from the taxpayer, and initially refusing to pay back the money.

You can read the press coverage here:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23734168-details/article.do?ito=newsnow&

It would almost be funny if it wasn't so serious. Alan Duncan is the shadow Leader of the House of Commons - someone who is supposed to be in charge of cleaning up Parliament under a Conservative government. Cormack is one of the most senior Tory MPs, one who also aspired to a role overseeing pay and expenses as the Speaker. And Hogg's remarks show that even now, they don't accept they've even done anything wrong.

But there is a solution to cleaning up Parliament. And it isn't doubling their salaries. It's giving us the power to decide who actually gets elected in the first place. It's letting us hold them to account when they're caught cleaning their moat with our money. It's voting for a change.

We clearly can't rely on politicians like Duncan, Cormack or Hogg to make that change for us - so we'll have to make it ourselves. And you can do just that by joining us here:

http://www.voteforachange.co.uk/referendum

(Not quite) the end of Self Regulation

So the Parliamentary Standards Bill has finally gained royal assent.  The era of self regulation is over - or at least that's what Jack Straw's been claiming today.

We've heard the usual guff about ‘decisive action'. But we couldn't agree more with the sentiment. It is vital we restore voters' confidence and restore the reputation of Parliament. Problem is that our MPs, just like the bankers, aren't that prepared to give up self regulation so easily. Not as long as their jobs, (and their safe seats) depend on it.

http://www.voteforachange.co.uk/referendum

Being a Member of Parliament is one of the only jobs we've heard of where the recruitment process is dictated by the candidates. Common sense dictates that this cosy set of rules change. A new voting system could draw a line under the complacency at Westminster - and that's precisely what we really need if parliamentary ‘standards' really are to be improved.

After all that's happened this summer we need to know that our employees in parliament - and MPs out there would be wise to remember who's in charge - can be hired and fired on terms that suit us, the British voting public. That's simply can't happen under First-Past-the-Post.

If Straw is serious about restoring confidence, he'll give the public a say in a referendum on a new voting system.

http://www.voteforachange.co.uk/referendum

Now St Albans Tories prove us right…

Hot on the heels of Alan Duncan, it was the turn last night of Conservatives in St Albans to make our case for change for us. St Albans Conservative Association last night failed to de-select their MP Anne Main, who was implicated in the expenses scandal. Barely over a hundred people, all die-hard Conservative supporters, got to make the decision.

Main was only elected with just over a third of the votes cast at the last election - but still won because of Britain's outdated electoral system. At the next election, Main is likely to be safe again even though most of St Albans' voters reject her. David Cameron claimed that holding one open primary meant the Tories were opening up choice to the whole electorate - but last night the truth was painfully obvious.

We need real accountability for our representatives - nothing else will restore our faith in democracy. We need to make the choice, not a closed room of Conservatives - that's why we need a referendum on change.

Let's send the politicians that message loud and clear - add your voice to our call:

http://www.voteforachange.co.uk/referendum

Alan Duncan shows just why we need change

Multi-millionaire Tory MP Alan Duncan got caught out today complaining that MPs were "treated like ****" and forced to "live on rations" after the recent crackdown on fraudulent expense claims. Duncan had claimed thousands of pounds for gardening in his country estate, including hundreds on a ride-on lawnmower, which he has now had to re-pay. Duncan had previously resigned as a minister in John Major's government after being caught fiddling the "right to buy" system to double the size of his Westminster home.

As the Conservatives' Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, Duncan would be in charge of reforming the House of Commons in a Conservative government, and is meant to be leading for the opposition on cleaning politics up. Unfortunately, he seems to be more a symptom of the problem than a part of the solution.

You can read some of the media coverage on Duncan's outburst here:

http://bit.ly/1KKvAY

We need a political system that provides Alan Duncan's constituents with a way to hold him accountable. But Rutland and Melton is a "safe" Tory seat - even though Duncan barely scraped a majority of the actual votes last time round, there is little prospect that people will be able to kick him out this time.

Duncan may oppose all the reforms we need to hold our politicians to account - but he also shows exactly why that is the change we need.

But working together, we can still win. Sign up to our campaign - because Alan Duncan would rather you didn't:

http://www.voteforachange.co.uk/referendum