Political System Not Fit For Purpose

[RJRB 688]

Firstly I do not subscribe to the belief that all politicians are useless or in it for their own ends.

This applies to a few but many have beliefs and the desire to be a force for good.

However if Parliament was a business it would have gone under years ago.

Firstly there are too many MPs.The numbers should be cut by at least a third .

Productivity should be increased .

Much of the tradition should be consigned to history.

Votes should be conducted using modern technology.

If a politician  tells a lie he should be called out as a liar.

We should have a new Parliament building designed to cater for the reduced number of MPs and their staff.

Yes this is just a rant because I am sick of the weekly drama of PMQs ,and the frequent diversions resulting from stupid actions of political figures.

There seems to be ever more social issues to be solved and very little being achieved.

 

 

[HeHasRisen 3,377]

If they cut MPs by a third then each will be looking after significantly more people.

 

Germany has 736 for example for 83m people. Not much different to 650 for 67m people tbh, so its hardly an outlier.

 

Agree about the building though, the Houses of Parliament are creaking at the seams.  Dont agree about PMQs though, events like this are needed for accountability.

Edited July 1, 2022 by HeHasRisen

[Guest sibon]

2 minutes ago, RJRB said:

Firstly I do not subscribe to the belief that all politicians are useless or in it for their own ends.

This applies to a few but many have beliefs and the desire to be a force for good.

However if Parliament was a business it would have gone under years ago.

Firstly there are too many MPs.The numbers should be cut by at least a third .

Productivity should be increased .

Much of the tradition should be consigned to history.

Votes should be conducted using modern technology.

If a politician  tells a lie he should be called out as a liar.

We should have a new Parliament building designed to cater for the reduced number of MPs and their staff.

Yes this is just a rant because I am sick of the weekly drama of PMQs ,and the frequent diversions resulting from stupid actions of political figures.

There seems to be ever more social issues to be solved and very little being achieved.

 

 

We also need modernisation of the role of MPs. To begin with, they need to be employed properly by the state. Then we could have proper admin and HR facilities from them, which would reduce the bullying and expenses controversies.

 

I’d also like them to spend more time in their constituencies, doing stuff for local people. Parliament would work just fine if it was open for say three days a week for 45 weeks a year.

 

And we ungently need a cross party, long term approach to health provision, as well as food and energy security.

 

 

[Anna B 1,401]

14 minutes ago, RJRB said:

Firstly I do not subscribe to the belief that all politicians are useless or in it for their own ends.

This applies to a few but many have beliefs and the desire to be a force for good.

However if Parliament was a business it would have gone under years ago.

Firstly there are too many MPs.The numbers should be cut by at least a third .

Productivity should be increased .

Much of the tradition should be consigned to history.

Votes should be conducted using modern technology.

If a politician  tells a lie he should be called out as a liar.

We should have a new Parliament building designed to cater for the reduced number of MPs and their staff.

Yes this is just a rant because I am sick of the weekly drama of PMQs ,and the frequent diversions resulting from stupid actions of political figures.

There seems to be ever more social issues to be solved and very little being achieved.

 

 

Couldn't agree more. In fact I've been saying much the same thing for ages,

Turn the building into the museum it is, and let's have a state of the art building with up to date technology that is a proper place of work and can function in the modern world.

Let's reform the upper echelons of the Civil Service too.

 

 

7 minutes ago, sibon said:

We also need modernisation of the role of MPs. To begin with, they need to be employed properly by the state. Then we could have proper admin and HR facilities from them, which would reduce the bullying and expenses controversies.

 

I’d also like them to spend more time in their constituencies, doing stuff for local people. Parliament would work just fine if it was open for say three days a week for 45 weeks a year.

 

And we ungently need a cross party, long term approach to health provision, as well as food and energy security.

 

 

Also agree with this, especially the last sentence.

We need more cooperation in parliament and less confrontation.

 

Edited July 1, 2022 by Anna B

[hackey lad 3,950]

20 minutes ago, sibon said:

We also need modernisation of the role of MPs. To begin with, they need to be employed properly by the state. Then we could have proper admin and HR facilities from them, which would reduce the bullying and expenses controversies.

 

I’d also like them to spend more time in their constituencies, doing stuff for local people. Parliament would work just fine if it was open for say three days a week for 45 weeks a year.

 

And we ungently need a cross party, long term approach to health provision, as well as food and energy security.

 

 

“ more time in their constituencies “ . The MP round these parts does a 1 hour surgery, once a month 

[melthebell 862]

17 minutes ago, hackey lad said:

“ more time in their constituencies “ . The MP round these parts does a 1 hour surgery, once a month 

A front bench labour MP has just resigned so he can spend more time doing this from the back benches

[crookesey 632]

If the political parties had supporters that didn’t resemble those of football clubs it would be a step in the right direction.

[butlers 259]

Been kicked I to the grass but the Houses of Parliament are in terrible shape with likely a £1 billion needed to refurb it.

There was talk of them sitting elsewhere so the work could be done in the most economical way 

Andy Burnham the mayor of the Manchester region was touting a move to proportional representation the other day which would give us all a government that is more in line with the voters rather than the system we have now

 

 

 

[Dromedary 166]

2 hours ago, RJRB said:

....

Firstly there are too many MPs.The numbers should be cut by at least a third .

I don't agree with that as we have a representative democracy so we need lots. 

 

2 hours ago, RJRB said:

Productivity should be increased .

The trouble is they don't produce anything.

 

2 hours ago, RJRB said:

Much of the tradition should be consigned to history.

I certainly agree that some of it should.

 

2 hours ago, RJRB said:

Votes should be conducted using modern technology.

Do you mean for the electorate or the MPs?

 

2 hours ago, RJRB said:

If a politician  tells a lie he should be called out as a liar.

Agreed.

 

2 hours ago, RJRB said:

We should have a new Parliament building designed to cater for the reduced number of MPs and their staff.

A new modern building, yes definitely.

 

2 hours ago, RJRB said:

Yes this is just a rant because I am sick of the weekly drama of PMQs ,and the frequent diversions resulting from stupid actions of political figures.

There seems to be ever more social issues to be solved and very little being achieved.

Not sure if doing any of the above would solve that though.

[Dromedary 166]

2 hours ago, sibon said:

We also need modernisation of the role of MPs. To begin with, they need to be employed properly by the state. Then we could have proper admin and HR facilities from them, which would reduce the bullying and expenses controversies.

I couldn't agree more, that way they could also be banned from having other secondary jobs to juggle with.

 

2 hours ago, sibon said:

I’d also like them to spend more time in their constituencies, doing stuff for local people. Parliament would work just fine if it was open for say three days a week for 45 weeks a year.

Not sure if they need to spend anytime at all in the constituencies other than when they stand for election. Modernising the system should take care of the constituents needs as just because they may be available on a personal constituent level does not make it better. That way it would also save on expenses, having to claim for another home etc.

 

2 hours ago, sibon said:

And we ungently need a cross party, long term approach to health provision, as well as food and energy security.

With health provision I believe that is already dealt with by parliament as the health trusts report directly to them. Food and energy security is now a resurfaced buzzword (rightly so) since the Russia/Ukraine war. Unfortunately globalisation and also past EU policies on food did not encourage individual countries to plan for food security only cheap and plentiful food coming in from everywhere around the planet to meet demand. I think we, the UK, are getting better at energy production and security but plenty is still needed to be done. 

[melthebell 862]

3 hours ago, Dromedary said:

 

The trouble is they don't produce anything.

Exactly, aren't they meant to produce change?

Produce results for their constituents?

Edited July 1, 2022 by melthebell

[Anna B 1,401]

Face to face surgeries could largely be done over the phone. If it's good enough for doctors (IMO it's not, as GPs need to see the actual patient  in many instances,)) then the MPs could certainly do it the same way. I don't particularly like it, but in this instance it might help them engage with more constituents.