Political System Not Fit For Purpose

[RJRB 688]

5 hours ago, Dromedary said:

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

 

The trouble is they don't produce anything.

 

I certainly agree that some of it should.

 

Do you mean for the electorate or the MPs?

 

Agreed.

 

A new modern building, yes definitely.

 

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

1) They can only ever represent an area and hopefully a majority view.So I would have thought that it makes little difference if they represented 100,000 or 200,000.

2) I meant productive as in being efficient 

3) I referred to voting by MPs by electronic means rather than trooping out into the lobby and counting the votes.Also allow MPs to vote when unable to attend through illness or absence from the House.

 

[hackey lad 3,980]

4 hours ago, Anna B said:

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.

Stop it . The only time we would see a local MP would be election time , when the faceless individuals would appear 

[Anna B 1,414]

21 minutes ago, hackey lad said:

Stop it . The only time we would see a local MP would be election time , when the faceless individuals would appear 

That's true of the way it is now, but in my new Utopia the candidates for any sort of public office for which we are expected to vote, would have to publish a fully verifiable resume` of previous experience, jobs, background, qualifications, interests  etc, in fact all the things you would expect to find on any application for a job. 

I'd also like to see a return to the hustings where all the candidates have to give their views on different issues of the day. Live, (but It could be recorded and put on local TV.)

 

If we want to get the right people into positions of power we have to give it our attention and put some effort into it. Similarly the candidates shouldn't just be able to coast into position, if they want it they should be prepared to fight for it.

[RollingJ 2,042]

19 minutes ago, Anna B said:

That's true of the way it is now, but in my new Utopia the candidates for any sort of public office for which we are expected to vote, would have to publish a fully verifiable resume` of previous experience, jobs, background, qualifications, interests  etc, in fact all the things you would expect to find on any application for a job. 

I'd also like to see a return to the hustings where all the candidates have to give their views on different issues of the day. Live, (but It could be recorded and put on local TV.)

 

If we want to get the right people into positions of power we have to give it our attention and put some effort into it. Similarly the candidates shouldn't just be able to coast into position, if they want it they should be prepared to fight for it.

So you admit this is an impossibility, then?

[Anna B 1,414]

1 hour ago, RollingJ said:

So you admit this is an impossibility, then?

Nothing is impossible, but if history is anything to go on, it is unlikely.

However no reason to not set our sights high....

[RollingJ 2,042]

1 minute ago, Anna B said:

Nothing is impossible, but if history is anything to go on, it is unlikely.

However no reason to not set our sights high....

Ridiculously high?

[Anna B 1,414]

3 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

Ridiculously high?

No, I don't think so, stranger things have happened...

 

Why should we be expected to vote for people we know nothing about?

That's not democracy.

Edited July 1, 2022 by Anna B

[RollingJ 2,042]

1 minute ago, Anna B said:

No, I don't think so, stranger things have happened...

Pigs have flown?

[Anna B 1,414]

Voting and politics changed to bring about the end of the rotten boroughs.

A new system was built, so it can happen. It still wasn't perfect, but it can be done.

[El Cid 220]

13 hours ago, RJRB said:

 

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

Productivity should be increased .

 

But we still need the staff that MPs employ, they do MPs case work.

Attending functions and speaking on Question Time is optional?

[Dromedary 166]

19 hours ago, RJRB said:

1) They can only ever represent an area and hopefully a majority view.So I would have thought that it makes little difference if they represented 100,000 or 200,000.

Cutting the numbers could also mean a heavier workload for individuals and have a detrimental effect.

 

19 hours ago, RJRB said:

2) I meant productive as in being efficient 

I'm not sure how you could measure efficacy when it come to MPs.

 

19 hours ago, RJRB said:

3) I referred to voting by MPs by electronic means rather than trooping out into the lobby and counting the votes.Also allow MPs to vote when unable to attend through illness or absence from the House.

An electronic system is a good idea but it need to be done in conjunction with modernisation of the whole. If an MP cant attend for whatever reason then I don't think they should be allowed to vote as MPs are also there to debate the merits of what they are voting on as well beforehand.

[Anna B 1,414]

14 minutes ago, Dromedary said:

Cutting the numbers could also mean a heavier workload for individuals and have a detrimental effect.

 

I'm not sure how you could measure efficacy when it come to MPs.

 

An electronic system is a good idea but it need to be done in conjunction with modernisation of the whole. If an MP cant attend for whatever reason then I don't think they should be allowed to vote as MPs are also there to debate the merits of what they are voting on as well beforehand.

I watch a good few televised  debates in the house of commons and am usually appalled at how few MPs attend. The place is usually empty.

 

The fault is that MPs are whipped to vote in accordance with the party, and if the party has a large majority there's no point in attending debates as it's a foregone conclusion.

 

That has to stop. 

I'd like to see every debate attended by all parties and a free vote at the end of it.

 

 

 

Edited July 2, 2022 by Anna B