Comments on: The Independent View: Restore trust to reform democracy http://www.libdemvoice.org/the-independent-view-restore-trust-to-reform-democracy-15350.html Our place to talk - an independent website for supporters of the Liberal Democrat party in the UK. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:55:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: David Allen http://www.libdemvoice.org/the-independent-view-restore-trust-to-reform-democracy-15350.html#comment-92820 David Allen Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:53:32 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=15350#comment-92820 Good posting. The public is not looking for politicians on the make. Lib Dems pushing PR are, I'm afraid, politicians on the make (even though they do of course have good as well as bad motives). Trust must come first. If we can't regain trust, we won't gain anything else! Good posting. The public is not looking for politicians on the make. Lib Dems pushing PR are, I’m afraid, politicians on the make (even though they do of course have good as well as bad motives).

Trust must come first. If we can’t regain trust, we won’t gain anything else!

]]> By: Teek http://www.libdemvoice.org/the-independent-view-restore-trust-to-reform-democracy-15350.html#comment-92773 Teek Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:15:37 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=15350#comment-92773 Agree with James - the result of electoral reform would be system less prone to the recently exposed excesses by doing away with safe seats. Writing about the English revolution of 1688 and subsequent schools of political philosophy, Harold Laski writes that politicians of the time were called upon to "to explain, as much as to carry on, the government of the Crown." Rick, you say that "We need to ask ourselves why we need politics and politicians and strengthen those aspects of our political system that are plainly in the public interest." Spot on, which is why debating the format of our whole political settlement is crucial. We've effectively inherited an 18th century model of government which is outmoded. By making Parliament more representative of the electorate, by embracing transparency and rejecting fusty traditions in favour of effective government, by devolving real decision-making power to local authorities - this is how trust can be restored. Agree with James – the result of electoral reform would be system less prone to the recently exposed excesses by doing away with safe seats.

Writing about the English revolution of 1688 and subsequent schools of political philosophy, Harold Laski writes that politicians of the time were called upon to “to explain, as much as to carry on, the government of the Crown.” Rick, you say that “We need to ask ourselves why we need politics and politicians and strengthen those aspects of our political system that are plainly in the public interest.” Spot on, which is why debating the format of our whole political settlement is crucial. We’ve effectively inherited an 18th century model of government which is outmoded. By making Parliament more representative of the electorate, by embracing transparency and rejecting fusty traditions in favour of effective government, by devolving real decision-making power to local authorities – this is how trust can be restored.

]]> By: Vincent http://www.libdemvoice.org/the-independent-view-restore-trust-to-reform-democracy-15350.html#comment-92771 Vincent Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:06:29 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=15350#comment-92771 Our Political system has collapsed because we have lost our respect of God, and because we have lost our respect of God, we have lost our respect of sin. The Mother of all Parliaments has chipped away at the solid Christian foundations and we are left sitting in the sand. Our Political system has collapsed because we have lost our respect of God, and because we have lost our respect of God, we have lost our respect of sin.

The Mother of all Parliaments has chipped away at the solid Christian foundations and we are left sitting in the sand.

]]> By: James Graham http://www.libdemvoice.org/the-independent-view-restore-trust-to-reform-democracy-15350.html#comment-92769 James Graham Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:55:50 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=15350#comment-92769 Electoral reform certainly wouldn't increase trust in politicians - what it would to is enable us to kick out the bad ones more easily. It would also end the concept of the 'safe seat' - thus reducing the incentive for MPs to be complacent. It can't do anything about cynicism or human nature (either the politicians' or the electorate's) though. Electoral reform certainly wouldn’t increase trust in politicians – what it would to is enable us to kick out the bad ones more easily. It would also end the concept of the ‘safe seat’ – thus reducing the incentive for MPs to be complacent.

It can’t do anything about cynicism or human nature (either the politicians’ or the electorate’s) though.

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