Tag Archives: direct democracy

Opinion: Overplaying the power of the “people’s petitions”

The e-petition mechanism to allow a new public petition service has gone live and media coverage about its merit and importance has gone mad. Let’s not over-emphasise the significance of this move and let’s not downplay the power of solid, rational argument.

I disagree with Sir George Young: this won’t give the public a megaphone as such and to say that it will is an exaggeration. What it may do is potentially provoke debate on contentious topics for which Parliament at present has neither the political will, nor the time, to dedicate to matters such as capital punishment, abortion, civil liberties …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , and | 5 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • Mike Peters
    @Simon R You make a good point. Police Officers also have rights and it is not appropriate to think that, for example, a female Police Officer could be require...
  • Simon R
    @Simon Mcgrath: You suggest allowing everyone to choose the sex of the police officer who searches them. So, a hot-blooded 20--something-year-old heterosexua...
  • Nonconformistradical
    "Why is it that those who have more than enough seem to believe that they know how to economise far better than those who have no choice?" Perhaps those who ...
  • Alex Macfie
    @Slamdac: To be fair, the OP does suggest fresh legislation to correct the SC judgement. And hardly anyone is talking about the judges being "enemies of the peo...
  • john hall
    Two countries claiming sovereignty over the same state. Could making the whole of Kashmir an independent state with "cantons" reflecting the leanings of the maj...