This is a constitutional crisis. Dave dare not blow it

Anthony Price

Interesting that the BNP should be selected for routine sneering - a sign, perhaps, that they are doing really rather well - that electors rather than the commentariat who fawn on the Lib/Lab/Con trick are prepared to stand up and be counted.

john problem

Best thing to do for we citizens is to demand that we have no parliament for a few months - like Belgium - and see how it goes. Didn't hurt Belgium. A pound to a penny it would be uplifting for our great nation. We could make it longer. Imagine! No government until the next Olympics. All our problems would sort themselves out without the dead hand of our leaders screwing them up further. People would become prosperous and happy again. Millions would be saved on MPs' salaries and allowances and could be spent on better things (anything would be better, when you think about it). We wouldn't have to listen to their ghastly speeches about feeling our pain. Nor marvel at their next pay and allowances increase, while the rest of us shop at Lidl. Everybody would benefit. Let us start a new party - 'Say No to Politicians!'

Jonathan

Fraser, your article ignores a major issue. How can power be devolved from Westminster to the people when Westminster has so little? When 85% of the laws affecting the UK originate directly from Brussels - which in reality means an unelected set of left-leaning anti-British bureaucrats (the EU Commission) - in what sense is Britain still a self-governing sovereign democracy? Why are we surprised that the current generation of politicians are such pygmies - there is comparatively little they can do to affect the way Britain is governed. Our foreign, trade, industrial, agricultural, fisheries, energy, financial, regulatory, environmental and social policies are all dictated by Brussels. Brussels is encroaching on criminal justice, defence and taxation. As a result, none of these areas of policy will be debated at the next election, because no domestic politician can do anything about them. To compound this, the executive has even farmed out swathes of what remained of its executive discretion and administrative power to unelected, invisible quangos (there are hundreds of these). The electorate is pretty rational. Increasing numbers recognize that the identity of the majority party in the Commons matters less and less. The BNP (as Tebbit put it, racist socialists), the SNP, Plaid Cymru and others benefit from the same basic issue, which is that none of the main parties address these fundamental issues of the distribution of political power in modern Britain. The expenses scandal, the low calibre of "careerist" MPs, the rise of minor and extremist parties, the disengagement with conventional politics combined with an explosion of interest in single-interest protest groups all have the same root cause; Westminster has ceased to be the place from which Britain is governed. Leaving the EU - or perhaps better, becoming a semi-detached member who only accepts its rules on a negotiated, voluntary basis - would be a massive undertaking with considerable risks, but is the only way of achieving the "revolution" you seek.

Jim

I suspect that the next election will be less clear cut, as we will probably witness the death of Labour and the birth of the BNP as a replacement socialist party.
But it all depends on when the 1 trillion national debt becomes an issue. When people find they can't afford food, their pension is gone and their house is pretty much worthless, they are more likely to turn to a socialist party.
Cameron may get in next, but he can't rebuild the country, unless he leaves Europe, as he will have little freedom to act.
Is anybody starting a book on if the Windsor's survive this crisis?

Rhoda Klapp

At first I thought Fraser finally shows he gets it. Much wisdom here. But then I noticed in all that stuff about our parliament and our failing constitution, there was nary a mention of the EU. Which pretty much owns us now. The cliched elephant. Not a mention. Care to try it again?

David Short

I think we can now take it that The Spectator will not again declare 'Greed Is Good' as it did a few weeks ago.

David Short

Yes, Anthony Price, I wonder why a party that calls itself the British National Party gets covered in disapproval, whereas another whose name differs only by its first three letters, the Scottish National Party, and which displays great enmity to non-Scottish people, is applauded and is in power?

wonderfulforhisage

FN you write: "In private, David Cameron recognises this problem to a greater extent than he lets on in public."

In one sentence, there is the root problem.

Cameron, and most of the others would rather spin, slither and slide than put their case honestly, lest they frighten the horses. For example their expense system is a function of not having the courage to pay the salary they think they were worth and instead implement a system that makes up the difference with a farcical set of expense rules.

A plague on all their houses.

Now, Boris on the other hand........is in my dreams; and in the Summer of 2007 I had a dream:

http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2007/04/libdems-delay-mayoral-selection.html#c3010807922455342288
comment at 7:16am

Don't forget you read it here first.

WhatDoIKnow

I used to work for a chap whose proud boast was that he would sack two contractors before breakfast. Bit of a joke but couldn't be sure; kept us all honest. Mr Cameron should plan to sack two Tories (I suggest Hogg and Ancram) before dinner today if they don't toe the line. And two Tories every day until they do. Nothing else will do. You Spectator Tories still don't get it. Sleaze is all about the Tories in the voters' minds. Unless Mr Cameron acts the next election will be all about Tory sleaze, privilege, moats, gentlemen's clubs. The Tories are finished if they don't act. Off to work now, for someone else.

David

"I wonder why a party that calls itself the British National Party gets covered in disapproval, whereas another whose name differs only by its first three letters, the Scottish National Party, and which displays great enmity to non-Scottish people, is applauded and is in power?"

Because the former has a platform underpinned by horrendous levels of racism and fascism, while the latter does not.

Quite easy, not to mention reasonable.

David

‘A licence that we never had,’ says a Labour privy councillor, wistfully.

What, with the majority they had? What more did they want, dictatorship?

Scot Richards

We should keep in mind that the concept of 'Democracy' does not incorporate the concept of the 'political party'. Maybe its time to bring back the concept of the 'independent candidate' in a big way.

Major Plonquer

Has anybody asked the BNP what their policy on taxation is? I think you'll find that they are largely to the left of Labour rand - heavens above - even more left than the Liberals. So this is fascism is it?

David

And all this in the face of the worst economic situation since the war. DC is going to have to cut public expenditure (or increase taxes) by nearly £30bn a year every year of the next Parliament. The cuts in the 1980s were largely a matter of propoganda. This will be real and seriously unpopular. I think this article makes an important point: how can any leader impose such radical change when our political class is held in such contempt?

Robert Jago

FN, Jonathan, wonderfulforhisage: absolutely!

The Political Class has hijacked our democracy; we are ruled by a self serving oligarchy. Most of us are effectively disenfranchised and have no means of expression of our democratic will. In consequence, that will is not even known and can be safely ignored. What to do?

The first step is to establish a mechanism, which will allow the democratic will to be collected and set out. The actions of the Political Class can then be measured against the will of the people.

I suggest that a confidential, country-wide, permanent mega-poll be established, perhaps provided as an extra page on one’s internet bank account by the clearing banks – they owe us a favour and are alone in possessing the expertise to run large, confidential databases. The poll would record our opinions on a wide range of policies, as well as which candidates we support. One’s poll opinions would just sit there and can be altered at any time. Every evening, when the banks do the balance, they also total the votes, which are then recorded on a national web site. Using christmas tree structures, the poll would allow opinion on any subject to be as simple or as detailed as the respondent wished. The poll could carry leads to supporting papers, so that opinions can be truly informed. New questions on matters of concern can be suggested by any respondent and the poll added to by a monitoring committee.

It would then be much harder for politicians to ignore the popular will. Such a system would be more flexible and responsive than parties only being bound by pre-election manifestos. Even better, it would facilitate the setting up of recall motions against politicians with delusions of adequacy.

David Short

David, scratch an SNP member or speak loudly with an English accent in Scotland, and you'll find how racist and fascist Scottish nationalists can be.

Simple, really.

The clue is in the party names.

Mr Green

@Major Plonquer...

Fascism is left of Socialism. So the answer to your question is, yes.

TomTom

Banks and MPs - no wonder they have both dipped into the Community Chest and looted the taxpayer. This is more than a constitutional crisis - it is the culmination of a Coup d'Etat against Democracy with the EU, MPs, and the Oligarchs of the Banks creating a society like Putin's Russia

A E ROUT

I have read all the comments posted so far, some I can agree with others I do not.
This Country needs to come out of the EU. we can survive well without being a member.
Germany, france, and others are trying to do what hitler could not do by force of arms.
Mr Cameron if elected as PM should tell the Nation he will bring us out of the EU and put the GREAT BACK into BRITAIN.
We can still be a great NATION when we stand together in adversity.

david Lovibond

As the impact of mass immigration and rapid demographic change has caused swathes of Britain to become a foreign place and resulted in even the idea of England to wither away, ordinary voters have sought a political alternative that would address these heart-breaking issues. The BNP is very far from perfect but it is becoming the home of those who might otherwise despair. Frankly, by casually treating the BNP with such lazy contumely you show contempt for the growing many who support it. How dare you.

Andy

Only UKIP and the BNP have bothered to send us any election literature. I read the BNP leaflet and, as one who is native born English, I fully understand why they are so appealing. I shan't vote for them, but I'd like a mainstream party that would address MY concerns in the real world, rather than those of the luvvies in Westminster village.

Tim

All this routine trashing of the BNP. A racist party? Mr Nelson has it precisely back to front. Just as with the subject of the EU, the country has been subjected to a nation-destroying transformation that it has never given its explicit consent to - naturally. Any attempt to have a thorough and open debate has been stamped on by the three 'cartel' parties and the BBC. You can only cry BNP-wolf so many times to the public.

And as for all these Frazer Nelson articles week-in, week-out: "Dave must do this", "Dave must do that", "Dave and Gove are quietly preparing a revolution in X,Y,Z". Pitiful wishing-on-a-star nonsense.

Herbert Thornton

Since my first attempt seems to have been ignored, I am trying again.

Fraser Nelson says that Dave Cameron "dare not blow it"? Since when did this weak and shallow man "dare" anything?

If he's going to rely on this expenses scandal as the sole reason to vote Tory, then it will show that he dare not oppose political correctness and dare not even act in the interests of his country. It will demonstrate that he prefers instead to ignore the deep resentment that the electorate feel over being denied a promised referendum on Europe and their deeply worries that nothing will be done about the tide of unwanted and dangerous immigration.

Ian

The fact that Cameron has vowed not to introduce PR shows he is stuck in the past. His promised 'reforms' to local government are mere tokenism. Much of the sleaze and corruption begins in local government. If Cameron wants to be truly radical he must reform local government properly and give people back their right to have their own money spent how they want it spent and not spent on things overpaid Town Hall bureaucrats dictate it should be spent. he must also introduce the reforms the Power Commission proposed some time ago.

The alternative is an end to parliamentary democracy. maybe parliament should be replaced in its current form by a Citizen's Parliament - no more political parties, all MPs selected from local communities by random ballot and given a term in office. It works for juries, so it could work for parliament.

Herbert Thornton

Another point that bothers me about Fraser Nelson's piece is the reference to the expenses scandal as a "constitutional crisis". But is it really a constitutional crisis - or is it more a political one?

Surely, the matter of Britain's submission to rule from Europe affects the British Constitution far more? Does it not subordinate Britain so profoundly to government from Europe that the British Constitution almost ceases to mean much? Why is this development - and the British government's refusal to allow a referendum about it - not described by the media as a Constitutional crisis? And why is the apparent acquiescence in it all of David Cameron's Tories not treated as a crisis?

Perhaps the answer is that it will continue to be ignored - unless and until the electorate begin to turn to the BNP.

BTW - "deeply worries" should have read "deeply felt worries".

Rip Her To Shreds

With MP’s snouts so deep in the expenses trough that their tails have gone curly. It’s little surpise they can barely come up for air long enough to oink “…we operated within guidelines”

So in our Spotify playlist this week (following in the fine footsteps of Jarvis Cocker),

“We want to live like Common’s People”

www.riphertoshreds.co.uk/the-beat-goes-on/spotified/the-playlist/

Ian C

"The opportunity facing Mr Cameron is as great as the punishment he faces if he fails"

If the risk reward ratio is as even as this then there is not enough incentive for anyone to get radical.

I believe the ratio is much more favourable for risks to be taken because the rewards are much greater for the country, not just for Cameron. Not to mention his place in history.

It can be done if he can keep his ego under control and do it in 8 years. That means going at it from day 1 and ditching the tactic of 'not frightening the horses' once in government.

Peter

‘A licence that we never had,’ says a Labour privy councillor, wistfully.

That Labour privy councillor is lying. They came into power with a huge majority and the support of the country. They could have done anything. He shouldn't be wistful, he should be ashamed.

Mike Kelly

"They do have in common a binding principle: that power should be in the hands of the many and not the few."
Interesting. How many centralising ministries (and ministers) will be devolved to unitary authorities? How many Quangos abolished?

Martin Denning

Fraser
You are right. This is a constitutional crisis, at it's centre a collapse in morality. It is very serious and I for one am genuinely frightened about what we now face. Someone, and at the moment Cameron seems to be the only realistic option, has to grasp the enormity of the task of leadership. Is he capable?. I hope so for all our sakes.

MikeRN

Make MPs have their main residence in their constituency. Members whose constituencies are within 1.5 hours of London commute like other workers, and pay for it from their generous salaries and other members, who live too far our to commute may pay £50 for B&B accommodation in a member's hostel. I think that would be reasonable. They earn more than others, like nurses.

Jon Livesey

People who talk about devolving power to the voters should be careful what they wish for.

There would be no need to smear the BNP - justly or not - if the great and the good were not frightened out of their wits by what the voters might choose, given a totally free choice.

If you think no-one will vote for a party, there is no need to warn them not to.

I don't support the BNP and would never vote for them, but I have a powerful sense that the three main parties are getting what they have been asking for - for decades.

In a real sense, the prospect of people voting for the BNP is simply an unintended - but predictable - side-effect of denying those same people a meaningful vote on the EU constitution and immigration.

William Cobbett

Toblerones have a triangular cross-section (at least in Switzerland, UK and France) therefore do not come in tubes as such....
More importantly, even the increasingly vocal calls for a recall system will get nowhere without a sound thrashing for establishment parties. I do not see how the Tories can get away from their establishment history, even under Thatcher they were desperately statist almost a la Blair. The Lib Dems and the Greens are almost as totalitarian as the national socialist LP. The BNP is less totalitarian I suspect, and no more racist than the multi-racist LP. But a tactical vote for a fascist party is madness - look what happened to the German conservatives after 1933....
UKIP is more of a party than Libertas and has a strong antiEstablishment resonance, if not more than one targeted message; Farage has handled the party discipline issue in the present crisis in a masterly and masterful manner. (Here in London we have only Euro, no council, elections in June). UKIP it must be, if only this time. They are the best bet this and next month for reducing the size of the state. And they have benefited from the blessing of the most influential Tory (well, jointly with Ken Clarke) Norman Tebbit.
UKIP it must be in June.

Jenny

Fraser, will you stop beating about the bush, please.

I take it you mean an ending of the West Lothian issue? Cam has already said he would pass law so that only English MPs could vote on English law-making. I hope it happens. Then, as you hint at, we could stop worrying about 20,000 swing voters who decide which direction the country goes in.

I don't expect much of Cam but if he does these three things, he'll have done OK:

1) Only English MPs vote on English Acts of Parliament

2) Abolishing the BBC licence fee and making sure that it does not remain as one entitiy. It must be sliced up so that it cannot do a Terminator and put itself back together again. (Channel 4 also to have all public subsidy scrapped).

3) Slash funding for much of the "arts", which aren't so much arts any more as Left-wing propaganda outlets. The Left is terrified of the voice of the individual, which is why it has pumped so much state money into the 'arts'. Let's see what happens when Nanny State doesn't call the tune.

David Short

Ian is right. Our daily lives are dominated and harassed more by Town Hall loonies, activists and fanatics than Westminster or Brussels and its time these overpaid, unelected and unaccountable bureacrats were reigned in.

Sam Jenkins

If the British people think that Westminster MPs fiddling their expenses is such a big scandal, then they really should know that it is but mere small change compared to the millions that they are annually swindled out of by the expenses fiddles that go on in the European Parliament in Brussels.

A. MacAulay

"The first step is to establish a mechanism, which will allow the democratic will to be collected and set out. The actions of the Political Class can then be measured against the will of the people."

Strange as it may sound, the "mechanism" R. Jago yearns for already exists and it is called Parliament. Will Parliament be able to clean up its act? Probably. A bit more faith, Ladies and Gentlemen, the English constitution is older than all of us.

And also let's get it straight, this schlamazel is a leftover from the wretched Blair years. The rot starts at the top and stealing the stamps only becomes wholesale when subordinates see that their leaders leaders are at it.

Tony Gee

Much of our national problems have been caused by the arrogance of the two main parties, who put their importance and control before the needs of the country. Iraq, immigration, EU referendum, Heathrow, massive and until recently concealed state debt are examples. The thought of state funding for these anti democratic organisations with miniscule membership and practices reminiscent of C19 rotten boroughs is horrendous. Maybe the electorate will now vote for the lesser parties and independents in forthcoming elections, we shall see.

Rhys Burriss

The baseline 'primum mobile' of all this is the capture of Parliament by the - 'never worked in a real job' - class - people with degrees in PPE and 'experience' as bag carriers or 'researchers' for Party HQ. This applies to at least half of the present Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet.

The only acceptable reform is for all major parties to hold OPEN PRIMARIES of their members plus any members of the public prepared to sign up as broadly supportive of the party's stated ideals (sic)..

Sitting MPs could compete with other potential candidates in 'Question Time' type debates and see who emerges as the candidate for the party - hopefully persons who have for at least 20 years made a real contribution to society as policemen, shop assistants, doctors, bricklayers: whatever.

The ludicrous business of teenagers and 20-somethings with connections being chosen as candidates must stop.

People who know what the struggle to put bread on the table is really about would be less likely to have the unjustified sense of entitlement which is how this has all arisen.

OPEN PRIMARIES NOW - that's the cry - will the Spectator do something useful by supporting it ?

Duncan

I think you're wrong on a couple of points. This scandal is actually good for democracy but bad for parliament, don't conflate the two. A freedom of information request began all this and the result is our antiquated parliament creaking under the demands of greater democracy. I also think the BNP thing is a bit of a red herring. Of course political parties must be aware of why a tiny number of voters (mostly in protest) might turn to them but protestations are generally an attempt to get out their own vote. You're right that Cameron has an opportunity that he should not miss. New Labour came to power on the back of an attractive radical agenda and Cameron must start thinking of similar grand ideas. But voters know they'll be voting to strangle the minimum wage and cut public spending if they vote Tory. Is Cameron brave enough to break tradition on these issues? Culling a few grandees over expenses would help...

Ray morris

To late now for any mainstream party to do anything about the situation this country is in with regards to addressing imigration,EU control of our lives..not to mention foreign ownership of most of the businesses of this country...so it's over to one of the minor party's to get big enough to state the case and lets get voting for them...because Davey boy ain't going to do it and that's a guarantee.The Tory's have had their MAGGIE and there is not going to be another one.