Ideas: Full devolution

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Ideas: Full devolution

01.12.2009 // by Guest

This idea comes from Nick in London:

What's the big idea?:

Power should be completely devolved to the respective parliaments in the United Kingdom. A referendum should be taken on independence from England. All non-English MPs should be removed from England's parliament which would remain in the same place. The numbers of sitting MPs should be slashed so that smaller counties have only one and larger metropolitan counties up to 3. European Parliament elections would supercede national elections, but coincide to ensure consistency and English MPs would be answerable to their European counterparts.

London assembly members would also be members of Parliament responsible both to the country and to the city.

Each major borough council and county council would have its own directly elected executive mayor. The numbers of councillors would be halved in each ward as there are currently.

A form of Proportional Representation would exist and the Government would be mandated to consult the public through referenda on key issues such as joining the euro, further expansion east and south, energy and nuclear development and further European treaties, and the future of our banking system.

Why is this change important to you?:

We are over democratised in this country: too many councillors, MPs, assembly members and public sector sector/local officials generally. The state needs to tighten its belt considerably and a vast aparatchik is not helping. Furthermore, an having worked as an outside contractor within both Government departments and local authorities, it is plain to see that civil servants and officials tell the politicians what to do and not the other way around. Ultimately the voters are short changed. Many civil servants I have met in the past have little regard for the electorate!