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Brown’s Plans Lack a Sense of Reality
By Andy | June 1, 2009
Thankfully Gordon Brown has ended his period of silence with two major media appearances, on the Andrew Mar Show and on the Today Programme (here the interview here).
There is something in his idea for a National Council for Democratic Renewal but somehow this seems to me to not be deliverable within his chosen time period.
And while democratic renewal is right, does this really deal with the problems of our political culture that has led to the current crisis?
Gordon has finally broken his silence with two high profile interviews with Andrew Mar and the Today programme. Both of these made much of his idea for a National Council for Democratic Renewal. This may or may not deal with the many problems that we are working through at the moment, but do they really of immediate impact? By midday Brown’s ideas had been relegated off the front page of the BBC’s News website. This big idea may be right but as it stands at the moment it has little impact.
Brown’s tactics seem to me to be — once again — poor and mistimed. It is his view that it should be this Parliament that sorts out the current mess. While I said last week that constitutional reform is the preserve of government I really don’t think that a quick fox is the right thing and, even if it was, I don’t believe that such an exercise could be undertaken before the date of the next General Election.
A Thorough Job
A National Council of Democratic Renewal may well be a good idea. Such an initiative cannot simply be the solve preserve of Parliamentarians and it should involve external experts in both politics and constitution. But such a programme needs to be accompanied by thorough public debate. The public will need to be able to make submissions, debate the issues and then be able to respond to the ideas that are being developed through the programme.
Such an exercise could be a radically new way of engaging people. Perhaps, there is room for referenda on voting mechanisms and so on.
But there is no way that such an exercise can be properly commissioned and undertaken before the next general election.
Sticking to such a timetable will inevitably lead to a botched initiative and one which feels that it is the preserve of the political elite rather than the preserve of the public.
Political Consensus
Such an initiative also needs to be clearly above party politics but I can’t see how this is possible as we are now right in the middle of the campaign for the next election.
In an ideal world the PM needs to develop the scope for such an initiative with the other leaders. They should agree on the structure and methodology for such a debate, agree the right level of resources to make it work properly and then commit themselves to working with whatever comes out of the process.
We are too close to an election. Unless the plans are so exciting and radical there is no way that the opposition parties will play ball. They will pick through the plans and ridicule them. And they will succeed because of the time scale involved.
Brown simply does not have the standing and stature to call their bluff and to ensure that the others cannot afford not to embrace the project positively. Maybe the time to have done this was when he became leader, but I fear that the only way you can do this kind of thing is with a proper electoral mandate.
Manifesto Plans
Brown would be better advised to present his ideas over the next few months, to acknowledge the time scales needed to carry them through properly and then challenge the others to also back a process that is thorough, open and properly participative.
One re-elected the Government would have an overwhelming mandate to push on and the opposition parties would have little option but to play ball. We saw exactly this kind of movement with Scottish Devolution when the Tories simply had to accept the result of well thought out plans.
Of course, Labour was always going to win in ‘97. Things are not so clear now. But if Labour is to loose the next election it can use these properly thought out plans to hound a Tory government if they try and wiggle out of commitments. But before then it is possible that a brave and imaginative commitment in an early manifesto might just force the other parties to join in.
Constitutional Change — Because it is right
Voters will see through any attempt to drive through such plans for quick, political gain. You consider constitutional reform because it is the right thing to do rather than the thing that might gain you a few quick votes.
Too Many Questions
Let’s do this properly. And Brown must stop this tactic of saying that he has always wanted these changes for years (mirroring his claims about the regulation of the international financial markets). He is PM. He could have done something about them already. Best to be honest and look to do something properly.
Back to the Party
While we are waiting for the next election there is still much to do in sorting out our Party and its own dodgy culture. Brown’s campaign chiefs would be wise to remember that we are in this mess not because of a constitutional crisis but because of the way in which an inadequate Parliamentary system has been abused.
But I end with a look back at today’s BBC News site. Brown’s initiative is now one menu down, knocked off by revelations that Darling has had to come forward and offer to pay back £700 of expenses.
Now it is not the time for half baked ideas. Let’s do something properly, something that can stand the test of time and provide us with a real legacy — whether we win the next election or not.
Topics: Westminster Village |
