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Parliament and Democracy

Chapters

  1. Salaries and Taxation
  2. Pensions
  3. Benefits
  4. Health and Care
  5. Education
  6. Housing
  7. Employment
  8. Trades Unions and Labour Laws
  9. Trade and Industry
  10. Transport
  11. Energy
  12. Environment
  13. Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Rural Life
  14. Crime
  15. Legal System
  16. Immigration and Asylum
  17. Local Government
  18. Devolution and Regional Government
  19. Parliament and Democracy
  20. Media
  21. Freedom of Information and Privacy
  22. Northern Ireland
  23. European Union
  24. Foreign Policy
  25. Defence and Disarmament
  26. Conclusions
 Preamble

Chapters

  1. Salaries and Taxation
  2. Pensions
  3. Benefits
  4. Health and Care
  5. Education
  6. Housing
  7. Employment
  8. Trades Unions and Labour Laws
  9. Trade and Industry
  10. Transport
  11. Energy
  12. Environment
  13. Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Rural Life
  14. Crime
  15. Legal System
  16. Immigration and Asylum
  17. Local Government
  18. Devolution and Regional Government
  19. Parliament and Democracy
  20. Media
  21. Freedom of Information and Privacy
  22. Northern Ireland
  23. European Union
  24. Foreign Policy
  25. Defence and Disarmament
  26. Conclusions
Under Mrs Thatcher, we saw the rise of "strong government", with alternative sources of political power abolished (see Local Goverment), the civil service increasingly politicised and even within government power increasingly centralised under the prime minister, whose views were spun for the media by her press secretary. The Commons failed to hold the executive to account, wasting time on soft questions and yah-boo politics, and was increasingly sidelined by off-the-record briefings. Some responsibilities were handed to unelected quangos, and thereafter when policies failed nobody in government felt the need to resign. Relationships with the private sector, including the role of lobbyists, private funding of parties and movements between the two sectors, made many see politics as increasingly "sleazy".
Labour policy was:
1 To use proportional representation (PR) for more elections  
2 To hold a referendum on the introduction of PR for Westminster elections  
3 To replace the House of Lords by an elected chamber  
4 ? to reduce the number of political appointments made by government and their power over civil servants  
5 To restore the neutrality of the civil service  
6 To reform Commons procedures so that it could hold the executive to account  
7 More open government and an end to off-the-record briefings  
8 To end the quango state and restore ministerial accountability  
9 To make parties publish details of their funding and cap election expenditure (?)  
10 To end sleaze, where business could buy favours from government  
11 To stop the "revolving door" transfers of senior personnel between government and big business  
In fact under New Labour:
1 PR was used in many elections, with at least 4 different systems Pledge carried out
2 This was not done and talk of a referendum was for the alternative vote system which is not PR Left as under the Conservatives
3 Most hereditary peers were removed from the Lords, but all other peers were appointed not elected Pledge partially carried out
4 Political appointments increased from 38 to 81, with two having new executive powers to manage civil servants Policy shift to right of old Conservatives
5 Changed rules and guidance encouraged civil servants to work with special advisers in trailing government announcements and to make party political points Policy shift to right of old Conservatives
6 Some archaic practices were ended and late reforms may help reduce the executive's power Left as under the Conservatives
7 The problems of spin and secret briefings were probably even worse Left as under the Conservatives
8 There were even more quangos and ministers still refused to take responsibility for their decisions Policy shift to right of old Conservatives
9 Donations above £5000 were made declarable and a limit (though a high one at £20 million per party) was set on election expenditure Pledge carried out
10 Sleaze stories, of favours for party donors, were common but unprovable Left as under the Conservatives
11 Transfers between government and business seemed to be increasing Left as under the Conservatives
In addition:
Bullet point Centralisation under the prime minister increased with staff at No. 10 controlling government departments and cabinet meetings reduced to short briefings  
Bullet point Membership of select committees remained under the control of the whips  
Bullet point The government allowed its advisers to refuse to appear before select committees but the prime minister did appear before the liaison committee  
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