Labour Policy Watch: Parliament and Democracy

Home About Contact
Parliament and Democracy
Chapters Salaries and Taxation Pensions Benefits Health and Care Education Housing Employment Trades Unions and Labour Laws Trade and Industry Transport Energy Environment Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Rural Life Crime Legal System Immigration and Asylum Local Government Devolution and Regional Government Parliament and Democracy Media Freedom of Information and Privacy Northern Ireland European Union Foreign Policy Defence and Disarmament Conclusions	Preamble		Chapters Salaries and Taxation Pensions Benefits Health and Care Education Housing Employment Trades Unions and Labour Laws Trade and Industry Transport Energy Environment Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Rural Life Crime Legal System Immigration and Asylum Local Government Devolution and Regional Government Parliament and Democracy Media Freedom of Information and Privacy Northern Ireland European Union Foreign Policy Defence and Disarmament 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 is used in many elections, with at least 4 different systems
	2	There is still no firm promise of a referendum on PR for Westminster
	3	Most hereditary peers have been removed from the Lords, but a future upper house is likely to contain many appointees
	4	Political appointments have increased from 38 to 81, with two having new executive powers to manage civil servants
	5	Changed rules and guidance encourage civil servants to work with special advisers in trailing government announcements and to make party political points
	6	The same problems still prevent the Commons holding the executive to account, despite the ending of some archaic practices
	7	The problems of spin and secret briefings are probably even worse
	8	There are even more quangos and ministers still refuse to take responsibility for their decisions
	9	Donations above £5000 are now declared and there is a limit (though a high one at £20 million per party) on election expenditure
	10	Sleaze stories, of favours for party donors, are common but unprovable
	11	Transfers between government and business seem to be increasing
	In addition:
		Centralisation under the prime minister has increased with staff at No. 10 controlling government departments and cabinet meetings reduced to short briefings
		Membership of select committees remains under the control of the whips
		The government allows its advisers to refuse to appear before select committees but Tony Blair does appear before the liaison committee
Home About Contact

Chapters

Chapters