Revolting SW1

When an opposition spokesman, Damian Green, exposed the government's incompetence over immigration, he was arrested.  If ever Parliamentary privilege, as set out in the 1689 Bill of Rights should apply, surely it ought to have protected Green from an overbearing, bullying executive?

As we all know, those running our rotten, indolent Commons lacked the character to ensure that members of the legislature could do their job unhindered. 

Now we see Parliamentary privilege apparently invoked by MPs seeking immunity from corruption charges.

It is not just the government we need to change. We must transform the way we are governed.

The need to make government accountable to Parliament, and Parliament answer to the people, has become urgent ….. 

Posted on 8 February 2010 by Douglas Carswell

Comments

Has Mr Cameron opened the way for your "In or Out?" bill to be debated?
http://waugh.standard.co.uk/2010/02/petition-power.html

Posted on 8 February 2010 13:08 by Bob

One of the worrying things about news reporting on this issue is that the general public are not being told the truth about the Bill of Rights.

Media commentators are describing it as an ancient law - in terms that are deliberately derogatory towards it.

While there is the point in the Bill of Rights about parliamentary privilege - there to protect MPs from an overbearing Monarch - a lot of it is useful to the public.

Now, the Bill of Rights actually renders the signing of the Lisbon Treaty null and void. If only people in politics would read the damn thing and then take Gordon Brown and David Miliband to court.

Further, the Bill of Rights is one of a number of documents that form our written constitution.

And the Bill of Rights made a statute of what was agreed in the Declaration of Rights - an agreement between all three Estates of the nation - Monarch, Lords and Commoners and therefore carrying supremacy above anything any politician has a right to enact.

As all politicians surely know but they try to mislead the public over, we do have a written constitution - it's simply written across half a dozen documents.

Those MPs who care about democracy and civil liberties should sit down with advisers and start making more use of our Constitutional documents.

It is why our wiser ancestors bequeathed them to our once great nation - to protect us from bad Governments and corrupt authority.

The New Labour Government has broken many laws from our Constitution - especially with regard to civil liberties.

And all spot-fines are illegal under the said same document. It's explicit about that in the Bill of Rights. No trial, no fine. It's there in black and white. Can't do it.

And then we have the Treason laws.

Did you know it is a common law offence not to report the high crime of treason to the authorities?

The common law offence of misprision carries heavy penalties.

And many British patriots might decide to charge those guilty of treason *and* misprision when we get our national sovereignty back after this current ineffective, rotten and corrupt Parliament gave away that which had no right to give away.

Posted on 8 February 2010 13:40 by Eric Arthur Blair Got Googled

This seems to be a theme in the mindset of some MPs. Help to turn the UK into a camera controlled open prison while claiming immunity for themselves when charged with common theft.

Posted on 9 February 2010 08:42 by Glenn

What's the chance of one of Brown's rivals deciding to "bump him off"?
As long as it is done within the House, he (or she) is quite safe!

Posted on 9 February 2010 09:25 by English Pensioner

Eric Arthur: "The New Labour Government has broken many laws from our Constitution - especially with regard to civil liberties."

Yes. Odd don't you think the new supreme court (that isn't really supreme)?

Posted on 9 February 2010 12:24 by APL

The need to make government accountable to Parliament, and Parliament answer to the people, has become urgent ...
Posted on 8 February 2010 by Douglas Carswell

I have a struggle understanding the arrogant thought processes of MPs who appear to think they are a separate and elite species living in a totally different world to the rest of us. My wife and I are OAPs in expensive private rented accommodation due to lack of the suitable council housing for which we qualify, trying our best to exist on a means-tested income. Should we dare to not declare any changes to our income we face what is to us a large fine. The result would be similar if we failed to pay our TV licence or our road tax, and yet MPs who have blatantly abused their access to tax-payers money are trying to convince us all that parliamentary privilege means that they are permitted to avoid prosecution. Can these be the same people we all elected to govern the UK, to handle public finances, and to decide if or when we go to fight in other nations' wars. I think that disenchantment with the world of British politics is a gross understatement of the voters' feelings of disappointment.

David Brittain
22 Thorns Way
Walton on the Naze
Essex CO148SB

Posted on 9 February 2010 14:33 by DAVID BRITTAIN

I wonder if the "Three little pigs" are dragging in the BoR as a preamble to getting an excuse to have it abrogated.

Neatly it will remove the limitation on MPs not to hand over sovereignty to foreign powers and the inability for a Parliament to bind its successors. Two awkward little facets standing in the way of the dismantling of this Nation State.

Posted on 9 February 2010 16:01 by Roger Thornhill

Issues

1. I would like to vote for a representative for me in Parliament. I don't want to vote for a local one, who in my case is Lib-Dem and doesn't represent my views

2. I don't want to vote for a package (manifesto). Why should I compromise?

3. If my MP goes on the pork, I can't get him out until an election.

4. If he's on the pork in a safe seat, all he has to do is convince his mates at the local party level, and then there is a real problem. I have to vote for someone who doesn't represent my views in order to get rid of a thief.

5. Parties don't do what they say in a manifesto.

6. Parties do things they don't tell you about.

7. | can't get rid of lame duck parliament.

8. I can't vote on an issue. That's for the Lords and masters only

9. MPs are whipped. If I offer cash or a better job, or the sack for changes in legistlation, its illegal. Why not for the whips?

10. MP selection is a small cabal.

11. Localism doesn't work if you end up with Derreck Hatton or Ken Livingston. ie. They will screw a small section to get the cash or leave a mess for others to clear up.

The solutions are simple.

1. Right of recall.
2. Open primaries.
3. Referenda by proxy. You nominate an MP to vote for you. At least one MP will set up a website where you can cast your vote directly and they will vote accordingly.
4. The proxy doesn't have to be your local MP.

Nick

Posted on 9 February 2010 20:43 by Nick

We all know what the problem is. But will Cameron give us the solution?

He'll need to show he's grown a pair before I'll believe that he'll do much to upset the status quo.

Posted on 10 February 2010 15:51 by JohnRS

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