Jack Straw defending Westminster old guard

Jack Straw is a one of Westminster's great political survivors.  Part of this, I’m certain is down to the fact that he’s actually rather a polite and decent man.  

He's been in the Cabinet for over a decade, and held many big ministerial jobs.  A feather for each wind that blows, he was Blairite when it paid to be Blairite.  Now he works for Gordon Brown.

Yet he seems to have worked himself up in to an uncharactistic flap this evening over David Cameron's plans to reduce the number of MPs by 10 percent. 

In a speech to the Hansard society, Straw apparently says cutting the number of politicians would be "dangerous, destructive and anti-democratic". 

Tell that to the voters, Jack.

There are too many MPs sitting in a supine, spineless House of Commons.  We need fewer of them. Those that remain should do their job of holding government to account, not sucking up to it.  To ensure that they keep their promises, we need direct democracy, including open primaries and popular initiative. Then, at last, our MPs might be properly accountable to the folk they're supposed to serve.

Establishment figures like Jack Straw might not like it, but it’s time for change in Westminster.

Posted on 9 March 2010 by Douglas Carswell

Comments

The number of politicians isn't the only thing that should be cut. Some evidence that decreasing government benefits everyone:

Rolling Back Government: Lessons from New Zealand

http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis/archive/issue.asp?year=2004&month=04

Posted on 9 March 2010 21:35 by Jakob J

Jack Straw may be a lovely chap, but he has never done a proper job. He went from being a student agitator, straight into national politics, and I doubt that outside politics he could earn a living.

Posted on 9 March 2010 22:33 by eddyh

How can anyone who actively props up and promotes this "dangerous, destructive and anti-democratic" Government be a decent man?

Posted on 9 March 2010 22:58 by Peter Thomas

DC: "he's actually rather a polite and decent man."

Jack Straw is a crypto-communist.

He is not interested in democracy.

Posted on 10 March 2010 00:09 by APL

I forgot Vince Cable as a worthy who had a " real" job working in industry (Shell) as an accountant I think.

Posted on 10 March 2010 09:32 by Glenn

I understand that our present system favours Labour - with a lower share of the vote they could still become the largest party. In today's Telegraph, Straw is quoted as saying any change to that is "outright gerrymandering". I cannot believe the sheer nerve of the guy in describing some move towards a more level playing field as "gerrymandering".
The present system is truly unfair and biassed in favour of Labour - it must be changed to something fairer.

Posted on 10 March 2010 14:49 by John Whitehead

Reduce the number of MP's and you'll also reduce the time they have to deal with individual constituents' problems. That way you'll weaken the link with the electorate still further.

Better surely to retain more or less the same number of MP's but repatriate the powers that have been surrendered to the EU so that they can do a proper job of holding the Executive to account as they did pre-1972.

Posted on 10 March 2010 23:04 by Chris Underhill

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