Monday, January 16, 2012

Westminster: The mother of modern democracy, yet so unable to do the same to itself.

My title may be a bit obnoxious but my point is simple. It was Westminster through its colonies in the new world that shaped and created what is American Federalism through its local assemblies and autonomy. A system adopted in many countries around the world Germany for example. It is a highly praised system for its ability to separate what are bigger priorities to central (federal) governments while containing the issues that matter to local areas in those local areas.
                 So why is it that Westminster, the mother of all this democratic system, has been unable to enact these sort of reforms onto itself?

England as the main focus here are ruled by two chambers. The House of Commons elected through MPs that represent the people of the country and The House of Lords that has appointed or inherited Lords and Baronesses that are able to enact laws and scrutinise all policy that comes from the commons. So it is and so it has been pretty much since before the act of union more than 300 years ago.

While yes Scotland, Wales and N.Ireland all have local assemblies and parliaments, that is the right way to go but what about the people in England? They are stuck with Westminster a place where MPs from all countries can vote on English only issues when MPs from England cannot touch the local issues from the rest of the UK. Why haven't they been given a parliament? Why is there still a House of Lords when all other western countries no longer have such inherited undemocratic institutions? Polls are showing a massive increase in a demand for an English Parliament even with the major parties brushing it off as nonsense and unneeded.

So what's the solution? All this centuries old discussion on reforming the House of Lords is tedious beyond belief. Maybe just scrap the whole house would work, set up the House of Commons as the UK-wide federal government and give England the parliament it demands. Maybe then in a federal Britain democracy could be restored and people's opinions properly represented as it should be. Then we could say goodbye to the "Problem with the Lords", "The West Lothian Question" or whatever other catchy name people have for this situation, but then again there are those who would ask Do we really want to end up looking exactly like America?

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