Letter – Published London Times – Tuesday October 6th 2009

Electoral Reform Vote

It is hard to see in the Party Conferences so far any evidence that Party Politicians have remotely registered the depth of contempt and anger generated by their cynical, wholesale abuse of their expenses. After much hand-wringing and a few pathetic ‘sorrys’, it seems it’s business as usual – trust us, listen to our grandiose personal visions for the future, and judge us on our intentions and promises – not on outcomes, on delivery. The complacent effrontery of this attitude borders on contempt.

The next Election must constitute a re-assertion of the implied social contract between politicians and the people. We need a fundamental change in a system of conferring power to govern which has been discredited beyond repair by those privileged to benefit from it hitherto. And ‘promises’ of a referendum won’t do – they have been reneged upon before.

We need a change for which the present system offers us no means to vote. And those empowered under our present system will not change it. Turkey’s don’t vote for Christmas. Every ballot paper in the next election should include a binding referendum vote – “do you want an immediate referendum on electoral reform, with options to be defined by the Electoral Reform Society?”

Zettel

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