It is a commonly accepted fact down here in Dumfropolis that when the traffic lights aren't working, traffic moves smoother and faster, drivers are more cautious and courteous. Most important of all pedestrians and cyclists are treated with respect, as opposed to the usual annoyance from drivers who perceive them as holding up traffic with their crazy road crossing antics.
It occurred to me this morning, whilst chatting to a couple of folk who both commented on how bemused they are with the current traffic jam of our Parliamentary system, that really life can flow along a lot easier without the restrictions of well rewarded politicians telling us when to stop, wait and go.
The giddy excitement of the media feeding frenzy on Messrs Brown, Cameron and Clegg involving talent show style debates entirely empty of content; where the political parties are simply vying for voters attention as personalities, the subsequent apotheosis of Nick Clegg and finally the helicopter TV shots, I've just viewed of politicians walking along a street from one meeting to another whilst the media complain about protesters daring to shout questions at them, or incredibly whine about those protesters with megaphones drowning out the broadcasters, suggests our system is well and utterly fucked.
Obviously there would be incredible benefits to the public purse were we to remove our elected classes. I'd love to know just how much every year of our taxes goes into paying salaries; expenses, allowances, staffing, office rental, stationary, fact finding trips to exotic places, travel, mileage and training. How much does this form of 'democracy' cost us; what's the total for every councillor, MSP, MP, MEP and expenses bloated Lord that we fork out for? Then there's the cost of elections on top of all that...
During the election campaign, the Tartan Overlord spoke about abolishing the House of Lords and saving £100 million a year. Yes each year the upper chamber costs us one-hundred million pounds for the privilege of having The Seven Hundred and Thirty-Six Right Honourable Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. The reality is that Eck was wrong, our renowned economist didn't do his sums correctly, according to Open Europe the actual cost of the House of Lords is One Hundred and Fifty-Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Pounds per annum.
The House of Commons, which with all it's ancillary benefits is by anyone's stretch of the imagination the cushiest of numbers, comes in at an eye-watering Three Hundred and Sixty-Three Million, Nine Hundred Thousand pounds per annum.
Ahh but without elected Councillors, MSP's, MP's, MEP's and Lords our system of parliamentary democracy would come crashing around our ears, there would be anarchy, blood on the streets, financial instability, who would we turn to in times of national crises? I hear you mumble.
Well, would it? Our civil servants despite having to possess the ability to twist and turn at the fickle behest of their political masters, tend to just get on with the job? The country hasn't collapsed, people are getting on with their lives, fewer and fewer of us can be arsed to follow the round the clock coverage in the hope of being the first to announce to the tweeteratti who will be the next Prime Minister.
I'm not suggesting we abandon politics and democracy entirely as we obviously need a check on abuses of the system. Therefore we could limit the scale of representation down to the barest of bones. Let's have elected representatives sit on relevant management and policy committees, where they can put forward the electorates views....
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3 comments:
Nice coincidence, I was mulling this very idea over this morning. Local MPs could be called to parliament only when legislation, proposed by a committee, requires progress.
I suspect the fact that MPs are paid large salaries and are expected to attend, albeit for their odd definition of what constitutes full-time, contributes directly to the vast amounts of unnecessary over regulation and knee jerk law making we have witnessed.
Just saying like - what I mean is I agree.
Hi Ally, we all blindly accept that there has to be cuts across all sectors of public life, yet all the Parliamentary parties who talk about preserving essential services are guilty of suggesting cuts to all but themselves.
We are wildly over-represented. The Houses of Parliament has shown itself to be useless, the days of intelligent reasoned debate are long gone, our parliamentarians are viewed as greedy, venal, corrupt careerists who feed the electorate fear in order to maintain their delightful publicly funded lifestyles.
Oh if only their motivation was entirely based on public-service, motivated by the betterment of society - I know a vain hope in the face of handsome remuneration and a job/pension for life for no minimum qualification.
You are right though, what sacrifices are they willing to make?
I suspect a prolonged period sans government might actually be a good thing - the motivation for Cameron's demands for a conclusion to the Lib Dem's vacillation this morning perchance?
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