What do you think is the single most important reform to our system of parliamentary democracy that would restore the confidence of the public in it?

(by Geoff Seeff <geoffseeff@cix.co.uk> on 25th October 2009)

This is the question posed by the new campaign group Power2010, which has been established by leading politicians and thinkers concerned about the disrepute into which both national and local government has fallen in recent years. It is funded by the Joseph Rowntree reform trust and more details about it can be found on the campaign's website www.power2010.org.uk.

Of course in order to make decisions which meet the needs of both majorities and monorities without polarising society, we need to root and branch reform of everything to do with with our electoral system and the process of governance in the UK. However, my answer to the specific question was as follows:-

Every individual holding an elected office in local regional and national government should provide an annual statement addressed to all their constituents, to be published on a website, in an official journal or made available in print on request (at cost) describing in a prescribed format their political activities, their achievements and their financial and other benefits arising from the position. The statement should be independently "audited" to confirm that the facts reported are supported by evidence.

As a Liberal Democrat and the prospective parliamentary candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green this is one of many reforms of our electoral system and practice of democracy that I would like to see introduced. This particular idea, which is not party policy (although not out of keeping with it) is one which would certainly concentrate minds and should help eradicate some of the more common abuses of power - including the neglect of the duties for which the election was held - which occur when there is no formal accountability. As regards national government, this requirement would go hand in hand with proposals for fixed term parliaments and the ability of constituents to recall MPs between elections if there is a case to do so ie accountability (loose as it is) every five years is not accountability at all.

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