Unlock Democracy: The MP

Unlock Democracy: The MP’s expenses scandal – a perfect storm for democratic renewal

Unlock Democracy: The MP’s expenses scandal – a perfect storm for democratic renewal

Dear supporter,

In the concluding chapter of Unlocking Democracy: 20 Years of Charter 88, I predicted that the UK would shortly find itself in a ‘perfect constitutional storm.’ Citing six catalysts – the confusion over human rights and the rule of law, the unprecedented growth of the ‘database state’, devolution and the pressure for greater decentralisation in England, the European Union and globalisation and questions about the eventual succession of Queen Elizabeth II, I predicted that the need for fundamental constitutional change would become unarguable within the next twenty years. If I could have predicted the depth of the global financial crisis when the chapter was written last summer, I would have included that as another factor.

Now, it seems, Parliament has created a perfect storm all by itself, in the form of the expenses scandal that has been raging for the past fortnight. They can’t say we didn’t warn them: in both 2007 and January this year, Unlock Democracy ran successful mass-mobilisation campaigns to stop MPs from exempting themselves from the Freedom of Information Act. It was clear then that a significant number of MPs had something to hide, although we could not have guessed then how outrageous some of the expenses claims would turn out to be.

Those of us who have been tracking this story for years rather than weeks know that the problem is much more fundamental than the actions of a few “bad eggs.” At its heart lies a Parliament which is unaccountable and, in turn, fails to hold the government of the day to account. Whatever the merits of a general election now – and there are some – it could not resolve this fundamental problem. At worst, by giving some of the most badly behaved MPs in safe seats renewed terms of office, a rushed election now could actually entrench the problem.

On the day Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, Unlock Democracy ran a newspaper advertising campaign calling for a constitutional convention. This scandal has only highlighted the need for the public, not the politicians who are responsible for creating this mess, to decide how we get out of it. In the next few days we will be renewing this call; I hope you will be able to support us.

In the meantime we must ensure that public anger is channelled into a strong call for reform:
We need you to write to your local press saying that we need a constitutional convention to clean up politics and that it must involve ordinary citizens.
Please also write to your MP expressing your anger over the expenses scandal, demand them to support calls for a constitutional convention lead by ordinary citizens to find ways to make the UK political system more accountable (if you don’t know who your MP is, use writetothem.com)
Campaigning costs (we can’t claim it off the taxpayer!) so please either give us a donation or – if you are not yet a member – join.
It is crucial that we keep up the pressure on this issue over the next few weeks to make sure it doesn’t just blow over. With your support, we can transform politics in this country, once and for all, for good.

Yours in anger and in hope,

Peter Facey
Director, Unlock Democracy