Let us have a referendum. Even before the expenses scandal the population was losing its trust in the government and politicians generally. Currently we are being badgered daily by the main parties, including the government, with ideas and policies that seem to be valid for only about a week, before they’re either rejected or changed. And yet we are going to be faced with an election to decide which of these parties is going to rule us for another four years, when they all seem to be much of a muchness. Vast sums of money have been wasted in millions on projects that never came to fruition, and judicial enquiries that never produced a result. So let’s try and change the system. Let’s have a referendum which asks whether we want to maintain the current first past the post system, or whether we would sooner have a Prime Minister whom we trust, to form a coalition government. Perhaps only for the one term, but then it might catch on, with politics you never know.
First of all we would need free publicity, and as ITV seems to be short of advertising, a nationwide publicity stunt, promoted by them would probably please the advertisers. In the initial instance there would be a national probe as to whether people want the first past the post system or not. This would provide an opportunity for the various parties to show their mettle and reason for that system. The alternative is obvious. If it turned out that the survey showed that voting for the PM was the best idea, then it would be up to another survey, in conjunction with a poll taken among the MPs, to select the eight best candidates for election. To prevent gerrymandering, the actual vote would be a postal one, with the main parties delivering the voting paper while they were initially trying to uphold the first past the post system. The referendum would give the public the opportunity to still vote for the first past the post system rather than a PM.
I know that it is totally daft, and will never happen, but I firmly believe that what we need now is a period of two or three years of sensible, considered, government, by people who are not constantly fighting the next election while in government. Put an end to change for the change’s sake, and crazy expenditure, and get down to improving the infrastructure, and considering more about our hopes and requirements, rather than trying to be the world’s policeman, and in the case of prime ministers, world leaders. In effect let us retrench.