One of the Lib Dem grassroots big demands as part of any coalition or confidence and supply agreement is a referendum on changing the electoral system to Proportional Representation. However, there bigger issues with our political system than merely the electoral system.

The House of Lords

To start with there is the House of Lords. Unelected and unaccountable, it is a holdover from our political history despite New Labour’s stated aims to reform as soon as they took office, the “first stage” was completed more than a decade ago and just removed all but 75 hereditary peers and stuffed it full off life peers instead… because it’s so much more democratic that way! Not.

The fact that the House of Lords is still entirely undemocratic in the 21st century is something that should shame us all. Members of the Upper Chamber should be chosen by the people, not just appointed (though non-voting members could be appointed).

In electing Lords, now that is where PR is necessary.

Devolution and the democratic deficit

Why is it that there is devolution to three of the four major parts of the UK? Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have deveolved aassemblies or parliaments, but not England. And at the same time, they also have more MPs in Westminster than their population democratically allows them to have, and a mandated extra amount of expenditure per person.

How can this be democratic? Why does England suffer such a massive democratic deficit and not be allowed to complain? The devolution situation we are suffering is not acceptable and should be scrapped and started all over again. Each constituent part of the UK should have an equal amount of influence over itself, so that everyone is equal.

Localising politics

I also think that attention needs to be paid to the profusion of councils. Why do we need county, borough/district, and parish councils – as well as these unelected and unaccountable regional assemblies? People get very confused as to who is responsible for what – do they go to their borough/district councillor or couny councillor about the roads? What about schools? Rubbish? Housing?

Who do they vote out if these services are not acceptable?

Other potential changes

What about other potential changes to our political system that we could do? Let’s not just forget they exist in a rush to change something!

• Fixed-term Parliaments?
• Codifying our constitution?
• Reducing the rights of Ministers to take action without a vote in the Commons?
• Reducing the discretionary power of the Executive?
• Putting the royal prerogative on a statutory footing?

Let’s review the whole political system

I’m not arguing that there is no reform that our political system needs – clearly there is. But when we reform it, it needs to be done properly. Rather than jumping the gun and going straight for a referendum on the electoral system, a full-scale investigation into reforming the whole political system needs to be completed in one go. Let’s start at the beginning and look at everything, not undertake some superficial changes that mask the real issues.

If we change (or consider changing) the electoral system now, we are doing politics a disservice. We need a root-and-branch review to make a series of recommendations on changes hat can be implemented together to create a rational system.

If we don’t do it properly, we might as well not bother doing anything and give up entirely on correcting the problems.