How about primaries in Britain, asks Jonathan Freedland? How about them, indeed.
In the course of each Parliament, each party should submit a shortlist of the two candidates nominated by the most branches (including those of affiliated organisations where applicable) to a binding ballot of the whole electorate at constituency level for the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, and at national level for the Leader.
All the ballots for Prospective Parliamentary Candidate should be held on the same day, and all the ballots for Leader should be held on the same day. Each of these ballots should be held at public expense at the request of five per cent or more of registered voters in the constituency or the country, as appropriate.
Each candidate in each of these ballots should have a tax-free campaigning allowance out of public funds, conditional upon matching funding by resolution of a membership organisation. The name of that organisation should appear on the ballot paper after that of the candidate. There should be a ban on all other campaign funding, and on all campaign spending above twice that allowance.
In the course of each Parliament, each party should submit to a binding ballot of the whole electorate the ten policies proposed by the most branches (including those of affiliated organisations where applicable), with voters entitled to vote for up to two, and with the highest-scoring seven guaranteed inclusion in the next General Election Manifesto.
All of these ballots should be held on the same day, and each of them should be held at public expense at the request of five per cent or more of registered voters in the country. The official campaign for each policy should have a tax-free campaign allowance, conditional upon matching funding by resolution of a membership organisation. The name of that organisation should appear on the ballot paper after that of the policy. And there should be ban on all other campaign funding, and on all campaign spending above twice that allowance.
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David, don't be foolish. For one thing, this is incredibly complex. Secondly, what are parties which have moribund local organisations in most parts of the country supposed to do? And thirdly, and most importantly, how on earth would the respective parties' central offices control the whole thing? There's a real risk of some ideas being proposed here which might be quite radical, and which wouldn't play well in marginal seats.
ReplyDeleteSorry no. I don't think the existing parties will go for this. And not just the leaders either. All the researchers and central office type people I've spoken to about this from both parties (a pretty wide cross section, you have to admit) are sceptical.
That's the whole point, Sally. That's the whole point. This would clear out these people once and for all.
ReplyDeleteAnd very good riddance indeed.
ReplyDelete"researchers and central office type people I've spoken to about this from both parties (a pretty wide cross section, you have to admit)"
You what! They are now so similar that they are physically difficult to tell apart.
Quite so, Anonymous. If those job-slashing, service-cutting, union-busting, warmongering vermin in their unadvertised jobs for independently rich people are all against it, then it must be right.
ReplyDeleteHear the names clanging to the floor of those who'd thought that they had seats for life: Cameron, Osborne, Gove, Vaizey, Balls, Cooper, Purnell, Miliband, Lammy, Milband again, and on, and on, and on. The first day of this will be the greatest day in British political history.
Complex how, Sally? It's dead simple. From the point of view of your Westminster mates, it's frighteningly simple. And they could do with being frightened. With being frightened to death, in fact.
ReplyDeleteDavid - I must warn you to stop this idea please. Certain people have picked up on it, and I have heard it discussed on two separate occasions in bars and offices around Westminster tonight. I fail to see why anything that takes power away from myself and my boss in Westminster is a good idea. So plese, I warn you - desist.
ReplyDelete