Re-engaging The Electorate

As seen in the Observer, albeit cut so as to make the writing style more Sixth Form-ish (since the letter itself is critical of an Observer writer), and so as to remove the specifically public participation from the third suggestion (far too dangerous, I'm sure):

Further to Nick Cohen's call for greater democratic participation, how about the following, in the course of each Parliament?

First each constituency party to put its shortlist of two potential parliamentary candidates to a binding and independently-run ballot of the whole constituency electorate. Secondly, each national party to put its shortlist of two potential Leaders (i.e., putative Prime Ministers) to a binding and independently-run ballot of the whole electorate throughout the United Kingdom. And thirdly, each branch of each party (including branches of affiliated organisations in Labour's or its successor's case) to suggest up to three policies, with members at branch level to vote for one, with the three receiving the highest numbers of votes from each branch going forward, with the ten highest scorers nationwide then going out to a ballot of the whole electorate, with each voter entitled to vote for up to two, and with the top five then to be included in the subsequent General Election Manifesto.

Of course, this would spell the end of Mr Cohen's own neoconservatism in this country.

Before that, it must be said, the political-media elite has to admit that there is a problem. Or does it? Why do we have to wait for it to catch up with reality? If we want proper MPs again, then we need to be organising our own proper candidates, not least with a view to a possible General Election, on the current boundaries and to give Gordon Brown his own mandate, this autumn. Don't bet against it.