In the wake of the MPs expenses scandal which has resulted in Gorbals Mick becoming the first Speaker of the House of Commons to be forced out of office since 1695, The People newspaper has outlined its remedies for a Greater Britain.
The People says we should get rid of Brown and make Johnson the new PM.
We need the people, rather than politicians, to elect the Speaker.
We need elections that work on the basis of proportional representation rather than number of seats in the Commons a party has.
We need an elected second chamber.
Britain is, in effect, the Western world's only non-secular democracy. This is due to the fact that Britain is the ONLY Western democracy to have religious representatives in its parliament - people such as bishops and the Archbishop of Canterbury sit in the House of Lords where they can pass laws. These are known as Lords Spiritual. The rest are Lords Temporal. There is no separation of Church from State.
We need to cut the number of MPs to 400 from 646. Britain has more political representatives than any country on the planet other than China (there are also 738 members of the House of Lords). Some say this is beneficial to democracy, but others say 646 is too many.
And, of course, we need to keep the monarchy. Many people outside Britain often question why Britain needs a monarchy, but considering how unpopular politicians are at the moment in the wake of the MPs expenses scandal we can count ourselves lucky that unlike the poor souls in the US, Germany, France and elsewhere the British do not have a politician as their Head of State, so it's us who are laughing. And, despite the belief of some, constitutional monarchy, not a republic, is the best form of governance in the world today, and constitutional monarchy, not a republic, is the best form of protection against dictatorship.
GREATER BRITAIN: WHY WE NEED CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
We say SPECIAL
24 May 2009
The People
The popular Alan Johnson should become Prime Minister
Britain has more political representatives than any country except China. The number of MPs should be cut from 646 to 400
The Lords should be replaced by 200 elected senators. There are currently 738 members of the House of Lords compared to just 200 members of its American equivalent, the Senate
No politician as Head of State. Britain should keep the monarchy.
The People says we should get rid of Brown and make Johnson the new PM.
We need the people, rather than politicians, to elect the Speaker.
We need elections that work on the basis of proportional representation rather than number of seats in the Commons a party has.
We need an elected second chamber.
Britain is, in effect, the Western world's only non-secular democracy. This is due to the fact that Britain is the ONLY Western democracy to have religious representatives in its parliament - people such as bishops and the Archbishop of Canterbury sit in the House of Lords where they can pass laws. These are known as Lords Spiritual. The rest are Lords Temporal. There is no separation of Church from State.
We need to cut the number of MPs to 400 from 646. Britain has more political representatives than any country on the planet other than China (there are also 738 members of the House of Lords). Some say this is beneficial to democracy, but others say 646 is too many.
And, of course, we need to keep the monarchy. Many people outside Britain often question why Britain needs a monarchy, but considering how unpopular politicians are at the moment in the wake of the MPs expenses scandal we can count ourselves lucky that unlike the poor souls in the US, Germany, France and elsewhere the British do not have a politician as their Head of State, so it's us who are laughing. And, despite the belief of some, constitutional monarchy, not a republic, is the best form of governance in the world today, and constitutional monarchy, not a republic, is the best form of protection against dictatorship.
GREATER BRITAIN: WHY WE NEED CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
We say SPECIAL
24 May 2009
The People
Sack Brown and make Johnson the new PM
Immediate election ... Proportional Representation
Cut number of MPs from 646 to 400
Replace the Lords with elected 2nd chamber
Turn UK into a secular society
Have the people elect The Speaker
Give workers same rise as boss... end bonus fix
Retain HM The Queen
Immediate election ... Proportional Representation
Cut number of MPs from 646 to 400
Replace the Lords with elected 2nd chamber
Turn UK into a secular society
Have the people elect The Speaker
Give workers same rise as boss... end bonus fix
Retain HM The Queen
The scandal over MPs' expenses has brought Britain to a crossroads.
The choice is to allow the bad old ways to continue.
Or opt for the biggest constitutional upheaval since Oliver Cromwell to construct a new Britain in tune with the 21st Century.
Today your politically independent People says no change is no option.
Change must begin with Gordon Brown's removal as Prime Minister. He should be replaced by the only credible Labour candidate, Health Secretary Alan Johnson.
As Mr Johnson would be the nation's second PM unelected by the people, he must call an immediate General Election.
Voters would be wise to use the poll as a verdict on their own MP, voting tactically rather than on traditional party lines.
If your Labour MP is a crook vote Conservative or Lib Dem. If your Tory grandee has a taxpayers' duck afloat on his moat vote Labour. But please do vote. Not turning out gives succour to BNP nutters. Handing them any power will only make a bad situation worse.
The new Parliament must immediately begin the task of reform for the next one.
The number of MPs should be cut from 646 to 400. That will save £60million a year.
Britain has more political representatives than any country except China. The number of MPs should be cut from 646 to 400
Parliaments of fixed fouryear terms must be introduced so the date of the General Election is no longer in the gift of the ruling party.
The House of Lords should be abolished and replaced by 200 elected senators, with half of them up for election every two years.
And the Speakers of both Commons and Senate must be elected by the people now that Michael Martin has brought the office into disrepute.
The Lords should be replaced by 200 elected senators. There are currently 738 members of the House of Lords compared to just 200 members of its American equivalent, the Senate
Parties with more than 50 MPs would each put forward a Commons candidate. A party with at least 25 senators would nominate for the Upper House.
When the right technology exists we would use the internet or texts to vote in a referendum to decide who gets the jobs.
The sickening bonus culture infecting big business must be brought to an end by law. If directors want to award themselves, say, 20 per cent pay rises then that is what they must give their workforce. If a company can afford only two per cent across-the-board increases for workers that is what it must be in the boardroom.
Abolition of the Lords will stop 26 bishops acting as lawmakers. It will lead to the separation of Church from State and make Britain a secular nation like America and France.
When Henry VIII nationalised the Church he handed it vast wealth and the land it stole is worth £1.7billion today.
So the Church of England's cash must be nationalised again to be used to preserve the ancient buildings which are so much our heritage.
But a secular country would take a key constitutional pillar away from The Queen as Defender of the Faith. Calls for a republic would grow.
They must be resisted. The Queen's position as Head of State must be enshrined in the new constitution.
No politician as Head of State. Britain should keep the monarchy.
That way the armed forces, secret services and police remain CROWN servants, owing their allegiance to the COUNTRY rather than the Government.
It is the best protection there is against dictatorship.
Proportional representation must replace first-past-thepost. That would lead to concensus government better reflecting the will of the people.
This is WHY The People declared itself politically independent. It is HOW we will best campaign on your behalf.
It is OUR contribution to a new and fairer Britain.
And the work of building it must begin now.
thepeople.co.uk
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