CSPG Horizontal Logo

Act Now: Democratic Reform

A visual representation of the issues involved in Democratic Reform

As the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and many other issues examined in this report demonstrates, our political system produces unhelpful and wholly avoidable outcomes. The current system channels politicians towards unpopular ideological experiments that entrench and exacerbate crisis. We need to understand that the transformation of society requires systematic democratic reform. In this chapter, we outline a set of reforms that enhance the capacity of our political system to produce the outcomes that the vast majority of our society requires. Building on policy development by the Jenkins Commission (1998) and the Brown Commission (2022), we set out forms of electoral and parliamentary reform that increase competition and the ethos of public service and reduce in-built incentives for careerism and unwillingness to take risks for the public good. We argue that increasing consistency of administrative bodies across the UK while devolving greater powers to nations and regions is essential to making policy that is responsive. The reforms call for bravery among politicians in upholding the public good against opportunities for corruption and the power of unsustainable special interests.

The recommendations we advance require the traditional view of politics as public service to be enacted. Politicians need to embody the ethos of public service that got Britain through the Second World War, built the post- war consensus and enabled us to survive a pandemic in the absence of competent government. The reforms we recommend call for an end to politics as a lucrative career and for public service to resemble the sombre duty of those who serve on juries or in the Civil Service. Without that public service, serious government is impossible.

Recommendations

Parliament

  1. Proportional Representation: adopt Alternative Vote+ for House of Commons and Single Transferable Vote for the second chamber.
  2. 500 constituencies with 150 top up seats allocated proportionally by combined mayoral authorities across the UK.
  3. Adopt the Assembly of the Nations and Regions as second chamber.
  4. Consider term limits if performance does not improve.
  5. Move parliament out of London to parts of the UK on a five-yearly basis in each location.
  6. Require political candidates to live in a constituency for two years before becoming eligible for election.
  7. Introduce a uniform structure of Scottish-style local authorities and English-style combined authorities across the UK.

Decorruption

  1. End graft by banning second jobs, paid lobbying and all lobbying by foreign citizens and entities.
  2. Fund political party work in the public interest through expanded Policy Development Grants.
  3. Ban donations to political parties by profit making organisations and individuals.
  4. Make parliament a normal work environment: normal offices, normal expenses arrangements and sitting-time accommodation in the immediate vicinity of parliament for those who cannot commute.
  5. Tie politicians’ pay to the national median wage via a wage ratio of a maximum of two to one.
  6. Introduce an independent Integrity and Ethics Commission.
Scroll to Top