Anthony Barnett (London, OK): Where are the Liberal Democrats? Why are they not fighting for their views across the UK's blogland? Why are they not pushing forward the liberal and democratic agenda? What have they said that is authoritative about, for example, citizens juries and local referendums? Why are they letting the Tories set the pace even on supermarkets? Tell me that I am missing a well informed and vigorous cutting-edge discussion of these things from the party built on principles that oppose the big state and big corporate influence.
Anyway, Ming has spoken. He's given an interview to Unlock Democracy. His description of his party's radical discussion paper proposing a written constitution with direct, randomly chosen citizen input (yes!), For the people, by the people strikes no high notes. It is, if anything, routine. So much so that I could not find the document on their website, and it was even quite a task to locate its announcement. He only catches fire when it comes to the Lords.
Our policy paper commits us to a wholly elected Senate. Jack Straw’s proposal to publish yet another White Paper on Lords Reform – the fourth in eight years – and to delay legislation until after a general election represents a triumph for those who seek to stave off democracy in our second chamber. Never has an issue with such obvious underlying principles – those of legitimacy and democracy – attracted such interminable deliberation and reporting by committees of the great and the good. The last thing we need is another report. What is needed now is legislation to bring about the clear will of the Commons, and the clear wish of the people, to have a fully democratic Parliament. Is that so much to ask in 2007?
"Is that so much to ask?" No, it's not. But the Lib-Dems must stop "asking". There is a kind of pleading, a we-know-we-are-powerless-but please-can-we-ask feel to their body-language. To succeed, they should command this agenda, so that other parties ask the Lib-Dems for support.
