Anthony Barnett (London, OK): Reading the latest Prospect magazine I eventually got round to its editor's modestly publicised short piece on 'What Gordon Should Do Next'. It has some striking parallels with my piece on how Brown should have called for (and surely won) an election before the party conferences. I'm not suggesting any influence, I don't think David Goodhart reads OK and anyway there is much we agree on. We both call for a Hi-Speed Britain in terms of investing in a modern train network and we both went on mainly about constitutional changes. The big difference is one of style and political character. Whereas I want to see an open, inspiring democratic process, Goodhart is for not exciting the natives too much. He'd like a "populist" move to electing Mayors "in all towns with over 50,000 people. At a stroke this would make local politics more meaningful. With the mayors pushing local schools, hospitals and police forces to perform better, among other things, they would act as the missing link between local politics and national spending programmes".
Then there is voting, as the article is behind an archive barrier I'll quote at length:
Declining participation in politics is less of a disaster than many members of the political class think—most people see politics as a necessary evil, not as a form of self-expression. Nonetheless, if turnout in national elections continues to fall, there will be a problem of political legitimacy for the ruling party. It is time to introduce compulsory voting. This could certainly include a "none of the above" option for those who want to protest against the whole system. People could also tick a box to indicate which party they select to receive state funding.... Finally, with the two big parties in historic decline and no longer so closely connected to clear interests or ideologies, it is time to consider trading the clarity and effectiveness of first past the post for the greater fairness of proportional representation. There should be a referendum on PR after the next election.
In other words, as elections do not matter so much any more, why not have PR. Then, before you fall asleep (whoops, sorry I just did) there is the national question:
There is only one simple and fair way to conclude Britain's devolution settlement that avoids dividing parliament into an English and a British legislature—that is to further reduce the number of Scottish MPs at Westminster. Answering the West Lothian question in this way might give further impetus towards Scottish independence. But would that be such a disaster? A single state on this island is preferable to two, but an independent Scotland with an open border, the same currency (at least initially) and the same head of state is nothing to fear.
Go on then, let the UK break up, I mean, what is the point of a fuss about it?
Finally, in the words of Jonathan Sacks, the chief rabbi, Britain has become too much like a "hotel," where citizens both new and old have a largely instrumental relationship with the country and the state. The rights, duties and rituals of citizenship need to be given greater weight—indeed, there is a strong case for making citizenship a normal requirement of residence after people have been here for more than five years. A British national day is long overdue.
Or two different national days if Scotland does go its own way.
Some measures benefit the Tories (the cap on donations to parties, a further cut in Scottish Labour MPs) but others help Labour (compulsory voting and PR). Taken together, they would address some of Britain's problems and provide a new sense of direction. And if Gordon won't grasp the chance, I would happily see the programme taken up by the next Tory/Lib Dem government.
It's all terribly reasonable then - radical reforms with a sigh (and positioning the mag for after the next election?). I support radical localism, compulsory voting (also, provided it includes 'none of the above'), democratic party funding and the free expression of national voice wherever that takes us. But these are huge changes - and something in me rejects the idea of introducing them with slight of hand and a patronsing why not?
