Anthony Barnett (London, OK): Conservative Party candidate for Richmond Zac Goldsmith can be watched on YouTube thanks to a middle-distance interview with him by UnlockDemocracy. You can see it via the link below. Towards the end he is asked, "What are the costs of involving the public in decision-making? Its a great answer,
"I think most arguments against direct democracy are really arguments against democracy itself. You have the fear amongst elements of the Left that you cant trust the mob, and you have the fear amongst elements of the Tory old guard that you cant trust the masses. I think that this wildly underestimates the collective intelligence of the people. I think that after a prolonged, proper and thorough discussion, prejudices tend to be ironed out. The gut response of the large number of people is pretty good. Ultimately you have to ask yourself the question; you can walk through the streets and look around you and ask if you trust the people you're surrounded with, then go to parliament and ask yourself the same question. (Laughter) I just don't think that parliamentarians have a monopoly on common sense."
There is a wildness in the air. When, back in the 1980s, Thatcherism seemed destined to remain in power forever, radical constitutional democracy was born. The Lib-Dems played a key role and it reached deep into the Labour Party. But it never won the kind of sweeping, radical expressions from senior Labour figures as we see here from the high-profile candidate for Richmond or Mark Field MP's proposals on ConservativeHome that I blogged in OK.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkwpW9KSWj4]
