Power to the People, Part II

So, Power to the People: what do I think?

Well, personally, I liked that programme a lot. Very good indeed, and the important thing was that Portillo didn't just look at northern towns or London, he looked at southern counties like Dorset and places in the midlands, such as Doncaster. And it doesn't matter what party you are: people want to know they can make a difference, that they can keep the parts of the community they cherish. How does the political system not understand this? It's why politicians are losing touch with my generation: sticking with the elite, because the idea of electing an unwholesome mayor makes true democracy seem unpleasant. Life is unpleasant, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give ordinary people the chance to make a positive difference. And by difference, I mean a change to the political system as a whole.

Am now watching Clegg's speech from the Lib Dem Spring Conference. Never have I heard a man with a sore throats make such a noise. Liking his rhetoric on Britain's former technical prowess. And cutting the number of MPs by 150? It would at least make it easier to remember them all. You can't have 650 MPs without inviting the stranglehold of beauracracy.

Chris