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June 25, 2007
Brown: calling for "more power in the hands of the people"
At the special party conference in Manchester, yesterday, Gordon Brown has been installed as the new Labour Party Leader. He will take over as Prime Minister from Tony Blair on Wednesday.
In his speech after the election he addressed the issue of constitutional reform "because all the big challenges we face: the environment, raising education standards, building better communities - can only be met by directly involving and engaging the British people in their solution.
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"And the principles of my reforms are these: Government giving more power to Parliament; both government and Parliament giving more power to the people; Parliament voting on all the major issues of our time including peace and war; civil liberties safeguarded and enhanced; devolution within a Union of nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - a Union that I believe in and will defend; local government strengthened with new powers - local communities empowered to hold those who make the decisions to account; and with community ownership of assets - greater power for more people to control their lives."
Gordon Brown said that he himself learned that it was not just politics and political parties that made great changes possible in the last ten years. He claimed that also the civil society contributed a large amount to the development of social rights regarding poverty, disability and homosexuality as well as to the improvement of the environment.
"So my message today, he went on, is also to people who want to change from the old politics, who yearn for a public life founded on values, who are inspired by what we as nation can now achieve together - join us. Join us in building the Britain we believe in.
"And don't let anyone tell you the choice at the next election will be change with other parties and no change with Labour. Because when I take office on Wednesday I will, as our party has always done, heed and lead the call of change.
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"For people wanting a stronger democracy, we will meet the challenge of change.
And we will govern for all the people of our country."
So, this seems to be a perfect basis for urging Mr Brown to pursue the goal of electoral reform. For involving the people in politics they should be allocated the right to express their views in a more proportional electoral system. Proportional representation enables the parliament to speak with many different voices – minorities and oppositions. This would be a "stronger democracy".
Posted by katjanagattermann on June 25, 2007
