21st century governance upgrade
Discussion
There have been a couple of stories floating around which individually are treated to the usual reaction.
Item 1:
New situation room for Downing st to augment the COBR facilities
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/gov...
Item 2:
New press briefing room within No9 to allow for Whitehouse style press conferences
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56295191
In the former I’m pretty agnostic: if the PM gets better technology then fair enough.
The second I think has been a long time coming: the lobby has been the bane of U.K. politics for years and the idea that it is blown open in televised briefings is long overdue.
It is noticeable that both developments are 40-50 years behind where the states have been and may well be influenced by too many Downing streeters watching the Westwing.
What would you do to upgrade U.K. governance in the 21st century?
And avoid b
ks suggestions like overthrow the whole system. I am interested in practical day to day suggestions.
Case in point:
In the 60s Wilson seriously considered bulldozing Whitehall and replacing it with a weird Bladerunneresque set of ziggurats. I think that would have been a fking nightmare.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Demolishing-Whitehall-Les...
So over to you...
Item 1:
New situation room for Downing st to augment the COBR facilities
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/gov...
Item 2:
New press briefing room within No9 to allow for Whitehouse style press conferences
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56295191
In the former I’m pretty agnostic: if the PM gets better technology then fair enough.
The second I think has been a long time coming: the lobby has been the bane of U.K. politics for years and the idea that it is blown open in televised briefings is long overdue.
It is noticeable that both developments are 40-50 years behind where the states have been and may well be influenced by too many Downing streeters watching the Westwing.
What would you do to upgrade U.K. governance in the 21st century?
And avoid b
ks suggestions like overthrow the whole system. I am interested in practical day to day suggestions.Case in point:
In the 60s Wilson seriously considered bulldozing Whitehall and replacing it with a weird Bladerunneresque set of ziggurats. I think that would have been a f
king nightmare.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Demolishing-Whitehall-Les...
So over to you...
coanda said:
Halve all of it. Every second person out.
In fact I'd go for 2 in every 3 to cut down on waste in the civil service and government.
FYI I think this is practical to assist in saving public finances.
Good idea - there must be loads of private sector jobs just begging to be filled.In fact I'd go for 2 in every 3 to cut down on waste in the civil service and government.
FYI I think this is practical to assist in saving public finances.
I would bring in fixed maximum terms for politicians. Having career politicians just encourages them to serve themselves rather than the people.
I'd also introduce laws with very strict penalties for anyone attempting to bribe or buy influence from politicians. Same for any politician who is on the take, or found to be unduly influenced by improper external parties. Bring in mandatory yearly financial audits by an independent body for all MPs for life, ban them from receiving money or jobs from any company they have been involved with during their time as an MP, and if they break the rules then jail. If we make it 15 years for a breach of any of those rules, or any other fraud in public office, it might help clean up politics.
I think reform of the house of lords is needed. Get rid of the lot of them to be replaced with an elected chamber, with no political parties allowed. At least try and make the HoL representative of the people, rather than a bunch of ex-MPs, gentry and clergy.
I would also like to see a written constitution including human rights and rights to privacy.
And I still think we need a better system. Capitalism doesn't really work. Even the richest countries in the world have queues at food banks, while we throw away insane amounts of food waste. A few rich people own huge parts of the countries land, while young people can't buy or build somewhere to live. The whole system is geared to concentrate wealth in the hands of the few and keep it there. And that money, power and influence is used to make sure political decisions and laws remain in their favour.
I'd also introduce laws with very strict penalties for anyone attempting to bribe or buy influence from politicians. Same for any politician who is on the take, or found to be unduly influenced by improper external parties. Bring in mandatory yearly financial audits by an independent body for all MPs for life, ban them from receiving money or jobs from any company they have been involved with during their time as an MP, and if they break the rules then jail. If we make it 15 years for a breach of any of those rules, or any other fraud in public office, it might help clean up politics.
I think reform of the house of lords is needed. Get rid of the lot of them to be replaced with an elected chamber, with no political parties allowed. At least try and make the HoL representative of the people, rather than a bunch of ex-MPs, gentry and clergy.
I would also like to see a written constitution including human rights and rights to privacy.
And I still think we need a better system. Capitalism doesn't really work. Even the richest countries in the world have queues at food banks, while we throw away insane amounts of food waste. A few rich people own huge parts of the countries land, while young people can't buy or build somewhere to live. The whole system is geared to concentrate wealth in the hands of the few and keep it there. And that money, power and influence is used to make sure political decisions and laws remain in their favour.
Prime Minister and First Ministers get a very generous pension but are not allowed to work or recieve assets or capital from any private individual or foreign nation state on leaving.
Buyers of former PMs assets must go through a vetting process.
List MPs in Scotland in order of voter, not party preference.
Buyers of former PMs assets must go through a vetting process.
List MPs in Scotland in order of voter, not party preference.
Where I live:
- Minister for fisheries (a big job) until recently was appointed, having spent her youth setting up a small fishing business. She grew it to one of the largest sea-food businesses in the country: owning a big fleet of sea-planes.
She is a hard talking, tattooed, smoker who has occasionally sworn on TV. Didn’t finish high school (or attend Eton) - but has managed to double Indonesia’s fish stocks, improve biodiversity and encourage sustainability.
With her actual knowledge of the sector she has driven through policies to make the sector much more efficient. Illegal fishing by Chinese vessels in the country’s waters was given a strong response. In several cases the illegal boats were evacuated of crew and then blown up!
Quite a character: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susi_Pudjiastuti
- Finance Minister: strong finance record including a stint at world bank/IMF and was in a very senior role with a company on Wall Street. President persuaded her (took quite a few calls) to come back home to share expertise. Led the most successful tax amnesty in (world?)history: bringing a huge amount of cash back into the economy.
- One of the Health Ministers was caught having handed out a contract to some cronies for COVID food packages to the poor. Contract was altered to include a handling fee of USD$0.20 per package. I think at the expense of some of the content of the aid packages. Quids in...until anti-corruption unit kicked the doors in!
Is the minister looking at a Knighthood or Presidential pardon? No, they are looking at 20-life. Every COVID contract is under review by anti-corruption unit.
(The above is a bit of a simplification of the story, but you get the gist. It also involved, I kid you not, dollars and euros in suitcases in a hotel room; like something from a film!)
Expertise in key positions, proper review and accountability: good ideas?
- Minister for fisheries (a big job) until recently was appointed, having spent her youth setting up a small fishing business. She grew it to one of the largest sea-food businesses in the country: owning a big fleet of sea-planes.
She is a hard talking, tattooed, smoker who has occasionally sworn on TV. Didn’t finish high school (or attend Eton) - but has managed to double Indonesia’s fish stocks, improve biodiversity and encourage sustainability.
With her actual knowledge of the sector she has driven through policies to make the sector much more efficient. Illegal fishing by Chinese vessels in the country’s waters was given a strong response. In several cases the illegal boats were evacuated of crew and then blown up!
Quite a character: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susi_Pudjiastuti
- Finance Minister: strong finance record including a stint at world bank/IMF and was in a very senior role with a company on Wall Street. President persuaded her (took quite a few calls) to come back home to share expertise. Led the most successful tax amnesty in (world?)history: bringing a huge amount of cash back into the economy.
- One of the Health Ministers was caught having handed out a contract to some cronies for COVID food packages to the poor. Contract was altered to include a handling fee of USD$0.20 per package. I think at the expense of some of the content of the aid packages. Quids in...until anti-corruption unit kicked the doors in!
Is the minister looking at a Knighthood or Presidential pardon? No, they are looking at 20-life. Every COVID contract is under review by anti-corruption unit.
(The above is a bit of a simplification of the story, but you get the gist. It also involved, I kid you not, dollars and euros in suitcases in a hotel room; like something from a film!)
Expertise in key positions, proper review and accountability: good ideas?
Edited by jdw100 on Saturday 13th March 12:21
spookly said:
I would bring in fixed maximum terms for politicians. Having career politicians just encourages them to serve themselves rather than the people.
I'd also introduce laws with very strict penalties for anyone attempting to bribe or buy influence from politicians. Same for any politician who is on the take, or found to be unduly influenced by improper external parties. Bring in mandatory yearly financial audits by an independent body for all MPs for life, ban them from receiving money or jobs from any company they have been involved with during their time as an MP, and if they break the rules then jail. If we make it 15 years for a breach of any of those rules, or any other fraud in public office, it might help clean up politics.
I think reform of the house of lords is needed. Get rid of the lot of them to be replaced with an elected chamber, with no political parties allowed. At least try and make the HoL representative of the people, rather than a bunch of ex-MPs, gentry and clergy.
I would also like to see a written constitution including human rights and rights to privacy.
And I still think we need a better system. Capitalism doesn't really work. Even the richest countries in the world have queues at food banks, while we throw away insane amounts of food waste. A few rich people own huge parts of the countries land, while young people can't buy or build somewhere to live. The whole system is geared to concentrate wealth in the hands of the few and keep it there. And that money, power and influence is used to make sure political decisions and laws remain in their favour.
Nope, having an elected 2nd chamber just gets another roomful of too many of the usual suspects with the egos and the brassneck to bear public humiliation and tabloid scrutiny for not very much money in exchange for power and influence; some form of Sortition is required for subject matter experts, you aren't going to get people like Robert Winston standing for election. Term limits might be a good idea but how to attract better candidates? More money?I'd also introduce laws with very strict penalties for anyone attempting to bribe or buy influence from politicians. Same for any politician who is on the take, or found to be unduly influenced by improper external parties. Bring in mandatory yearly financial audits by an independent body for all MPs for life, ban them from receiving money or jobs from any company they have been involved with during their time as an MP, and if they break the rules then jail. If we make it 15 years for a breach of any of those rules, or any other fraud in public office, it might help clean up politics.
I think reform of the house of lords is needed. Get rid of the lot of them to be replaced with an elected chamber, with no political parties allowed. At least try and make the HoL representative of the people, rather than a bunch of ex-MPs, gentry and clergy.
I would also like to see a written constitution including human rights and rights to privacy.
And I still think we need a better system. Capitalism doesn't really work. Even the richest countries in the world have queues at food banks, while we throw away insane amounts of food waste. A few rich people own huge parts of the countries land, while young people can't buy or build somewhere to live. The whole system is geared to concentrate wealth in the hands of the few and keep it there. And that money, power and influence is used to make sure political decisions and laws remain in their favour.
hidetheelephants said:
Nope, having an elected 2nd chamber just gets another roomful of too many of the usual suspects with the egos and the brassneck to bear public humiliation and tabloid scrutiny for not very much money in exchange for power and influence; some form of Sortition is required for subject matter experts, you aren't going to get people like Robert Winston standing for election. Term limits might be a good idea but how to attract better candidates? More money?
In the examples I quote above both took significant (really significant) pay reductions.One of the ministers here responsible developing tech business and empowering young people was CEO of Gojek.. that's a multi $bn business.
It's seen as a public duty.
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