But we do at least have a functioning government at this time of economic crisis.

Britain’s got a well established problem with having “functioning governments” during times of economic crisis ?

When was the last time that happened then ?

Talking of greater transaparency, looking forward to introduction of tax forms that explain exactly where the fruits of our labour and taken to and invested in. If reports are correct this will also be announced/introduced this week. Should create some lively debate.

MPs should be allowed a free vote on all votes, regardless

It’d wouldn’t stop covert whipping but it’d go a long way to allowing them to vote the way their constituents want or their conscience tells them.
Currently the threat to withdrawn the whip is sufficient to make most of them toe the party line

jota180, have a look at the effects of the ‘whip’ in this link here.
Absolutely no point in badgering my MP on voting against anything as he is a party whip. 🙁 (yes I have tried)

The only thing he has come out against (his party) lately is gerrymandering constituency boundary reform. I am sure it is a complete coinicidence that the proposed reform to his own constituency boundaries mean he will need to work much harder to get re-elected next time. 😕

That’s my point TBH – do away with the whips, legislate to ensure all votes are free votes
As I said, there’d still be some ‘lobbying’ going on but I reckon it’d be a great step forward

“Minority party in coalition having to compromise” SHOCKER!

This. Comedy knee-jerking scapegoat-hunting the lot of it.

jota180, agreed.

Our MP is a whip but also a genuinely local person (lived here for 10+ years before he ever got into politics). Once you get beyond the ‘cut-n-paste’ email responses from his PA, he does enter into dialogues with his constituents and writes letters/intervenes for specific individual issues (at a non-parliamentary level where the boat will not be rocked.)

I think he is elected in very comfortably each time because he is well known, quite the opposite of a ‘Tim Nice But Dim’ choppered into a safe seat and a hundred times more interested in his constituents than our other local Blue Flavour MP. People like him as well as the party he stands for.

Not everything he votes for is always in the long-term interest of his constituents however (over-representation of old folk in rural locations compared to the ‘average’ constituency for example). He is also a well-serious Christian and chairs the cross-party Christians in Parliament committee. I wonder how he would vote if he voted with his heart, with the prevailing mood of the constituents who badger him about things, or with ‘whatwouldJesusvote’?

legislate to ensure all votes are free votes

I’d be interested to know how you plan to enforce that.

I’d be interested to know how you plan to enforce that.

see above

There’d still be threats and lobbying but it’d be much harder to do meaning at least some of the benefit would be realised.
Or ensure completely secret ballots, this would have a few accountability issues though 🙂

I’d be interested to know how you plan to enforce that.

Vindictive fagging for the toffs, chinese burns and wedgies for the working class ones.

Oh no, that would only work to make them toe the party line, (not free them from it). Whatever they do already works it would seem.

I think I would rather live with the status quo than have no idea what my MP is and isn’t voting for. It’s nice to wonder ‘what if’ once in a while though….