And, having read through much of the coverage of Brown's "reform" package on MPs' expenses - such as here - one comes to the conclusion that it is a lost cause.
What are being offered are statist solutions which diminish the authority of parliament and weaken the accountability of MPs to the electorate, which giving the appearance of a more responsive system. Parliament, having conspired in its own destruction, looks to be set to complete the job without so much as a whimper.
And it has not escaped our attention – and many others – that while Brown seems to be offering a referendum on (unwanted) electoral reform, he could not bring himself to allow one on the
It is also perhaps significant that a notable absence from any of the proposals is the inclusion of "none of the above" on the ballot paper. Such reticence, of course, is understandable. Most likely, in the context where the Conservatives attracted only ten percent of the electorate in the euros, NOTA would win most of the elections.
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