Constitutional Reform and Renewal (Adam Teladia)

Constitutional Reform and Renewal

May 27, 2009 12:02 AM

Dear Mr Khalid Mahmood MP,

I am sure you will admit that the expenses scandal has damaged all three main political parties but is causing the most damage to politics and the hopes of increasing political engagement.

I hope that like me you believe that the sorting put the expenses system alone will not be a cause for increasing political engagement of people in Great Britain but that wider reforms are needed to renew our democracy.

As a constituent I am asking you to contact the Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Jack Straw MP, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice to ask that they start a debate about constitutional reform and renewal involving the general public.

Please can you request that any debate about constitutional reform and renewal includes a debate on a UK British Bill of Rights, a concordat between local and central government, a written constitution, changing laws on demonstrating in Parliament Square, a democratic House of Lords, a Ministerial Code, the role of the monarchy, processes for petitioning the House of Commons, the cabinet surrendering or limiting some of their Royal Prerogative powers, introduction of Single Transferable Votes for elections to local councils and Westminster Parliament, lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 and fixed parliamentary terms of four or five years.

I also believe that this debate is not just for politicians, I hope that you will encourage the Labour party to not move ahead with reforms without public involvement since any constitutional changes lacking public involvement could be undermined from the start by their lack of legitimacy.

I hope that you will encourage the Labour government to establish a convention like that in Scotland during the 1990s bringing together people from all political parties, as well as those with no political affiliation, to draw up proposals to reform and renew our democracy.

Yours sincerely,

Adam Nazir Ahmed Teladia