No rules to keep politicians honest

KING Charles I thought he had the God-given right to govern, as did the aristocrats, and now since universal suffrage the Conservative Party carry on that tradition, which is why with impunity it used a three-line whip to force Conservative MPS to overturn the suspension of Owen Paterson, who clearly breached parliamentary rules on lobbying for cash while serving as an MP.

But what was also egregious was the use of a three-line whip which should only be used, if party leaders think necessary, on political issues because they can be altered at another time. Corruption of our democracy goes back as far as universal suffrage when the misogynistic, aristocratic Conservative Party was determined that it would not let the people have a codified constitution, as the culturally British people in Australia have, to allow the people to have the final say on constitutional issues.

Is it not surprising that Australia had a referendum on replacing the Queen with a president when the 1999 government of prime minister John Howard’s legislation was approved by parliament? It was then rejected by the people without rancour, leaving the country satisfied that the law had been upheld, and was disposed of in a matter of months.

In a representative democracy, Parliament is sovereign to make political law while the people are sovereign to make constitutional law, but only if the country has a codified constitution which belongs to the people who, therefore, by law, have the final say as to whether their constitution should be altered to allow the bill to pass for Royal Assent.

The tragedy for the people is there are no rules, i.e. standing statutory instruments, to keep politicians honest.

Kenneth R Jarrett, by email