Democracy in a better place after court ruling
FIFTY years ago I started a degree in Economics.
One of the first fields of study was: ‘British Government, National, and Local.’
It was a real revelation at the time. I was extremely naive about the workings of Parliament.
Our much-praised constitution turned out to be in brief: a monarch with no power; conventions (which can be best describe as gentlemen’s agreements); and very importantly a judiciary that interprets laws passed by Parliament, which tie this strange arrangement together.
Fifty years on the vast majority of the population have no understanding of how the British government works, or the power of the prime minister.
In practice the British prime minister has a higher level of influence over Parliament, than the President of the United States has over Congress.
Here lies the current problem. When somebody gets into a position of power to which they are most unsuited, and are not able to conduct themselves in a gentlemanly way, then we end up with a, ‘plastic pot dictator.’
Whatever your views on Brexit, the Supreme Court’s latest ruling has at last made it clear that prime ministers are accountable.
Democracy is now in a better place than it has been recently. Brendan Hynes Urmston
How is that democratic?
A win for parliamentary sovereignty.
So that Parliament (stuffed with liberals) can give away sovereignty, from Parliament back to the EU.
And isn’t it plain, just how balanced the supreme court is, with its unanimous decision?
Can we have elected supreme court judges? The liberals complained that a few hundred thousand decided who should be Prime Minister.
Now we have 11 privileged, liberals over-ruling the elected ruling party. How is that democratic? Paul Swindell via email
A coalition is the only way
AM I alone in thinking that the Brexit chaos is the worst non-war situation that we have ever been in?
Tories cannot agree. Labour cannot agree.
Nobody can agree. We desperately need leadership and, as in a war situation, surely a government coalition is the only possible ‘way out.’ M. Ratcliffe, Worsley
Sad loss to community
READING about the death by suicide of Jennifer Leeming was very sad (M.E.N., September 24).
She appeared to have been a very caring lady, who in the course of her work was doing a very valuable job for the community as a senior coroner.
We all know life can be very unfair. And the circumstances surrounding Professor Leeming’s death certainly seem to be very unfair. Howard Gardner, via email
I’m no Tory voter but...
IN a few days’ time the Conservative Party conference will take over part of the city.
This will bring a lot of money in for some and Mancunians may be in the spotlight.
The march on Sunday I’m going on will doubtless be a noisy event - but then it was when Labour came to the city.
However, the behaviour of people around the security cordon has more potential for news distraction, meaning challenges can be sidestepped by the powerful.
Four years ago the media focused on ‘egging,’ a spitting incident and image of delegates having to ‘run the gauntlet’ and called ‘scum’ by anti-austerity protesters.
I don’t think I’ll ever vote Tory, but I deplore this behaviour.
It’s bad manners and counterproductive, reinforcing and creating negative prejudices.
Not surprisingly Fringe Events open to the public have virtually disappeared.
Last year I could hear and question Rory Stewart and other Tories, now one can’t.
We won’t hear them (beyond the choreographed soundbites); they won’t hear us. Moreover the alienation means they won’t even take free literature to read on the train going home.
I dimly recall hearing of a Young Conservative sneaking out of their conference one night (like Gladstone when Prime Minister) to walk the streets and visit a homeless camp (when we used to have these before the purging).
Both sides discovered the others were human and learned truths.
Hackneyed chants, stereotyping insults and confrontation may make you feel good, but do they work?
‘Do as you would be done by’ is a good approach in life, sometimes silence speaks louder. Ernst Denkmann, M15