Non-motoring > Commons programme Miscellaneous
Thread Author: BobbyG Replies: 22

 Commons programme - Bromptonaut
In fact Parliament overwhelmingly fails to hold the executive to account. Z points to the Iraq war, a particularly egregious example in terms of its ongoing and still unknown consequences. There are plenty of examples in legislation too. The Community Charge and the first iteration of Child Support Legislation c 1992 are cases in point.

More useful work is done away from the floor of the house on the select committees. These were actually a Thatcher era innovation but it took some time for them to evolve into their current state. In the current parliament the Public Accounts Committee under Margaret Hodge, Justice under Alan Beith and Public Administration led by Bernard Jenkin (and in last Parliament Tony Wright) have done excellent work. Hodge has focussed on public expenditure. Justice and Public while the other two have ruthlessly pointed out deficiencies in ill thought out and under evidenced legislation.

Home affairs, in spite of the handicap of its Chair (Vaz) has done some impressive stuff too.

But while the Commons comprises, with a few honourable exceptions, whipped footsoldiers of whom far, far too many are on the payroll there's no chance of Ministers being held properly to account. Even now, in the dog days of the session with Liberals flexing their muscles and a resurgent tory right looking to life after Dave, the Elective Dictatorship functions largely as it ever did.

Only the Lords and the Judiciary, with the assistance of the Human Rights Act as a proxy constitution, provide some semblance of accountability.
 Messages Author Date
 Commons programme  BobbyG 7 Feb 15 22:16
 Commons programme  Stuu 7 Feb 15 22:28
 Commons programme  BobbyG 7 Feb 15 22:35
 Commons programme  Zero 7 Feb 15 22:41
 Commons programme  BobbyG 7 Feb 15 22:51
 Commons programme  Stuu 7 Feb 15 23:38
 Commons programme  CGNorwich 7 Feb 15 23:35
 Commons programme  Stuu 7 Feb 15 23:40
 Commons programme  CGNorwich 7 Feb 15 23:51
 Commons programme  BobbyG 8 Feb 15 00:35
 Commons programme  BobbyG 8 Feb 15 00:37
 Commons programme  sajid 8 Feb 15 00:50
 Commons programme  CGNorwich 8 Feb 15 10:42
 Commons programme  Stuu 8 Feb 15 00:52
 Commons programme  Armel Coussine 8 Feb 15 01:15
 Commons programme  BobbyG 8 Feb 15 01:19
 Commons programme  Stuu 8 Feb 15 10:19
 Commons programme  Zero 8 Feb 15 10:24
 Commons programme  Armel Coussine 8 Feb 15 15:03
 Commons programme  Cliff Pope 8 Feb 15 15:16
 Commons programme  Zero 8 Feb 15 15:54
 Commons programme  Bromptonaut 8 Feb 15 16:14
 Commons programme  Armel Coussine 8 Feb 15 16:43
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