F*cking Blair. F*cking Labour. F*cking politicians outright, really.

[spudtater]

I'm sure this has been on a lot of your friends lists already, but hell, it's an important issue, and needs to be spread around. The government's trying to pass a bill (The Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill) that allows them (ministers, that is) to pass laws by "order" rather than debating them with the entirety of parliament. Basically, they're trying to push "lesser politicians" — as well as anybody from a different party — out of the law-making process. Oh, sure, for now it'll only be done for a few unimportant trifles. But they're getting their foot in the door, no mistake, and soon it'll be new those new antiterrorism laws that they get so excited about. Or anything, really.

Other people are calling it the abolition of parliament and falling foul to Godwin's law. I think that while they're getting slightly hysterical, they are at least clearly seeing the potential danger of this bill.

I have already used WriteToThem.com to write to my local MP. I suggest you do the same. Unfortunately, my local MP is Alistair F*cking Darling, but hell, nobody can say I didn't ask.

Dear Alistair Darling,

My attention has recently drawn to the "Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill" that is being debated at the moment. I have to say that I am appalled that such a piece of legislation has even been considered. This is something that would drastically reduce the power of parliament. The participation of every member of parliament -- not just ministers -- in crafting policy is at the heart of democracy in this country. A single chance for parliament to annul an order is not by any means sufficient; the due process of debate, amendment and multiple readings must be maintained for every piece of legislation.

In short, I think that this bill would be disastrous for the democratic process, and I strongly urge you to withdraw your support for it.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Panayotopoulos

Comments

[xquiq.livejournal.com]

Well said: I shall be doing likewise.

This issue is getting nowhere near the coverage it deserves.

[lucyjin.livejournal.com]

Hope you don't mind, I've linked you on this. I'm SO writing to my MP, but I'm not a great response from her either.. =.=

[spudtater.livejournal.com]

No, by all means link away.
Good luck with the letter. If nothing else, it shows we're not apathetic. (And who knows; your MP isn't a minister, so she just might rebel on this one... unlikely, but possible.)

[markadm.livejournal.com]

Glad to see someone else has noticed it.

It really is a travesty. I mean, I'm okay with ministers making legislation (small correction to yours, see: they do it every day), but only within the powers already granted by Parliament.

[peony-pink.livejournal.com]

This... doooesn't really seem like good news. :| I don't know if it's anything to get hysterical about or not, but it strikes me that if they were going to try anything like this they'd have all their top guys on it to attempt to make it the quietest, apparently least threatening thing to man. So it shouldn't just be brushed under the carpet, certainly.

My MP is Clare Short, so as far as the chances of my MP rebelling go... XD We all know how much Ms Short loves Blair and his stunts. >_>;

(*is Lucy's sister, in case you were wondering*)

The Resistance Grows

[rightlinks.livejournal.com]

We have been banging on about this for about a month, trying to get people to write to their MPs. Judging by technorati's stats, the resistance is growing.

http://rightlinks.co.uk/linked/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=6

[spudtater.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... yet another case of Labour being criticised from both left and right, then.