Democratic reform is not just a Westminster issue

Had an email from a constituent who complained that the recent blogposts hadn't said much about Leith, so just to reassure him I'm happy to report that I spent much of the weekend on constituency business.

Friday saw the restart of my weekly surgeries - as I suspected, they were very busy as it had been 4 weeks since my last ones before the election campaign. On Saturday morning, a stall with the local Labour Party in Raeburn Place, to meet people after the election and to say 'thanks!'.

After that a visit to the launch of a new project by the Edinburgh Community Backgreens Association in Leith - bringing backgreens into use, and encouraging people to 'grow their own' vegetables. A really good project, which has the potential not just to make better use of backgreens which have often fallen into disuse and sometimes the location for various types of anti-social behaviour - but also can help promote community spirit. I am sure there are many other places in Leith and North Edinburgh that could benefit from a similar project - here's a link with more details of this one - if you're interested in something in your area, I am sure the association would be happy to hear from you.

And after that, just to underline that concern about the way that Parliament and democracy operates isn't just restricted to a few people in Westminster, I was most impressed by the gathering organised at very short notice by the Edinburgh group supporting the 'Take Parliament Back' campaign. Young, enthusiastic and determined. I'd only intended to go along to show my support - but I was asked to join in and speak at the end, which I was glad to do.

And now we know....

So the answer to the last question was 'No'! I still think that the Lab/LibDem coalition would have been worth trying, although the speed with which the Tory/LibDem coalition details were announced does indeed suggest that this may have been the planned outcome from the start - and that the LibDem talks with Labour just a device to extract more from the Tories. No doubt the full story will emerge in someone's memoirs eventually - meantime, I will get down to the business of speaking up for local people in what will be a difficult period.

For the disillusioned LibDem voter, here's a link you may find interesting.

And without comment, when searching the web for Compass, the left-wing pressure group, I accidentally came across this piece about Compass, the catering giant, which apparently is expecting big things from the Con/LibDem alliance - says it all really! Have a look!

So there might be a 'progressive alliance' after all?

My post (below) two days ago was obviously a bit premature. It appears as if a Lab-LibDem agreement might be possible. It seems pretty clear that LibDem MPs, understandably frightened by the reaction from their voters to a deal with the Tories, baulked at what was being offered to them by their leaders and negotiators.

Not surprisingly, we're now seeing an outraged response from the metropolitan media who have been waiting to usher in to power David Cameron and his entourage. But the fact is that just as the electorate did not deliver a mandate to Labour, nor did it do so to the Tories - and if 60% of the electorate broadly speaking would define themselves on the 'centre-left' (although I know that terms like this drastically over-simplify the complex political make up of the country), then it is right that should be reflected in the government that is formed. That doesn't mean that the 36% who voted Tory should be ignored - their views and votes and MPs should be heard in Parliament as well - but nor does it give them a right to take power alone also.

Finally, I want to put on record my great respect and admiration for Gordon Brown. I don't think there is any politician in this country who has had to face such a campaign of vilification as he has. I have no idea what he intends to do in the future - but I hope and am sure that his immense talents, and in particular his commitment to international justice and cooperation, will be applied in another role.

PS Here's a link showing the full results in Edinburgh North & Leith, and my comments.

Is a 'progressive coalition' possible?

Two days after the general election, and it looks as if the Tories and LibDems may be coming closer to a deal on a new government. But that’s certainly not what should be happening. Although there are clearly lots of differences between Labour and the LibDems, the fact is that the stated policy positions (and more importantly, the views of many of their supporters) are much closer to Labour than the Tories. So a Lab-LibDem coalition would certainly make a lot of political sense.

I know that such an outcome would be hard for many supporters and more particularly MPs of both parties to accept. I’ve certainly no reason to be friendly to the LibDems, having been the subject of a particularly vicious and negative campaign by the LibDems in my constituency. But MPs and parties have to look to the wider interests of the country, not just their own personal interests. And the fact is that while it might be interesting to watch the LibDems tear themselves to pieces over a deal with the Tories, I am sure that what most Labour AND LibDem voters would prefer would indeed be a ‘progressive coalition’, as opposed to one led by David Cameron.

And the numbers in the Commons actually add up more favourably to achieve that than might seem the case at first sight. Of the 650 seats in the Commons, you can take away the 5 Sinn Fein MPs who do not take their seats. That means a governing coalition would require 323 for an effective majority. Labour and LibDems together have 315. Add to that the 3 SDLP MPs and 1 Alliance MP, who have links with Labour and LibDems respectively, and that makes 319 to the Tories’ 307 (if they hold the one constituency where the election has been postponed). It’s hard to see the SNP and PC – or the Green MP or Sylvia Hermon (the independent Unionist who left her party because she opposed their links to the Tories) – swinging their 11 votes behind the Tories, even if the DUP were to do so, which is by no means certain.

So there is a possibility of a Lab-LibDem coalition governing. I’m glad that Gordon Brown has recognised this and offered legislation on electoral reform. I certainly welcome that – and I hope that the LibDem leadership does not turn down an historic and perhaps never to be repeated opportunity to bring about a fairer voter system. If they do, they will be betraying not only their supporters but many others who would like to see real reforms of our outmoded political system.