Governance of Britain

The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Michael Wills MP, Minister of State visited Leicester on 10 December 2007 to talk to the local community about how our country is run. Michael Wills MP has responded with an article on the outcomes of the day:   

It was a freezing December morning in Leicester, but as I walked around the city centre and market area with local MPs, Patricia Hewitt and Sir Peter Soulsby, people did stop and talk to us. The event was the start of a process of listening to people about how they want our democracy to work better.Leicester was keen to share its views: 

“Why can’t you make the Parliament Channel interactive so you can hear what I’m saying when I shout at you lot on the television?”

“You politicians never listen to us” 

 “You say voting empowers me. I don’t feel empowered when I go to the ballot box. I don’t feel I have a proper choice”  

‘‘MPs stay too long in Parliament. The same person shouldn’t be re-elected over and over again - like Jacques Chirac.”

Out of the cold, the event in the Athena cinema complex began, as several young people from local schools and community organisations posed questions to me, Jack Straw, and their local MPs. Determined to get answers from the panel, their questions, roved from votes at 16 to language requirements for overseas spouses, the alliance with the United States, and much else.

Next it was the turn of members of the public, some invited and others who had seen the advertisement in the local paper or picked up flyers on the streets, to put their questions to us. Over 100 people filled the auditorium for a chance to have their say. A number of key issues began to emerge from the line of questioning. People were suspicious about politicians consulting. They felt they weren’t genuine and consultations were designed to pacify, politicians having already decided on a predetermined outcome. People felt they needed to know they were being listened to and politicians needed to be clear what the purpose of any consultation was and how contributions would be used. People needed to know that what they did would make a difference.

Some said politicians were poor at communicating. Keep it simple, we were told, language matters. Several participants thought that there was a lack of direct connection with people. Local government, for example, spent too much time listening to community leaders not the community as a whole. Nationally, it was felt politics was too centred on London. Parliament and the Cabinet, it was suggested, should hold sessions round the country. There was also a lot of concern expressed about the effective disfranchisement of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.

During discussion workshops, representatives from the local community - including councillors, members of various faith groups and local businesses - debated the same questions we had put to people on the city’s streets. Communication and contact with local MPs and the need for honesty and transparency were constant themes. Many also cited examples of local community schemes making a difference to people in their area, which they felt Westminster could learn from. Key discussion themes (pdf 46kb)

The event in Leicester told us a lot about the way that people want to be involved in discussions on issues that affect them. People wanted the chance to have this kind of direct contact with MPs away from Parliament. And we will do more of these events, as the Governance of Britain programme, launched by Gordon Brown last July, gets fully under way this year. The event was the start of a consultation that, we believe, should be as intensive and extensive as possible and will shape the future of our democracy for years ahead. Video footage from the day.

If you were not able to be in Leicester, you can get involved in our discussions in a number of ways. In the next few months we will be announcing further events across the country, to discuss our proposals for a British Statement of Values and our wider work on public engagement. This site will provide details of future events, consultations and opportunities to participate in the debate online. You can also contact us directly by email.