Tory councils told; 'Say no to Labour'

This lead story in today's Guardian informs us that Tory local authorities have been told by the Conservative local government spokesperson, the undesirable Eric Pickles, not to cooperate with the 'Labour' government when they don't consider it to be in the interests of their local communities to do so. Of course, the Tories are off on another of their 'small central government-local democracy' propaganda jaunts again. We all know that they, as much as Blue Labour, are responsible for reducing the control that working class people have over their own lives.

Apart from the constitutional problem, as between local and national government, this does raise a more general issue of political legitimacy. Gordon Brown was effectively elected Prime Minister by the Parliamentary Labour Party alone. Labour Party members in the country were denied a vote by the careerists of the PLP, as were all other members of the body politic. As long as he commands a majority in the Commons, Brown is, apparently, entitled to remain as head of government until the final due date for the next general election.

Of course, the present government did not have an overall majority of the electorate vote for it at the last general election. Far from it. 

The constitutional situation in this country is far from satisfactory, in my view. We need a written constitution, with a bill of rights. We also need electoral reform. I favour the Single Transferable Vote in multi-member constituencies. I also support fixed term parliaments, with a constituency procedure to recall members and a limitation on MP's term of service to ten years and a wage fixed at the national average for full-time employment.

There is also an important issue around democratic control at work. The democratic process should surely extend beyond a narrow definition of politics, to all aspects of citizens lives. We are not slaves.