Which of the following changes, if any, to the UK’s political system would make a positive difference for you?

Dissolve the "union" that way We decide where our money,electricity and the latest thing they want to nick...our water ,goes .We also get to decide how to run our country that is being ruled by tories that we haven't voted for in any great number since 1955 ...YES that IS nineteen fifty five !

paddyann54

Dissolve the "union" that way We decide where our money,electricity and the latest thing they want to nick...our water ,goes .We also get to decide how to run our country that is being ruled by tories that we haven't voted for in any great number since 1955 ...YES that IS nineteen fifty five !

Do you think some the Westminster issues wouldn’t also apply in Scotland if you were independent paddyann54? I do, I think they are endemic in our current political systems throughout the UK to a greater or lesser degree, so it would be good to hear your other thoughts, not just the Scotland independence one.
DaisyAnne I’m in a quandary about the question - what would make a positive difference for me, because some of the issues mentioned are likely to have a much more immediate and direct impact than others, and are more feasible to implement.
I think right now my priorities would be to shift more power from Westminster to local councils and the other nations, and to introduce strict new rules to stamp out sleaze and cronyism at Westminster. So numbers 3&4.

All of the above

Sorry, it all needs to happen

I went for (1) as my first as I doubt we can do any of the others without it.

I then havered over 2 & 3. I don't think we can do everything at once. I, therefore, tried to think what steps would make things happen. I went for 2. However, that was predicated on my wish for an English Parliament with the Lords being an elected second chamber for all the UK countries. I could have gone for 3 though as it would/could be the makings of an English parliament. Having said that, the representation might have to be at Mayoral Combined Authority Level to keep the numbers down.

1 and 5 for me.

The reason I didn't go for an elected upper house is that I saw an elected upper house in action when I lived in Australia. It was basically just a clone of the lower house. That doesn't mean I don't want reform of the Lords, but an appointed chamber, maybe?

(DaisyAnne I don't think you havered - swithered maybe )

All of the above except giving more power to local councils but I think the most important thing is to create a qualification bar for becoming an MP and thus Minister. By qualification I mean some kind of ability and honesty test. Difficult, I know, but unless we improve the standard of government the country will be in deep sh*t for years. Wearing Eton or the local Comprehensive as a badge of worth is worthless. And political parties need to get their own houses in order and stop fighting among themselves like cats in a bag.

1 is first my choice.

I'd like all of the rest and I'm finding it hard to choose just one more

1 & 3 for me. The present system doesn't work for the majority of people.

Probably all of the above.

I was having a similar ish conversation at lunch: apparently (I'm nobbut a newbie) our local M.P. is very highly thought of as someone with genuine concern for local people. Come the GE, he sounds like someone I could cheerfully vote for.
Unfortunately, he's a Tory, and I could not cheerfully vote for that party to be back in power. I'm perfectly sure it works with other parties too.

I know too little about political structures and processes to know what system would allow for the voting for local MPs Not automatically leading to their party being in overall charge of the country.

I also begin to think that Prime Ministers might be better elected as an independent process, and for it not just to be the leader of the winning party.

I would choose PR a written constitution
And Abolish the monarchy as monarchy is there for politicians and Royals not for the people. An Elected Head of State a proper democracy not backward Britain

(DaisyAnne I don't think you havered - swithered maybe smile)

You are very kind volver, but in my head, I was twittering like an elderly lady in a costume drama and going from one to the other and back again. Swithering would have been much more direct, I feel.

1 and 4 for me.

I would also like to see the Expenses Code revisited and revised so that the Gravy Train (which I'm sure attracts too many otherwise unsuitable people to enter politics) ceases to exist.

Thus we would be represented by conviction politicians not chancers and wide boys/girls.

As for devolving more power to local authorities, ours does not convince me that this would be a good move.

Ailidh

Probably all of the above.

I was having a similar ish conversation at lunch: apparently (I'm nobbut a newbie) our local M.P. is very highly thought of as someone with genuine concern for local people. Come the GE, he sounds like someone I could cheerfully vote for.
Unfortunately, he's a Tory, and I could not cheerfully vote for that party to be back in power. I'm perfectly sure it works with other parties too.

I know too little about political structures and processes to know what system would allow for the voting for local MPs Not automatically leading to their party being in overall charge of the country.

I also begin to think that Prime Ministers might be better elected as an independent process, and for it not just to be the leader of the winning party.

Listening to one of Rory Stewart’s podcasts he pointed out that there’s no point in checking out a Conservative MP’s voting record to see what they’re really like because Conservatives have to follow the party line regardless of how it might affect people. I found that quite interesting, especially since Tom Tugendhat is now openly supporting Truss and I thought he was a decent person. Going back to the OP I think we need all 5 although the HOL’s has been holding the government to account over the past few years. The sad thing is most things were working quite well until the Conservatives won the election12 years ago and started to ignore the things that enabled an unwritten constitution work.

Numbers 4 and 5 for me please DaisyAnn

Number one.
Reservations about number three as
a) so many things need to be done nationally, not by a post code lottery
b) unless local authorities are given more funding they will be limited in what they can do.

No one can become a MP unless they have done at least a term as a local Councillor.

Visgir1

No one can become a MP unless they have done at least a term as a local Councillor.

I'm not sure that's true....

volver

Visgir1

No one can become a MP unless they have done at least a term as a local Councillor.

I'm not sure that's true....

You’re right volver, you don’t. This made me laugh, I looked it up and there’s a ‘how to become an MP* on the government careers website. All you really need is enough people to believe you can do it and vote for you.
nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/mp

I just despair..

1 and 5.
If I had to choose just one, it would be 5.

Casdon

volver

Visgir1

No one can become a MP unless they have done at least a term as a local Councillor.

I'm not sure that's true....

You’re right volver, you don’t. This made me laugh, I looked it up and there’s a ‘how to become an MP* on the government careers website. All you really need is enough people to believe you can do it and vote for you.
nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/mp

I read it as visgirl making a suggestion for improving the quality of MPs in the future; not stating what doesn't happens now.

I'd go for 1, as most people have and am pondering over 3 and 4.

It was Thatcher who centralised so much of local authority functions and really took decision making away from the people who knew best what their local community needed. Historically local authorities have been responsible for improvements in infrastructure and services and more directly accountable to their electors. I think that's a good thing.

OTOH the conduct of MPs and PMs needs radical reform...

without a doubt, number 1