After the MPs’ expenses scandal and a series of disputes over donations, reform of the political system is high on the agenda at Westminster. All the parties fought the election promising to clean up politics, with different proposals for changing Parliament, the voting system and party funding.
David Cameron has promised to fix Britain’s “broken politics” as well as its “broken society”. Nick Clegg said that he intended to force through the biggest shake-up in our democracy since the Great Reform Act of 1832. This was hyperbolic but the coalition Government does have a wide-ranging programme for constitutional reform.
Included in the agreement drawn up between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are plans to hold a referendum on changing the voting system for Commons elections, reduce the number of MPs and reform the House of Lords, as well as proposals to give constituents the power to fire their MP, limit political donations and establish fixed-term Parliaments.
For Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg political reform is a cheap way of appearing radical, but this is also the area with the greatest potential to break apart the coalition. The Lib Dems have always been more interested in constitutional issues than the Tories. The Prime Minister agreed to a referendum on the alternative vote system — under which voters mark candidates in order of preference — so that the Liberal Democrats would sign up to a deal. But he doesn’t agree with the proposed reform and Conservative backbenchers are already preparing a “no” campaign for the referendum. There is also a revolt on the Conservative backbenches about a government plan to ensure that Parliament can be dissolved only if 55 per cent of MPs agree.
The tensions that are already emerging over the Budget will almost certainly be exacerbated by disagreements over the speed and scope of constitutional change. Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg hope that political reform will help them to reconnect with voters — but it could also make their parties lose touch with each other.