Public opinion matters

May 10 2008 by Our Correspondent, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

MEMBERS of Parliament are supposed to represent the views of their constituents but never seem to do so. The public has never been allowed to express its opinion on any of the really important issues of the past 50 or so years.

Consider the following: The EU; immigration; reorganisation of local authorities (into ever larger, more remote, more costly and less effective units); removal of ante-natal and maternity services to Halifax; Post Office closures; policing and education (both were better when locally-controlled); wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; Carbon dioxide taxes.

It seems to me that the ordinary man (or woman) in the street has far more wit and common-sense than the whole breed of politicians put together, yet, despite anything they touch turning to dust, they retain an utter confidence that only they can be trusted to make the “right” decision.

If democracy is to survive I think we need to use something like the system of referenda which has been so successful in Switzerland and California.

Arthur Quarmby

Holme