Voter power

The "expenses" scandal shows no sign of abating - the Telegraph daily, and voters regularly (if not party activists) are bringing the subject up.

Voters are angry and frustrated. There is a sense of betrayal and injustice. But voters have shown by their unwillingness to turn out and vote that they feel alienated from the democratic process.

Could we learn from the USA?

Candidate selection is not made by a small group at a constituency general meeting, but by primary elections among aspiring candidates within each party or none. Here, there are some MPs in safe seats who would have to do something especially wicked to be unseated, so long as they continue to enjoy the majority at the constituency meeting. They have a job for life.

In many states in the US there is a the possible "recall" of 'failing' representatives, that is the right to summon a by-election. What is required is a petition signed by a percentage of voters, - the actual percentage varies from state to state from 12% to 40%.Perhaps the most famous recent case where this was exercised and subsequently led to a change in representative was California in 2003. Arnold Swarzeneger replaced Gary Davis. (California has the lowest percentage petition required, at 12%.)

The procedure is costly, but would not be exercised if the representative performed acceptably. With so much anger among UK voters now, and parties having to judge MPs who have not broken the (weakly worded) rules, perhaps a recall provision would serve to remind MPs and activists that democracy means government by the many, not by the few.

In the UK situation, if the percentage was set at 20%, then given the average size of constituency of 75,000, a petition of 15,000 would be required. This is a long way from a few die-hard disaffected grumblers.

There has been a growing movement to advocate a recall provision. In February 2008 27 Tory MPs wrote to the Daily Telegraph. Nick Clegg called for this last week-end. Last year Dan Hannan and Douglas Carswell (of "no confidence in the Speaker" fame) wrote their book, "The Plan", where they advocated primaries.

There is a website for Reselect Democracy at reselect.org, which pressures for reform. They suggest to political parties that if there were this provision it would almost certainly increase party membership!

Let Douglas Carswell have the last word, from his blog today. "If 7 out of 10 colleagues in your workplace felt they had a job for life, would your organisation be firing on all cylinders? Parliament neither."