Despite the hype about "a new constitutional settlement", Jack Straw's plans to change the way executive power is exercised in Britain turned out this afternoon to be a superficial squib.
The draft Constitutional Renewal Bill would give Parliament a formal say over the deployment of troops. In certain circumstances. Sometimes. Gosh. MPs might decide what sort of protests might be held in Parliament Square. Wow. (Good to know those MPs willl at least hold sway over one part of Britain.)
Westminster politics isn't working. Angry voters recognise that the political Establishment is out of touch - and that the key decisions that affect their lives are taken by remote officials, not those they elect.
Has Mr Straw offered to make the Quango State more accountable? A right of initiative? Recall? Open primaries?.... Anything at all which might make the politicians more directly accountable to the people? Nope.
Instead he talks about holding elections on Saturdays, rather than Thursdays.
