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Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
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Brown pushes parliament reform
Source: Agencies |
June 11, 2009, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
BRITISH Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged yesterday to move quickly to create an independent body to supervise a parliament that has been tarnished by a scandal over politicians' expenses.
Brown was speaking in parliament for the first time since stamping out calls to quit in the wake of disastrous European and local elections last week.
The government will make proposals on reforms to Britain's first-past-the-post electoral system and will push ahead with reforming the unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords, Brown said.
He promised that all past and future expenses of all members of parliaments will be published on the Internet.
"All of us have the humility to accept that public confidence has been shaken and the battered reputation of this institution cannot be repaired without fundamental change," the prime minister said.
Brown said the government would put forward legislative proposals before parliament begins its summer break on July 21 to move from parliament's traditional system of self-regulation to independent regulation.
Opposition leader David Cameron dismissed the plans as a "sorry attempt to distract attention" from the government's problems.
Brown's Labour party was destined to lose a general election long before the political turmoil of the past week and a convincing Conservative victory would be the best outcome for markets, a Reuters poll found.
A new parliamentary standards authority will be set up to regulate the system of politicians' allowances, which newspaper disclosures suggest has been abused by some politicians from all the major parties.
Parliament will be asked to approve a statutory code of conduct for all members of parliament, Brown said.
Brown was speaking in parliament for the first time since stamping out calls to quit in the wake of disastrous European and local elections last week.
The government will make proposals on reforms to Britain's first-past-the-post electoral system and will push ahead with reforming the unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords, Brown said.
He promised that all past and future expenses of all members of parliaments will be published on the Internet.
"All of us have the humility to accept that public confidence has been shaken and the battered reputation of this institution cannot be repaired without fundamental change," the prime minister said.
Brown said the government would put forward legislative proposals before parliament begins its summer break on July 21 to move from parliament's traditional system of self-regulation to independent regulation.
Opposition leader David Cameron dismissed the plans as a "sorry attempt to distract attention" from the government's problems.
Brown's Labour party was destined to lose a general election long before the political turmoil of the past week and a convincing Conservative victory would be the best outcome for markets, a Reuters poll found.
A new parliamentary standards authority will be set up to regulate the system of politicians' allowances, which newspaper disclosures suggest has been abused by some politicians from all the major parties.
Parliament will be asked to approve a statutory code of conduct for all members of parliament, Brown said.
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