So just how is Cameron going to give power to the people?

I&R ~ GB replies at The Independent web site:
So just how is Cameron going to give power to the people?
irgb wrote:
Friday, 9 October 2009 at 10:00 am (UTC)

The Conservative Party and its leader have substantially answered the
question "how is Cameron going to give power to the people?".

In section 3.3. of the Tory green paper "Control Shift" we find "The
right of popular initiative is a feature of many political systems in
the developed world. In Switzerland, people have mechanisms for direct
democracy on almost everything from planning applications, to the
precise use of tax resources, to medical ethics. Perhaps the most famous
expression of American civic independence is in Oregon, where the system
known as “citizen initiative” was introduced as long ago as 1902.
Under the Local Government Act 2003, local councils can choose to hold
referendums on any local issue. But there is no mechanism for residents
to petition for a local referendum per se.
We will give power to residents to hold local referendums on any local
issue by legislating to ensure that a referendum is held in a local
authority area if 5 per cent of local citizens sign a petition in favour
within a six month period." UNQUOTE

The above applies to the local government level. In a recent BBC radio
broadcast David Cameron may be heard saying that the citizens' right to
initiate a referendum would also be brought in at country/state level.
(Source: BBC radio 4. Beyond Westminster: The case for replacing or
revising our system of representative democracy. September 2009).

At I&R ~ GB, the campaign for citizen-initiated referendum, for over a
decade we have advocated similar reforms, to enhance our indirect
"representative" democracy with elements of citizen participation in the
periods between elections.

(Most sincerely)

I&R ~ GB Citizens' Initiative and Referendum
Campaign for direct democracy in Britain
http://www.iniref.org/
http://www.iniref.org/steps.html Basic presentation
http://www.iniref.org/case.html The case for more democracy
http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/i-and-r.gb sign up for reform

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A REPLY TO
Steve Richards: So just how is Cameron going to give power to the people?

Friday, 9 October 2009

David Cameron's pre-election speech was almost the precise opposite of
the one delivered by Gordon Brown last week. Brown launched a battering
ram of policies, so many that his arguments were obscured. In contrast
Cameron's case was clear, but the means by which he seeks to bring about
his vision were fuzzy. (snip)
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-so-just-ho
w-is-cameron-going-to-give-power-to-the-people-1799882.html

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