Forum Topic

Is our democracy up to scratch?

According to Twitter: Dr Rosena Allin-Khan tried to join a meeting which MPs were invited to by the Health Minister to discuss the latest COVID-19 data and measures. She couldn't because the Zoom meeting was at capacity.So is the UK government running on the free version which has a limit of 100 participants?This is so shocking I hope there is another explanation!A quick look at Zoom and it looks like the free version & Pro version have a limit of 100 participants.Business: Small & Medium / Zoom United Business plans have a limit of 300 participants.Enterprise up to 500 Participants while add-on plans such as Large Meetings include up to 500 or 1,000 Participants.https://zoom.us/pricing

Ed Robinson ● 1951d10 Comments

Michael, I watched the Labour twitter announcement on the union. I may be unfair but it looks like a vague commission with nothing set but must... and is open but must..

Ed Robinson ● 1951d

If the pudding doesn't get overcooked like that oven ready deal - but seriously the honours system is open to actual and accusations of abuse while politicians are involved. A good reason for replacing the Lords with an elected chamber, although that would mean we lose the expertise and knowledge of some life peers from non political disciplines. Perhaps an upper house or senate could have a fixed number of unelected members - every four years we could have a vote either retaining existing ones or introducing new ones from a list of nominees agreed by a selection committee?

Michael Ixer ● 1951d

David, yes; and JR-M is still trying to get Zoom working on it. Or perhaps he's still using the semaphore telegraph system the local pub was named after: tell him to climb higher to get usable bandwidth ...

Michael Ixer ● 1951d

Michael the proof will be in the pudding as they say.There were scandals regarding cash for honours when Labour was in power. Some of those same voices are now complaining about Johnson.

Ed Robinson ● 1951d

"I expect Jacob Rees Mogg doesn't want a remote Parliament because they didn't have the internet in the 19th Century so he never learnt to use it"Apparently "In 1858, The New York Times called the telegraph “superficial, sudden, unsifted, too fast for the truth”."Sounds like they may have had an Internet.

David Ainsworth ● 1951d

As I said it sounds like out incompetent government again ... I expect Jacob Rees Mogg doesn't want a remote Parliament because they didn't have the internet in the19th Century so he never learnt to use it (sounds like others don't); why would they want to modernise any aspects of Parliament when it meets the Tory agenda ... I believe Starmer does have some sort of new model with greater devolution, more of a UK federation, and a Senate replacing the HoL with elected senators from the constituent nations or regions. I must admit I haven't seen the details. 

Michael Ixer ● 1951d

Yes - I have just read that Jonathan.Do we not have a civil service and what about the speakers of the house?Not a good image for UK democracy!

Ed Robinson ● 1951d

I gather our Vaccines Czar used his personal Zoom rather than a governmental account.  Does not bode well for an end to this.

Jonathan Callaway ● 1951d

Michael it is clear that our government & civil service were not prepared for our democracy to continue with the chambers closed. But it is December now and you would have thought that they would be on top of this by now.Sadly I think that there doesn't appear to be much support for reform in the HoC.If the House of Lords numbers keep increasing they may need that Zoom Large Meetings add-on!

Ed Robinson ● 1951d

Are they using Zoom or is it a subscription conferencing run by one of their chums who's never supplied one before?Seriously, I would suggest it's just more incompetence by our unfit for purpose government - but all democracies have their limitations, don't they?

Michael Ixer ● 1951d