Who Wants The Abolition Of Parliament Bill?

[Goat]

Off topic I know but worth the wider audience of the main forum.

Article about probably the most dangerous, terrifing, sinister piece of legislation proposed in this country in at least the last 200 years, forget ID cards, terrorism, school/NHS reform try this:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,6-2049791,00.html

To summarise, the effect of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill is to empower ministers to make or alter any law without reference to parliament. That includes potentially the ability for ministers to abolish parliament and transfer all legaslative power to themselves.

If this article is true it is scarcely believable.

[SarahBell]

Have read about it elsewhere. Nasty. but what else could you expect from the nulab.

[BuyingBear]

Indeed, why bother with troublesome primary legislation when you can just use a statutory instrument. This will affect ID Cards too, technically they will not be made 'officially' compulsory until later approved by Parliament.

Always be mindful of those with an authoritarian bent, regardless of the hue of the government.

[john_d_uk]

Indeed, why bother with troublesome primary legislation when you can just use a statutory instrument. This will affect ID Cards too, technically they will not be made 'officially' compulsory until later approved by Parliament.

Always be mindful of those with an authoritarian bent, regardless of the hue of the government.

Truly horrific, if true, and any press article, whether one agrees with it or not, should be taken with a pinch of salt IMO. This is the stuff of nightmares. The bill its self seems to be able to be modified as well once passed, ie. the caveats imposed can be proposed away without recourse to parliament.

Adolf Hitler had nothing on the potential of this government to destroy the UK as a living democracy.

Last one out turn off the lights please.

[Goat]

Last one out turn off the lights please.

Using the new legislation the government will ban emigration by anybody under 50 to protect the NHS etc.

[classixuk]

And make minimum wage £100K per year so that everybody can afford to buy at 2004 prices, thus avoiding the HPC happening in Gordon's back yard!

[BoredTrainBuilder]

As usual on HPC you are being far too negative to the government's brave and bold efforts to reform the legislative process to make it more efficient. At present, thanks to endless democratic debate and the interventions of voracious self-interest groups legislation can be stuck in the parliamentary process for years and even then emerge in bastardised form after being hacked around by bolshie backbenchers and unrepresentative Lords. In fact I'm disappointed that the government haven't taken the next logical step which is simply to elect an new people.

[BuyingBear]

Truly horrific, if true, and any press article, whether one agrees with it or not, should be taken with a pinch of salt IMO. This is the stuff of nightmares. The bill its self seems to be able to be modified as well once passed, ie. the caveats imposed can be proposed away without recourse to parliament.

This has been used before to a limited degree, but of course this new bill means they can adjust any troublesome legislation rather than just clearing the way for a specific new law.

"Reformative powers were put in place in the Electronic Communications Act 2000 to allow the modification of any law that went against the Act; it was designed to be used by the DTI to allow Internet-based publishing of annual reports and the like, amongst other measures. A more significant use of "Henry VIII powers" was the Regulatory Reform Act 2001, which provides for affirmative route Statutory Instruments to modify any legislation older than two years"

Edited February 21, 2006 by BuyingBear

[Goat]

This has been used before to a limited degree, but of course this new bill means they can adjust any troublesome legislation rather than just clearing the way for a specific new law.

In the past ministers have been authorised to make legislation by statutory instrument in specific cases where authorised to do so by an act of parliament. This new legislation appears to permit ministers to make any legislation they see fit by statutory instrument.

For example, the recent close votes on things such as smoking, glorifying terrorism, together with upcoming parliamentary battles on schools reform would not happen.

The current situation is bad enough as it is, with Tony Bliar forcing through badly thought out legislation using his still very large majority. At least the commons and lords give it some scruitiny and weed out some of the more idiotic ideas.

Under this new system any old crackpot ministerial scheme can become the law in a matter of weeks simply by passing an order. Do we really want Prescott able to push through his idiotic ideas with no checks or balances?