Snapping back

@LabourList Editorial

Every now and then, there is a point in political history where apathy becomes restlessness. It happens almost in an instant, and it is no coincidence: it is the result of the unchecked abuses of complacent power.

The MPs’ expenses saga is that latest Marie-Antoinette moment. The elastic of political ambivalence has snapped back with a new ferocity and until something bold and tangible is done, that backlash will be relentless and increasingly stinging. More heads were toppled yesterday and there will doubtless be more to fall and further electoral misery for our mainstream political parties.

But make no mistake; this is a rare opportunity for the sort of bold reform that our democracy has long craved. All of a sudden, politics has swept into the national consciousness and connections are being drawn between the actions and inactions of Parliament and the experience of our everyday lives. People want their voices heard, and they are hungry for a new, more empowering and more accountable political system. It is evident in the streets and pubs: as ordinary working people watch the European Cup Final or commute to work, they are mindful of the urgent and pressing matters in hand that have become fundamental to our collective well-being.

It is disappointing, then, that while the Guardian has featured thinking from opposition leaders this week, the Labour leadership – Alan Johnson and Ed Miliband aside – has been quiet on the most pressing democratic issue of our time. While there is certainly political capital to be gained from positioning as populist reformers, it is too cynical to suggest that David Cameron and Nick Clegg are merely playing politics with our democracy. To say that they care about our futures any less than us, purely because we disagree on many matters, is to ignore the cross-party consensus this crisis demands.

What is certain is that 12 years of a Labour government have not brought about the type of constitutional or Parliamentary reform that many expected. But the opportunity is now ripe and the arguments have never been more compelling.

Gordon, this is not a partisan issue. You have a popular mandate on sweeping reforms and together with the other parties you can achieve a lasting success for your party and your country. But you must wield the sword of meaningful change, and you must do it now.

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