Make Them Keep Their Word

It was fascinating to watch Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, and to see Gordon Brown fielding questions from all sides calling for a referendum on the Alternative Vote (AV) in British elections. What was all the more striking is how the need for change is being taken seriously by a people who have never deviated from the first-past-the-post system for their entire parliamentary history. It is quite a contrast to our own Oireachtas, where much lip-service is paid to the desirability of electoral change, but precious little effort is expended on bringing it about.

To the best of our knowledge, senior figures from all the main parties have expressed the need for change at some time during the past year. Some of them have even mused on the specific changes they would like to see, most famously, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, and his bolt-from-the-blue calling for the abolition of the Seanad.

However, now that the dust of economic collapse seems to have settled, the politicians are conspicuous by their silence. There is no more talk of political reform, instead, our politicians seem to have returned gratefully to 'business as usual'.

Kicking an undesirable demand into the long-grass is a political tactic of great antiquity. If we could go back far enough we would find Julius Caesar or Nero playing the same game. Here in Ireland, this has been brought to the level of an Olympic sport, and our leaders would surely win a gold medal. But the consequences of returning to the status quo cannot be countenanced.

If we acquiesce in the quiet strangulation by the establishment of calls for reform, we will be as guilty as those who directly profit from its demise. The constant winners since our independence in 1922 have been those who created the political system in their own image. To our cost, they are also the people who have caused economic mayhem over the years as well.

It is our contention that the multi-seat constituency, with its tendency towards localism, clientelism and parish-pump politicians, is a root cause of the political and economic failures that have punctuated the history of the Irish state. This is why we are adopting a watching brief on our politicians, to hold them to their words, and to ensure that this issue will not be allowed to disappear but will be always on the agenda.