The brutal fact is that the reputation of parliament is at rock bottom. There has long been an undercurrent of discontent driven by the public's sense of powerlessness, a belief that politicians are all the same and a feeling that parliament is old-fashioned, remote and ineffective. This discontent has been reflected in lower turnouts, a shift from party activity to involvement in single issue campaigns and the rise of fringe parties, including dangerous extremists.
Now disengagement from politics and indifference to what we do have given way to outright public ridicule, scorn and contempt. The tidal wave of devastating disclosures about expenses has horrified the public. Massive damage has been done. Only the most decisive action now to bring about permanent change for the better will enable us to restore trust in our probity.
This is quite apart from the wider mission to reform parliament and reconnect with the public. So the next Speaker faces an unprecedented challenge – to help clean up politics, to place parliament at the centre of an effective democracy and to build a relationship of mutual respect with the electorate.
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