Wednesday 2 June 2010

A Prime Minister's question for Douglas Carswell

Douglas Carswell, among the most enthusiastic advocates of the opportunities of new technology to enhance direct democracy, is eye-catchingly crowd-sourcing his question for David Cameron's first Prime Minister's Questions.

Carswell is an energetically engaged critic of Fabianism, so I shall offer some modest assistance by seeking to draw instead on the conservative political tradition.

So how about this?


As our new Conservative Prime Minister, does my Right Honourable friend agree that even, and perhaps especially, in the age of the internet, there is an enduring power in the democratic argument of Edmund Burke that "Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgement; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion".


Or perhaps not. And Carswell will be pleased to have over 100 other suggestions to consider.

No comments: