London Working Group Notes: A People’s Parliament

John McDonnell MP introduced the Working Group

• Digital democracy – for elderly especially

Corruption & accountability

• Everyone is doing it (not just Rifkind & Straw)
• Conflict of interests
• Corporate capture of Parliament
• What sort of representative democracy do we want?
• There should be no career politicians
• Right of recall fundamental
• Democratise the media and education

How did we get to where we are now?

• Labour Party once a coalition of social democracy and socialists and unions. But now has become corporatised. System has corrupting influence on new MPs. It is a facilitator of capitalism. The very structure of the building has an intimidating and corrupting influence – Shut it Down!
• All gains made under social democracy are now being rolled back.
• Assemblies are fantastic but so much more potential out there.
• Local government cut by 40%