GORDON ATTACKS GORDON

GORDON Henderson has written to new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and challenged him to make good his promise to make the Government more accountable to its citizens.

In a speech this week Mr Brown told Parliament that the thrust of his proposed changes to the constitution were all about “devolving more power directly to the people”.

Gordon Henderson said:

‘I am willing to take the words of our new Prime Minister at face value, so I have written to him and asked him to demonstrate his sincerity by turning those words into action.

‘I say to Mr Brown that if he is really serious about returning power to the people, rather than simply saying the words as a cosmetic exercise designed to gain some temporary political advantage, he should take the following steps.

‘Firstly he should hold an immediate referendum on the recent European Union amending treaty, which is a European Constitution in everything but name, to let the British people decide if it should be ratified.

‘Secondly, he should allow the English a referendum on whether they would like their own parliament, or, whether they would like to limit to MP's with English constituencies a vote on matters relating only to England. I really cannot see that such a referendum should be a problem for Mr Brown, because he was a member of the Labour Government that allowed the Scots and the Welsh a referendum about how they should be governed!

‘Lastly, Mr Brown should call a General Election so that the British people can decide who they want as their Prime Minister. That is real democracy at work!

‘If Mr Brown refuses these requests, then his fine words about democracy and making Parliament accountable to the People is just so much hogwash.’
….ends….