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UKSovereignty

OneargumentcitedforBrexitisthattheUKparliamentwillonceagainbecomeabsolutelysovereign.Nolongerwillitbesubjecttolawsdictatedbyunelectedoverseasofficials.TheargumentisbuttressedbytheassurancethatanybadlawsimposedbyaUKgovernmentcanberescindedfollowingageneralelectionthatthrowsoutthescoundrelsresponsibleforthoselaws.

Butthereareatleastfivegroundsforconsideringthecitedargumenttobeeithernaiveordisingenuous:

1.Absolutenationalsovereigntyisanillusioninanetworkedandglobalizedworld:

1.1TheUKisasignatorytonumeroustreatiesnegotiatedwithoverseasbodies,andthesetreatiesoftenmakeseriousinroadsintoUKnationalsovereignty.

1.2Numerousinternationalnorms,suchasprinciplesconcerninghumanrights,applytotheconductofaUKgovernmentwhetherthatgovernmentlikesitornot.

1.3Inaworldincreasinglydominatedbyglobalnetworksandservices,anyattempttoisolatetheUKfromthepoliticalbenefitsofnewtechnologyrunstheriskofdoingmoreharmthangood.

2.TheabsolutesovereigntydesiredbymanyMPsneednotbegoodforUKvoters:

2.1ManyMPswillwantitbecauseitfeelslikethrowingofftheirchainsandbeingfreetodowhatevertheylike,forgettingthatabsolutepowerbreedsabsolutecorruption.

2.2TheBritishsystemofgovernmentamountstoaparliamentarydictatorship.Truedemocracywouldrequiremuchmoreresponsivenesstochangingpressuresfromthepublic,forexamplebygivingthemmorethanonebinaryvoteeveryfiveyears.

2.3AnabsolutelysovereignUKgovernmentwouldbehardtodeflectfromitschosencoursebyanythingshortofacrisis.Thepublicmayreasonablypreferalessdrasticmeansofrestraint.

3.ThechecksandbalancesonasovereignUKparliamentareinadequate:

3.1Incontrasttothesituationinotherdemocracies,thesecondchamberintheBritishsystem,theHouseofLords,isnotaneffectivebrakeonthefirst,theHouseofCommons.TheprocessofnominatingLordshasbeenabusedforyears,withtheresultthatmanyLordsarepoliticalappointees.Thisresultiscitedtoblockmovestogivethemmorepowersofrestraint.Sooutdatedlimitsremainontheirpowersbecausethesystemisseenasnotfitforpurpose.

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3.2TheotherconstitutionalbrakeonthepoweroftheCommonsistheMonarch,whoisnominallythelocusofabsolutesovereignty.LiketheLords,theMonarchisseenasnotfitforthepurposeofinterveninginthedetailsofparliamentarybusiness.

3.3TheUKlacksawrittenconstitution.Disputesthatcouldotherwisebesettledclearlyareofteneitherfudged,settledbyquietagreementsamonginsiders,ormanipulatedbythegovernmenttosuititsownagenda.

4.TheelectoralsystemintheUKislessdemocraticthanitmightseem:

4.1ParliamentaryconstituencieseachelectoneMPbymeansofasimplemajority.Allothercandidatesarerejected.Ahistoricalmajorityforamajorpartyinaconstituencycanpersistfordecades,effectivelydisenfranchisinglocalminorities.Minoritypartieswithlargeproportionsofthenationalvotecanbepermanentlyexcludedfromparliament.

4.2Theprescribedfrequencyofgeneralelectionsisonceeveryfiveyears.Agovernmentelectedonitsmanifestopledgescanusechangingcircumstancestoadoptnewpriorities,whichneedneverbeputtoapopularvote.

4.3ElectedMPsarenotboundtodowhattheypromise.ThepublicelectsMPsontheunderstandingthatonceinpowertheyexercisetheirownjudgementratherthanfollowpopularopiniondirectly.Suchrepresentativedemocracyallowsagovernmenttogoitsownway,ifitsochooses,foryearsindefianceofpublicopinion.

5.Britishpeopledeservesomethingbetterthanasovereignpolity:

5.1BritishpeopleinthepastwereproudtoserveKingorQueenandcountry,butthosedaysarelongpastinaglobalizedworld,sincehistoryshowsthatsuchpridehasoftenincreasedbelligerenceininternationalrelations.

5.2AsovereignpolitywouldexacerbateEnglishlinguisticisolationism.Anopensocietyrequiresaninformedappreciationoftheculturalheritagetransmittedthroughotherlanguages.Anislandnationneedstomakeanextraefforthere.

5.3Britishpeopledeserveapolitythatmeshesbetterwithglobalbestpractice.

AllthesearegroundsfordoubtingthewisdomofgrantingabsolutesovereigntytotheWestminsterparliament.ThepeopleoftheBritishIslesarebetteroffwithasystemthatsucceedsinrisingabovetheisolationoftheirgeographiclocation.Theycannotaffordtherisksofanabsolutelysovereignparliamentarydictatorship.

AndyRoss

24October2016