Heard of 'Referism' Douglas?

Douglas Carswell refers to what is quite a good piece by Quentin Letts in the Spectator on the level of power held by Whitehall mandarins. Making the point that if the same technocratic mandarins that Labour had in charge are still in charge, then the same technocratic approach to policy will remain; he then asks what can be done to rectify the problem.


Needless to say, in answering his own question, Douglas Carswell trots out part of 'The Plan' by calling for Select Committee hearings which would result in confirmation (or not) of their appointment and approval (or not) of their budget. In other words Carswell proposes to continue the situation whereby politicians decide how much we, taxpayers, should pay - and in so doing, puts on the process what he hopes qualifies as transparency coupled with what he hopes is an element of democracy in that we would see and hear the proceedings. Being part of the Westminster Bubble, Carswell may well ponder what the 0.15% voting share brings him as a backbencher, where the decisions by government are concerned, but the least he could do is acknowledge that it is 0.15% more than we, the electorate, have.


Before coming out with his faux arguments about his visions of democracy, perhaps Douglas Carswell should Google 'Referism' - after all if he wants democracy then he has to remember it is our bloody money his is dealing with!