Liberal Democrats warn of democracy crisis

3.16.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 10th May 2006

Sir Menzies Campbell

A credibility crisis is building in Britain's political institutions, says Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell. Reform of the voting system and the House of Lords were "roadblocks" to getting people more involved in democracy, said Sir Menzies. He was speaking at a conference about democracy in the wake of the local elections, when turnout was 36%. The conference was organised by the Power Commission, which recently reported on how to get people more involved with politics.

Sir Menzies announced he was setting up a new working group to look at citizenship and better government. There would also be online discussions of the Power Commission's findings. The Liberal Democrat leader said Lords and voting reform had been urgent when Labour came to power in 1997. "Failure to accord them the appropriate urgency once more will invite a crisis in the legitimacy and credibility of our institutions themselves," he said.

Sir Menzies said failure could not be tolerated. "It is 174 years since the Great Reform Act of 1832," he said. "The progress that has become the mark of our democratic society since that day has stalled. It must be reinvigorated."