Andrew Sparrow in the Grauniad gives some more flesh on parts of the Cameron interview that I forgot or left out yesterday. I had forgotten the resolution to give more free votes on non-menifesto commitments but, as James Forsyth relates in Coffee House, the Tory leader gets it, on Europe and rebalancing Parliament versus the executive.:
He went on: "I think that behind the anger about expenses, there's also a deeper concern about the whole of the way our politics and our parliament works. People feel, 'hold on, I elect these MPs, they go to parliament'. They're then told by the whips how to vote, rather than voting according to their conscience. Parliament passes far too many laws, scrutinises them appallingly badly. The select committees are chaired by people who've been placed there by the whips and the prime minister rather than elected. You know they've given power to the judges, on the one hand, and Europe on the other and the whole thing, frankly, is not in my control. That's what people, I think, are angry about. They want more control over their politics and their politicians."
This is not a revelatory moment where all reformers can sing, dance and consider their job done. It is a positive first step, and reinforces the suspicion that Cemron will re-open the book on Europe. Follow Labour's route and become a cypher politician or start returning power to us.