The Ideas Factory is a chance for you to pitch your own idea of what should be in the next Liberal Democrat manifesto. The proposal here is not the policy of the Social Liberal Forum. We will however be passing it – and the response it generates – onto the Manifesto Working Group.
The Proposal
Thomas Hemsley: As part of a wider effort in strenghtening select committees (through allowing members to be elected by the Commons/Lords themselves) and democratising the second chamber, I feel we should look into having US-style ratifications for government appointees.
These ratifications would not be for ministers, but for members and heads of QUANGOs/NDPBs. So, for example, ratifications would be held for the Director General of the BBC, as well as the Chairman of the Trust and its members, and would be done so by the second chamber’s DCMS committee.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Environment Agency would be ratified by the second chamber’s DEFRA committee. I feel this would increase accountability over the executive and allow the second chamber a key role in scrutinising the Govt. Continue reading →