Sir, – Following details of the survey indicating that 74 per cent of Fine Gael TDs want the parliamentary whip system relaxed for some votes (January 13th), it should be immediately agreed upon by the Government parties that they will permit one-line and two-line votes on a number of issues before the next election, thus replicating the long-established and well-understood model operating in the British House of Commons.
For example, a minister who chooses to defy a two-line whip on a government vote would not retain a place in cabinet – while the effective consequences for a government backbencher would not be as severe.
Either way, in both circumstances, the relevant member of parliament defying a two-line whip would retain his or her associated membership of the given parliamentary party.
The public would like to see evidence of substantial political reform along these lines. The Opposition parties should also recognise this obvious sentiment and also indicate that they too will respect this by loosening their own intra-party whip instructions on the same basis. – Yours, etc,
JOHN KENNEDY,
Goatstown,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – A person elected to the parliament or national assembly of a democracy is there to represent the voters in that person’s constituency. Yes, they are a member of a party; however the party exists as a mechanism to aid citizens place an elected representative in the decision-making chamber of the nation. The elected official’s primary duty is to represent the voters, and secondarily the party.
Democracy is messy, disorderly and haphazard at the best of times. Imposing a form of strict party obedience on elected officials risks making government stagnant, sterile and estranged from the nation’s population. – Yours, etc,
DAN DONOVAN,
Dungarvan,
Co Waterford.