LSE website Staff & students Library Academic departments Research centres

A-Z site index | Contact | Maps | Jobs

Search the LSE website

Home Study Life at LSE Alumni Research and Business and News and Public Supporting About LSE
expertise consultancy media events LSE

Home The future for democracy: politics in a

News and media spectator society - Jack Straw MP
News speaks at LSE
Page contents > Press cuttings
News archive

The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, leader of the House of Commons, gave a public lecture at
2006
LSE on Wednesday 28June. He spoke on The Future for Democracy: politics in a
spectator society at the event that was jointly organised by LSE and the Fabian Society.

Jack Straw was appointed leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal in May
2006. Previously, he was secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs,
serving in that post from June 2001 until May 2006.

He began the lecture by stating that membership of political parties has halved since
1980, while spending by political parties has almost trebled in the same period; that
turnouts, at 84 per cent in 1950 now hover at around the 60 per cent level; and that 2001
saw the lowest turnout since 1918, 2005 the second lowest.

'Trust in politicians of all parties, never particularly high, has rarely been lower - despite
the fact that Parliament has become more, not less, effective in one of its principal
tasks, of holding the executive to account', said Mr Straw. '...In this lecture, I want to set
out what I think has happened; offer some reasons why; and then some proposals for
the way forward.'

Click here to download a transcript of The Future for Democracy: politics in a spectator
society (PDF)

Press cuttings
The Press & Journal
Political spending  (28 June 06)
Jack Straw delivered a lecture to the Fabian Society at the London School of Economics,
in which he is calling for limits to be imposed on the spending by all parties.

The Times
Parliament makes progress in holding ministers to account (28 June 06)
This article highlighting the success of Parliament in holding the Government to
account and refers to yesterday's lecture given by Jack Straw at LSE.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,17129-2248201.html 

BBC News Website

Straw urges party spending limits (28 June 06)
Commons Leader Jack Straw will warn of the dangers of politics becoming a
"spectator" sport, as he calls for limits on spending by all parties. Mr Straw, who lost his
job as foreign secretary in last month's Cabinet reshuffle, is set to outline his concerns
about the future of party politics in a Fabian Society lecture at the London School of
Economics.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5122068.stm 

The Guardian
Straw to call for spending limits (28 June 06) 

posted 29 June 2006

Copyright © LSE 2009 Freedom of information | About this site | Comment on this page | Page last updated on 16 June 2009

Use of this website is subject to, and implies acceptance of, its Terms of use (including Copyright and intellectual property, Privacy and data protection and Accessibility). The London School of
Economics and Political Science is a School of the University of London. It is a charity and is incorporated in England as a company limited by guarantee under the Companies Acts (Reg no. 70527).The
registered office address of the School is: The London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK; Tel: +44 (0)20 7405 7686