GB: Can a vote make a difference, I believe it can
I think Mary is saying can a vote make a difference? I believe it can. Yes, we will give the right of recall, so if you don't like an MP for being corrupt and parliament doesn't take any action, then you can remove him. Yes, we will give you a right to put petitions to the House of Commons so they have to be debated if you put them in sufficient number to do so. Yes, we want a referendum on the future of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and you, the people, should have a vote on a new voting system for the House of Commons, and ending the hereditary principle in the House of Lords, and making it for the first time elected and accountable. But you know your vote matters as well, because this is a big choice election. We've got to secure the recovery, and it's put at risk by Conservative policies. We've got to make sure we have decent public service, and that's put at risk by Conservative policies. We've got to build the jobs of the future, and that's put at at risk actually by the policies of both parties here this evening. So your vote matters. Please use it. It is the most important and decisive election for years because our future depends on how you vote in the next few weeks.

Mary, let me just say, I was ashamed by the behaviour of some of the MPs in the House of Commons. What they did was completely unacceptable. And no punishment is too great for them, if they have to go before the courts and answer for their crimes. We have to be very clear, we want nobody standing at this election who is not transparent and open about what they are doing. Anyone who breaches the guidelines we've now laid down, the Independent Standards Authority, should be thrown out of the House of Commons and indeed out the House of Lords if they are member there as well. I was talking to young people only yesterday and talking about politics, if you ask the question, politics don't make a difference? People would probably say, yes. But if you then ask the question, ah, but my job may depend on decisions that are made by government, then people say, ah, I might be interested. People then say my health service may depend on how much resources Government is prepared to invest in the health service, then people say, yes, politics may make a difference. And then when you ask about crime And it depends on how many policemen are on the street, then it makes a difference. And if you ask about schools and what the standard of your schools are, and how you are investing for the future, that makes a difference, too.

CONTEXT(Help)
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Visualizing the Prime Ministerial Debates »Visualizing the Prime Ministerial Debates
Domestic questions »Domestic questions
E. How do you plan to restore faith in politics? »E. How do you plan to restore faith in politics?
GB: Can a vote make a difference, I believe it can
MPs should work full-time for constituents - and not have second jobs »MPs should work full-time for constituents - and not have second jobs
Referenda on the future of the Houses of Commons and Lords »Referenda on the future of the Houses of Commons and Lords
Right to put petitions to the House of Commons for debate »Right to put petitions to the House of Commons for debate
Your vote matters in this big choice election as well »Your vote matters in this big choice election as well
Right of recall to remove corrupt MPs »Right of recall to remove corrupt MPs
Gordon Brown (Domestic) »Gordon Brown (Domestic)
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