Power to the people right on

In the first of four papers in today's Guardian, Britain’s Conservative Party leader David Cameron sets out his vision for more transparent government in an attempt to attract voters disgusted by the row over MPs' expenses, a subject which has dominated the front pages of the British press this last fortnight.

“In media, shopping, travel, entertainment and music, we have huge choice and control,” he argues. In a bid to emulate the providers of such services that “offer us incredible service and value”, the Tory leader argues for “a massive, sweeping, radical redistribution of power.” “We must take power away from the political elite and hand it to the man and woman in the street."

This will include new restrictions on the powers of Prime Minister, notably the royal prerogative to make major decisions in the name of the monarch, and the timing of general elections. He also wishes to strengthen the hand of local government, observing that “thousands of new homes” are dumped via regional government “without a thought about…the character of your community.”