You can see some fairly balanced information about this issue on a Guardian blog:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/sep/23/cuadrilla-shale-gas-uk-energy 

You can see some fairly balanced information about this issue on a Guardian blog:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/sep/23/cuadrilla-shale-gas-uk-energy 

You can see some fairly balanced information about this issue on a Guardian blog:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/sep/23/cuadrilla-shale-gas-uk-energy 

You can see some fairly balanced information about this issue on a Guardian blog:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/sep/23/cuadrilla-shale-gas-uk-energy 

You can see some fairly balanced information about this issue on a Guardian blog:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/sep/23/cuadrilla-shale-gas-uk-energy 

Sign this petition - it takes less than a minute https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/4671

We call on the Government to: Review the compliance by local authorities with the Ed and Insps Act 2006 with regard to youth work provision and to find ways to protect youth services from the current severe round of cuts; Ensure that existing youth services have funding priority over new initiatives to ensure that all young people’s services are well funded and are beneficial and urge the government to take heed of the calls made by the Select Committee for funds earmarked for the NCS be diverted back into the year-round youth services; Publicly declare its intention to retain the statutory duty on local authorities to secure young people’s access to sufficient educational and leisure activities; Ensure that youth services are given proper investment with a dedicated, ring-fenced funding stream. 

Please note that the question that you are voting on is "Do we need to reform the UK political system?".

You are not voting on how the UK political system should be reformed. That is the topic of the debate only.

Necessary new policies, and policy changes, have not been made due to their potentially unpopular nature. Currently a Government's primary focus is on how they win the next election, and not on what is best for the UK. These are two potentially very different things.

How could the UK political system be reformed to address this problem?

For example, would directly electing each cabinet member, help to free up politicians to act in the best interests of the UK & address those poltically sensitive & unpopular areas.

The current UK Public Sector strikes = I have every sympathy with the public sector workers who have made career decisions based upon very good remuneration packages within the public sector (basic pay & pension), but at the end of the day the UK must live within its means, and the UK Government cannot spend more than it has. The UK has overspent on the public sector for years, and with massive inefficiency we have wasted loads.

In a capitalist society like ours, the private sector is the key to the economy working effectively. The public sector is there to supply the essential services of daily life (or at least it is meant to be).

The focus is on the growth of the private sector to supply the jobs to the nation. The public sector, in terms of the amount of money spent on it, is currently bloated and the books need to be balanced. That is why some strikers are saying "the Government is only attacking the public sector".

I agree that the cuts should be introduced slower and in a more structured way. However, successive Governments have massively let the UK down, and now the cuts must be made urgently because the UK is on the brink financially. Necessary new policies, and policy changes, have not been made due to their potentially unpopular nature. Currently a Government's primary focus is on how they win the next election, and not on what is best for the UK. These are two potentially very different things. Did you see the recent BBC 2 two part series called "Your money and how they spend it"? UK politics in a nutshell - the winter fuel allowance being a classic simple example. 

Please note that the question that you are voting on is "Do we need to reform the UK political system?".

You are not voting on how the UK political system should be reformed. That is the topic of the debate only.

Necessary new policies, and policy changes, have not been made due to their potentially unpopular nature. Currently a Government's primary focus is on how they win the next election, and not on what is best for the UK. These are two potentially very different things.

How could the UK political system be reformed to address this problem?

For example, would directly electing each cabinet member, help to free up politicians to act in the best interests of the UK & address those poltically sensitive & unpopular areas.

The current UK Public Sector strikes = I have every sympathy with the public sector workers who have made career decisions based upon very good remuneration packages within the public sector (basic pay & pension), but at the end of the day the UK must live within its means, and the UK Government cannot spend more than it has. The UK has overspent on the public sector for years, and with massive inefficiency we have wasted loads.

In a capitalist society like ours, the private sector is the key to the economy working effectively. The public sector is there to supply the essential services of daily life (or at least it is meant to be).

The focus is on the growth of the private sector to supply the jobs to the nation. The public sector, in terms of the amount of money spent on it, is currently bloated and the books need to be balanced. That is why some strikers are saying "the Government is only attacking the public sector".

I agree that the cuts should be introduced slower and in a more structured way. However, successive Governments have massively let the UK down, and now the cuts must be made urgently because the UK is on the brink financially. Necessary new policies, and policy changes, have not been made due to their potentially unpopular nature. Currently a Government's primary focus is on how they win the next election, and not on what is best for the UK. These are two potentially very different things. Did you see the recent BBC 2 two part series called "Your money and how they spend it"? UK politics in a nutshell - the winter fuel allowance being a classic simple example.