Ed Miliband calls for public Prime Minister's Questions - Polidicks

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28509014[/url] [quote]The public should have their own version of Prime Minister's Questions, Labour leader Ed Miliband has said. He told the BBC he was preparing a formal proposal calling for voters to be allowed to question the prime minister in the Palace of Westminster. MPs currently do so on Wednesdays. Mr Miliband said it would bridge the "mile-wide" gulf between what people want and what they get from PMQs. A spokesperson for the Commons' Speaker said the suggestion would be looked at.[/quote]

Isn't that what MPs are for.

I guess it's not a bad idea, but that's why we have representatives in the first place. I don't know about MPs in the UK, but our MPs and Senators during question time for their respective chambers always ask the questions that should be asked, and then some. The problem is that the Minister answering the question always avoids it and ends up spinning it against the main opposition. That wouldn't change if the voters could ask the questions.

I bet if you put a bunch of normal people into PMQ's instead of the MP's you would have almost no jeering or heckling and it would all be very pleasant.

[QUOTE=angelangel;45513428]Isn't that what MPs are for.[/QUOTE] I think the public could speak better than an MP speaking on their behalf

[QUOTE=Thom12255;45513518]I bet if you put a bunch of normal people into PMQ's instead of the MP's you would have almost no jeering or heckling and it would all be very pleasant.[/QUOTE] Or you'd get a load of morons screaming about "get rid o deez imigrants" and "muh taxes go to the EU"

[QUOTE=RainbowStalin;45513627]Or you'd get a load of morons screaming about "get rid o deez imigrants" and "muh taxes go to the EU"[/QUOTE] That doesn't happen on Question Time on the BBC so I see no reason why it would at a public PMQ

[QUOTE=Thom12255;45513518]I bet if you put a bunch of normal people into PMQ's instead of the MP's you would have almost no jeering or heckling and it would all be very pleasant.[/QUOTE] Nah. People in the public gallery of our House of Representatives, who are probably excessively scrutinised before being allowed to enter it during parliamentary time, still end up interrupting question time every now and again although they have absolutely no right to speak a word.

[QUOTE=Antdawg;45513648]Nah. People in the public gallery of our House of Representatives, who are probably excessively scrutinised before being allowed to enter it during parliamentary time, still end up interrupting question time every now and again although they have absolutely no right to speak a word.[/QUOTE] I've only been to the First Minister's Questions in the Northern Irish Parliament but security just checked me over and let me in and everyone simply observed.

[QUOTE=Thom12255;45513669]I've only been to the First Minister's Questions in the Northern Irish Parliament but security just checked me over and let me in and everyone simply observed.[/QUOTE] I've never done so myself but I do believe that excessive scrutinisation is in place for our federal parliament because the public gallery often hosts former MPs and delegations from other countries.

Totally support the notion.

This would fail harder than youth parliament

not really sure how they'd pull it off. they would never have the time to let every man and his dog who wants to ask a question ask one, so they'd probably end up having to only allow questions which are common among most people, but im pretty sure that system is in place already for when an MP asks a question that his constituents have been frequently asking him.