State of the Union

The people behind 18 Doughty Street and ConservativeHome have set up a union. No, really.

An email dropped into my inbox the other day - it had obviously been mail-merged as they had spelt the site name incorrectly - with information about a new union: a union of Voters.

The "union" has four manifesto commitments:

1. There should be no such thing as a 'safe seat for life' - voters should be able oust any MP in whom they have lost trust.
   
2. There should be referenda when all the establishment politicians agree but the people don't.
   
3. Political parties should look to voters for their funding, not big business, big unions or big government.
   
4. Politicians should not be able to hide their expenses, income and connections from voters.
   

Some of these points are difficult to argue against, and are perhaps trivial as a result. The one on funding might disadvantage Labour compared to the Conservatives given the spending power of their respective traditional constituencies.

What is really interesting is that its founders - of the right and centre-right - have appropriated the language of the left in order to establish a (rather modish) movement against the political class. A tacit admission of the value of unions?

The site aims to be like the MoveOn movement in the states, but in typically British fashion looks a little staid from the off. It'll be interesting to see if this union becomes a tour de force in British politics...