Code of Conduct

If you are already depressed about our democracy, don’t read this book!

On the other hand, if you want chapter, verse, word, and comma on the failings of the current system, this is an encyclopaedic resource – scathing about the scandals we already know and the absurdities of obscure scrutiny arrangements. Bryant should know . As chair of the Standards & Privileges Committee, he’s authoritative but also pragmatic, with sensible suggestions. The key message is that Parliament is hopeless at tasks where it needs to be brilliant. They include legislating and holding Ministers to account. All the more reason to support supplementary processes like consultation. It’s needed more than ever