It was fascinating to give evidence to the Finance Committee of the Bundestag yesterday. As I have given evidence to House of Commons and House of Lords committees as well it was encouraging to note that in some ways we compare rather well.
We don't charge those giving evidence for water, for a start.
And questioning in the House of Commons is very much less rigidly on party lines.
It was also extremely frustrating that no comment was permitted from experts on evidence previously given by another commentator.
To say the whole thing felt rigged for the purpose of point scoring is to understate things. I genuinely feel that the committee rooms of the Commons and Lords are the places where we see UK democracy at work, and where we also see cross party collaboration in a genuine attempt to find the truth and to deliver new understanding. If that desire was present yesterday (and it could be that I missed it as I had to listen to much in translation, my school German now being of almost no use to me at all) then it was hard to spot.
Actually, apart from the premises (which make our parliament look so mean in almost every way) there was not much here that the Treasury Committee, PAC and other committees I have given evidence to have not done better.
I actually felt rather pleased about that.
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Careful Richard……….careful!
This is disappointing. Germany has the appearance of a much better run country than the UK. I go there quite often and they do seem to be ability to think over a 20-25 year timescale and I am very impressed by how well the federal system in particular works.
In complete contrast the US seems to be in a total shambles; an object lesson in how badly a country can go wrong.
We need to strive to improve our governance and learn from each other.
In this area we are streets ahead
I was not the only non-German expert to feel a little used by the process
If I may be so bold: Germany is well run – but – the infrastructure is creaking – particularly the road and rail systems (sound famailiar?). In my own area of expertise – energy – the Lander can be constructive but also completely bonkers witness the latest saga on the north-south interconnectors or the recent laws in Bavaria to stop the erection of wind turbines – even some of the local geminder (run by very strong conservatives) thinks the laws a bonkers. As in all countries there is the good & the bad. Uk should learn from the good – and perhaps suggest to the Germans where things could be better.
I looked at the rail infrastructure yesterday
There are a mighty lot of what look aging Marshall Plan bridges for a start
Germany also doing ‘internal devaluation’ and Job Centres (The use the same word) harassing people with a vengeance.
There is a well-kept secret about infrastructure investment which needs to be brought to light in the EU and everywhere. (I have an idea to present this in Brussels some time, assuming we vote ‘Remain.)
All useful public (and private) investment in local goods and services feeds directly into local land values. The example of the Jubilee Line Extension illustrates this: cost of project borne by general taxpayers £3.5bn; increase in value of land surrounding new stations £13bn. Note that local tenants just got an increase in their rents.
A system of collecting all land value for public benefit (LVT), with frequent revaluations, would produce a virtuous circle of public investment => increased land value => increased LVT revenue => increased investment.
Good blog as usual Richard, but doesn’t your recent experience in – and the collective attitude of – the parliament of the EU’s biggest partner, raise a doubt or two in your mind about where the EU is going and that maybe, just maybe, we might be better out of it?
Regards
Roger
Not at all
Because the reality is that the discussion afterwards got round the rigid formalities that dictated the structure of the formal event
In those discussions progress took place