Why are politicians not accountable for their actions unlike every other private or public organisation?.?

Question

Im amazed that politicans who make decisions that cost the taxpayer billions of our hard earned money are not held accountable when their decisions are found to be completley wrong,eg the NHS computer system.If this were a private company and the board wasted billions of shareholders money heads would roll.Not to mention all the expense fiddling going on,if this were the private sector the police would be involved or is it not a crime if you are a politician and they are exempt .

People say we can choose to elect other politicians as a way of controlling the abuse of most politicians but that merely puts different politicians who then do exactly the same.Surely the thing to do is for the public to demand a set of Rules by which all politicians have to govern.If they abuse the system then they must pay the price.At present the house of Commons is just 1 big gravy train.I once heard a group of politicians on the Labour side in M.Thatchers era say,"Tories like pigs at a trough",well their all the same it appears to me.

Answer 1

Not enough is being done by the people to regain power and re-instore democracy in the UK.

Answer 2

What other job is it that allows people to do what they want, while not being held accountable for their actions? Most politicians know that the electorate is as clueless as a newborn child and they take advantage of it. Furthermore, politicians gamble that their constituents won't ask the right questions or do the necessary research that will prove many of them to be the frauds that they are. The result of that gambling is a winning hand everytime. Thus, the real losers are, just like those that go to a casino, "the people".We have to make them accountable,by making sure we vote!!

Answer 3

I guess you could argue that they are, at least in less direct ways than those in the private sector. However, even in the private sector we have witnessed serious fraud taking some time before we realised what was going-on (e.g. Enron). And, even then, it has been tough to bring to bear the full force of corporate law on those deemed responsible.

But, back to your question, I think politicians are accountable. History has a way of remembering those that are great, bad and all that lies in between. Think of Thatcher and whether you agreed with her politics, you will no doubt hold her up as a great leader. Think of Hitler and you will no doubt feel sick to your stomach that a real, sicko was in charge for all the wrong reasons.

Every four years we hold those as MPs and Local Councillors responsible for their actions. But I take your point: How can we make 'ethics' central to politics...

Answer 4

The public hold politicians accountable for their decisions, if you don't like what they are doing, then simply dont vote for them at election time. Also nobody is above the law, even Tony Blair has been questioned by the police with regards to the cash for peerages scandel, so it is not as if they get away with fiddling everything.

Answer 5

It is really disgusting and I think the Olympics logo has made many more people realise how they do what they want, when they want. Wow we are paying our prime minister to travel the world and say Good Bye and yet people have to fight for cancer treatment, I'm sorry but they are just going too far and if it was their own busineess then this would not be happening, meanwhile for run down areas of the UK they have to have EU Regeneration Grants but what Mr Blair has spent flying his team around today could have built a council house, its all shameful, they really have gone too far now.

Answer 6

they would say that they are accountable and that they are brought to book at election time.

Unfortunately the vast majority are not interested in voting. That is why a government comes into power with only a third of the population voting for them.

The other two thirds of the population then spend the rest of the time that they are in office moaning about it.

Answer 7

Obviously they are accountable. We can kick them out of office. It seems a bit unfair to make the assumption that if we get rid of one lot they are replaced with others who are as bad.

We do need a written constitution and a bill of rights. Any country claiming to be a democracy must have such things.

Answer 8

stable element. seem at Blair - he began that filthy unlawful war with blatant lies, and now he's swanning international extensive making tens of millions. All Labour politicians now save on together with his occasion, mendacity their way via their careers, balloting to pay themselves further and added, grabbing each and every penny of expenses a threat then taking a large pension. and a few, like Derek Conway, even positioned their teenagers on the gravy prepare by using paying them 1000's of taxpayers' money for doing no longer something. all of them disgust me. although, many gets their comeuppance on the subsequent election.

Answer 9

If they were all held accountable, they would never have time to pass any more pointless and over budget bills!
For ever in meetings with lawyers, obviously paid for on expenses, trying to avoid going to any sort of court, and answering to any charges.
May be it's better to let them do what they do (as little as possible) in their own cute way, after all us mere mortals, what do we know?

Answer 10

Because in the main we let them get away with it because we are disinterested until something effects us as individuals by which time it's too late. Yes,Bliar was questioned by the police but do you really expect anything to happen?. He's not called Teflon Tony for nothing.