The pros and cons of constitutional reform suggestions

IDEAS for constitutional reform range from the elementary to the highly improbable. The advantages and disadvantages of some of the suggestions being put forward are listed below:

• ELECTORAL REFORM: Proportional representation, as called for by the Liberal Democrats, would give smaller parties more of a voice.

PROS: Under the current system, a party can govern with a small share of the votes because of the constituency system. Many voters feel their views are not well represented under a two- or three-party system.

CONS: Bigger parliaments often emerge under PR systems, and the link between constituency and MP is often broken as politicians cover wider geographic areas. Fringe parties could also wield disproportionate power in coalition or minority government.

• ELECTED PEERS: Making the Upper House a partly or wholly elected chamber.

PROS: It would increase accountability of the House Lords, following this week's suspension of two peers over the "cash for amendments" scandal.

CONS: Confusion exists over whether it would have an equal weighting to the Commons and how peers would be elected.

• POWER TO PARLIAMENT: Strip the whips of deciding who sits on select committees and give backbenchers more power over time-tabling of legislation.

PROS: It would wrench power away from the executive back to parliament, allowing MPs to express their views more openly without fear of the whips. Governments would no longer be able to drop legislation simply because they ran out of time.

CON: The government could argue that it needs to have a mandate over the legislative timetable if it is to meet its manifesto commitments.

• DIRECTLY ELECTED PRIME MINISTER: In the wake of the coronation of Gordon Brown, some campaigners want the public to have a direct say over choosing the Prime Minister.

PROS: Giving the public a say over who is in charge is fair.

CONS: Moving towards a presidential system would throw up awkward constitutional questions about the monarch and move Britain even further towards a top-down system.

• OPEN PRIMARIES: Candidates should be drawn from a series of public open primaries rather than the party list system.

PROS: A more representative parliament could be the result, with fewer career politicians.

CONS: The result could be parliament with a large number of celebrities who do not have coherent narratives or policies.

• SMALLER PARLIAMENT: Reducing the size of the Commons is being championed by the Tories and some Lib Dems.

PROS: The costs of government would be reduced.

CONS: Fewer MPs dilutes representation, as one politician would be accountable to far more constituents.