Whilst Alasdair Campbell was touting his book around the studios yesterday, those of us at a CentreForum event listened to an alternative view of UK politics.

At 'New prime minister, new democracy?' Greg Dyke outlined his belief that the current political system was on the verge of a 'Berlin Wall' moment; a time when our fundamental assumptions about how we are governed are turned on their heads.

The failings of the current system are so fundamental that only those in the Westminster village are unaware of the depth of the crisis.  Gordon Brown's constitutional reforms - though welcome - are too little, too late.

Dyke looks forward to an era of decentralisation and PR and derides the current take-it-or-leave-it choice between the two main parties' manifestos:

I’m not talking about constant local referendums, or on-line votes on issues where people’s uninformed prejudices can easily dominate, I’m talking about involving people in the decision making process by giving them the information they need to make proper judgements. That will involve their time and being involved in proper discussion and some won’t want to be involved on that basis, but the time has come to make the effort. The days of old fashioned representative democracy whereby we elect a councillor or MP for four or five years and let them make every decision on our behalf are, I suspect, over. We, as the public, want to be more involved than that.

Dyke's personal history makes the speech is especially interesting - you are reminded of Dyke's battles with Alasdair Campbell and ambitions to run London throughout the speech - though he doesn't directly refer to either.

Does this ultimately detract from his message? Some will think so - but why not decide for yourself?

The full speech can be read at the CentreForum website.

Also in today's news

• It seems the benefits of marriage will be much debated over the next few days.  The FreeThink blog will look at what people are saying later in the week, but there are a couple of early salvos from Mary Dejevsky in The Independent ('Why marriage is a dangerous game in politics') and Polly Toynbee in The Guardian ('This broken society rhetoric leaves Cameron marooned') .
  

Government proposals have been met with a warmer welcome than the Local Government White Paper.  Many have also been greeted with more outraged cries.

The FT outlines the mixed reaction from lukewarm to wearied disappointment - whereas the Guardian Leader manages to get more worked up:

"Yesterday's white paper contained some worthwhile ideas, but was silent on so much that it is most unlikely to rescue councils from the anonymity and obscurity to which they have been consigned by decades of centralisation under governments of both stripes."

Considering the many ideas that have been floated around for so long (see our Local Heroes debate) people should be more angry by the half-baked proposals here.  Local Government needs a radical make-over.  With its further proposals for stronger (and longer lasting) council leaders - what is presented here is more a completion of the reforms Labour proposed in 2000.

Why rush these minor reforms through now, instead of waiting for Sir Michael Lyons' review of finance and treat the whole thing as one?  Has real progress been blocked so that, as the Guardian suggests, the Chancellor can put more of his own vision onto Local Government when he takes control as a future PM?

• Lab 32 (+1), Con 39(+1), Lib Dem 16(-2)
  Poll in the Telegraph - Also audio commentary from Anthony King available.
• Israsel: a nation under siege in depth report from John Kampfner in the New Statesman.
  
• www.electoral-vote.com says the Senate is still looking like a 49-51 balance with New Jersey, Tennessee and Virginia eye-wateringly close.
  
• Oh - and Belinda Oaten has written the most appaling open letter to Celeste Barker possible in the Daily Mail.
  

FreeThink's first topic a year ago was Local Heroes looking at different approached to localism.  It's interesting to see how that debate has continued over the year - and my eye was drawn to this short piece in the economist about the growing sense of shire patriotism.

"One reason for this outbreak of Devonian patriotism, says Mark Stoyle, a Southampton University historian, is rivalry with Cornwall, a neighbouring county with a rather older flag of its own and a proud tradition of waving it. “Devonians have been thinking, ‘the Cornish have a flag, why shouldn't we have one too?'” And he points out that a strong local brand can attract visitors—handy for an area that depends on tourism for its livelihood.

That combines with rebellion against a uniform national culture (the high street in Exeter, Devon's county town, has the lowest proportion of independent shops in Britain) and resentment at the migration of moneyed Londoners to the country. “As we become more homogenised, people cling to things that set them apart,” says Professor Stoyle."

The Economist