There remains an essential decency in British politics so absent in Australia today

Today Great Britain faces many challenges – worker shortages in key areas, power supply shortfalls, and daily Covid numbers still in the tens of thousands – but there remains an essential decency in its political system and the parliament of the United Kingdom in particular.

The appalling terrorist murder of the Tory MP, Sir David Amess, and the events which have followed, have really highlighted the underlying decency and strength of the ":Mother of Parliaments". Sadly, the same simply cannot be said any longer of our National Parliament and our political system.

I follow UK politics closely, so readers will not be surprised I have been pre-occupied with watching and reading about Sir David's murder and how the UK's political leaders, across the political divide, have responded to it.

On Saturday night I was watching Sky UK where tributes were being paid to Sir David whose death occurred less than 24 hours earlier. Unannounced the channel crossed to outside the Methodist Church in Essex where he was stabbed to death in the course of one of his regular electorate "surgeries" something just about all UK MPs hold regularly.

Walking up the road was a small group carrying wreaths. It soon became apparent the two wreath carriers in front were the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and the Leader of the Labour Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer. Immediately behind them were the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and the Home Secretary, Priti Patel.

The wreath laying ceremony took just a few minutes, but it highlighted one of the real strengths of the UK parliamentary system. In times of national emergency and tragedy the government and the opposition stand as one, and stand as equals.

The tributes paid to Sir David Amess after his death highlighted the career and service of a remarkable parliamentarian. He entered Parliament at the 1983 elections, on the same day as Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, both of whom would rise to be Prime Minister. And both paid most generous tributes to him.

Sir David served in the House of Commons for 38 years. He never sought, and never received, ministerial office or even that of a parliamentary secretary. Yet he was known across the political divide for his decency, his courtesy, and his unswerving commitment to the causes he believed in – animal welfare, securing affordable heating for low income families and providing opportunities for disabled entertainers among many others.

He was industrious at securing the passage of private members bills through the Commons – something that is rarely seen in our National Parliament. And he pushed relentlessly for his main constituency town, Southend, to be given city status.

On Monday normal parliamentary business was suspended for more than two hours as member after member paid warm tributes to him, led by the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of the SNP, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, and members from all parties represented in the Commons.

When a serving member in the Australian Parliament dies, the parliamentary tributes are limited, generally read out and often frankly inadequate.

But in their tributes to Sir David Amess spoke either off the cuff or with a few notes. Those from the Labour side were as generous as those from the Tory benches on which he served for almost four decades. The tributes from Labour MPs from Essex were especially moving.

In his tribute Boris Johnson announced that one of Sir David's enduring causes – granting city status to Southend – had been approved by The Queen on the recommendation of the government!

It is true that the nature Sir David's senseless and brutal murder inevitably added to the enormity of the occasion – but the underlying factor was his extraordinary service to his constituency and the House of Commons for the best part of four decades and his genuine goodwill for colleagues across the political divide.

Watching the wholly bipartisan outpouring of genuine grief at his death I contrasted how the House of Commons functions when compared with the House of Representatives today.

The contrast could not be greater. The Commons remains an essentially civil debating chamber where executive government is subjected to rigorous scrutiny and where the myriad of parliamentary committees operate on a robust bipartisan basis. The House of Representatives today simply fails to reach anywhere near those standards – though it once did.

I began listening to the Australian Parliament on ABC radio when I was still at school. At the time Sir Robert Menzies was at his zenith. He commanded question time but did so with a real measure of dignity and great humour. While government backbench questions were sometimes "Dorothy Dixers", on regular occasions they were not.

Sir Robert was supported by an array of highly competent and articular Ministers such as Jack McEwen, Harold Holt and Paul Hasluck. The government was often subject to searching questioning by the Labor Opposition, notably Gough Whitlam, Fred Daly and Clyde Cameron.

I find question time today generally bland, and far too structured. Interjections are not allowed. In the 1960's the interjections were a key part of the success of the cut and thrust of question time.

I recall the time Sir Robert told the House that he was being driven through Melbourne and a truck pulled up beside his car. The driver wound down the window as called out "good on you Bob!" The veteran Labor MP Jim Cope interjected – "He should have been charged with drink driving!"

There is little humour in the House of Representatives today – and not much bipartisanship.

Is it any wonder that public interest in our democratic processes is at an all time low?

It is not too late for MPs – and especially leaders – to turn that around. They could make a good start by reading the tributes to Sir David Amess in the House of Commons on Monday!

A wholly decent and humorous man with strong views but tolerant of those who differed and an advocate for good causes and a 38 year servant of his electors.