With our very necessary focus on European Union issues, it is easy to lose sight of other events, no matter how important they are. That is the fate of the specialist, but it is one which must be guarded against. What we might treat as "noises off" can well have a significant effect on our obsession, the EU referendum.

One such was Tuesday's vote on constituency boundaries, and the reduction of the number of MPs from 650 to 600. The combined effect of that – in throwing out the proposed measures – was to make the election of Labour that much more certain, giving Miliband a built-in cushion of 20 seats before the first leaflet has been dropped through letter boxes.

No one will disagree on this that the electoral system has now been skewed. With the shenanigans over postal votes – in a system that is also crying out for reform – the British electoral system is acquiring more than a few of the characteristics of a banana republic, ensuring that the next election will be anything but fair and free.

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It's quite a common feeling. In about 40 years as a newspaper reader, I've never felt such disgust for reporters...

So much for Cameron's electoral bait of a referendum (of some sort and hedged about) which isn't going to be enough. For it to make a difference it would have to be a lot more tempting and much more tangible. There and again, the Conservatives' problems aren't all to do with the EU, and a lot are to do with Cameron himself. A promise would be a lot more convincing from someone else.

I'd say Nu labour were responsible for much of the low regard politicians in this country are held; cash for coronets, Lords Reform, the lopsided devolutionary settlement, the HRA, postal voting; all for electoral advantage. The Tories played their part by being a totally useless opposition.

I disagree with Lett's point that the Lib Dems wanted Lords reform to make the HoL more democratic. It seemed largely about cementing in a LibDem advantage in the HoL for the next 15 years with no clear plan of what it was to be reformed into. This has been the problem with Lords reform all along. There's been no clear idea of what it should be reformed into, it's been tinkering for political advantage.

The general problem seems to be a politically active, left leaning (big state) and self-interested establishment more or less favouring the Labour party, and the Conservative Party going along with the basic agenda, but pretending they are different.

It is heartening to read Dale's blog and seeing that most commenters agree. I have to say that where I work there does seem little appetite for anything to do with politics; effectively going along with the flow and believing whatever newspaper they read says. Trying to argue a different point (even if it is the truth) is more often or not pointless so I don't bother any more. I have delivered leaflets for the Conservative Party leading up to the 2010 election and even then a lot of people were just not interested. Don't MPs care that so few people bother to vote even in a GE nowadays? Don't they realise that they are part of the problem and that many voters realise that there really is no point in voting as they are all the same? But they prefer to remain in their bubble along with their sycophants in the media and like Letts, it disgusts me and I am totally disillusioned with them.

It took Dale long enough to realise just how crap Question Time had become. I'd stopped watching is years ago, and was saying then what he is only saying now. Yet, back then, we were the "bad buggers" for being dismissive about politics and politicians ... at about the time Dale had ambitions of becoming an MP. I guess his views might be different if he'd actually got selected and elected.