Saving the Union. The Gordon  and Mark show.

A new show was launched recently.

A new group took to the stage.

Not a boy band or a new leftover from Britain's Got Talent. These were old hands. 

They chose Edinburgh, appropriate as the home of the Fringe.

They haven't indicated whether there is to be a tour. Performing before audiences of tens of tens.

The group ‘ The Alliance for Radical Democracy' is headlined by the UK ex- Prime Minister Gordon Brown, assisted by the soon to be ex- First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford. Also in the group is the ex- Leader of the LIb Dems in Scotland, a couple of English mayors and a comedian [  tempting to say another comedian ].

Now that's a lineup to catch the attention.

The aim, they say, is to save the Union [ a bit evangelistic ] by bringing about, not just more democracy, but radical democracy, to the UK.

How this is to come about is short in detail, but you do have to wonder why these worthies, before they became ex's, have not  furthered this ambition previously. Mr Brown, in particular, was in prime position to bring about these reforms, if he had so wished.

So, this first performance, how did it go?

The reviews seemed to vary between inane and irrelevant.

The approach of the group seemed to be a plea to come and join them. 

But to join them in what? 

The comedy side seems to consist of old material. Have you heard  it before ?

Like Gordon Brown's famous VOW. Telling the Scottish people, at the time of the 2014 referendum, that if they stick with the Union, more powers and funding would be theirs in abundance.

It didn't happen, so he's promising it again.

Reform of the House of Lords is also promised. It has been Labour Party policy since its formation..

It hasn't succeeded and the chances of this new group's success remains the same.

The group also has an illusionist. 

Mark Drakefords obsessive belief that he can change the Union, is a monumental illusion.

THey also have a disappearing act, That's the Lib Dems,

Power to the people, they say, however the people would be quite content with a system of government and people running it that would deliver better health and social  care, education, housing and repair the roads.

Power to the people already exists with local government and it's not working.

So will the new call for ‘ radical reform ‘ change that.

The new group is a bit shy on  details, aside from promoting a federal system.

This system, as I understand it, will be extremely costly and complicated to set up, without showing how it would deliver  the necessary improvements,

It consists, it seems, of hiving off  the very many problems presently with the central government, to some designated federal areas, A problem shared perhaps.

How this leads to growing the financial pot, seems not to be in the script.

The UK system of government is not working.  That we know.

The ‘ Alliance for Radical Democracy may be providing a bit of entertainment, a few paragraphs of media coverage, but to believe that it will stimulate the change in the deeply entrenched present system with its vested interests and expect the central government, of whatever party, to give up significant central control of the main financial and legislative levers.

Now that will be some act.