Without doubt, the expenses scandal, which reached a crescendo last week with the decisison to prosecute three MPs and one peer, has done serious damage to the reputation of our central democratic institutions and the reputation of politics more broadly.

But how should those of us who believe in politics, and the power of politics to do good, react?

As Dolan Cummings, of the Institute of Ideas, cautions in a considered post on the POWER2010 blog there is a danger of sliding into an easy anti-political sentiment; of retreating from politics rather than positively shaping it in a more democratic and accountable direction.

Last week saw two fine-sounding speeches by Gordon Brown and David Cameron, each telling us how they will ‘fix politics’. They offer up various reforms, seemingly plucked from thin air, which they offer as the palliative cure for restoring ‘trust’  in the political system (and, of course, trust in them, the political class that manages it). But, as so often, these reforms are touted with little regard for how they affect our democracy as a whole and not even a flickering recognition that the people themselves may like more than just a walk on part in this important discussion.

Indeed, when ‘the people’, are referred to at all it is as though we are units to be managed, or sulky infants being bought off with treats.

Gordon Brown, for example, refers six times in his speech to ‘giving’ people power - giving people a right to recall MPs; giving them more say over services; giving more power to the indidividual.

Not to be outdone, David Cameron tells us that the heart of his philosophy is ‘about taking power and control from the political elite and giving it to the man and woman in the street’.

What they need to understand is that it isn’t about them ‘giving’ us power; it’s about us letting them know we have it and that we’re not afraid to use it!

Power2010 is a campaigning movement which aims to do just that. Since September the POWER2010 campaign has been conducting the biggest and most diverse discussion on the future of our democracy this country has ever seen.

Over 4,000 proposals for democratic reform were received, ranging from the weird and the wonderful, to the inspired and the downright bizarre. These were then distilled into a shortlist of ideas over a weekend by a Deliberative Poll of 130 citizens scientifically selected to be representative of the UK population as a whole in terms of political views and social backgrounds.

After much lively and considered debate, these citizens selected a set of 29 proposals that would better protect rights and liberties (like scrapping ID cards nad the database state) give voters more voice (like right of recall) and provide a more effective Parliament (like fixed terms). These have now been put to the public vote at power2010.org.uk where thousands of people are having their say and civil society groups, like the Institute of Ideas, are helping to encourage as broad participation as possible.

The five ideas with most support will form the backbone of a major nationwide campaign at the forthcoming general election to get every candidate in every constituency to commit to reform.

So if you’re of the view that power is yours to exercise, and not for politicians to ‘give’ to you when it suits their interests, then take a look at the reforms and get voting - you have until 22 February!