And would the tests be about real world stuff like balancing a chequebook or just how to make sure that commas were in the right place. The questions should reflect real world issues and not just a list of stupid questions like the citizenship one. It should have relevance to what is going on and show an understanding that when you vote for X then Y will be the payment. Not like California where they can vote for low taxes but big state benefits.

It would be interesting seeing what you think should be in such a test.

If, however, reps from a cross-section of professions were to set the proposed questions, they could have the raging battle first and would be obliged to consider the public’s suggestions not unlike in flag design competitions but needing to explain why they rejected certain questions.

It could be further enhanced by only public suggestions agreed by three or more currently registered voters would be considered.

Anyway, once these are thrashed out, the initial set would be put and registered voters invited to go to their local council offices and take the test.

After a quota of, say, 20% of voters had passed the test, then the initial votemeters would be available at major outlets and you’d need to produce your certificate or electronic confirmation from the government to buy the set.

Now the parliamentary committee, association, whatever, puts the set of questions up for editing and the new voters can tweak the list. The old set of questions runs for six months and at the end of that time, the new set is put in place for the period of one year.

Thereafter, the questions, which are up for review all year round, are altered once a year to reflect the new voting over the past year across the country.

Thus the test is slowly honed and the people educated at the same time.

The requirement for an educational qualification was, I believe, one of the strategies used to exclude black people from voting in some Southern states of the USA. And now there are those on the interblogs mooting a property qualification. Anyone for a rotten borough?

The quiz test you mention here for example:

You would qualify and so would my Dad, it is in the balance whether or not my Mum or I would qualify. That is because our learning base took a different path.

“They can get knotted.”

They are not going to get knotted.

“Alien systems do not get a look in and are just shouldered out.”

I hope that includes democracy.

“the centre of politics” — the extreme left-wing politics of yesteryear.