WESTMINSTER should be turned into a tourist attraction and the royal family should be scrapped as we develop new solutions for the 21st century, according to an SNP MP.

Ronnie Cowan, the member for Inverclyde, says Westminster is a relic of an empire on which the sun set a long time ago, and any doubt about that must have been removed by events of the past year.

Writing in The National and on his blog, the MP says: “The Westminster I have experienced, in over five years as the Member of Parliament for Inverclyde, is worse than my original fears. And because the system of government is not fit for purpose, it gets abused.”

Cowan says the most alarming thing is that Westminster and Whitehall in their entirety decide very little: “The power is in the hands of very few and they are not for sharing it,” he said. “An inner circle can control a cabinet, a cabinet minister can control ministers, and ministers can influence members.

“When push comes to shove, legislation can be voted through with very little scrutiny or debate.”

READ MORE: It's time to ditch the royals and turn Westminster into a tourist attraction

The MP said we also have to strip down the honours system, starting at the top: “Retire the royal family. In the 21st century a hereditary heir to a throne is laughable.

“The concept of a family born to reign over us belongs in the dustbin of history ...

“The honours system underpins the aristocracy and the class system – it supports the concept of a hierarchical society. It breeds conceit and privilege.”

He added: “Turn the Palace of Westminster into a tourist attraction. Host exhibitions and events in it. It is already a mixture of a museum and an art gallery … These actions won’t solve all the problems but they would be massive steps in the right direction to providing a fairer system of representation.”