The Decline of the Status of Democracy in UK

[Guest]

A study by Democratic Audit into the state of democracy in Britain over the last decade warns it is in "long-term terminal decline" as the power of corporations keeps growing, politicians become less representative of their constituencies and disillusioned citizens stop voting or even discussing current affairs

http://www.democraticaudit.com/

In an interview with the Guardian, Stuart Wilks-Heeg, the report's lead author, warned that Britons could soon have to ask themselves "whether it's really representative democracy any more?"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/06/british-democracy-decline-report

"The reality is that representative democracy, at the core, has to be about people voting, has to be about people engaging in political parties, has to be about people having contact with elected representatives, and having faith and trust in elected representatives, as well as those representatives demonstrating they can exercise political power effectively and make decisions that tend to be approved of," said Wilks-Heeg

We have lots of discussions about these sorts of issues on this Board. Are we ahead of the game or just social dinosaurs with too much time on our hands?

[aeolium]

I think it's the growth of corporate power which has enfeebled parliamentary democracy more than anything else, and the extent to which those in government have tried to ingratiate themselves with the powerful. This is true of the failures in financial institutions and the behaviour of the press, but also in the tolerance of widespread corporate tax avoidance and what was imv the worst domestic policy of the last 15 years, namely the grotesque PFI debacle (which still continues) - nothing less than a fraud practised on future generations. Unless governments are capable of reclaiming control over the behaviour of corporations in this country, then they will continue to fail and to lose the trust of the public.

[Lateralthinking1]

I don't think voting numbers are the issue. A significant reduction in turnout from the 1970s has in the last decade levelled off and in some cases turnout has increased. One of the dangers is that voting patterns could continue as if we were in the same democratic game as before. In that way, voting in numbers enables further diminution to occur under an illusion.

Even if voting numbers were to drop rapidly in national elections, which they won't - recent example : France - our system has shown that it would act no differently to reflect that limited mandate - long term example : 35% in UK local elections. In fact, taking the latter example, much more power is being given via the Localism Act precisely to where turnout is low.

Everywhere one turns, it is the weakening of democracy that is being encouraged.

[MrGongGong]

There really is no point in voting anymore anyway
so all the parties have blown it as far as I can see...........

[Lateralthinking1]

There really is no point in voting anymore anyway

I agree but I bet you and I will still do so. The powers that be rely on :

(a) Us
(b) People who still believe in the system - mainly the very well-off
(c) Sufficient numbers of the young with little history to be able to compare
(d) Increasingly immigrants who think it is great here because their own regimes are or were lousy

One thing I have noticed about immigration. It tends to be from different countries in different eras. I have always thought that the reasons were essentially pragmatic or based on obligation, ie mainly to do with conditions elsewhere. Now I am not so sure.

I look at the second and third generations. The former often have the appearance of no longer believing in the promised land. Poor shopkeepers battered down by the aberrant behaviour of the British have nots on a daily basis and more generally the savage competition of supermarket chains sponsored by the Government. Their disillusionment passes down to their children. All of a sudden, they realise that they have joined the anonymous majority who are advised to just grin and bear it. If not, hard luck.

What our system relies on is naivety. If nobody was coming to our country, we would be sending out invitations to new people who were clueless about the reality. Willing lambs to the slaughter with ongoing beliefs in bowler hats and cucumber sandwiches.

[MrGongGong]

I agree but I bet you and I will still do so. .

I'm far too stubborn these days

[Budapest]

I think the lack of democracy in countries like the UK and USA is much worse than the studies pointed out here.

I'm one of those people who will still lay money against an American Presidential election happening next November (America will go into martial law before then).

The citizens have been totally and utterly screwed. Despite all the corporate/government propaganda, there's only so much that people will put up with. The mafia who run places like the USA and UK are very aware of this.

Hang on to your hats folks; we're in for a bumpy ride!

[MrGongGong]

.

Hang on to your hats folks; we're in for a bumpy ride!

but not so bumpy as the one my friends in Budapest are having

[amateur51]

I think the lack of democracy in countries like the UK and USA is much worse than the studies pointed out here.

An potentially interesting-or-facile comment, Budapest.

Given that the original researchers were probably keen to demonstrate the basic argument, do you think that they were incompetent or that they had a vested interest in toning it down?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

What our system relies on is naivety

lack of interest, torpor, corpulence, narrow self interest, ignorance et al do not get a look in Lat?

the passivity of consumer culture and the screen soma society we now 'live' in would make the working class activists of the 19th and 20th centuries coil and writhe in disgust and despair ... and the blatant kleptomania of any modern power system would have them reaching for their guns ....

the stasis of the parliament on this and many challenges is ominous now

2008 is a major turning point in our affairs we have scarce begun to get it ....

[Lateralthinking1]

lack of interest, torpor, corpulence, narrow self interest, ignorance et al do not get a look in Lat?

the passivity of consumer culture and the screen soma society we now 'live' in would make the working class activists of the 19th and 20th centuries coil and writhe in disgust and despair ... and the blatant kleptomania of any modern power system would have them reaching for their guns ....

the stasis of the parliament on this and many challenges is ominous now

2008 is a major turning point in our affairs we have scarce begun to get it ....

Oh yes they do, regrettably. Every one. I agree, Calum, with everything you write here.

While all have increased significantly since, say, the 1980s, I don't think that most have had much of an impact on voter turnout although they have had impacts on voting patterns. What you are doing is starting to highlight the broader and deeper elements of democracy's malaise as indeed the study does to some extent.

I was taking just one element. I guess what I was trying to say is that a 100% turnout could be as dangerous as a 10% turnout if things were getting worse between elections. In that way, the elections could appear to provide endorsement of the course being taken rather than being substantially the ultimate symbol of democracy in action.