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October 31, 2007
Not the General Election
So, we'll wake up tomorrow morning and it'll be an ordinary day. No election. No swingometer. Just life - and politics - as usual. But to mark the election day that never was, the New Statesman and the Fabian Society are holding a big public meeting in the evening. Plus the New Statesman's website is featuring a whole series of articles and analysis dedicated to the subject and to looking ahead to a 2009/10 election instead.
And, guess what? Electoral reform is not just a little footnote, but is mentioned by many of the contributors and in quite a major way. The scene is set by Anthony Giddens' call for "the 'democratising of democracy'" and Simon Wooley (Operation Black Vote)'s call for "greater representative democracy and empower[ing] marginalised communities to have greater say and control over their lives."
Kate Groucott, of the Young Fabians, picks up the theme:
"Democracy needs a kick-start. The claim that it does not matter who is in Government is a dangerous myth for those on the lowest incomes and with the least voice. As well as electoral reform, we need to reform the internal workings of the Labour Party to make it more relevant, with a focus on campaigning and community involvement."
Sunder Katwala, of the Fabian Society, then fleshes out a way forward (though the AV bit may not be too all our tastes):
"Labour should back a written constitution and pledge to put a more radical democracy package to a public referendum. This should propose electoral reform, the Alternative Vote for the Commons, so that every MP must seek 50% of the vote - should be combined with proportional representation for an 80% elected second chamber. Making voting a duty of citizenship, so campaigns are less skewed against the interests of the young and the poor, could also be put to the public vote. The 2009 manifesto could end a century of stalemate .. by putting a new Great Reform Act in place for the centenary of the 1911 Parliament Act, always intended as a stop gap, would give progressives from Labour and Liberal traditions an historic common cause."
And finally, the piece de resistance, Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement gets us all fired up to go out and campaign for change by reminding us that electoral reform is an important step on the path to creating that better world we are all aiming for. He also eloquently makes the connections between the lack of discussion of alternative policies and ideas and our current voting system.
"Politics in the UK is in torpor. The appalling lack of choice between competing political viewpoints has left politicians, the media and the public scratching around in search of differences. But ultimately, the three main political parties believe in the same basic premise - pursue economic growth through free markets and light touch regulation, accompanied by some redistribution to help those adversely affected. Alternative ways to improve our quality of life and the inequality that persists in the UK and around the globe gets little airtime. If Gordon Brown wants to leave a lasting legacy for British society, he should allow citizens to express themselves politically. A good place to start would be electoral reform and reversing the draconian laws that Labour introduced, that are enforced to suppress legitimate dissent and dissatisfaction."
Posted by malcolmclark on October 31, 2007
