General, Bye and Local elections come and go each with their own dynamic but few if any associated with the quality and performance of the politician in question.
Party loyalties and National issues are but two of the considerations electors usually consider before voting and as they say in safe Labour seats, like the Rhondda, you could pin a red rosette on a donkey and it would get elected. Looking at the quality of most of our MPs a donkey might actually be preferable in some cases!
This situation needs to change if we are serious about the true meaning of democracy. This means we need to restore the direct link between our politicians and the people they serve. Democracy, as I’ll never tire of stating, comes from the Greek words demos meaning people and Krakos meaning power – so that’s ‘People Power’.
What we have at the moment is not real democracy and we have allowed this transfer of power to politicians and so if we want change, we will have to make this happen. This means we must demand the return of our inherent sovereignty so that ‘We the People’ hold the ultimate power over our politicians. Our fourth demand gives us the mechanisms to challenge government legislation and, if enough of us wish it, to stop it.
Another key ingredient to restoring real democracy is the de-centralisation of power out to counties and local communities. The idea that centralising anything, apart from the likes of our National Defence, makes for a better governance is provably wrong. Unsurprisingly nobody in the centre understands or accepts this as they continue to empire build from the luxury of their ivory towers! The old adage that ‘Turkey’s wouldn’t vote for Christmas’ comes to mind.
One of the suggestions in our second demand, ‘Real Local Democracy’, is that each county could vote for a system of MP recall if enough people supported the idea. Thus the second demand concludes:-
“We could also envisage a situation where MPs are no longer paid from central funds, but by their counties. It would be for the people of each county to decide how much their representatives were paid, how much should be allowed by way of expenses, and how they should be held accountable. Also, if one area wanted to introduce a method of MP recall, that would be up to them. Thus, do we see democracy closer to the people, with government – local and national -under the direct control of the people. Anything else is not democracy.
If the people want change, then they are going to have to work for it because what is abundantly clear is that our politicians will not relinquish power, that changes their privileged positions, without a fight.
Yes, we are going to have to work at it. As every week goes by, there is yet another incident that turns people against the Westminster oligarchy. Still I see little evidence of an uprising yet, except the almost totally unreported and largest London demonstration in years, on Saturday against ‘Hands, Face, Disgrace’.
ReplyDeleteThe media can only ignore the likes of Richard Tice and Lawrence Fox for so long, and thereby hangs the problem. Around whom will the people coalesce?
The people will hopefully coalesce around the IDEA of THA and be guided from a campaign website using the principles of Gene Sharp.
ReplyDeleteHowever first the people need to wake up!
I know we keep having this disagreement but people don't coalesce behind an idea. They support leadership with an idea behind it. When people wake up, as they are showing signs of doing, it will be too late.
ReplyDelete