Category: Reform UK politics now

He argues;

………………………..So for yet other people the possibility of quiet revolution resides in getting a large number of Martin Bell-type independents to stand against expense-tarnished MPs. Such independents – emboldened to stand by the real possibility of busting the party system – might, one would think, provide an infusion of new blood to replace those politicians we may now lose as result of the assault on politics. There has even been a rumour of Esther Rantzen at Luton South.

………….Even incorruptibles like Esther might find it hard when journos start poring over bought copies of BBC expenses going back three decades.

But the real problem for independents is their independence. Mr Bell found himself expected to scrutinise and to vote on hugely complex legislation, without the benefit of party advice and research. When instead he chose to concentrate on constituency work, he was criticised for a poor voting record. For independents it is either whip or whim.

When I met the independent candidate for Wyre Forest, Dr Richard Taylor, before the 2001 election, there were 19 local councillors who had been elected on his local NHS campaign ticket. This party, still in existence, promises consultation, a “bottom-up” approach and a freedom from “party dogma”. But eight years on, local turnout remains the same as it was before, and the Taylor group has lost nearly half its councillors.

The independent MP for Blaenau Gwent also offered a “political revolution” on his election in 2006. He set up People’s Voice as a party, with much the same prospectus as the Wyre Forest independents – all love, listening and localism. “This political tidal wave cannot stop here,” says the People’s Voice website, now largely not updated for two years. More cobwebsite really.

There’s a reason why this arc of independence seems inevitable. Politics, local or national, requires hard work, high commitment and good organisation. Opposing stuff in detail is difficult enough; actually running things is much worse. And when you do…

For a few years I was a parent governor for a state primary school. Every summer we had to organise an AGM for parents. We wrote reports, handed out leaflets, thought up attractive issues to discuss, and out of 650 possible sets of parents and carers we never managed to get more than 30 people to turn up. These were the same 30 who did everything else as well. Only if something went wrong did the cry go up for consultation.

In Britain disillusion with politics is usually a pre-emptive excuse. If “they” are all as bad as each other, then “we” have no responsibility to get involved, to understand the issues or join parties. Worse, we create a way of having our cake and eating it. We tell pollsters that we favour capital punishment, but without the least expectation – or desire – that Parliament will do as we say. That way we can moan about how out of touch they are, without having ourselves to shoulder the guilt of judicial murder. And so it is on so many subjects.

It is said, often, that our problem is greed. I disagree. The missing link here is civic engagement and I am beginning to think that the answer to the need for renewal is forcible and massive decentralisation of power. The voter’s answer, however, will instead be victory for David Cameron in 2010. Let him sort it all out – till it’s time for another flush.

Aaronovitch is absolutely right that what is needed is a massive generation of civic engagement via de-centralization.  In this school and adult education need to play vital parts.

We do have an ‘engagement crunch’ but potentially though the expenses anger is the first step in transformation.  The question is whether this anger will get channelled into effective action – into sustainable increased engagement – or subside back into whimpering acceptance of, in effect, the current version of the class system.

Let’s give it a go – it might be another 50 years before the next opportunity to get a reformed UK political system.

One other argument concerns the difficulties Independents have had.  My answer is let the new Independents learn the skills needed to group and re-group around issues, and find ways of providing for themselves the benefits normally only available from whipped membership of a party.

Not so long ago the first working-class MPs or the first women found themselves in the ultimate Gentlemen’s club.  Did they just say ‘Oh its difficult, let’s pack it in.’?

This time the new gals and guys don’t need just more womens’ lavatories but they need firstly a new set of skills to work with each other AND with the parties.  Secondly they need to demand that Parliament itself respond to the needs they have to function effectively.

Its called change, adaption, response from the system, reform – and progress!