Hazel, why do you think there’s so much cynicism??
July 9, 2008
So, you could be up for winning some fabtastic prize and all you have to do is vote. Ah, it shows have desperate NL has sunk in getting the public out to the ballot box.
Hazel Blears on C4 news mentioned the “d” word…democracy and the importance of the “d” word. She wants, in a nutshell, more power to the people and this is explained in the Communities in control, real people real power. So does this mean we will be getting local Tooting popular fronts? Voters will have a bigger say in local government and if people feel they can run their sports centre better than the local council then they could be handed control.
Blears wants people to feel included and part of the democratic decision making processes. A sense of empowerment and influence.
“There is a lot of cynicism about politics but it is through politics that we bring about change for the better. Politicians have a contract with those that they serve – that contract now needs to be rewritten to ensure that the views of local people are taken more into account”.
Of course there’s bloody cynicism and these quick fix incentives to get people to put their cross on the ballot form are meaningless. We have had a government for 11 years that is totally removed and remote from people. Thousands of people marched against the war in Iraq yet that was ignored and NL carried on regardless. So much for bringing about change.
Local government is being handed over to the corporate interest: it is hard to imagine a local committee being allowed to get in the way of that. Did Blears et al listen to the local campaigns to defend council housing? That was a A1 opportunity to display a willingness to run things the way local working class people wish them to be run.
So don’t bloody tell people, Ms Blears, about the cynicism demonstrated by the public with your tempting offers of prizes and other frippery. If you want people interested in the polictical processes and democracy then start listening (and not the Brownite selective listening) and implement policies that DON’T shaft your core voters…..
And do I get a prize for stating the bleedin’ obvious?
I like that they are so scared turnout will dip below 50%. Back in 2005, after the election and before 7/7, Geof Hoon was touting compulsory voting as a possible solution… In local govt, it’s even worse of course with turnout usually below 50%.
I think that a good reform would be the citizen’s initiative at all levels – local, regional, and national level. Okay, the downside would be blatantly bigoted and reactionary measures being put to the vote (the Swiss will vote on banning minarets after the far right collected the necessary signatures) but we’ve seen across Europe in recent months that such policies are rejected. In Hungary, student fees and healthcare charges were defeated in a referendum triggered by petition. In Ireland, the neoliberal “reform” treaty was dealt a death blow. In Switzerland, harsh immigration laws were rejected in a national vote.
I think you are right Charlie.
Though Hazel frowned upon the idea (well, on C4 news she did) of compulsory voting.
Citizen’s initiatives are an interesting idea. A thought though. Probably best to have some sort of limits on how often a proposition can be brought forward. Say once every five years or somesuch…