Bromley & Sevenoaks
I Want Democracy, Not In-flight Catering
Monday, 15th March 2010
I Want Democracy, Not In-flight Catering!
“Would you like the salmon or the pasta?” That’s my nightmare choice of meal options on a long haul flight because I can’t stand either of them. If I choose one of the unpalatable options, just to get the roll and cake, I’m encouraging the airline to keep both on the menu. If I take neither the airline might conclude I wasn’t hungry, whereas in reality I dislike both for different reasons. Consequently, my preferred solution is to dine in town before going to the airport, to avoid having my choices circumscribed by the airline.
The general election will offer us another false dichotomy, compelling us to choose between two unsavoury options for government. Our historical First-Past-the-Post voting system has mutated into a duopoly that subverts democracy and allows the Westminster Consensus to pursue its own agenda, disdainful of popular opinion. Its contemptible volte face on a Lisbon Treaty referendum is just the most recent affront to the electorate. We can be certain the next parliament will bring a slew more, unless we break-up this closed shop.
Of course the Westminster Consensus only ignores us because it knows what’s best for us, yet frets about our reluctance to ratify its brilliance through the ballot box. General Election turnouts have been in a clear down trend since 1950, although 2001 and 2005 were the first to fall below 70% (source: ukpolitical.info). The only surprise to me is why turnout is as high as it is. There are three systemic reasons why abstention is a rational choice:
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- Thanks to First-Past-the-Post most seats are perpetual franchises for one of the duopoly, so only voters in a marginal constituency can affect the outcome.
- Even if the party of government changes, people understand that the Westminster Consensus will prevail. The faces are new but we’re going to get more of the same, like it or not.
- Westminster’s function is to ratify policies dictated by the European Commission; European Directives pass through parliament where a thin lacquer of democratic legitimacy is applied. Parliament cannot reject or amend Directives (not that the Consensus would want to), which begs the question, what’s it for?
UKIP’s solutions to these three impediments to authentic democracy are to leave the EU (which would be a complete fix for no.3) and to introduce the Alternative Vote system as an improvement to nos. 1 and 2. The Alternative Vote would retain constituency-based representation (recognising that birds of a feather flock together), but by ranking candidates in order of preference voters choose who they like, not who they dislike least. Any attempt to raise the percentage participation by compelling voters to vote would be an acknowledgement of the illegitimacy of the system.
Consider the following election equation:
Vote the way you’ve always voted = get the result you’ve always got.
If you’re not satisfied with the result, change the only variable you can and vote UKIP.
Owen Brolly, PPC Beckenham UKIP and Council Candidate for Bromley Common & Keston
