Devolution is coming to Greater Manchester – or is it? The government has imposed a ‘super mayor’ to rule over a combined authority and what is clear is the absence of democracy in the process. This is the case both in the way the original decision was made as well as how the new structure is planned to work. Continue reading
democratic deficit
ONE DAY – by John A Smith
One Day.
One day through community and consensus human beings ruled collectively
One day the village idiot stood up at the village meeting and declared himself ruler
The villagers laughed and exclaimed “What an idiot!”
One day the village idiot stood up at the village meeting and declared himself ruler
He had friends with weapons and explained that anyone who wouldn’t accept his rule would be hurt or killed
The villagers bowed and stuttered, “Your majesty!”
One day the town fool stood up at the town meeting and declared himself ruler
He had friends with weapons and explained that anyone who wouldn’t accept his rule would be hurt or killed
The townsfolk had weapons
The town fool had another friend, a cleric who explained that the ruler had been chosen by God and that anyone who wouldn’t accept his rule would be damned for eternity
The townsfolk bowed and cried, “Your majesty!”
One day the city eccentric stood up at the city meeting and declared himself ruler
He had friends with weapons and explained that anyone who wouldn’t accept his rule would be hurt or killed
The city folk had weapons
The city eccentric had another friend, a cleric who explained that the ruler had been chosen by God and that anyone who wouldn’t accept his rule would be damned for eternity
The city folk were sceptical
The city eccentric had other friends who had created tokens inscribed with his likeness and explained that anyone who wouldn’t accept his rule would be denied these tokens
The city folk bowed and cheered, “Your majesty!”
One day those with weapons hurt or killed only to accumulate tokens
One day the clerics damned for eternity only to accumulate tokens
One day the token creators only created tokens to accumulate tokens
One day the ruler only ruled to accumulate tokens
One day the tokens ruled
One day a human being stood up and declared that the tokens should be abolished and through community and consensus human beings should rule collectively
The human race laughed and exclaimed “What an idiot!”
One day the tokens were abolished and through community and consensus human beings ruled collectively
One day
Democracy in Britain is under siege – by Damien Quigg, London Planning Group
Only 24% of the electorate or 11.3 million people voted Conservative, yet we have a majority Conservative government. UKIP got 3.8 million votes, while the Green party got 1.1 million votes, but both ended up with only one MP each. Compare that with SNP who received 1.5 million votes and have 56 MPs. The Liberal Democrats received 2.4 million votes, yet returned eight MPs.
Then we have the roughly 35% of the electorate who did not cast a vote. Are they really apathetic about what way they are governed, or is it they feel disillusioned with British politics and that none of the parties represent what they stand for or believe in? I suggest it is the latter and they in fact did cast a vote on 7th May not to endorse the policies of any of the political parties. Surely all of these facts tell us that our first past the post voting system is unfit for a 21st century democracy. Continue reading
Visions of a democratic reality – by Rashid Mhar for openDemocracy & NatCAN
Do you have things in your life that you truly love? I am sure you do, I am sure that the very question conjures their image into your mind. Though I can’t guarantee it, I truly believe that those images would all be the faces of the people close to you. Do you have ideas, principles and ideals you truly love? Does that question conjure something into your mind, or does it give pause for reflection?
For myself I have to say, unlike my first question where I would confidently imagine what the question would conjure in your mind, to my second question I don’t know. Many years ago, I would have said freedom, equality, friendship, civilisation, community and perhaps most certainly I would have thought one of the ideas that would be dear to your heart would be democracy. As you already know this is no comment about how I see you, it is something that causes me to reflect upon myself. I have to ask myself what has changed to change me. Read more
Assemblies for Democracy 