www.unlockdemocracy.org.uk
The premise of Unlock Democracy is simple:
far too much power is locked up in the hands of far too few people. The
public, in turn, has become alienated, disengaged and cynical about
politics. This is no longer sustainable.
The UK’s
political system remains firmly rooted in the middle ages and while we no
longer have an absolute monarchy, our government has inherited a large
amount of unaccountable power from the kings and queens of old. The UK
government has unprecedented powers over signing international treaties,
declaring war, patronage to both quangos and the House of Lords and
picking the date of elections for when it suits them.
These
powers are augmented by an electoral system which was introduced in an era
of two party politics when a substantial proportion of the populace was
illiterate. This system guarantees governments majorities in the House of
Commons even if they fail to win the majority vote (at the 2005 general
election, the Labour government won 55% of the seats in the Commons with
just 36% of the vote). This system forces political parties to concentrate
their time and resources on courting swing voters in the most marginal of
constituencies, while ignoring the rest of us. Our party politics is
steeped in confrontation and division rather than consensus and
cooperation. Nearly 4 people in 10 don’t vote in any election; most people
feel it doesn’t make any difference whether they do or not.
The UK is
one of the most centralised countries in the western world and while
devolution has improved matters for Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh to
some extent in recent years, the process of decentralisation remains
incomplete. In most of England, local autonomy has continued to decline.
We have
made some progress over the past two decades. The Human Rights Act and the
Freedom of Information Act now constrain the government and other public
bodies. However, neither of these pieces of legislation are as strong as
they could be and we still lack a culture of valuing human rights and
openness within government and even the wider public. They are under
constant attack and under our current system could be repealed at any
time.
Radical
change is needed to connect people and politics. Throughout the UK’s
history, it has been an innovator of constitutional reform, from the Magna
Carta through to the Glorious Revolution. Unlock Democracy exists to
revive the UK’s passion for democracy and to ensure that change happens.
What’s so important
about democracy?
From the
classical Athenians and the medieval Sienese through to modern day
philosophers such as Karl Popper, democracy has long been seen as a vital
guarantor of freedom, justice, prosperity and security. Undemocratic
societies find it difficult to adapt to changing circumstances and are
undermined by a populace which feels it does not have a stake. Democratic
societies by contrast are generally happier and wealthier.
Politics
will exist whatever form of government we use: those who don’t “do”
politics have politics done to them. What we need is a fairer, more
inclusive form of politics.
What
would you do?
To
achieve our goals, Unlock Democracy specifically campaigns for:
*
Fair, Open and Honest Elections
* Rights, Freedoms and a Written Constitution
* Stronger Parliament and Accountable Government
* Bringing Power Closer to the People
* A Culture of Informed Political Interest and Responsibility
www.unlockdemocracy.org.uk
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