Last updated on September 20th, 2023 at 08:23 pm
Last updated on September 20th, 2023 at 08:23 pm
Reading Time: 3 minutesThere goes old Angry, stating the bleedin’ obvious again.
I’m not quite sure what the correct term is for the political system in common usage in our country, but I do know that it is not DEMOCRACY. Chumocracy? A Parliament stuffed full with Bullycrats?
The Tories, in coalition, started it off (maybe not, but that’s when I first became aware of it) by introducing policies and laws that were unlawful, e.g. The Great Pensions Ripoff. They very promptly changed the law to make their actions lawful, not a word of apology or explanation, just a fate accomplis. What can we do about it? Nothing.
A huge vat of salt was rubbed into the wound with the award of MPs’ Pay and Pensions Package. “Sorry chaps, we can’t turn it down, the Law won’t let us, we absolutely have to accept it”. Change the law then you arrogant bar stewards.
The arrival of Jeremy Corbyn on the scene set the stage for another abuse of the democratic system. Labour and Tories alike didn’t like it that he was so popular, and on course to win the campaign for the Labour Leadership, that both sides of the House launched bitter, personal attacks on him, in an attempt to influence the vote. Not very DEMOCRATIC that chaps, bullying comes to mind, running scared. Let Democracy run its course and see what pops out the other end, but you can’t do that can you?
Now we have the absolutely appalling decision by Government not to allow a free Mailshot for candidates in next year’s Police and Crime Commissioner elections.
In 2012 the, then, coalition government were heavily criticised by the Electoral Commission for not providing a Mailshot, nobody then understood the role of the PCC or very much about their candidates. The answer to that SHOULD be simple, fund one Mailshot per candidate, all is fair and even. Nobody is disadvantaged. Last time round our old friend Nick Herbert said that a Mailshot would be too expensive. Well, if it’s too expensive for a government how much too expensive is it for an Independent Candidate? I would put a huge chunk of my pension down at William Hill’s (or wherever) that Conservative and Labour Party candidates will have a Mailshot, and that it will be paid for out of Party Funds.
An Electoral Commission spokesperson criticised the decision, saying a candidate information booklet should be sent to voters in advance of the election.
“It’s vital that voters know who is standing for election so that they can make an informed choice on polling day,” the spokesman said.
Kevin Hurley, Independent PCC for Surrey, who is standing for re-election next year, said the main political parties would be the beneficiaries if voters were not informed who the candidates were.
“Independents with real life experience can’t afford to compete,” he said.
“With no publicity support for independents, your choice will be simple: Conservative or Labour.”
I don’t suppose the government really care very much who is elected, just so long as it’s not an Independent. Independents are difficult for the government to control, they don’t speak the Party Mantra, they have this inconvenient, and unforgivable, habit of speaking the truth.
Apparently the cost of producing and distributing an informative booklet, covering all the candidates, was put at £30 million and government decided that was too expensive, but they waste so much more than that when it suits them.
In my opinion this is just the latest in a long line of interferences with the Democratic Process by both of the major political parties.we’ve seen how hostile May and Camoron can get when things happen, or are said, which are out of their control.
Be a decent politician for once, embrace the over-arching principles of Democracy and let fate take its course without any interference from Westminster.
Is that too much to ask for?
Any undue interference with the Democratic Process is Corrupt in my my opinion Mr Camoron, not that you care what I, or the British Public, think.
There are two serious issues with our ‘democratic’ system.
1) We have an unelected HoS which gives the government more power than if we had an elected HoS.
2) We need to get rid of FFTP and bring in PR to ensure that the government in power is representative of the electorates votes.