Season for change in Britain? Citizen-led democracy
iniref | 28.08.2010 11:31 | Ecology | Gender | Social Struggles | World
More citizen-led democracy (the original rule-by-the-people) could become an important tool-kit for positive social and environmental change.
A season for change in Britain? Citizen-led democracy
by Michael Macpherson
About the author, see
http://www.iniref.org/bios.html
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Amazingly, the Tory party and Con-Libdems in coalition have opened up a debate (Pandora's box?) about improving democracy-by-the-people, providing a range of opportunities for those who may wish to kindle public, professional and private reform-debate.
What are we talking about? For instance:
1) For the "local" level there is a proposal to introduce the citizens' proposition ("initiative") and referendum, which can be started by a minimum of one in twenty voters.
2) The coalition states, "We will give residents the power to veto excessive council tax increases."
3) The new government has announced a referendum plan for village housing schemes with a ‘Community Right to Build’. Overwhelming support for a housing scheme must be shown in the referendum, with a hurdle of 80 or 90 percent approval.
Proposals "2" and "3" have already evoked heated comment by local authority representatives and interest groups, reported in news media, including BBC.
4) There is a clear commitment to "The Recall", albeit in a watered down form. Coalition: "We will bring forward early legislation to introduce a power of recall, allowing voters to force a by-election where an MP is found to have engaged in serious wrongdoing and having had a petition calling for a by-election signed by l0% of his or her constituents."
5) There is the promised referendum about electoral system with which the right of the electorate to decide constitutional matters is implicitly acknowledged. Coalition: "We will bring forward a Referendum Bill on electoral reform, which includes provision for the introduction of the Alternative Vote in the event of a positive result in the referendum, ..."
6) Obligatory referendum promised on Europe (no such guarantee in sight for constitutional change at home): Coalition: "We will amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that any proposed future treaty that transferred areas of power, or competences, would be subject to a referendum on that treaty – a ‘referendum lock’."
7) Even at the national-level there's a hint of direct democracy. Coalition: "We will ensure that any petition that secures 100,000 signatures will be eligible for formal debate in Parliament. The petition with the most signatures will enable members of the public to table a bill eligible to be voted on in Parliament."
Separately all of these proposals are weak and mainly unsatisfactory for democrats. Together they show a small but seismic shift in reform potential.
This is a moment of great opportunity for supporters of citizen-led democracy. Campaigning must be stepped up in order to mobilise articulate opinion for improvements rather than token gesture changes in our democracy.
The Campaign needs more active people, across the countries. Contact INIREF via http://www.iniref.org/
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DISCUSS THIS AT
Democr@cy Forum
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/democracy-forum
Open Democracy
http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/john-jackson/why-referendum-is-%3Fgood-thing%3F
INIREF blog at Wordpress
http://iniref.wordpress.com/
by Michael Macpherson
About the author, see
http://www.iniref.org/bios.html -----------------------------------------------------------------
Amazingly, the Tory party and Con-Libdems in coalition have opened up a debate (Pandora's box?) about improving democracy-by-the-people, providing a range of opportunities for those who may wish to kindle public, professional and private reform-debate.
What are we talking about? For instance:
1) For the "local" level there is a proposal to introduce the citizens' proposition ("initiative") and referendum, which can be started by a minimum of one in twenty voters.
2) The coalition states, "We will give residents the power to veto excessive council tax increases."
3) The new government has announced a referendum plan for village housing schemes with a ‘Community Right to Build’. Overwhelming support for a housing scheme must be shown in the referendum, with a hurdle of 80 or 90 percent approval.
Proposals "2" and "3" have already evoked heated comment by local authority representatives and interest groups, reported in news media, including BBC.
4) There is a clear commitment to "The Recall", albeit in a watered down form. Coalition: "We will bring forward early legislation to introduce a power of recall, allowing voters to force a by-election where an MP is found to have engaged in serious wrongdoing and having had a petition calling for a by-election signed by l0% of his or her constituents."
5) There is the promised referendum about electoral system with which the right of the electorate to decide constitutional matters is implicitly acknowledged. Coalition: "We will bring forward a Referendum Bill on electoral reform, which includes provision for the introduction of the Alternative Vote in the event of a positive result in the referendum, ..."
6) Obligatory referendum promised on Europe (no such guarantee in sight for constitutional change at home): Coalition: "We will amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that any proposed future treaty that transferred areas of power, or competences, would be subject to a referendum on that treaty – a ‘referendum lock’."
7) Even at the national-level there's a hint of direct democracy. Coalition: "We will ensure that any petition that secures 100,000 signatures will be eligible for formal debate in Parliament. The petition with the most signatures will enable members of the public to table a bill eligible to be voted on in Parliament."
Separately all of these proposals are weak and mainly unsatisfactory for democrats. Together they show a small but seismic shift in reform potential.
This is a moment of great opportunity for supporters of citizen-led democracy. Campaigning must be stepped up in order to mobilise articulate opinion for improvements rather than token gesture changes in our democracy.
The Campaign needs more active people, across the countries. Contact INIREF via
http://www.iniref.org/ -----------------------------------------------------------------
DISCUSS THIS AT
Democr@cy Forum
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/democracy-forum Open Democracy
http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/john-jackson/why-referendum-is-%3Fgood-thing%3F INIREF blog at Wordpress
http://iniref.wordpress.com/
iniref
e-mail:
info@iniref.org
Homepage:
http://www.iniref.org/
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
Step in the right direction
28.08.2010 12:51
After 13 years of the sinister and fascistic New Labour project with its anti-freedom laws, ID cards and a desire to regulate every part of every person's life it's good to see that some kind of normality is returning.
We should have some form of Truth and Reconciliation Commission for those who voted for New Labour. They are almost traitors with a hatred of freedom. They should say sorry.
Pete
Smells like...
29.08.2010 11:35
I really don't see what's so amazing about the prospect of opening up a 'debate'. I mean, politicians can and do make all kinds of nice-sounding gestures, promises and assurances, all of the time. This may look and sound like a move towards democracy but (given the existence of something called political history), it smells like utter horse-shit to me. I seriously doubt that the State is going to do anything whatsoever that might reduce its power or control over the people which, is exactly what would happen if the people were suddenly allowed to participate in the running of this country.
Democracy in the UK? I'll believe it when i see it and i'm fairly confident that i'll never see it, as long as we rely on the benevolance of politicians.
embee
Social change is up to you
30.08.2010 16:08
The seven listed democracy reforms (there are more if you look) are important because real people are responding to them, asking themselves questions like, "Should we decide about building a Tesco/ how much our council should spend/ what the EU should do/ etc.. Or should the politicians and big biz decide for us?" This is happening in villages and towns across the country. For the referendum on electoral system there is a growing movement for change, Take back Parliament. Whether you agree with Alternative Vote or not, this is a sign that people are willing to move their backsides for reform. Also, this group may take up other issues such as direct democracy.
Embee, the Campaign for citizen-led democracy in Britain started well before the latest Tory/Libdem government, even before "New" Labour. If such campaigns do not get enough support -- and that was the case regarding direct democracy -- then your cynicism will turn into self-fulfilling prophecy.
iniref
e-mail:
info@iniref.org
Homepage:
http://www.iniref.org/
still a bit whiffy
30.08.2010 18:59
There's a fine line between skepticism and cynicism. I'm pretty sure I haven't crossed it and i'm certain that you don't know me well enough to make such assumptions. My response to the article was perfectly reasonable and I stand by it.
embee