The Democracy Plus Campaign
Electoral Reform + Human Rights
Democracy Plus is a grass-roots campaign for a fairer and more representative British democracy. We aim to bring about a more inclusive democratic society, where a wider range of people and their opinions are properly represented in all levels of government.
The "plus" part of our campaign for a revitalised British Democracy is a renewed emphasis on the importance and benefits of Human Rights, which are currently being made the scapegoat for every government foul-up. We seek to ensure that Human Rights legislation is afforded the same legal protection it gives us.
Our Democracy is failing
The British Democracy is failing the electorate. The current Labour Government was re-elected in May 2005 with just 35% of the popular vote, yet it holds a 65 seat (55%) majority in the House of Commons. This means they can steamroll legislation through Parliament, even though 65% of British voters don’t want them in office. We believe this is an affront to democracy.
Voter apathy towards the electoral process is also at an all time high. In the past 60 years, voter turnout at General Elections has sunk from 83.9% in 1950 to 59.4% in 2001. The main reasons cited by voters for this slump is distrust & disillusionment of politicians and political parties, coupled with a feeling that their vote won’t make any difference.
It is our belief that this is a direct result of the way the British Electoral system works. The first-past-the-post system encourages an all or nothing approach to party politics. A party is either in power, or in opposition, this causes negative campaigning, uncompromising policy-making and also results in many votes for minor parties being wasted.
The Ineffectiveness of the House of Lords
The House of Lords is failing British democracy because of its lack of electoral legitimacy. It performs its role as the chamber for legislative review very well; unfortunately it’s often forced to withdraw quite reasonable amendments because the government refuses to budge.
Rather than force a stalemate, and because the government has shown itself quite willing to use the Parliament Act to force through legislation. The House of Lords relents, passing bad legislation even though they have serious doubts about it. For example: the ID card bill and parts of the anti-terrorism legislation.
This is unacceptable, but it results from a lack of electoral legitimacy. The solution is simple. Have an elected House of Lords.
Appointments to the House of Lords have also been the cause of much voter anger, especially when you consider the Cash for Peerages Row, where lenders to the Labour Party were allegedly offered peerages in exchange for loans. Whilst the government and the opposition have been keen to paint this as a party funding issue. They have missed the fact that elected House of Lords would render cash for peerages impossible!
The Erosion of Human Rights
The cornerstone of every good democracy is respect for Human Rights. Yet during the past 5 years we in Britain have witnessed the gradual erosion of basic civil liberties and worse still, we have been whipped into a frenzy by the tabloid press who have successfully turned us against our own Human Rights Act.
Human Rights are important in a democratic society because they protect the individual from the "tryanny of the majority". A fact recognised by 19th century philosopher John Stuart Mill as the flaw in all modern democractic systems.
Contrary to popular belief there is nothing in existing Human Rights Legislation which allows criminals to get away with their crimes.
The rights we have lost however, are significant: The right to protest outside parliament has been removed, we now need police permission. Jury trials may soon become a thing of the past. We have witnessed detention without charge or trial, a reality overshaddowed in Britain by the US in Guatanamo. Now both Tony Blair and David Cameron are talking about revising or repealling the Human Rights Act altogether.
It is therefore our belief that just as Human Rights Legislation protects individuals from the tyranny of the majority, Human Rights Legislations needs the same protection iself. This protection comes from a Bill of Rights enshrined in a written constitution, which can't be messed with by politicians of the day.
First Aid for British Democracy
Democracy Plus is essentially First Aid for British Democracy. Our objectives are to correct the failings in our democratic system. We aim to do this by gathering grass-roots support for our campaign, lobbying politicians, working with other pro-democracy groups and promoting our message in the media.
But to do this, we need your help. We need your support, your participation, no matter how small or large. Whether you just sign our petition or if you can volunteer your time to help with campaigning. All levels of support are gratefully appreciated and will make a real difference to Britain.
Join us and help reinvigorate British Democracy.
