Democracy and political messes

Democracy in the UK is meant to be in our blood, a fundamental to our way of existence, something that we trumpet about to the rest of the world. But the implications of the way the referendum in Scotland played out and then the way that the 2015 UK general election stunned almost everyone with its unexpected results, has led to mess of damaged political parties, frustrated ambitions for the future, and anger at the political process.

Now one of the damaged parties here is Labour and currently they are going though an excruciatingly protracted, and to me, very odd leadership contest. Now surely the crucial point about democracy is that it represents the views, expectations, policy declarations of the majority of the voters. Sometimes the majority view is not in line with what you or I as individuals would prefer but then that is the price you can pay, and hopefully it is not too bad. So back to the Labour party and the front runner, currently most popular candidate, who just happens to be a left winger. He is the most popular in polls because he speaks of the policies so many Labour supporters and the wider Labour movement wants. What is wrong with that? Nothing. Except that the other candidates and the continuing 'establishment' left over of New Labour believe that a left wing, or left of where they are, party is unelectable. Are they right? I have no idea and I suspect they also do not know either. So do the Labour 'establishment' want to elect a leader and have policies that conflict with the expectations of their supporters, it would appear so. So they seem to be saying there is a choice between the party being elected with policies their supporters do not want and not being elected with policies they do want. Clearly they have a problem to solve. It is too simplistic to say there are parties to suit differing views and voters should move their allegiances to suit their expectations, but equally you can't have parties that say one thing and do another, that brings politics and the politicians into disrepute, and guess what.

It all seems an absurd mess which is twisting and turning in the glare of a mainly hostile press and not helped by the strange phenomena of the party having a procedure whereby anybody can pay three pounds and then vote in the leadership election. An oddity that leaves the party open to abuse from those who wish it ill.

After the referendum and the continuing failure of parties to get proportional representation in Parliament based on the votes cast for each party, they say politics in this country is changing and, if what is happening to Labour is anything to go by, things have to change for our democracy to fit with its basic expectations.