REPRESENTATIVE democracy is dead, they say – why vote for MPs when we have the technology to make instant decisions by phone and internet? If we can vote for Jedward in The X-Factor, then surely we can legislate as well from the comfort of our own homes? If, while eating Chinese food in front of the TV of a Saturday evening, we are capable of judging objectively whether Danyl’s performance this week wasn’t quite as strong as last week’s, well, surely that’s no different from being able to decide whether Schedule 2 to the Consolidate Planning (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill should be retained or deleted?
Whenever I hear such ludicrous arguments I’m reminded of the excellent 1970 British satire, The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer, in which a careerist and scruples-free businessman eventually becomes President of the UK by demonstrating to the British public just how unworkable and unappetising direct democracy can be.
Have a look.
And you can buy your own copy of the DVD here.
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Sunday 22 November 2009 at 3:25 pm
“No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?”
- George Orwell, Animal Farm, Ch. 5
Sunday 22 November 2009 at 3:30 pm
Really enjoyed that. Thanks for uploading it!
Sunday 22 November 2009 at 3:50 pm
Surely the X-Factor is the best possible argument against letting the public have a say in anything
Sunday 22 November 2009 at 4:18 pm
Representative democracy clearly isn’t dead. Unfortunately, as practised in the UK, it isn’t democracy either. Once elected, our represenratives, like most human beings, want to establish and retain the maximum possible decision making power for themselves. They are often willing to flout the wishes of the majority, not because there is anything imppossible or contradictory about what the majority wants, but because they don’t share the values of the majority, frequently regard those values with ill-concealed contempt and, crucially, under our system they can get away with it.
That might have been good enough for the 1930’s, or even the 1950s, but our political history has been one of slowly and painfully bringing our political leadership under control. That process should not stop just because those leaders are elected.
Time for the electorate to take more major decisions directly and for the wriggle room of MPs to be curtailed. Those who don’t like it don’t have to take the job.
Sunday 22 November 2009 at 4:47 pm
In the film, the Tories win an election not on their own merits, but by making the Labour Prime Minister look incredibly foolish. I bet they have all seen this down at Conservative Central Office.
Sunday 22 November 2009 at 6:05 pm
Trotskyite usually claim to favour contempt for representative democracy and Parliament . . .
Carswell/Hannan’s theories and the a-political hoi poloi are down the same alley, and the Tories are joining in.
Lumley for immigration minister? Vote now!
Sunday 22 November 2009 at 6:09 pm
Democracy is the ability of 51% of the people to ride roughshod over the rights of the other 49%.
If the UK was a true democracy there would be no civil unions and gay rights would be non-existent.
Even in a representative democracy there is rarely enough expertise in government to make the difficult decisions correctly as evidenced by the use of working groups and expert panels. Who this government ignore unless they agree in with the pre-decided policy.
Sunday 22 November 2009 at 7:53 pm
How terrible! Thankfully our laws are made during dinner parties on yachts with unelected politicians, billionaire media tycoons and 12th generation banking families.
Hurrah for UK Democracy!
Seriously you don’t need votes on every issue, but you do need to start with every election vote having some affect. Northern labour heartland, London trotskyville, middle england blue rinse, I have never lived anywhere where my vote was worth a dime.
Sunday 22 November 2009 at 10:48 pm
haha this is a tweet I read earlier:
Really hope Lloyd does go tonight,should have gone weeks ago,but public vote him higher than Lucie!!! but they vote labour as well!
tweeted by someone called RealTimbone
Monday 23 November 2009 at 11:17 am
Not sure about RealTimbone . . .
. . . prob best not to dissect his obsession I suppose.
Monday 23 November 2009 at 11:36 am
Thank you Tom.
Been talking about this to some mates the other night and none of us could remember the name of the film
ta!
Monday 23 November 2009 at 3:42 pm
Most true part of that clip was where the Post Office’s first reaction was to strike.
Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose
Monday 23 November 2009 at 6:19 pm
I see Jedward are gone from X Factor. At last.
Monday 23 November 2009 at 6:20 pm
“in which a careerist and scruples-free businessman eventually becomes President of the UK by demonstrating to the British public just how unworkable and unappetising direct democracy can be”
Cherie? Is that you?
Monday 23 November 2009 at 10:08 pm
Nope, old Stokie . . .
I have Cherie lined up for UK Pres.
Cheaper option than the Sobranie faction . . .
Tuesday 24 November 2009 at 2:00 pm
is an opinion polling direct democracy website which has some political potential though it is doubtful that any of the liberal establishment would wish to use it, because what the majority want, eg a referendum on the EU, the death penalty and other matters on which people do already know their minds, goes against what the liberal political classes approve of. They of course know better and they of course wish to ignore any views that are not in sympathy with their own.
They are of course not democrats, however much they like using the word.
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