lunes, 17 de abril de 2017

Since 1997 Britain Has Been Drifting Towards Elective Dictatorship - TruePublica

Since 1997 Britain Has Been Drifting Towards Elective Dictatorship - TruePublica

 

By Nat Le RouxDemocratic Audit:
Since 1997, simple parliamentary majorities have been used to radically
alter the constitutional make-up of the UK. Devolution and the creation
of the Supreme Court have transformed the country’s institutions. Nat le Roux
argues that this is evidence of a growing imbalance of power. The
executive can change the institutions of state at will – often for
politically-motivated, short-term gain. The extent of the democratic
mandate has been exaggerated, as the Coalition government shows.


 


There is a very widespread view
in Britain that our political culture is dysfunctional. According to the
survey carried out for the Hansard Society’s 2013 Audit of Political Engagement,
two out of three citizens believe that the present system of governing
Britain is in need of significant improvement. When asked how this might
best be achieved, a large majority of respondents favoured action to
increase the transparency of politics and the popular accountability of
elected representatives.


It is easy to see why many people believe that a disjunction between
citizens and elected politicians is the primary problem in an
increasingly dysfunctional, and disrespected, political system. However
this is at best a partial diagnosis. In reality, British politics are considerably more transparent than a generation ago:
proceedings in parliament are televised, it is much easier to access
many types of government information, and the public and private
activities of the political elite are subject to relentless media
scrutiny. From the perspective of the ordinary citizen, Westminster
culture may appear introverted and opaque, but this is an inadequate
explanation for the current malaise felt towards British politics and
government.