DEMOCRATIC DEVOLUTION

" All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy " - A.E. Smith

Almost everyone is aware that democracy in England leaves a lot to be desired. Few people appreciate just how undemocratic it is, while fewer still know that real democracy - government by the people - has a long pedigree and may be right for us now.

Here are some features of the democratic deficit (many would say sham democracy) at the present time:

Many parts of England are effectively one-party statelets, leaving only those living in marginal seats with any real influence over which party enjoys its five year period of elective dictatorship.

The party machines become ever more powerful and the parties themselves more alike. They are full of career politicians and dissent within them is discouraged.

The 'party list' system of proportional representation gives party managers the power to marginalise candidates with independent views.

Local councils depend on central handouts for 80% of their revenue, and rate capping and various acts of parliament dictate what they can and can't do, leaving them without real power. That people know this is shown by even lower local election turnouts.

GRAVY TRAIN

The European Union is too big and too remote for a directly elected parliament - even if it had the teeth - to command popular support. It is seen by most people as a bureaucrat's gravy train with a mania for standardisation. Only The Council of The Regions (the second chamber) holds promise for Europe to become a confederacy of regions and small nations. Unfortunately this Council is much weakened by its imbalance of powerful provincial regions (e.g. Catalonia and Bavaria) and merely token regions (e.g. in England and Sweden). It has apparently failed to win more powers in the proposed new constitution, despite the fact that several of the new states being admitted as members (e.g. Malta, the Baltic states) are far smaller and poorer then many regions. Hence some regional movements are beginning to think again about the European Union.

The one step forward in devolution of power (still with elected oligarchies) has been direct representation (with limited powers) for Alba (Scotland), Cymru (Wales) and London. Bitterly resisted by centralists of all parties, it was partly an enforced move to (try to) out-flank the 'nationalist' (i.e. local) parties in Scotland and Wales, partly a mis-calculation that the centre could retain full control via the party machine. No surprise that there were tensions within and between New Labour and Whitehall on devolution proposals for England, partly responsible for the massive No vote in the North-East referendum.

The result of all this 'half-democracy' is the lobby system. Between elections our concerns - for decent pensions, less pollution or whatever - are just another lobby competing with the well-oiled lobby machines of companies and special interests, e.g. the road lobby.

A SHADOWY WORLD

Behind the elected bodies lies a shadowy world of appointed and unaccountable power centres. These range from new super-quangoes like the Regional Development Agencies to the American controlled spy station at Menwith Hill in Yorkshire, which has the potential to listen in to every phone conversation in Europe - including yours.

Behind this again is the economic power of the giant corporations and their moguls, holding even The White House to account. This is the backbone of a cartel of powerful interests and individuals whose 'cabinet' is the Bilderberg group; the so-called 'masters of the universe'. So much for their democracy!

THE ALTERNATIVES

It is often argued that there are no viable democratic alternatives to this state of affairs. Fortunately this is not true. Among many promising proposals and initiatives the recommendations of the Power Inquiry have thrown down the gauntlet to existing 'democracy' in England - see the Links and Allies page.

Devolve! seeks to encourage the development of genuine democracies, originating from our own neighbourhoods.

For a discussion of direct, delegated, and representative democracy, plus extracts from a model constitution for England, see 'Exploring Democracy' page.

For a discussion of street and neighbourhood forums plus parish and community councils, see 'Very Local Democracy' page.

See the 'Organic Democracy' page for an introduction to this topic.