British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences
BRITISH DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS
British democracy is in crisis with almost three quarters of the electorate dissatisfied with Parliament and cynical about politicians, says a new report Building a new politics? published by the British Academy.
The report’s author, Professor of Politics and Governance at the University of Southampton, Gerry Stoker, says the majority of the electorate feel they have no influence over the way the country is run and criticises the Coalition’s reform plans as inadequate. He explains:
‘In the late 1950s, almost three quarters of British citizens felt that national decisions were within their span of influence, but today’s electorate feel powerless and mistrustful of the people who represent them. The reform agenda favoured by the coalition government is extensive but, as it stands, it is unlikely to resolve the issue of public disenchantment and disengagement from politics. It’s not radical enough and not focussed enough on the factors that are driving anti-political sentiment.’
Of particular concern is the disparity between social groups and their willingness and ability to engage in the democratic process. While gender and ethnicity lead to differences in level of disengagement, it is the divide based on social class and occupation that is the starkest. Professor Stoker says:
‘We are effectively witnessing the disenfranchisement of large proportions of the population. Those in professional and managerial jobs are almost twice as likely to vote as people in less skilled work or without a permanent job. The kind of ‘anti-politics’ evident in British society now, reflects a loss of faith in the political system and ultimately weakens the practice of democracy.’
The report, part of a series focussing on major public policy issues published by the British Academy, New Paradigms in Public Policy, considers how strategies such as electoral reform, activating citizens and wider representation might be used to reverse the trend.
Professor Stoker adds:
‘Changing the core features of the political system is one approach, finding ways for citizens to engage is another. What is clear is that doing nothing is not an option and new practices are needed to steer Britain away from the malaise of anti-politics.’
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Read the report. Gerry Stoker is available for interview. For further information please contact: Jayne Phenton, Press and PR Manager: 0207 969 5263 / j.phenton@britac.ac.uk
EDITOR’S NOTES
• The British Academy, established by Royal Charter in 1902, champions and supports the humanities and social sciences across the UK and internationally. As a Fellowship of 900 UK humanities scholars and social scientists, elected for their distinction in research, the Academy is an independent and self-governing organisation, in receipt of public funding. Its Policy Centre, which draws on funding from ESRC and AHRC, oversees a programme of activity, engaging the expertise within the humanities and social sciences to shed light on policy issues, and commissioning experts to draw up reports to help improve understanding of issues of topical concern. This report has been peer reviewed to ensure its academic quality. Views expressed in it are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily endorsed by the British Academy but are commended as contributing to public debate. For more information visit http://www.britac.ac.uk/policy/policy-centre.cfm
• Gerry Stoker is Professor of Politics and Governance at the University of Southampton. He has previously held professorships at the Universities of Manchester and Strathclyde. His research interests include democratic politics, public participation, public service reform, local and regional governance, and urban politics.
The author or editor of more than twenty books, Professor Stoker was the founding chair of the New Local Government Network, has advised governments in the UK, Europe and further afield, and has won prestigious awards from the Political Studies Association for his work and its impact.