Most of us look to MPs wondering why (over decades) they don’t actually achieve that much other than ‘moving the chess pieces around’. By now, we should have zero climate change, walkable communities, excellent public transport, everyone in full employment (and vulnerable people protected), zero homelessness, strict animal welfare and child protection laws and more. So why have none of these things materialised? And why does policy only change from campaigns (like 38 Degrees, which stopped David Cameron’s government selling off our remaining forests to private hands).
Fringe parties like Animal Welfare Party and The Peace Party have lovely policies, but are unlikely to create much change (not always true, as the former has MPs in Europe that have created huge change, especially in the Netherlands). And there is a real possibility in the 2024 general election of gaining 4 Green MPs.
Free and Equal is a humane book on how we can create a fairer society, where modern progressive politics wins. Written by an economist with a heart, this is food for thought on what good politics should be about. You won’t find a bad review!
Code of Conduct is a book by a former MP who looks at the inside story of misconduct in parliament and how we can help to solve it. Having spent years as Chair of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, Chris has been in the thick of the battle over standards at Westminster, from conflicts of interest, misconduct and lying to MPs engaging in nepotism and cronyism. With dangerous results for our democracy. Taking us inside the carpeted corridors (from the prime minsiter’s office to the Stranger’s Bar) this book looks at how parliament got into this mess, and how it might – at last – gets its house in order.
How Westminsters Works (and why it doesn’t) looks at why most politicians fail in their promises, no matter how much they think they can do something, before elected. This book teaches you about what goes on in politics, from the roles of ‘special advisors’ to what the House of Lords does all day. Often cloaked in secrecy, a political journalist lifts to lid on how to understand (and challenge) political powder. From Downing Street to Whitehall to the House of Commons.
We LOVE Michael Portillo in his railway programs but of course, years ago he lost the safest-ever seat (when people were considering him as a possible Prime Minister). It’s not within the boundaries of reality to suppose that most cabinet ministers (and even the Prime Minister) may lose their seats. If so, it would be a bigger landslide than when Tony Blair came to power in 1997. Let’s hope for everyone’s sake that Sir Keir Starmer is more to be trusted on his promises….
how to create more women-friendly politics
You’ve likely heard of the Suffragette movement and the story of the woman who threw herself in the path of a horse (thankfully the poor horse survived). But what else do you know of the story of how women got the vote? And more importantly, what’s the state of the nation today regards women in politics? There is some progress, but also some real issues. Let’s dig in and get political!
It seems unreal that it was only in 1918 that the House of Lords (unelected) gave ‘approval’ for women over 30 to be able to vote. It was not until 1928 that women over 21 could vote in elections. Yet the suffrogette movement began back in 1872, so the law took a long time to come into being.
Although most suffragettes were peaceful, it has to be said that some were not. Some used vandalism and assault, which likely did not help things. Emily Davison (the woman who for whatever reason ventured over to the king’s racehorse and died 4 days later) had been imprisoned twice (once for hurling rocks at the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s car). Her cause was obviously just but (but like throwing toxic paint on statues and throwing them into rivers), horses and dolphins are not anti-women or racist, and don’t deserve to suffer.
Today women MPs (and many men) don’t feel safe, with many stepping down from parliament due to threats and of course Jo Cox MP was murdered by an extremist a few years ago. There are still huge issues with domestic violence and unsafe cities and towns, despite so many innovative ideas around.
Of course, we all know that the ‘fairer sex’ often is less likely to instigate wars (think Putin, Trump etc). And it’s true that more peaceful Scandinavian nations all tend to have fairly young female leaders. But of course the smart alecs always bring up Margaret Thatcher, who appeared to be made of lead, and many have not forgiven her for the way she treated the poor, desperate and miners.
Former MP Matthew Parris was not so sure she was as tough as she made out. Once getting caught in a lift with her, he found her up-close and said she had the eyes of an exhausted woman. Perhaps her legacy of not looking after the most vulnerable in society began to haunt her, even before her death.
Outgoing Green MP Caroline Lucas famously campaigned to get page-3 girls off the newspapers, joining the ‘news, not boobs’ campaign! She wore a slogan t-shirt in the House of Commons and was told unless she changed, she would be thrown out. She said it was quite funny that she was getting thrown out for wearing clothes, for trying to protect vulnerable girls who were asked to take their clothes off to let men ogle them!
Register to vote (ask to opt out of the open register, so your name is not sold on. And write to your MP on issues that affect you: they work for you!
One way we could get more women (and Green and independent MPs) in parliament is to change to a fairer voting system, but that’s not likely to happen, as the two main parties want to retain the status quo. This means many of us have to use tactical voting to avoid a ‘wasted vote’.
Electoral Reform Society has a good overview of all the alternative voting systems worldwide. It likes the Single Transferable Vote (used in Ireland, which has many independent MPs). The argument given for first-past-the-post is that it maintains strong constituency links (a bit of a nonsense considering many MPs are ‘flown in’ to fight seats and neither live nor spend much time in towns where elected). Unlike most PR systems, STV maintains strong constituency links, which is also good (especially of late) to reduce the risk of extremist MPs being elected.
It also states that the present voting system means present MPs hold onto ‘one safe seat’ often for decades, and that’s why it’s more difficult to get more women MPs elected. Very few seats change hands at each general election although the upcoming 2024 election may change all that.
US politics is more complicated than ours!
If you think UK politics is complicated, thank yourself that you don’t have to put up with US politics. It’s completely barmpot as you have to belong to one of the two main parties to be able to vote (meaning there can never be an independent President).
Republicans (nothing to do with being anti-monarchy’) believe in low taxes, religious education and the death penalty (though low-crime northeast states have no death penalty). Democrats are more focused on progressive politics including environmentalism (though Biden has disappointed on this front). Robert Kennedy Jr won’t win, a shame as he is an ardent environmentalist who also wrote a children’s book on St Francis of Assisi (the Catholic patron saint of animals).
iffy politics, lovely states!
Although the Deep South inexplicably supports a ‘Christian President’ who held up a Bible while his supporters fired teargas at peaceful protestors, the Deep South states (which border Mexico) house gorgeous accents, country music, iced tea and some of the most beautiful buildings and towns on earth (American writer Bill Bryson says Savannah is his favourite city in the world). The food here is also more akin to what we could offer – collard greens and peach cobbler, y’all! However the high temperatures are suffering from climate change (Biden also went back on environmental promises almost immediately after elected).
