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Participating in parliamentary democracy - would you?

BioDynamo

06:20 / 21.03.02

If you felt you had a rather good chance of being elected into a political position (I'm thinkin member of parliament-level here), without sacrificing much more of your political convictions than keeping shut about them for a while, like a year, and without attaching TOO many strings to yourself, would you set yourself up for candidacy?

What do you think you could accomplish when elected? Would it be worth the effort?

Is any string attached one string too many?

Could you be an anarchist and do this? After you were elected, would you still be an anarchist if you were one before being elected?

w1rebaby

06:20 / 21.03.02

I don't think that I would, particularly if I'd have to shut up about my beliefs for a year (five minutes is hard enough).

I've got strong political beliefs but they're an adjunct to the rest of my life. I wouldn't want to give that up. If I was motivated to act politically full-time, I would not go into party politics, I'd go into a protest or lobby group that fit my beliefs better.

gozer the destructor

11:06 / 21.03.02

It would be extemly difficult to go into a party if you have strong beliefs. New Labours (that is an offical title as well now) majority seems to be made of people who just tow the party line. There is the choice of being an independent representive but they rarely get into power because the majority of voters only see two/three choices on voting day.

Its interesting that a lot of the Left Wing groups are seriously considering entering parliament though ie SWP/Socialist Alliance etc

Personally I don't see how parliamentary democracy can have a good 'Democratic' effect but I would love to hear some arguments against...

Come on, on a site inspired by Anarchist propaganda I would of thought this a great topic to debate.

grant

13:41 / 21.03.02

Hell, yes.
Don't know what I could practically accomplish, but just for the access....

Lurid Archive

14:11 / 21.03.02

I think that our system of democracy in the UK particularly encourages these monlothic parties and politicians who tow the line.

In essence, we have an elected king and any real dissension within the government tends to hand all those powers to the opposition. Lets just say I think it could be better...

Tom Coates

07:12 / 22.03.02

I'm not sure I'd be prepared to commit to a political party with all the compromises that requires - even if I generally agreed with the bulk of the policies of that party (as I currently do with *most* of the Labour party's stuff). But I'd be completely comfortable standing Martin Bell-style as an independent candidate with a clear remit - to act honestly and according to my conscience.

sleazenation

07:44 / 22.03.02

of course you would lack the financial and practical backing enjoyed by standing members of political parties, but hey that's democracy for you...

Kit-Cat Club

07:49 / 22.03.02

I think it would help if you already had a significant public profile - like Martin Bell - which would attract media interest. Or there's that chap, whatsisname, who won a seat in a constituency (which shamingly I can't remember - somewhere in Hereford?) on this single issue of the town's hospital, which was being closed and rebuilt on a new site with fewer beds to serve a larger catchment area... hang on...

Not Hereford at all, Kidderminster, and the constituency is Wyre Forest. MP Dr Richard Taylor.

More here.

[ 22-03-2002: Message edited by: Kit-Cat Club ]

BioDynamo

13:06 / 22.03.02

Would the fact that you need a public profile to run as an independent candidate be enough proof of the "inherent evil of the system" to deter you from running if you had one?

And if you didn't have a public enough profile, what would you do to get one? What could you do to get one? Can one plan these things?

How would you set up your campaign, if you had, say, a year until election time?

Baz Auckland

05:06 / 23.03.02

I keep thinking of running, but I always miss the deadlines for registration or end up being out of the country at the time.... the original plan was to run for Emperor of the the riding with plans for the country coming later but here's a better idea:

Run as the non-candidate. Say that if elected, I will not take my seat and my salary each year will:
a)be donated to the community,
b)donated to a charity of the people's choice,
c)split evenly amongst everyone in the riding, or
d)will be lotteried off to someone in the riding.

End result? Money for the community for 4-odd years, AND one less politician!

alas

11:08 / 23.03.02

The first time I visited Britain was for an extended time in 1987, and an election was called. I was young, had only voted once, I think, but was astounded that there were debates on television that lasted hours, late at night, mostly, and in which at one point there was serious debate about the term "Leninist Marxist."

In the land of "free speech" and "open elections" you would not hear anything of that sort (i.e. on US television), as most of you know. I know "New Labor" has gone at least partly the way of the Democratic party, here, which should change its name to "Republicans Lite" Motto: "The Original Compassionate Conservatives (But Not TOO Compassionate, Mind.)" But has the electoral, politickal climate changed dramatically since then?

[ 23-03-2002: Message edited by: alas ]

Cat Chant

21:32 / 24.03.02

Right. I'm going to admit in public here that I can't answer this question because I don't understand how the party political system and/or parliament works. Anyone know any good books/websites on the subject?

Morlock - groupie for hire

11:22 / 25.03.02

I've been toying with the idea of a 'None of the Above'-type campaign recently. No mainifesto, and only one promise, to stand down immediately after election should the candidate gets a majority vote.

Not aiming for any specific policy changes, more curious to see how much 'voter apathy' is actually dissatisfaction at the rather poor choice available. Personally, I wouldn't trust the average politician to tie their own shoelaces, never mind run the country. As for figuring out how good a job they are doing...

Too lazy and clueless to take it much further, though.

BioDynamo

12:41 / 26.03.02

Some "criticism of the system"-campaigns suggested, fine. A couple of years ago the local anarchists here had a stall on election day, handing out "election carrots" and asking people to vote on the question of "do you wish to abolish the current party-political system of representative democracy". They got something like 95% in favour of abolishing it.

However, as far as I know, a campaign that aims to "show the flaws of the system" and makes statements like "vote for me and I'll step down/distribute the money" has never succeeded. Am I wrong? If I'm right, why is this? Is it because only assholes/non-anarchists win elections? Why?

MJ-12

12:52 / 26.03.02

probably because people vote for those who they perceive will represent their interests, rather that those who will sit still while someone else represents the interests of the next town/county/state to their detriment

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