244059
Reduced political
participation in the UK
- Evidence of this
- Turnout for elections
continues to decrease or
remain low
- General Election: 1979:
76%, 1997: 71%, 2005:
61%.
- 2010: Ardwick in MCR 20% turnout.
- 2010: Ardwick in MCR 20% turnout.
- European Elections, local council
elections and Mayoral elections turnout is
on average less than 50%
- General Election: 1979:
76%, 1997: 71%, 2005:
61%.
- Membership of political
parties has decreased from
1.8m in 1980, 0.3m in 1998,
0.27m by 2006.
- Less than 1% of the electorate are a
party member.
- A government of the people?
- A government of the people?
- Less than 1% of the electorate are a
party member.
- BUT
- Pressure group activity has increased. The
largest pressure groups have more members
than all of the political parties combined.
- Increasing number of protests.
- Online petitions (E-Petitions)
- Increasing number of protests.
- Pressure group activity has increased. The
largest pressure groups have more members
than all of the political parties combined.
- Turnout for elections
continues to decrease or
remain low
- Why is this a problem?
- The legitimacy of the government can be
questioned if its authority is based on an
election of low turnout.
- The 2005-10 Labour government only received 30% of the votes when only
61% of the electorate voted. Therefore less than 1/4 of the electorate voted
for the governing party.
- A government by the people?
- A government by the people?
- The 2005-10 Labour government only received 30% of the votes when only
61% of the electorate voted. Therefore less than 1/4 of the electorate voted
for the governing party.
- How can the population expect our
MP's to represent the people if they
will not vote?
- Do new laws have the
consent of the people if
there are a lack of voters?
- Do new laws have the
consent of the people if
there are a lack of voters?
- Local councillors, local Mayors and
MEP's cannot claim to have the support
of the people.
- What does it suggest about the UK politicians
and political system if a large proportion of the
electorate refuse to vote?
- The legitimacy of the government can be
questioned if its authority is based on an
election of low turnout.
- How can political
participation be increased?
- More use of direct democracy vie referendums
- There has been an increase in the use
of referendums in the UK since 1997
- Scottish devolution referendum achieved a high
turnout but the other have suffered from low turnout
making the decision meaningless.
- The population have elected MP's to
represent the people and govern on our
behalf.
- The population have elected MP's to
represent the people and govern on our
behalf.
- Soctish independence and EU membership
referendums are planned for the future.
- Referendums are usually used to give support for changes to the
political system. Not practicle to use for each government decision.
- Referendums are usually used to give support for changes to the
political system. Not practicle to use for each government decision.
- There has been an increase in the use
of referendums in the UK since 1997
- Citizenship lessons but these have not
achieved success so far.
- Lowering the voting age. There is no evidence to
suggest that 16 year olds want to vote or have the
capacity to understand the political arguments.
- More use of direct democracy vie referendums
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