Answers to Labour's Better Politics Questionaire via People's Politics

Better Politics via People's Politics

Politics:

Answers to Questions 1-3:

The first thing to acknowledge about Politics is that it works but, sadly thanks to how Labour currently operates, it is badly broken and is why Party reform is needed.

The party runs at the behest of the shouty minority which will be seen by the political elite as a good thing but in reality is seen by the majority as what makes Politics not work for them.

Not only do the shouty minority succeed because they know how the political system works, in most cases the political elite are members of or supporters of these minority groups and can steer debates and in worse case scenarios the entire party political machine, so that their beliefs and or agendas can be accommodated or achieved, even if much more pressing matters are the majorities major concern.

In losing focus on the agendas of the many ‘we’ have lost support and sadly as ‘we’ are now backtracking on almost all policy decisions made the arrogance and contempt ‘we’ have shown to the majority of the electorate will be remembered and in all probability used as a tool by our opposition at the next election.

The worse aspect of this will be the limited achievements, while massive to the shouty minority, will also be claimed to be achieved during our opposition’s terms in Government, even if the shouty minority will try to claim the moral victory.

Most outside the political bubble see results, unless they are u-turns as things done by the Government of the day.

While we must always be seen as the enablers, tolerant and understanding of the shouty minorities concerns we must ensure that we are the party of ALL and be seen as not just willing but capable of being completely able to represent all which includes being representative of all.

Politicians:

Answers to Questions 1-4:

A Politician is, or at least should be, the voice of the people who elected them but in far too many cases they become the voice of themselves or, as already mentioned, the mouthpiece or publicists of the shouty minority.

Most Labour MP’s in particular, lose sight of their grass roots, mostly due to an understandable rise in pay and or living conditions but a lot, especially the career politicians appear to lose all empathy with those who elected them.

Brown’s contempt shown, in Rochdale and his sheer ignorance towards ‘pressing concerns’ underlined a viewpoint and as most attempts to engage with members never mind constituents just become tick box exercises for the Party despite all the noise of the publicity machine, it is little wonder there is no faith in the system.

The party needs to be considerable more active in the communities it claims to represent, not seen but seen to do, resolve or enable and its first port of call has to be improvements on its ability to listen.

The electorate said NO to AV yet we still insist on using it to recruit people.

All women shortlists are, away from the political bubble, seen as nothing more than a farcical switch from the inequality towards women to inequality towards men.

Considerable work also needs to be done on the removal of closed shops within CLP’s.

It is ridiculous to have groups that supposedly represent the party who alienate anyone who is not willing for example to not campaign in some words deemed safe and not worth bothering with just so resources that could be used in them can be used to maintain a closed shop.

CLP’s need to be a lot more open, governed by a proper complaints / discipline body and have a welcoming approach, perhaps even having new member induction meetings ahead of a thrust into Branch and CLP meetings and a pick it up as they go along mentality.

Open, honest, be seen to do and not just at elections times, caring and representative of those who elected them have to become priorities and when the system is fit for purpose people will join it in the same way they will let Politicians know that there are issues they want dealing with when they know the system will work for them.

Democratic participation:

Questions 1-4:

I vote for the same reason I am taking part in this inquiry exercise which is because I believe without giving voice you cannot really ‘moan’, even if knowing that most if not all will fall on deliberately deaf ears.

I also believe that in doing so, rather like this exercise, after taking part should things not change, get ignored etc. I can hold those who claimed to "want to know" accountable for not listening.

Brown was told that the economic crisis would happen but did nothing.

Burnham was told there are problems within our NHS but did nothing.

Vaz, in his role as Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, along with all Home Secretaries since 1998 has been told that there is a crisis in fulfilling our community safety strategies and there key objectives not being met but did (and in Vaz’s case still does) nothing.

As someone who has chaired community groups I know for a fact that people will tell you if things are wrong, they will, if they can, help find solutions and they will if they have faith allow things to be run on their behalf but if they fail disengagement, lack of trust and belief are natural reactions and while some failures can be mitigated against if the failures are down to arrogance, ignorance, contempt or simply not listening they are reactions which are immensely difficult to overcome.

The best way to show politics works is as already mentioned for it to be seen to work for ALL.

Parliament:

Questions 1-2:

Parliament is extremely relevant to everyone’s life which is why those in it should not be permitted to set their own agendas, once they become able to sit in it.

Sadly PMQ’s are its biggest downfall and shows everything that is wrong with the system it operates in.

This submission mentions arrogance and contempt on a number of occasions. There is no better example of it at PMQ’s when MP’s walk in talking and make considerable noise while others are performing their elected duties.

The frankly pathetic ‘Punch and Judy’ debates and how they are shouted down by ‘adults’ shows everything that is wrong with it, as much as the complete ignorance shown to ‘colleagues’ while leaving the chamber as they attempt to debate issues.

Politicians are supposedly diplomats they should act as them.

Summary:

I have little doubt that some will read this and bracket it racist, homophobic, sexist or some other nonsense and if you have come to this conclusion then you are very much part of the problem with our politics.

I don’t blame the shouty minority for doing what they do, who wouldn’t use what they can to achieve their aims, I blame those who enabled them to achieve at the expense of others.

Politics works, if the panel are looking for an example that shows that it does then there is no better one than the removal of Abu Hamza.

Unfortunately Labour in its wisdom has introduced a mindset and policies which undermine it and in turn have created the belief for the many that it is fundamentally broken.

‘We’ lost the last election because of ‘our’ arrogance, contempt and refusal to listen the Tories, or Coalition as they prefer to be called didn’t win it, yet, even now, ‘we’ still can’t recognise ‘our’ flaws and choose to use phrases like "we did things to fast".

We have enabled the shouty minority and ‘think tanks’ to create the party we have and while some reading this (if it is read) may be in a position to make change little if anything will be done because there is no accountability to the shouty minority when ‘we’ fail.