Don't vote
For a while in my head I wanted to start a campaign to ask people not to vote and just completely avoid any contact with the upcoming elections, to completely disassociate themselves with politics and basically give a big finger to the establishment, and this coming from someone who has badgered people to vote for the last 13 years (my first election was in 1997).
In many ways I think the establishment really needs to see how distant they are from the real people, to get a real kick up the ass with a voter turnout so low that they have to rethink where this country is going politically, but then I realised that they don't actually care and will just carry on regardless of whether 90% of people turn out to vote, or 9%. Again they will pay lip service to really being concerned, but nothing will change as nothing ever does, so instead we need to push for compulsory voting and a PR system as that will really open up the political system.
Maybe this is why compulsory voting has never been brought in, or PR, as the big parties are worried that it will shake things up and people might actually vote for parties that they believe in, and that could lead to them losing power and control.
But if we had a system where small parties are actually represented would we not get more of a voice in parliament, would we not actually see proper debates having to take place as parties had to really explain to us why things should or should not be done? And if this led to more hung parliaments (which is still a possibility for this election), would it not open up the chance to consensus politics, or is that just wishful thinking?
So, I think we really need to push this forward as an agenda in this election so if you are ever approached by any candidates please ask them where they stand on compulsory voting, PR, and real reform in politics.
In many ways I think the establishment really needs to see how distant they are from the real people, to get a real kick up the ass with a voter turnout so low that they have to rethink where this country is going politically, but then I realised that they don't actually care and will just carry on regardless of whether 90% of people turn out to vote, or 9%. Again they will pay lip service to really being concerned, but nothing will change as nothing ever does, so instead we need to push for compulsory voting and a PR system as that will really open up the political system.
Maybe this is why compulsory voting has never been brought in, or PR, as the big parties are worried that it will shake things up and people might actually vote for parties that they believe in, and that could lead to them losing power and control.
But if we had a system where small parties are actually represented would we not get more of a voice in parliament, would we not actually see proper debates having to take place as parties had to really explain to us why things should or should not be done? And if this led to more hung parliaments (which is still a possibility for this election), would it not open up the chance to consensus politics, or is that just wishful thinking?
So, I think we really need to push this forward as an agenda in this election so if you are ever approached by any candidates please ask them where they stand on compulsory voting, PR, and real reform in politics.