Consideration for democratic reform

• Definition of democratic deficit

  When there is so little democratic participation by the public and so

  little trust in political institutions that only a minority of citizens engage in politics. Consequently, elected governments can no longer claim legitimacy.
• Claims that politicians are insufficiently accountable to the public could be addressed by greater use of direct democracy so that the people themselves are able to make choices. These could include more referendums. Currently, referendums are called by the government when it decides that the people need to legitimise an important decision such as whether the UK should leave the EU (2016). Consequently, critics claim that the public are being asked to vote on issues only when the government wants them to.
• What is an argument against increased use of referendums?

  Democratic overload. From 2000 to 2022, Ireland has had 19 referendums. The average turnout has been only 48.4% (compared with the 67.3% turnout in the 2019 UK general election), which hardly suggests that referendums have energised democracy.
• In Switzerland, if 100,000 citizens sign a petition demanding a new law then this must lead to a referendum. A referendum on whether to accept a law that the legislature has passed can also be held if 50,000 signatures are secured. Supporters claim that this gives Swiss voters unparalleled influence over their lives and in turn could provide a powerful way of reinvigorating UK democracy.
• Argument against Swiss model use of referendums

  This model could create a conflict between the immediate priorities of the public and the long term objectives of government. In 2021, Swiss voters rejected the government’s proposals for new green taxes to help it meet its Paris Treaty carbon commitments, leaving its environmental policies in disarray. Referendums are also a majoritarian form of democracy with no safeguards for the rights of minorities.
• The Recall of MPs Act 2015 enables voters to trigger a by-election if 10% of them sign a petition. However, the circumstances when this can happen are quite extreme — an MP would need to have been sentenced to prison, suspended from the House of Commons for at least 10 days or convicted of making false parliamentary allowance claims by the parliamentary committee on standards.
• How can the power of recall be reformed?

  Broadening the criteria on which power of recall could be demanded to include issues connected with policy making would weaken the influence of party whips and make representatives more responsive to their constituents
• Argument against broadening criteria for power of recall

  Providing voters with an opportunity to dismiss representatives whom they believe have not represented their interests would also undermine the Burkean principle that MPs should act according to their conscience. If MPs could be recalled because their decision conflicted with their constituents’ wishes, then Parliament could be deprived of independent- thinking MPs and replaced by mere mouthpieces of their constituents. This could undermine the reputation and authority of Parliament.
• Supporters of digital democracy argue that facilitating voting and encouraging electronic political discussion will lead to greater political engagement and higher turnout.
• Critics of FPTP claim that it discourages voting because it limits voter choice by over-rewarding the Labour and Conservative parties, making it much more difficult for other parties to gain representation. The replacement of FPTP with a proportional form of election would create a fairer connection between the votes a party receives and its representation in Parliament. If ‘wasted votes’ and ‘safe seats’ were eliminated, votes would carry more weight and voters would have a greater incentive to vote.
• Supporters of compulsory voting argue that when a high percentage of the electorate engage in the democratic process, a government’s mandate is significantly enhanced. Compulsory voting would address the decreasing voter turnout in the UK. Voters would be forced to engage with their civic responsibilities, encouraging a more politically educated and participatory democracy.
• Why is compulsory voting also highly controversial?

  According to some activists, the decision not to engage at any level with the voting process represents a powerful political statement of disapproval. Forcing people to vote also fails to address the reasons why people may choose not to vote. Although compulsory voting would increase voter turnout, critics respond that the extra votes might not necessarily be informed ones.