Addressing challenges the grown-up way
In light of the recent firing and reshuffle in the British government, I’ve been thinking about how our current political system encourages politicians to take extreme positions on issues like immigration, homelessness, and the right of peaceful protest.
In a first-past-the-post (FPTP) system, where winner takes all, parties feel the need to differentiate themselves from each other. This leads to polarisation, leaving a gap in the sensible middle ground.
Look at what’s happened in the US, which also has a form of FPTP. When I was teaching at Yale in 2017, I audited an undergraduate course called Politics and the Environment. The professor showed us how cross-party agreement on clean air, clean water and noise pollution in the 1960s had given way to polarised political positions over the decades since (see right). I fear the same is happening here.
This leaves many voters struggling to find a party that they feel represents their views. Polling by the Electoral Reform Society found that 96% of UK voters “feel powerless and unheard at Westminster”. It goes on to say: “A majority of Conservative (55%) and Liberal Democrat (62%) supporters, and a plurality of Labour supporters (48%) prefer cooperation as a way of tackling the problems facing the UK.”
Cooperation rather than division. Seems pretty obvious to me.
Here’s a thought experiment: imagine a system in which, instead of publishing a manifesto, parties anonymously submitted a list of policies. Voters got to vote on which policies they liked best, without knowing which party had written them. The party with the largest number of popular policies wins. And a wise winning party would look to see if there were overwhelmingly popular policies coming from other parties that should be added to their plans.
I’m not proposing such a system, which would no doubt present a whole load of practical problems of its own – but just imagine for a moment how it would feel to know that your vote had a direct impact on the policy of your country, that you had a real say in your future.
Meanwhile, proportional representation would be a big step in the right direction. As Sir Ed Davey has said, “Reforming our voting system is the biggest and most important way to mend our broken politics.”
A system that amplifies populist extremes is a broken system. We need a system that allows your voice to be heard, your vote to be counted, and supports collaboration and cooperation. And we need it now.
Other News:
We had a wonderful visit from Ed Davey to the South Cotswolds last Thursday, including a visit to a cidery, a meeting with local businesswomen, canvassing (in the pouring rain!) in Malmesbury, and an evening with the councillors of Cotswold District Council and friends of the party in Cirencester. And this resounding endorsement of my candidacy from Sir Ed.
Last Friday my presentation to the London Business School Senior Leaders Programme received a standing ovation. It was a pleasure to work alongside the dynamic Gary Hamel, author of Humanocracy, which is all about creating organisations in which people are respected, heard, and empowered. Right up my street.
A very moving Remembrance Day. I spent the morning in Cirencester, where I laid a wreath at the war memorial. Red tissue paper petals rained down from the top of the church tower, and as they lay on the ground in the rain, the dye ran out to form red blood-like streaks on the flagstones. In the afternoon I was at Malmesbury Abbey, where the service included a reading-out of the names of all the Malmesbury men who died in the two World Wars, including many pairs of brothers. A sombre moment to reflect on the tragedy of war. (Photo of a less rainy Remembrance Day in 2019)
I spoke last night at an event for HEALS of Malmesbury – Help, Empowerment, and Local Support. The evening included emotional messages of thanks from vulnerable and disadvantaged people who had been helped by the charity. There is so much need in this country – and it’s wonderful to see organisations like HEALS stepping in to mend the holes in the social safety net left by this government.
If you live in or near the South Cotswolds, and would like me to speak at your club, school, or village hall, please let me know. I can speak about my ocean rowing adventures, environmental advocacy, leadership, or life skills – or, indeed, politics. More info here.
Quote of the Week
“Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?”
— Abraham Lincoln